G OF THE ANTS

Once upon a time there was a scholar, who wandered away from his home
and went to Emmet village. There stood a house which was said to be
haunted. Yet it was beautifully situated and surrounded by a lovely
garden. So the scholar hired it. One evening he was sitting over his
books, when several hundred knights suddenly came galloping into the
room. They were quite tiny, and their horses were about the size of
flies. They had hunting falcons and dogs about as large as gnats and
fleas.

They came to his bed in the corner of the room, and there they held a
great hunt, with bows and arrows: one could see it all quite plainly.
They caught a tremendous quantity of birds and game, and all this game
was no larger than little grains of rice.

When the hunt was over, in came a long procession with banners and
standards. They wore swords at their side and bore spears in their
hands, and came to a halt in the north-west corner of the room. They
were followed by several hundred serving-men. These brought with them
curtains and covers, tents and tent-poles, pots and kettles, cups and
plates, tables and chairs. And after them some hundreds of other
servants carried in all sorts of fine dishes, the best that land and
water had to offer. And several hundred more ran to and fro without
stopping, in order to guard the roads and carry messages.

The scholar gradually accustomed himself to the sight. Although the
men were so very small he could distinguish everything quite clearly.

Before long, a bright colored banner appeared. Behind it rode a
personage wearing a scarlet hat and garments of purple. He was
surrounded by an escort of several thousands. Before him went runners
with whips and rods to clear the way.

Then a man wearing an iron helmet and with a golden ax in his hand
cried out in a loud voice: "His Highness is graciously pleased to look
at the fish in the Purple Lake!" Whereupon the one who wore the
scarlet hat got down from his horse, and, followed by a retinue of
several hundred men, approached the saucer which the scholar used for
his writing-ink. Tents were put up on the edge of the saucer and a
banquet was prepared. A great number of guests sat down to the table.
Musicians and dancers stood ready. There was a bright confusion of
mingled garments of purple and scarlet, crimson and green. Pipes and
flutes, fiddles and cymbals sounded, and the dancers moved in the
dance. The music was very faint, and ye