asked the lizards; "what can thematter be? Hark, what a buzzing and humming there is!"
  Just at this moment the elfin hill opened, and an old elfinmaiden, hollow behind, came tripping out; she was the old elf king'shousekeeper, and a distant relative of the family; therefore shewore an amber heart on the middle of her forehead. Her feet moved veryfast, "trip, trip;" good gracious, how she could trip right down tothe sea to the night-raven.
  "You are invited to the elf hill for this evening," said she; "butwill you do me a great favor and undertake the invitations? youought to do something, for you have no housekeeping to attend to asI have. We are going to have some very grand people, conjurors, whohave always something to say; and therefore the old elf king wishes tomake a great display."
  "Who is to be invited?" asked the raven.
  "All the world may come to the great ball, even human beings, ifthey can only talk in their sleep, or do something after ourfashion. But for the feast the company must be carefully selected;we can only admit persons of high rank; I have had a dispute myselfwith the elf king, as he thought we could not admit ghosts. The mermanand his daughter must be invited first, although it may not beagreeable to them to remain so long on dry land, but they shall have awet stone to sit on, or perhaps something better; so I think they willnot refuse this time. We must have all the old demons of the firstclass, with tails, and the hobgoblins and imps; and then I think weought not to leave out the death-horse, or the grave-pig, or eventhe church dwarf, although they do belong to the clergy, and are notreckoned among our people; but that is merely their office, they arenearly related to us, and visit us very frequently."
  "Croak," said the night-raven as he flew away with theinvitations.
  The elfin maidens we're already dancing on the elf hill, andthey danced in shawls woven from moonshine and mist, which look verypretty to those who like such things. The large hall within the elfhill was splendidly decorated; the floor had been washed withmoonshine, and the walls had been rubbed with magic ointment, sothat they glowed like tulip-leaves in the light. In the kitchen werefrogs roasting on the spit, and dishes preparing of snail skins,with children's fingers in them, salad of mushroom seed, hemlock,noses and marrow of mice, beer from the marsh woman's brewery, andsparkling salt-petre wine from the grave cellars. These were allsubstantial food. Rusty nails and church-window glass formed thedessert. The old elf king had his gold crown polished up with powderedslate-pencil; it was like that used by the first form, and verydifficult for an elf king to obtain. In the bedrooms, curtains werehung up and fastened with the slime of snails; there was, indeed, abuzzing and humming everywhere.
  "Now we must fumigate the place with burnt horse-hair and pig'sbristles, and then I think I shall have done my part," said the elfman-servant.
  "Father, dear," said the youngest daughter, "may I now hear whoour high-born visitors are?"
  "Well, I suppose I must tell you now," he replied; "two of mydaughters must prepare themselves to be married, for the marriagescertainly will take place. The old goblin from Norway, who lives inthe ancient Dovre mountains, and who possesses many castles built ofrock and freestone, besides a gold mine, which is better than all,so it is thought, is coming with his two sons, who are both seekinga wife. The old goblin is a true-hearted, honest, old Norwegiangraybeard; cheerful and straightforward. I knew him formerly, whenwe used to drink together to our good fellowship: he came here once tofetch his wife, she is dead now. She was the daughter of the king ofthe chalk-hills at Moen. They say he took his wife from chalk; I shallbe delighted to see him again. It is said that the boys areill-bred, forward lads, but perhaps that is not quite correct, andthey will become better as they grow older. Let me see that you knowhow to teach them good manners."
  "And when are they coming?"