THE MISCHIEVOUS PRANK OF THE GNOMES. 7

stone in the midst of his subjects, and thus
addressed them :—

“Come, subjects mine, the hours are few
Before the giants home are due.
Pity ’twould be, now would it not,
Should they not find the porridge hot?
Better to find it burnt, I hold,
Than flavorless, uncooked and cold.
Then quickly bring me, I desire,
More fuel for this waning fire.”

Then the gnome king jumped down from the
stone and went up to the fire that was not
waning at all, but doing very well,—in fact,
just the right amount of heat to cook the por-
ridge slowly and safely. The other gnomes,
meanwhile, were collecting dried sticks and
soon returned, laden with bundles of them
which they thrust into the fire, King Rondo,
at the same time, stirring them with his golden
sceptre, in order to create a better draught.

In a few moments, the huge fire was blazing
finely, and a great volume of steam arose from
the kettle in which the oatmeal porridge was
bubbling away furiously. It rose higher and
higher in the great kettle,and soon came pour-
ing over the sides and fell into the ashes and