“‘I’m quite sure it wouldn’t,’ I hastened to reply.  I wouldn’t try for worlds.  It would spoil your pretty work in a moment.  Good-evening.’

“And I hurried forward.  Once I looked back, but the spider was not following me.  He was in his hole again, on his stomach, with his knees above his head, and looking (apparently through his spectacles) down the road up which I came.

“I soon forgot him in the sight before me.  I had reached the open place with the lights and the music; but how shall I describe the spectacle that I beheld?

“I have spoken of the effect of a toy-shop on my feelings.  Now imagine a toy-fair, brighter and gayer than the brightest bazaar ever seen, held in an open glade, where forest-trees stood majestically behind the glittering stalls, and stretched their gigantic arms above our heads, brilliant with a thousand hanging lamps.  At the moment of my entrance all was silent and quiet.  The toys lay in their places looking so incredibly attractive that I reflected with disgust that all my ready cash, except one shilling and some coppers, had melted away amid the tawdry fascinations of a village booth.  I was counting the coppers (sevenpence halfpenny), when all in a moment a dozen sixpenny fiddles leaped from their places and began to play, accordions of all sizes joined them, the drumsticks beat upon the drums, the penny trumpets sounded, and the yellow flutes took up the melody on high notes, and bore it away through the trees.  It was weird fairy-music, but quite delightful.  The nearest approach to it that I know of above ground is to hear a wild dreamy air very well whistled to a pianoforte accompaniment.

“When the music began, all the toys rose.  The dolls jumped down and began to dance.  The poodles barked, the pannier donkeys wagged their ears, the wind-mills turned, the puzzles put themselves together, the bricks built houses, the balls flew from side to side, the battledores and shuttlecocks kept it up among themselves, and the skipping-ropes went round, the hoops ran off, and the sticks ran after them, the cobbler’s wax at the tails of all the green frogs gave way, and they jumped at the same moment, whilst an old-fashioned go-cart ran madly about with nobody inside.  It was most exhilarating.

“I soon became aware that the beetle was once more at my elbow.

“‘There are some beautiful toys here,’ I said.

“‘Well, yes,’ he replied, ’and some odd-looking ones too.  You see, whatever has been really used by any child as a plaything gets a right to come down here in the end; and there is some very queer company, I assure you.  Look there.’

“I looked, and said, ‘It seems to be a potato.’

“‘So it is,’ said the beetle.  ’It belonged to an Irish child in one of your great cities.  But to whom the child belonged I don’t know, and I don’t think he knew himself.  He lived in the corner of a dirty, overcrowded room, and into this corner, one day, the potato rolled.  It was the only plaything he ever had.  He stuck two cinders into it for eyes, scraped a nose and mouth, and loved it.  He sat upon it during the day, for fear it should be taken from him, but in the dark he took it out and played with it.  He was often hungry, but he never ate that potato.  When he died it rolled out of the corner, and was swept into the ashes.  Then it came down here.’