"Well, I didn't hurt anyone, did I, but how about your treatment of me? That wasn't in the contract either," said Karl.
Meanwhile Karl looked about him curiously. He had never been to dwarfland before, and might never have the chance of visiting it again, and he did not wish to lose the opportunity of seeing all he could.
"Are there any more of you?" he asked the dwarfs.
"I should think so," they answered. "Hundreds and thousands of us live under this mountain."
Karl noticed passages running in all directions, and low caves which seemed to be dwellings, many of them richly ornamented and furnished. In one of these caves he observed a looking-glass, and wondered which of the dwarf men trimmed his beard before it. He met a great many little men scurrying about, who cast anxious glances at the giant who had strayed among them. Karl had frequently to stoop; the ceilings seemed very low to him, although they were high enough compared to the dwarf men.
"Where are the female dwarfs?" he asked abruptly.
"Dwarfs have no womenfolk," Mr Query replied. "We did away with them long, long ago!"
"That was rather rough on them, eh?" said Karl.
"Well it happened so many centuries ago that we have forgotten all about it, and so are unable to gratify your curiosity. Perhaps if you care for antiquities and were to study the pictures on the walls, you might find out."
"Not my line," said Karl shortly.