e was so nervous
that he tripped near the ground and came rolling down in the most absurd
manner. When he had picked himself up, he came forward with a low bow,
and the dwarf who had first spoken and who appeared to be the leader,
said, 'Now, then, who art thou, and what brings thee here?'

So Hok Lee told him the sad story of his swelled cheek, and how he had
been advised to come to the forest and beg the dwarfs to cure him.

'It is well,' replied the dwarf. 'We will see about that. First,
however, thou must dance before us. Should thy dancing please us,
perhaps we may be able to do something; but shouldst thou dance badly,
we shall assuredly punish thee, so now take warning and dance away.'

With that, he and all the other dwarfs sat down in a large ring, leaving
Hok Lee to dance alone in the middle. He felt half frightened to death,
and besides was a good deal shaken by his fall from the tree and did
not feel at all inclined to dance. But the dwarfs were not to be trifled
with.

'Begin!' cried their leader, and 'Begin!' shouted the rest in chorus.

So in despair Hok Lee began. First he hopped on one foot and then on
the other, but he was so stiff and so nervous that he made but a poor
attempt, and after a time sank down on the ground and vowed he could
dance no more.

The dwarfs were very angry. They crowded round Hok Lee and abused him.
'Thou to come here to be cured, indeed!' they cried, 'thou hast brought
one big cheek with thee, but thou shalt take away two.' And with that
they ran off and disappeared, leaving Hok Lee to find his way home as
best he might.

He hobbled away, weary and depressed, and not a little anxious on
account of the dwarfs' threat.

Nor were his fears unfounded, for when he rose next morning his left
cheek was swelled up as big as his right, and he could hardly see out of
his eyes. Hok Lee felt in despair, and his neighbours jeered at him more
than ever. The doctor, too, had disappeared, so there was nothing for it
but to try the dwarfs once more.

He waited a month till the first night of the full moon came round
again, and then he trudged back to the forest, and sat down under the
tree from which he had fallen. He had not long to wait. Ere long the
dwarfs came trooping out till all were assembled.

'I don't feel quite easy,' said one; 'I feel as if some horrid human
being were near us.'

When Hok Lee heard this he came forward and bent down to the ground
before the dwarfs, who