h. It was now quite dark; one or two inquisitive stars peeped
through the cracks of the shed, but all was silent as death.

Vendel was just beginning to feel drowsy, when all at once he heard
something or somebody speaking close to him in the German
accent--indeed the sounds were quite distinct.

"Quak, quak, frakk!"

"Who the tartar can that be?"

"Quak, quak, frakk!"

"Perhaps it is Sclavonian they are talking," thought Vendel: "Jako sza
volas, moje dusa?"[73]

[Footnote 73: "What is your name, my dear?"]

"Quak, quak, frakk!" The voice came always nearer; until at last
Vendel summoned resolution to stretch out his hand in the direction of
the sound to feel for its cause.

Something cold moved under his fingers--as cold as a frog. What the
tartar could it be? as cold as a frog, speaks German, and moves!
Vendel could not guess; but he once more addressed the mysterious
creature, and then, seizing his cap from off his head, he laid it over
it, that he might not find it staring in his face next morning; after
which, he took the loaf out of the bag, and breaking off the crust,
placed it under his head as a pillow, and slept soundly till
daybreak;--for though he was once or twice disturbed by something
pulling his hair or scratching his head, he was too much fatigued to
take much notice of it, and only shook his head and fell asleep again.
Towards morning, however, he began to be troubled by fearful dreams. A
vast museum rose before him, in which were divers stuffed pelicans,
ostriches, storks, crocodiles, sea-horses, peacocks, long-tailed
monkeys, and dog-faced Tartars, embalmed speckled devils, petrified
angels, and suchlike _naturae curiosa_, all standing in long rows,
among which were one or two critics, hung by the legs.

But what most attracted his attention, were two gigantic glasses
placed in the middle of the room, both filled with spirits, and bound
round the top with oilskin, in one of which stood a meagre elephant,
swinging his long trunk before him, with frizzed hair, glazed boots, a
wide frock coat, and high collar, from each side of which protruded
his long tusks.

But now for the other glass! There floated Master Vendel himself,
swelled to twice his original size, in his yellow flannel coat and
coloured slippers, and stamping with all his force to break out of his
prison. He tried to cry out, too; but when he opened his mouth, the
spirits went down his throat. At last he made a desperate leap t