afew large lizards were running nimbly about in the clefts of an old tree; they could understand one another very well, for they spoke the lizard language.

“what a buzzing and a rumbling there is in the elfin hill,” said one of the lizards; “i have not been able to close my eyes for two nights on account of the noise; i might just as well have had the toothache, for that always keeps me awake.”

“there is something going on within there,” said the other lizard; “they propped up the top of the hill with four red posts, till cock-crow this morning, so that it is thoroughly aired, and the elfin girls have learnt new dances; there is something.”

“i spoke about it to an earth-worm of my acquaintance,” said a third lizard; “the earth-worm had just come from the elfin hill, where he has been groping about in the earth day and night. he has heard a great deal; although he cannot see, poor miserable creature, yet he understands very well how to wriggle and lurk about. they expect friends in the elfin hill, grand company, too; but who they are the earth-worm would not say, or, perhaps, he really did not know. all the will-o’-the-wisps are ordered to be there to hold a torch dance, as it is called. the silver and gold which is plentiful in the hill will be polished and placed out in the moonlight.”

“who can the strangers be?” asked the lizards; “what can the matter be? hark, what a buzzing and humming there is!”

just at this moment the elfin hill opened, and an old elfin maiden, hollow behind,1 came tripping out; she was the old elf king’s housekeeper, and a distant relative of the family; therefore she wore an amber heart on the middle of her forehead. her feet moved very fast, “trip, trip;” good gracious, how she could trip right down to the sea to the night-raven.2

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