some pledge beforehand? At any rate the time must come when they will be
set at liberty, and they will certainly not be longer than fifty years
here."

With these thoughts he consoled himself, and sported and played away
with his little play-fellows, and ate, and drank, and made his servant
tell him stories, for he would know everything exactly.

They sat at table about two hours. The principal person then rang a
bell, and the tables and chairs all vanished in a whiff, leaving all the
company on their feet. The birds now struck up a most lively air, and
the little people danced their rounds most merrily. When they were done,
the joyous sets jumped and leaped, and whirled themselves round and
round, as if the world was grown dizzy. The pretty girls who sat next
John caught hold of him and whirled him about, and, without making any
resistance, he danced round and round with them for two good hours.
Every afternoon while he remained there he used to dance thus merrily
with them, and, to the last hour of his life, he used to speak of it
with the greatest glee. His language was--that the joys of heaven and
the songs and music of the angels, which the righteous hope to enjoy
there, might be excessively beautiful, but that he could conceive
nothing to surpass the music and the dancing under the earth, the
beautiful and lively little men, the wonderful birds in the branches,
and the tinkling silver bells in their caps.

"No one," said he, "who has not seen and heard it, can form any idea
whatever of it."

When the music and dancing were over it might be about four o'clock. The
little people then disappeared, and went each about his own business or