“ ‘I never saw any,’ I answered.
“ ‘You couldn’t have seen anything if you didn’t see them,’ he said; ‘but perhaps you don’t know. They’re the glow-worms. Six to each tree, so they light the road, and challenge the passers-by. Why didn’t they challenge you?’
“ ‘I don’t know,’ I began, ‘unless the beetle——’
“ ‘I don’t like beetles,’ interrupted the spider, stretching each leg in turn by sticking it up above him, ‘all shell and no flavor. You never tried walking on anything of that sort, did you?’ and he pointed with one leg to a long thread that fastened a web above his head.
“ ‘Certainly not,’ said I.
“ ‘I’m afraid it wouldn’t bear you,’ he observed slowly.
“ ‘I’m quite sure it wouldn’t,’ I hastened to reply. ‘I wouldn’t try for worlds. It would spoil your pretty work in a moment. Good-evening.’
“And I hurried forward. Once I looked back, but the spider was not following me. He was in his hole again, on his stomach, with his knees above his head, and looking (apparently through his spectacles) down the road up which I came.
“I soon forgot him in the sight before me. I had reached the open place with the lights and the music; but how shall I describe the spectacle that I beheld?
“I have spoken of the effect of a toy-shop on my feelings. Now imagine a toy-fair, brighter and gayer than the brightest bazaar ever seen, held in an open glade, where forest-trees stood majestically behind the glittering stalls, and stretched their gigantic arms above our heads, brilliant with a thousand hanging lamps. At the moment of my entrance all was silent and quiet. The toys lay in their places looking so incredibly attractive that I reflected with disgust that all my ready cash, except one shilling and some coppers, had melted away amid the tawdry fascinations of a village booth. I was counting the coppers (sevenpence halfpenny), when all in a moment a dozen sixpenny fiddles leaped from their places and began to play, accordions of all sizes joined them, the drumsticks beat upon the drums, the penny trumpets sounded, and yellow flutes took up the melody on high notes, and bore it away through the trees. It was weird fairy-music but quite delightful. The nearest approach to it that I know of above ground is to hear a wild dreamy air very well whistled to a pianoforte accompaniment.