152 Fairy Tales —

rain had stopped, and the sky behind them
lightened into bright daffodil barred with
grey. But at last the dwarf woman said
with a sigh of relief, for it had been very
nervous work for her—

‘Now we are close.”

“I don’t see any house,” said Barthel.

“Oh,” she said, in a great hurry to explain,
“our house is built into the mountain side.
You see we are a small people, not big and
beautiful like you, but when we are once
inside I am sure you will be pleased.
There is a great deal more room than you
can imagine from the outside, and a great
many curious things. Besides, you must
be cold with all your things so wet, and
that is why I allowed the postillion to
drive fast. Then really we are very proud
of our honey-cakes, and I almost fancy that
I can smell them already.”

“7 can,” said Ju-Ju, licking his lips.

The drive, the novelty, and the bright moor
air had excited the children so much that
even Barthel had no longer any misgivings ;