Page:TASJ-1-3.djvu/277

 some of them of a red colour wearing blue clothes and others of a black colour wearing red clothes. Running well in front of the rest were some with only one eye and some without a mouth, and such like, and altogether, indeed, a quite indescribable kind of beings. The whole throng, to the number of about a hundred, came together with a whizzing sort of sound, and after lighting a great fire as bright as the eye of heaven, they spread themselves about it in front of the hollow tree in which the old man was, who thereupon lost the power of his senses more and more. One elf who seemed to be their chief sat on a seat set thwart-wise, while the elves ranged themselves on each side of him in two rows. I don’t know how many there were of them, and time would fail me if I were to attempt to describe the appearance of them one by one. They enjoyed themselves drinking saké just like people of this world, and after passing the bowl round repeatedly the chief elf seemed to get uncommonly drank. Then one young elf rose at the further end, and clapping a dish-tray on his head begged for something or other. Uttering witty sayings he marched up slowly to the front of the elf on the thwart seat and seemed to be importuning him: the latter remained seated holding the drinking cup in his left hand and smiling good humouredly, just like a person of this world. Then he led off into a dance and the rest joined in order all down the line: some danced well, others badly. When at length they seemed to have had enough of it the elf of the thwart seat spoke and said: “We have prolonged the fun to-night much beyond our usual time; no wonder, however; the jig was a sight to see.” Hereupon the old man, whether it was that something had bewitched him, or that some god or saint put it into his mind to do so—at any rate he felt a desire to start out and dance. Then all at once he changed his mind, but the elves hereupon without more ado struck up a tune of so pleasing a sound that he made up his mind. “So be it,” said he, “I will run out and have my dance; I must, even if I die for it,” and with his cap cocked over his nose and