ocritical and cunning
stratagems."

The six retired. Next morning, on their return, John addressed them in
the kindest manner, but to no purpose; they persisted in their
refusal. He gave them till the following day, threatening them
severely in case of their still proving refractory.

Next day, when the six little people appeared before him, John looked
at them sternly, and made no reply to their salutations, but said to
them shortly, "Yes or No?" And they answered with one voice, "No." He
then ordered his servant to summon twenty-four more of the principal
persons, with their wives and children. When they came, they were in
all five hundred men, women, and children. John ordered them forthwith
to go and fetch pickaxes, spades, and bars, which they did in a
second.

He now led them out to a rock in one of the fields, and ordered them
to fall to work at blasting, hewing, and dragging stones. They toiled
patiently, and made as if it was only sport to them. From morning till
night their taskmaster made them labour without ceasing, standing over
them constantly, to prevent their resting. Still their obstinacy was
inflexible; and at the end of some weeks his pity for them was so
great, that he was obliged to give over.

He now thought of a new species of punishment for them. He ordered
them to appear before him next morning, each provided with a new whip.
They obeyed, and John commanded them to strip and lash one another
till the blood should run down on the ground, while he stood looking
on as grim and cruel as an Eastern tyrant. Still the little people cut
and slashed themselves, and mocked at John, and refused to comply with
his wishes. This he did for three or four days.

Several other courses did he try, but all in vain; his temper was too
gentle to struggle with their obstinacy, and he began now to despair
of ever accomplishing his dearest wish. He began to hate the little
people whom he was before so fond of; he kept away from their banquets
and dances, associated only with Elizabeth, and ate and drank quite
solitary in his chamber. In short, he became almost a perfect hermit,
and sank into moodiness and melancholy.

While in this temper, as he was taking a solitary walk in the evening,
and, to divert his melancholy, was flinging the stones that lay in his
path against each other, he happened to break a tolerably large one,
and out of it jumped a toad. The moment John saw the ugly animal, he
caught him up in e