e of the family, which
bears the title of 'Saffian.' That a 'spitz' has been added to the
'Cordovan' doubtless possesses its own elementary astrological causes;
I have not as yet gone into that subject. Following the example of his
illustrious ancestor the gnome Tsilmenech, this splendid Ockerodastes
of ours fell in love with you when you were only twelve years of age
(Tsilmenech had done precisely the same thing in the case of Magdalena
de la Croix). He was fortunate enough at that time to get a small gold
ring from you, and now you wear his, so that your betrothal is
indissoluble."

"What?" cried Fraeulein Aennchen, in fear and amazement. "What? I
betrothed to _him_--I to marry that horrible little kobold? Haven't I
been engaged for ever so long to Herr Amandus von Nebelstern? No, never
will I have that hideous monster of a wizard for a husband. I don't
care whether he comes from Cordova or from Saffian."

"There," said Herr Dapsul von Zabelthau more gravely, "there I
perceive, to my sorrow and distress, how impossible it is for celestial
wisdom to penetrate into your hardened, obdurate, earthly sense. You
stigmatize this noble, elementary, Porphyrio von Ockerodastes as
'horrible' and 'ugly,' probably, I presume, because he is only three
feet high, and, with the exception of his head, has very little worth
speaking of on his body in the shape of arms, legs, and other
appurtenances; and a foolish, earthly goose, such as you probably think
of as to be admired, can't have legs long enough, on account of coat
tails. Oh, my daughter, in what a terrible misapprehension you are
involved! All beauty lies in wisdom, in the thought; and the physical
symbol of thought is the head. The more head, the more beauty and
wisdom. And if mankind could but cast away all the other members of the
body as pernicious articles of luxury tending to evil, they would
reach the condition of a perfect ideal of the highest type. Whence
come all trouble and difficulty, vexation and annoyance, strife and
contention--in short, all the depravities and miseries of humanity, but
from the accursed luxury and voluptuousness of the members? Oh, what
joy, what peace, what blessedness there would be on earth if the
human race could exist without arms or legs, or the nether parts of
the body--in short, if we were nothing but busts! Therefore it is a
happy idea of the sculptors when they represent great statesmen,
or celebrated men of science and learning as