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he went upon his errand. Puck's tactics were known to Drayton's friend the sly sprite Nymphidia, who was keeping watch over the movements of the king, and she left her post in order to warn her mistress. Great indeed was the dismay with which her tidings were received:—

When in burst Nymphidia with her news, and the whole party was dispersed "like chaff i' th' wind." The fairies justled against each other: some tore a ruff and some a gown, some left their masks behind, some left their gloves, "there never was such bustling." At length one of the fays descried a hazel-nut which had its end gnawed off, and had been rifled by a squirrel:—

Room enough and to spare in a hazel-nut shell for Mab, for Hop, Mop, Drap, Pip, Trip, Skip, Fib, Tib, Pinck, Pin, Tick, Quick, Jill, Jin, Tit, Nit, Wap, and Win. Homer in a nutshell is nothing to this. Was ever fairy proportion more distinctly and yet delicately delineated?