Scarcely had he finished saying these words than a cloud descended and carried him through the air at lightning speed.
In a few minutes he found himself at the gates of a beautiful garden surrounded by a silver fence with golden ornaments. At the gate there were two maidens, one in white and the other in black. The one in white had a fresh and smiling face; the other was sad and taciturn. The former carried an apple in her hand, the latter bore a scythe.
"Who are you?" asked Enrique.
"I am Life," said the first.
"I, Death," replied the second in dismal tones.
"What have you come here for?" they asked the boy.
"I have come for a branch of Blue Ivy to cure my sister with."
"I cannot give it to you without the permission of this maiden," said Life, motioning towards Death.
"I will not permit it, because Luisa belongs to me. She is a prize which I will not give up," growled Death angrily.
Life smiled sadly and turning to Enrique said: