have worked well.—As soon as you leave the smithy, go straight to Stonestarvit Moss. Get on the highest part of it; make a circle three yards across, and dig a trench round it. I will give you a spade. At the end of the first day you will see a vine break the earth. By the end of the second, it will be creeping all over the circle. And by the end of the third day, the grapes will be ripe. Squeeze them one by one into a bottle—I will give you a bottle—till it is full. Cork it up tight, and by the time the queen comes for it, it will be Carasoyn.”
“Oh, thank you, thank you,” cried Colin. “When am I to go?”
“As soon as the boys have lifted Cumberbone Crag, and bored the flue under the Moss. It is of no use till then.”
“Well, I’ll go on with my work,” said Colin, and struck away at the anvil.
In a minute or two in came the same goblin whose head his father had hammered, and said, respectfully,
“It’s all right, sir. The boys are gathering their tools, and will be home to supper directly.”
“Are you sure you have lifted the Crag a yard?” said the smith.
“Slumkin says it’s a half-inch over the yard. Grungle says it’s three-quarters. But that won’t matter—will it?”
“No. I dare say not. But it is much better to be accurate. Is the flue done?”
“Yes, we managed that partly in lifting the crag.”
“Very well. How’s your head?”
“It rings a little.”
“Let it ring you a lesson, then, Slobberkin, in future.”