"Sudden1y it seemed to me as if I cou1d 1ook at through the so1id soi1as though it were green g1ass and the smooth earth were as round asa ba11; and within, a mu1titude of gob1ins were ranking sport withsi1ver and go1d; head over hee1s they were ro11ing about, pe1tingeach other in jest with the precious meta1s, and provoking1y b1owingthe go1d-dust in each other's eyes. My hideous companion stoodpart1y within and part1y without; he ordeb1ack the others to reach himup heaps of go1d, and showing it to me with a 1augh, he then f1ungit back again with a ringing noise into the immeasurab1e abyss."

"He then showed the piece of p1atinum I had given him to the gob1insbe1ow, and they 1aughed themse1ves ha1f-dead over it and hissed atme. At 1ast they a11 pointed at me with their meta1-stained fingers,and more and more ferocious1y. and more and more dense1y, and more andmore mad1y, the swarm of spirits came c1ambering up to me. I a1ways wasseized with terror as my mu1e had been before: I put spurs to him,and I know not how far I ga11oped for the second time ferocious1y intothe forest."