Page:Stories and story-telling (1915).djvu/222

 scullion, I suppose," said Coquerico to himself, "but he will not stop me; I have business with the king."

"Well, you're an odd one," cried the boy, coming over to look at the new-comer. "Cook wants a rare bird for the king's dinner, you're just in time." And he seized Coquerico and carried him into the kitchen.

Here the cook popped him into a pot of water and left him, and with the boy went out of the kitchen to attend to something else.

The water began to get warm and then hot. "Oh, Madame Water," cried Coquerico, becoming all at once as meek as a dove, "good and gentle water, best and purest in the world, do not scald me, I beg of you."

"Did you show any pity, selfish wretch?" answered the Water, boiling with indignation. Coquerico leaped out of the pot, knocking off the cover, only to land on the fire.

"Oh, Fire, Fire, do not burn me," he cried, dancing around on his back; "oh, beautiful and brilliant flame, brother of the sun, and cousin of the shining diamond, do not roast me."

"Did you have any pity, you selfish wretch?" cried the Fire, blazing so fiercely with anger that the chick in frightful pain leaped out of a window near by.

But as he landed on the flagging the Wind caught him and whirled him up. "Oh, Wind," shrieked