sy clattering
child-like band struck up, and over a hundred little fellows, who
had got off their horses and out of the carriages, danced as the
avant-courier had done, sometimes on their heads, sometimes on their
feet, in the prettiest possible trochees, spondees, iambics, pyrrhics,
anapaests, tribrachs, bacchi, antibacchi, choriambs, and dactyls, so
that it was a joy to behold them. But as this was going on, Fraeulein
Aennchen recovered from the terrible fright which the little Baron's
speech to her had put her in, and entered into several important and
necessary economic questions and considerations. "How is it possible,"
she asked herself, "that these little beings can find room in this
place of ours? Would it hold even their servants if they were to be put
to sleep in the big barn? Then what could I do with the swell folk who
came in the coaches, and of course expect to be put into fine bedrooms,
with soft beds, as they're accustomed to be? And even if the two plough
horses were to go out of the stable, and I were to be so hard hearted
as to turn the old lame chestnut out into the grass field, would there
be anything like room enough for all those little beasts of horses that
this nasty ugly Baron has brought? And just the same with the one and
forty coaches. But the worst of all comes after that. Oh, my gracious!
is the whole year's provender anything like enough to keep all these
little creatures going for even so much as a couple of days?" This last
was the climax of all. She saw in her mind's eye everything eaten
up--all the new vegetables, the sheep, the poultry, the salt meat--nay,
the very beetroot brandy gone. And this brought the salt tears to her
eyes. She thought she caught the Baron making a sort of wicked impudent
face at her, and that gave her courage to say to him (while his people
were keeping up their dancing with might and main), in the plainest
language possible, that however flattering his visit might be to her
father, it was impossible to think of such a thing as its lasting more
than a couple of hours or so, as there was neither room nor anything
else for the proper reception and entertainment of such a grand
gentleman and such a numerous retinue. But little Cordovanspitz
immediately looked as marvellously sweet and tender as any marsipan
tart, pressing with closed eyes Fraeulein Aennchen's hand (which was
rather rough, and not particularly white) to his lips, as he assured
her that the last th