was in fact but a small opening, stood several goblins, evidently
awaiting orders from someone.

As Ned drew near he perceived that instead of a hut it was in reality a
huge oven, in which something very delicious was being baked.

"Minions!" called out Ned's friend, "is not the goblin cake ready?"

"Yes, sire!" responded several voices, and in another moment the oven
was taken apart and removed from the most delicious looking sponge cake
that Ned had ever seen. A soft, warm brown color made it most tempting
to the eyes, and the delicious smell made Ned so anxious to commence
eating that he could with difficulty restrain himself.

"Help yourself," cried his little friend, and without a moment's
hesitation Ned pulled off a piece of cake and eagerly commenced.

"Begone!" commanded the Gnome to the small bakers, who still stood
around curiously watching their cake disappearing down the mouth of a
mortal as rapidly as its owner could cram it in; "begone and leave us to
enjoy the cake alone!"

At this they turned away and descended the steep hill which lay to the
right and disappeared below.

"Be careful," admonished the Gnome, as Ned showed no signs of finishing,
"you may eat too much. Gnome cake, while most delicious, is more filling
than that of mortal make!"

But Ned paid no heed. Already he had eaten a great hole in the cake and,
finding the inside warm and flaky, he squeezed himself in.

It was much easier to eat the inside, as it was softer, and the crust
had already grown quite hard.

He was so busy eating and, I'm sorry to say, so greedy, that he did not
notice that as he ate away the interior of the sponge cake the outside
gradually grew tighter, and the opening which he had made at the
beginning of his feast, and through which he had crowded, became smaller
and smaller, until finally it closed altogether.

When Ned perceived this, and it was some time after, I assure you, he
was indeed frightened. He pounded on the walls of his sponge cake prison
and called loudly to the Gnome, but for some time he heard nothing.

Finally, after frantically running around and around inside the huge
cake ball, he thought he heard the voice of his small friend. He pressed
his ear close to the wall and listened.

Sure enough, he could just hear the words, "Hold on tight to one side,
and brace your feet," and the next moment he perceived that the cake was
in motion.

Slowly at first, but in a few minutes the great cake