Pagina 292 van 626

By and by in came the masters of the cottage. Now they were seven

little dwarfs, that lived among the mountains, and dug and

searched for gold. They lighted up their seven lamps, and saw at

once that all was not right. The first said, 'Who has been

sitting on my stool?' The second, 'Who has been eating off my

plate?' The third, 'Who has been picking my bread?' The fourth,

'Who has been meddling with my spoon?' The fifth, 'Who has been

handling my fork?' The sixth, 'Who has been cutting with my

knife?' The seventh, 'Who has been drinking my wine?' Then the

first looked round and said, 'Who has been lying on my bed?' And

the rest came running to him, and everyone cried out that

somebody had been upon his bed. But the seventh saw Snowdrop, and

called all his brethren to come and see her; and they cried out

with wonder and astonishment and brought their lamps to look at

her, and said, 'Good heavens!