ow in homage to our king,
Each his cap on high must fling!"

With that each Kobold threw his peaked cap up to the roof and caught it
again on his head, or his foot, or on his nose as the case might be.
Then they all shouted "Hurrah!" and it was as if a mighty flock of
ravens were to croak all together. The little girl put her hands up to
her ears, and was about to cry again when she saw Hugo. Then she jumped
up eagerly with a cry of joy and sprang down the golden steps.

"O you dear, good Hugo," she said, "have you come to fetch me home? I
knew you would come," she continued, "for I have dreamt of you so
often."

Hugo looked into the sweet little face before him and, in spite of her
fine clothes and diamond crown, he recognised little Elsa, his lost
playmate. He remembered his dreams, and all seemed to grow clear. He
felt himself very big and strong and important all at once. Putting his
arms protectingly round the little girl, he said facing the whole
assembly: "I have come to take this little girl, Miss Elsa, home to her
mamma."

King Reinhold (for it was the king of the dwarfs himself who had
accompanied Hugo) took up a heavy crown that lay on a cushion beside
him, put it on, and then took it off again, grumbling that it was too
heavy and did not fit him properly.

Then he cleared his throat and addressed his courtiers in these words:
"Hum! Hum! Hum! My esteemed subjects! I found this little girl some
weeks ago in the woods, within the magic circle of my domain. She was
crying bitterly, and seemed very frightened. I comforted her as best I
could. I gave her strings of pretty beads and a tiny fan of blue jay's
feathers. I promised to take her with me, and give her a crown of gold,
to set her on a golden throne, and make her Queen of all the dwarfs. I
even condescended to offer her a kiss; but I am sorry to say the
ungrateful child smacked me in the face (cries of "shame.") There she
sits, look at her! how has she repaid me for all my kindness and for all
the honours I have conferred on her?" (Here Elsa began to cry again and
to clutch tight hold of Hugo's hand.) "She does nothing but blubber all
day, and cuddle her dolly, and say she wants to go home to her mamma! I
appeal to you, my Kobolds, is such a baby worthy to be Queen of our
realm, of a people more ancient than the mountains, older indeed than
mankind; for we were the first inhabitants of the earth, we are
Primitive Man!"

A roar of applause met this