and darting in and out of the door, as if to see what damage
had been done.

Andy watched them with the greatest interest. They were all dressed in
the gayest style, and very much alike. They had on black velvet caps,
striped with gold, and with long plumes that waved over their heads.
They wore the handsomest little tunics, of stuff as much finer than silk
as silk is finer than the bark of a tree. They had on beautiful bright
yellow scarfs, and their tunics were bordered with fringes of the
richest orange-color, and their trousers were all of dark velvet and
cloth of gold. They dangled the neatest little swords at their sides, in
golden scabbards; and three or four of them clapped their hands
furiously on the hilts; and one, seeing the feather which Andy pushed at
them, drew out the finest little black steel blade, not near so large as
a needle, threw himself into a noble fencing attitude, and made an
impetuous lunge, thrusting and brandishing his weapon in the bravest
manner.

Andy laughed gleefully, but stopped laughing, to wonder, when he saw
another of the little warriors shake out the folds of a marvellous
little cloak that covered his back, and, spreading it on the air, sail
aloft with all his flashing colors, sword and plumes. He came straight
to Andy's ear, and said something in a voice of thunder, and even made a
cut or two at the boy's hair; then darted away out of sight.

By this time the little doorway in the stump was crowded with these
strange little people. Some hurried to and fro, muttering and shaking
their cloaks, some sailed aloft, and others passed in and out of the
door,--all very much excited. Andy also noted several new-comers, who
seemed quite surprised, on arriving, to find the little community in
such confusion. The most of them brought some kind of plunder,--tiny
bags of gold, armfuls of a minute kind of yellow-ripe grain, silks and
satins of the fine quality mentioned,--which they hastened to hide away
in their dwelling.

But what astonished Andy most of anything was the appearance of a
wonderful little lady, who walked out among the warriors like a queen.
She was extremely small-waisted, although otherwise very portly. She
wore hoops of the most extraordinary extension, which made her appear
three or four times as large as the largest of her subjects. She walked
with a haughty air, fanning herself with a little gossamer fan, while
her servants went backwards before her, spreading down