156 Fairy Tales

strange things about them that they never
noticed how, directly they had passed through
the door, the dwarfs set to work to close it
up again, until only a little hole was left,
through which neither brother nor sister
could pass; while, to make it more secure,
twelve policemen were set to guard it. As
you have heard, however, neither of them
had any idea of this, nor, though all about
them was so strange, were they in the least
uneasy, because every one smiled and curt-
sied, and as for the Lord Chamberlain, who
received them, he walked backwards, and
made such inagnificent bows that it was all
they could do not to burst out laughing.
Besides, they grew hungrier and hungrier
with the good smell of the cakes; and when
they were ushered into a room where was a
- feast all set out in tiny silver dishes, Joan
fairly clapped her hands and hugged Ju-Ju.
“O Ju-Ju, aren’t you glad!” she whispered.
‘Yes, yes, of course,’ said Ju-Ju, wriggling,
for he wanted to get down and begin at once.
They had an excellent tea, though Barthel