Thunder was slain and eaten the next day, without any regard for the feelings of his lovers: indeed, all tenderness towards the children vanished. Even José ceased playing with them. They were treated with a detached severity not wholly divorced from fear⁠—as if these unfortunate men at last realised what diabolic yeast had been introduced into their lump.

So sensible were the children themselves of the change that they even forgot to mourn for Thunder⁠—excepting Laura, whose face burned an angry red for half a day.

But the ship’s monkey, on the other hand, with no pig now to tease, nearly died of ennui.