THE LITTLE GRAY MAN’S DECISION. 227

his head, and, rising to his feet, set off once
more northward.

This was the first journey the elf had ever
taken, and, after he became accustomed to his
lofty position, he took great pleasure in look-
ing down upon the landscape that lay so far
below him. The effect was much the same, I
presume, as travellers in balloons experience.
There was one drawback, however, and that
was that so high among the clouds the air
was very chilly, and Toto’s small nose soon
became as red as a cherry. The broad sur-
face of the edge of the hood, however, was
as good as a race-course, and Toto ran and
danced about upon it until his blood was all
in a glow.

“Take care, my little man,don’t get Zoo lively
up there and tumble off,” the giant king would
say from below, when Toto became particularly
active; and the mischief-loving and nimble elf
would reply by redoubling his efforts, turning
summersaults, and sometimes dropping over
the edge of the hood, as if he were about to
fall,and then, by a nimble movement, recover-
ing himself and springing back again.

These feints of Toto made the giant quite