o hide. The dean bent forward and pushed aside the branches, that he
might have an unobstructed view.

"The mountain's bald plate confronted him. It was not empty and
desolate, as he had anticipated. In the middle of the open space was an
immense boulder around which many wild beasts had gathered. Apparently
they were holding a conclave of some sort.

"Near to the big rock he saw bears, so firmly and heavily built that
they seemed like fur-clad blocks of stone. They were lying down and
their little eyes blinked impatiently; it was obvious that they had come
from their winter sleep to attend court, and that they could hardly keep
awake. Behind them, in tight rows, were hundreds of wolves. They were
not sleepy, for wolves are more alert in winter than in summer. They sat
upon their haunches, like dogs, whipping the ground with their tails and
panting--their tongues lolling far out of their jaws. Behind the wolves
the lynx skulked, stiff-legged and clumsy, like misshapen cats. They
were loath to be among the other beasts, and hissed and spat when one
came near them. The row back of the lynx was occupied by the wolverines,
with dog faces and bear coats. They were not happy on the ground, and
they stamped their pads impatiently, longing to get into the trees.
Behind them, covering the entire space to the forest border, leaped the
foxes, the weasels, and the martens. These were small and perfectly
formed, but they looked even more savage and bloodthirsty than the
larger beasts.

"All this the dean plainly saw, for the whole place was illuminated.
Upon the huge rock at the centre was the Wood-nymph, who held in her
hand a pine torch which burned in a big red flame. The Nymph was as tall
as the tallest tree in the forest. She wore a spruce-brush mantle and
had spruce-cone hair. She stood very still, her face turned toward the
forest. She was watching and listening.

"The dean saw everything as plain as plain could be, but his
astonishment was so great that he tried to combat it, and would not
believe the evidence of his own eyes.

"'Such things cannot possibly happen!' he thought. 'I have ridden much
too long in the bleak forest. This is only an optical illusion.'

"Nevertheless he gave the closest attention to the spectacle, and
wondered what was about to be done.

"He hadn't long to wait before he caught the sound of a familiar bell,
coming from the depths of the forest, and the next moment he heard
footfalls and crac