"  Let  us  make  haste,"  said  the  dwarf  anxiously,  "  for
we  dwellers  below  ground'  can  only  live  under  the  light
of  the  stars — the  sun's  rays  kill  us."

Soon  they  arrived  at  the  winding  staircase  at  the  foot
of  the  tower.  The  gate  was  locked,  but  the  dwarf
brought  out  a  strangely-formed  key,  put  it  into  the  lock,
and  immediately  the  heavy  iron-barred  door  turned
noiselessly  on  its  hinges.  It  was  the  same  with  all  the
other  doors  as  soon  as  the  wonderful  key  touched  them,
and  softly  the  wanderers  slipped  through  the  rooms  and
passed  the  sleeping  servants.  Kuno  reached  unseen  the
room  that  he  shared  with  Eckbert,  and  then  the  dwarf
hastened  home.
Eckbert  had  tried  to  keep  awake  to  receive  Kuno  with
scolding  and  reproaches,  for  the  child  had  been  missed
at  supper  and  sought  for,  of  course  in  vain.  But  he  had
fallen  asleep  over  his  generous  plan.
Kuno  was  still  slumbering  sweetly  when  Eckbert  woke,
sprang  out  of  bed,  and  shook  the  boy  roughly.
"Where  were  you  yesterday?  Speak!"  he  shouted  ;
but  Kuno,  mindful  of  the  dwarf's  warning,  kept  silence.
But  when  Eckbert  raised  his  arm  to  strike  the  child,  an
invisible  hand  gave  him  such  a  powerful  blow  on  the  ear
that  he  staggered  half  unconscious  against  the  wall.  He


132  The  Friendship  of  the  Dwarfs.
felt  uncomfortable  at  the  thought  of  the  unseen  avenger,
and  he  left  Kuno  in  peace,  but  told  the  whole  story  to
his  mother,  wickedly  distorting  it  as  he  went  on.  At
breakfast  she  ordered  the  boy  to  tell  where  he  had  been  ;
but  though  his  heart  beat  fast  with  terror,  he  closed  his
lips  tightly  and  remained  silent.
