The Gnat describes a whimsical creature called a Bread-and-Butterfly, which has wings made of slices of bread and butter, a crust for a body, and a lump of sugar as its head. It lives on weak tea with cream, creating an imaginative and humorous picture for Alice.
Alice questions what would happen if the Bread-and-Butterfly couldn't find its food, to which the Gnat responds that it would die, suggesting this occurs quite often. The conversation highlights the playful and absurd logic characteristic of Lewis Carroll's storytelling style.