s time there was no mistake about
it; it came from above, and it was a fir-cone! Had it come of itself?
Somehow the words, "Roast fir-cones for dinner," kept running in her
head, and she took up the fir-cone in her fingers to examine it, but
quickly dropped it again, for it was as hot as a coal.

"It has a very roasty smell," thought Olive; "where can it have come
from?"

And hardly had she asked herself the question, when a sudden noise all
round her made her again look up. They were sliding down the branches of
the tree in all directions. At first, to her dazzled eyes, they seemed a
whole army, but as they touched the ground one by one, and she was able
to distinguish them better, she saw that after all there were not so
_very_ many. One, two, three, she began quickly counting to herself, not
aloud, of course--that would not have been polite--one, two, three, up
to twelve, then thirteen, fourteen, and so on up to--yes, there were
just twenty-four of them.

"Two of each," said Olive to herself; "a double set of the blue dwarfs."

For they were the blue dwarfs, and no mistake! Two of each, as Olive had
seen at once. And immediately they settled themselves in twos--two
squatted on the ground embracing their knees, two strode across a barrel
which they had somehow or other brought with them, two began turning
head-over-heels, two knelt down with their heads and queer little
grinning faces looking over their shoulders, twos and twos of them in
every funny position you could imagine, all arranged on the mossy ground
in front of where Olive sat, and all dressed in the same bright blue
coats as the toy dwarfs at the china manufactory.

Olive sat still and looked at them. Somehow she did not feel surprised.

"How big are they?" she said to herself. "Bigger than my thumb? Oh yes,
a good deal. I should think they are about as tall as my arm would be if
it was standing on the ground. I should think they would come up above
my knee. I should like to stand up and measure, but perhaps it is better
for me not to speak to them till they speak to me."

She had not long to wait. In another moment two little blue figures
separated themselves from the crowd, and made their way up to her. But
when they were close to her feet they gave a sudden jump in the air, and
came down, not on their feet, but on their heads! And then again some of
her aunt's words came back to her, "If they should ask you to stand on
your head, for instance."