He slept a long time, and when he awoke he found himself in the most beautiful bed that could be, such as he had never seen the like of in his father’s house, and it was in the prettiest chamber in the world, and his servant was beside him with a fan to keep away the flies and gnats.  He had hardly opened his eyes when his little servant brought him a basin and towel, and held him the nicest new clothes of brown silk to put on, most beautifully made.  With these was a pair of new black shoes with red ribbons, such as John had never beheld in Rambin or in Rodinkirchen either.  There were also there several pairs of beautiful shining glass shoes, such as are only used on great occasions.  John was, as we may well suppose, delighted to have such clothes to wear, and he put them upon him joyfully.  His servant then flew like lightning, and returned with a breakfast of wine and milk, and beautiful white bread and fruits, and such other things as boys are fond of.  He now perceived every moment more and more, that Klas Starkwolt, the old cowherd, knew what he was talking about, for the splendour and magnificence he saw here surpassed anything he had ever dreamt of.  His servant, too, was the most obedient one possible, a nod or a sign was enough for him, for he was as wise as a bee, as all these little people are by nature John’s bedchamber was all covered with emeralds and other precious stones, and in the ceiling was a diamond as big as a nine-pin bowl, that gave light to the whole chamber.  In this place they have neither sun nor moon nor stars to give them light, neither do they use lamps or candlesticks of any kind, but they live in the midst of precious stones, and have the purest of gold and silver in abundance, and the skill to make it light both by day and night, though indeed, properly speaking, as there is no sun there, there is no distinction between day and night, and they reckon only by weeks.  They set the brightest and clearest precious stones in their dwellings, and in the ways and passages leading underground, and in the places where they had their large halls, and their dances and their feasts, where they sparkled so as to make it eternal day.

When John had finished breakfast, his servant opened a little door in the wall, where was a closet with the most beautiful silver and gold cups and dishes and other vessels and baskets filled with ducats and boxes of jewels and precious stones.  There were also charming pictures, and the most delightful books he had seen in the whole course of his life.

John spent the morning looking at these things, and when it was midday a bell rang, and his servant said—­

“Will you dine alone, sir, or with the large company?”

“With the large company, to be sure,” replied John.  So his servant led him out.  John, however, saw nothing but solitary halls lighted up with precious stones, and here and there little men and women, who appeared to him to glide in and out of the clefts and fissures of the rocks.  Wondering what it was the bells rang for, he said to his servant—­