The polite rabbit sighed and passed his long ear over his face with his right forepaw, as though to wipe a tear from his eye. It was his pocket-handkerchief. There was a rustling sound in the grass and a fat, heavy body came shuffling up to the hole.
'Look,' said Windekind, 'here comes daddy toad too, all humped up. Well, how are you getting on, old fellow?'
The toad made no reply. He carefully laid an ear of corn neatly wrapped in a dry leaf close to the entrance, and nimbly climbed over the rabbit's back into the hole.
'May we go in?' said Johannes, who was excessively inquisitive. 'I will give something.'
He remembered that he still had a biscuit in his pocket--a little round biscuit, from Huntley and Palmer's. When he took it out he at once observed how much smaller he had grown. He could scarcely grasp it with both hands, and could not understand how his breeches pocket had still held it.
'That is most rare and precious!' cried the rabbit. 'That is a princely donation!'
And he respectfully made way for them to pass. It was dark in the burrow, and Johannes let Windekind lead the way. Soon they saw a pale-green light approaching them. It was a glow-worm, who obligingly offered to light them.
'It promises to be a delightful evening,' said the glow-worm as they went forward. 'There are a great number of guests. You are elves as it seems to me--are you not?' And the glow-worm glanced doubtfully at Johannes as he spoke.
'You may announce us as elves,' replied Windekind.
'Do you know that your king is of the party?' the glow-worm went on.
'Is Oberon here? Well, I am pleased indeed,' cried Windekind. 'He is a personal friend of mine.'
'Oh!' said the glow-worm. 'I did not know that I had the honour--' and his light almost went out with alarm. 'Yes, his Majesty prefers the outer air as a rule, but he is always to be seen at a beneficent meeting. It will be really a most brilliant affair.'
And so indeed it was. The chief apartment in the rabbit-burrow was beautifully decorated; the floor was patted flat and strewn with scented thyme, and over the entrance a bat hung head downwards. He called out the names of the guests, and at the same time his wings served as curtains--a most economical arrangement. The walls were tastefully lined with dry leaves, cobwebs, and tiny hanging bats. Glowworms innumerable crept between them and over the ceiling, forming a very pretty and twinkling illumination. At the end of this hall stood a throne made of fragments of decayed wood which gave a light of themselves. That was a very pretty sight.