o play on zithers.

The music was a gentle tinkle, not unlike a rippling brook, and appeared
to be in honor of Master Knops, who listened with pleased attention, and
dismissed them politely.

Then came a message for Knops. A council was awaiting his presence; so,
leaving Leo to Paz, with promise of a speedy return, he departed.

"How do you get about so fast?" asked Leo. Paz took from his pocket a
tiny pipe, curiously carved from a nut; then he opened a small ivory
box, showing Leo a wad of something which looked like raw cotton
sprinkled with black seeds.

"One whiff of this, as it burns in my pipe, and I can wish myself where
I please."

"Let me have a try," said Leo, taking up the pipe.

Paz smiled. "It would have no more effect upon you than so much
tobacco--not as much, probably, for tobacco makes you deathly sick, does
it not?"

"Yes," said Leo, listlessly, disappointed that he could not go to the
ends of the earth by magic.

Paz noticed the disappointment, and said, by way of diversion, "Where do
you like best to be?"

"At home I like the kitchen," said Leo, with a little shrug.

"Good! Come, then, to one of ours: we can be back by the time Master
Knops returns." So saying, he started off, and Leo followed.

Paz trotted down a winding staircase that made Leo feel as if he were a
corkscrew, and in a little while ushered him into a place where jets of
gas gave a garden-like effect, sprouting as they did from solid rock in
the form of tulips and tiger-lilies, but over each was a wire netting,
and from the netting were suspended shining little copper kettles and
pans of all sorts and shapes.

Busily bending over these was a regiment of cooks, but instead of paper
caps on their heads, each wore a white bonnet of ludicrous form, which
they could tip over so as to shield their faces from the heat. It gave
them a top-heavy appearance which was extremely funny.

In the centre of the kitchen was a long table, before which were seated
a number of elves testing each compound to see if it were properly
prepared, and examining the cooked dishes as they were brought in that
all should be served rightly.

"I had an idea," said Leo, "that elves and fairies lived on rose leaves
and honey, and that you never had to have things cooked."

"The truth is," answered Paz, "we do both; it all depends on what are
our employments, whether we are living in the wild wood or down in
these caverns. I would ask nothing better