should like to come very much if it
isn't too far; but I am afraid I couldn't eat any supper. Indeed, I'm
not hungry." And then a bright thought struck her. "See here," she went
on, drawing the half slice of bread out of her pocket, "I had to put
this in my pocket, for I couldn't finish it at our afternoon coffee."

The two dwarfs came close and examined the piece of bread with the
greatest attention. They pinched and smelt it, and one of them put out
his queer little pointed tongue and licked it.

"Not good!" he said, looking up at Olive and rolling about his eyes in a
very queer way.

"I don't know," said Olive; "I don't think it can be bad. It is the
regular bread of the country. I should have thought you would be
accustomed to it, as you live here."

The two dwarfs took no notice of what she said, but suddenly turned
round, and standing with their backs to Olive called out shrilly, "Guten
Tag." Immediately all the other dwarfs replied in the same tone and the
same words, and to Olive's great surprise they all began to move towards
her, but without altering their attitudes--those on the barrel rolled
towards her without getting off it; the two who were hugging their knees
continued to hug them, while they came on by means of jerking
themselves; the turning head-over-heels ones span along like wheels, and
so on till the whole assemblage were at her feet. Then she saw unfolded
before her, hanging on the branches of the tree, a large mantle, just
the shape of her aunt's travelling dust-cloak, which she always spread
over Olive in a carriage, only, instead of being drab or fawn-coloured,
it was, like the dwarfs' jackets, bright blue. And without any one
telling her, Olive seemed to know of herself that she was to put it on.

She got up and reached the cloak easily; it seemed to put itself on, and
Olive felt very happy and triumphant as she said to herself, "Now I'm
really going to have some adventures."

The dwarfs marched--no! one cannot call it marching, for they had about
a dozen different ways of proceeding--they moved on, and Olive in the
middle, her blue cloak floating majestically on her shoulders. No one
spoke a word. It grew darker and darker among the trees, but Olive did
not feel frightened. On they went, till at last she saw twinkling before
them a very small but bright blue light. It looked scarcely larger than
the lamp of a glow-worm, but it shone out very distinct in the darkness.
Immediately they sa