We ask, Is this a dream
Or magic story?

And he says:

When I've had rapturous visions such as make
The sun turn pale, and suddenly awake,
Long must I pull at memory in this beard,
Ere I remember men and things revered.

So was it with the people of the City, and they stood in the Hall and
winked staringly at one another, shouting and dancing at intervals,
capering with mad gravity, exclaiming on the greatness of that they had
witnessed. And Zeel the garlic-seller fell upon Mob the confectioner,
and cried, 'Was this so, O Dob? Wullahy! this glory, was it verily?'
And Dob peered dimly upon Zeel, whispering solemnly, 'Say, now, art thou
of a surety that Zeel the garlic-seller known to me, my boon-fellow?'
And the twain turned to Sallap the broker, and exchanged interjections
with him, and with Azawool the builder, and with Krooz el Krazawik the
carrier; and they accosted Bootlbac the drum-beater, where he stood
apart, drumming the air as to a march of triumph, and no word would he
utter, neither to Zeel, nor to Sallap, nor to Krooz el Krazawik, nor to
Azawool his neighbour, nor to any present, but continued drumming on the
air rapidly as in answer, increasing in the swiftness of his drumming
till it was a rage to mark him, and the excitement about Bootlbac became
as a mad eddy in the midst of a mighty stream, he drumming the air with
exceeding swiftness to various measures, beating before him as on the
tightened skin, lost to all presences save the Identical and Shagpat. So
they edged away from Bootlbac in awe, saying, 'He's inspired, Bootlbac!
'tis the triumph of Shagpat he drummeth.' They feigned to listen to him