And frozen boughs shall rake them,
While rocks and ruins break them,—
And years shall always snip them,
While hours for ever trip them,
And constant trouble dip them,
Until Time come and clips them;
All this shall be done to destroy all their dances,
And drive from the world its delightful romances.’
As the ugly, thick-limbed little Dwarf said this, he stamped one foot,—a loud wind was heard, and in a moment he went straight down through the earth, and was quite gone! At the same moment we heard a sweet voice singing in the air, which said:—
‘He thinks he makes what mortals see;