next winter. I mean to
take advantage of this opportunity, while he is so occupied with his
official affairs that he won't be able to attend to my proceedings, to
prepare a weapon with which I may perhaps attack this shameful gnome,
and prevail over him, so that he will be compelled to withdraw, and set
you at liberty. While I am at work, do you look uninterruptedly at the
palace through this glass, and tell me instantly if anybody comes out,
or even looks out of it." She did as she was directed, but the marquee
remained closed, although she often heard (notwithstanding that Herr
Dapsul was making a tremendous hammering on plates of metal a few paces
behind her), a wild, confused crying and screaming, apparently coming
from the marquee, and also distinct sounds of slapping, as if people's
ears were being well boxed. She told Herr Dapsul this, and he was
delighted, saying that the more they quarrelled in there the less they
were likely to know what was being prepared for their destruction.

Fraeulein Aennchen was much surprised when she found that Herr Dapsul
had hammered out and made several most lovely kitchen-pots and
stew-pans of copper. As an expert in such matters, she observed that
the tinning of them was done in a most superior style, so that her papa
must have paid careful heed to the duties legally enjoined on
coppersmiths. She begged to be allowed to take these nice pots and pans
down to the kitchen, and use them there. But Herr Dapsul smiled a
mysterious smile, and merely said:

"All in good time, my daughter Anna. Just you go downstairs, my beloved
child, and wait quietly till you see what happens to-morrow."

He gave a melancholy smile, and that infused a little hope and
confidence into his luckless daughter.

Next day, as dinner-time came on, Herr Dapsul brought down his pots and
pans, and betook himself to the kitchen, telling his daughter and the
maid to go away and leave him by himself, as he was going to cook the
dinner. He particularly enjoined Fraeulein Aennchen to be as kind and
pleasant with Cordovanspitz as ever she could, when he came in--as he
was pretty sure to do.

Cordovanspitz--or rather, King Daucus Carota the First--did come in
very soon, and if he had borne himself like an ardent lover on previous
occasions, he far outdid himself on this. Aennchen noticed, to her
terror, that she had grown so small by this time, that Daucus had no
difficulty in getting up into her lap to caress and k