a pity for
so lovely a young damsel to spoil her eyes with weeping. Rather tell
us your story, which cannot fail to be very amusing. We should be so
pleased."

She did not listen. She rose and tried to escape. But her bare and
swollen feet caused her such pain that she fell on her knees, sobbing
most pitifully. Tad held her in his arms, and Pau tenderly kissed her
hand. It was this that gave her the courage to look at them, and she saw
that they seemed full of compassion.

Pic looked to her like one inspired, and yet very innocent, and
perceiving that all these little men were full of compassion for her,
she said:

"Little men, it is a pity you are so ugly; but I will love you all the
same if you will only give me something to eat, for I am so hungry."

"Bob," all the dwarfs cried at once, "go and fetch some supper."

And Bob flew off on his raven. All the same, the dwarfs resented this
small girl's injustice in finding them ugly. Rug was very angry. Pic
said to himself, "She is only a child, and she does not see the light
of genius which shines in my eyes, and which gives them the power which
crushes as well as the grace which charms."

As for Pau, he thought to himself: "Perhaps it would have been better
if I had not awakened this young lady who finds us ugly." But Tad said
smiling:

"You will find us less ugly, dear young lady, when you love us more."

As he spoke Bob re-appeared on his raven. He held a dish of gold on
which were a roast pheasant, an oatmeal cake, and a bottle of claret. He
cut innumerable capers as he laid this supper at the feet of Honey-Bee.

"Little men," Honey-Bee said as she ate, "your supper is very good. My
name is Honey-Bee; let us go in search of my brother, and then we
will all go together to Clarides where mama is waiting for us in great
anxiety."

But Dig, who was a kind dwarf, represented to Honey-Bee that she was not
able to walk; that her brother was big enough to find his own way;
that no misfortune could come to him in a country in which all the wild
beasts had been destroyed.

"We will make a litter," he added, "and cover it with leaves and moss,
and we will put you on it, and in this way we will carry you to the
mountain and present you to the King of the Dwarfs, according to the
custom of our people."

All the dwarfs applauded. Honey-Bee looked at her aching feet and
remained silent. She was glad to learn that there were no wild beasts
in the country. And on the w