green spike of a leaf,
every pole, nay, even wheels and wheelspokes to the nave itself, were
beset with the creatures. And what were they all about? Tiny, miraculous
beings! labouring with unexampled diligence at the prettiest
dancing-pumps ever seen! The Lilliput shoelings glistered like Spelt in
the tiny brown hands of the workmen, as, turned to and fro, they came
under the numerous and almost invisible hammers and awls. Every
brilliant pair finished, and out of hand, was briskly strung up on
cobwebs, with which the cart, vaultwise, was overwoven; and upon which,
at the very first glance, Klaus himself could count more than three
hundred thousand finished shoes. The astounded waggoner could for a long
time do nothing more than fold his arms, and stare on in silence. The
little rogues looked inexpressibly comical, it must be confessed. They
were exactly half an inch in length, with great thick heads, on which
were fixed leathern-coloured caps, at least six times the size, every
one being decorated in front, by way of clasp, with a tiny glow-worm.
Their legs were very slender and very crooked, although their feet were
delicate and beautifully formed. Their little bodies, endowed in excess
with high shoulders, were clad in fine dark-brown satin jackets, and about
the waist were girdles of glistening silver, from which jingled the
needful workman's apparatus. As soon as one of the little fellows had to
hammer a sole, he adroitly tucked round his left leg, and, upon his tiny
heel, beat out the bit of leather into order.

"'This must be profitable work any how!' quoth Klaus, breaking out at
length, and, at the instant, the busy workers raised their headikins,
and goggled so drolly at the young boor, that the latter was seized with
a laughter which he found it impossible to control. The Dwarfs were set
off also, and for some time they roared together; that is to say, Klaus
roared, but the voicelets of the Dwarfs sounded only like a light
whisper. Their laughing, however, did not prevent the smoking of their
twirling-stick pipes, which they seemed to take much delight in; each
Dwarf, it must be known, carrying in his mouth the strangest little
twirling-stick, the four little arms of which reeked like pipe-heads.

"'If it is quite allowable, gentlemen!' said Klaus, taking off his hat--
a politeness which was immediately responded to by every dwarf--'I
should be glad to have a minute's chat with you; and to ask, first and
for