ty cask to his mouth like a clarionet. Two more sat near me with
huge wine-funnels which they used as trumpets, waiting for the signal.
Then began a fearful rumbling and hooting, all out of tune, to which
Turkish music was nothing. Balthasar's instrument had but two notes,
the key note and an horribly high falsetto. As for the trumpeters the
sounds of grief and anguish which they drew from their funnels was like
nothing but the wailing of a Triton on a conch.

Bacchus and his sweetheart paraded in the height of the fashion of 200
years ago. Frau Rosa held her skirt wide out with both hands, so that
she looked more like a great wine cask than ever. She didn't move far
from her place, but tripped a few steps up and down and back again, and
kept bobbing with little curtsies. Her partner meanwhile spun round her
like a top, snapping his fingers and crying Halloo!

[Illustration: 'TO THE DANCE! TO THE DANCE!']

When at last he seemed tired he beckoned to two of the others, and
whispered something to them, whereon they took off Mistress Rose's
apron, (which Bacchus had tied round his own neck when he began to
dance.) Then the others stood all round and grasped the edge of it. Ha!
thought I, now old Balthasar is going to be tossed in a blanket. I hope
he won't break his head against the low roof. Then to my horror two of
the biggest of them came forward and seized--me; Balthasar chuckled.
Struggling was vain; they laid me on the sheet shouting with laughter.
'Only not too high, my noble patrons, or I shall break my head;
remember it's not like your saintships' heads,' I cried. Up and down I
went, first three, four, then five feet high. Suddenly they began to
pull harder, and I flew up--up--and like a cloud the roof opened, and I
flew up beyond the roof of the Council Hall, beyond even the Cathedral
tower. 'Ah!' thought I, 'now it's all over with me, I shall infallibly
be spiked on the weather-cock in coming down, or at least break a few
arms or legs; and I know what Adelgunde thinks of a man with broken
limbs. Adieu! my love! my life! Then I began to descend as swiftly
through the air, through the Council Hall, through the vault, but I
lighted not upon the cloth, but just upon a chair which toppled over
backwards with me to the floor.

Stunned by the awful fall I lay long, but at length a headache and the
coldness of the ground awoke me. Anxiously I examined my limbs, but
found nothing broken. Daylight was faintly streaming