. All had
horns growing on their foreheads. The old man was so surprised at what
he saw that he lost his balance and fell out of the hollow tree.
Fortunately for him the demons did not see him, as the tree was in the
background. So he picked himself up and crept back into the tree.

While he was sitting there and wondering impatiently when he would be
able to get home, he heard the sounds of gay music, and then some of
the demons began to sing.

"What are these creatures doing?" said the old man to himself. "I will
look out, it sounds very amusing."

On peeping out, the old man saw that the demon chief himself was
actually sitting with his back against the tree in which he had taken
refuge, and all the other demons were sitting round, some drinking and
some dancing. Food and wine was spread before them on the ground, and
the demons were evidently having a great entertainment and enjoying
themselves immensely.

It made the old man laugh to see their strange antics.

"How amusing this is!" laughed the old man to himself "I am now quite
old, but I have never seen anything so strange in all my life."

He was so interested and excited in watching all that the demons were
doing, that he forgot himself and stepped out of the tree and stood
looking on.

The demon chief was just taking a big cup of SAKE and watching one of
the demons dancing. In a little while he said with a bored air:

"Your dance is rather monotonous. I am tired of watching it. Isn't
there any one amongst you all who can dance better than this fellow?"

Now the old man had been fond of dancing all his life, and was quite an
expert in the art, and he knew that he could do much better than the
demon.

"Shall I go and dance before these demons and let them see what a human
being can do? It may be dangerous, for if I don't please them they may
kill me!" said the old fellow to himself.

His fears, however, were soon overcome by his love of dancing. In a few
minutes he could restrain himself no longer, and came out before the
whole party of demons and began to dance at once. The old man,
realizing that his life probably depended on whether he pleased these
strange creatures or not, exerted his skill and wit to the utmost.

The demons were at first very surprised to see a man so fearlessly
taking part in their entertainment, and then their surprise soon gave
place to admiration.

"How strange!" exclaimed the horned chief. "I never saw such a skillful