hom there was any thing
ridiculous. Therefore it was that the unfortunate dwarf remained the
whole day without food or drink, and at evening was forced to choose
the steps of a church for his couch, cold and hard as they were.

But when the rising sun awaked him, he began to think seriously of how
he should support himself, now that his parents had cast him off. He
was too proud to serve as a sign for a barber's shop; he would not
travel round as a mountebank and exhibit himself for money. What should
he do? It now occurred to him that as a squirrel he had made great
progress in the art of cookery; he believed, not without reason, that
he could hold his own with most cooks; and so he resolved to make use
of his knowledge.

As soon as the streets began to show signs of life, and the morning
was fairly advanced, he entered the church and offered up a prayer.
Then he started on his way. The duke, the ruler of the country, was a
well-known glutton and high-liver, who loved a good table, and selected
his cooks from all parts of the world. To his palace the dwarf betook
himself. When he came to the outer gate, the guards asked him what he
wanted, and had a little sport with him. He asked to see the master of
the kitchen. They laughed, and led him through the court, and at every
step servants stopped to look after him, laughed loudly, and fell in
behind him, so that by and by a monster procession of servants of all
degrees crowded the steps of the palace. The stable-boys threw away
their curry-combs, the messengers ran, the carpet-beaters forgot to
dust their carpets, everybody pushed and crowded, and there was as much
noise and confusion as if the enemy had been before the gates; and the
shout--"A dwarf! a dwarf! Have you seen the dwarf!"--filled the air.

The steward of the palace now appeared at the door, with a stern face,
and a large whip in his hand. "For heaven's sake, you dogs, why do you
make such a noise? Don't you know that the duke still sleeps?" and
thereupon he raised the lash and let it fall on the backs of some
stable-boys and guards.

"Oh, master!" cried they, "don't you see any thing? We bring here a
dwarf--a dwarf such as you have never seen before." The steward was
able to control his laughter only with great difficulty, when he saw
the dwarf. But it would not do to compromise his dignity by a laugh, so
he drove away the crowd with his whip, led the dwarf into the palace,
and asked him what he wanted. W