Learned men came from every country in the civilized world. And each one wrote a book about the lizard-fish. But the worst of it was that no two of them agreed as to what it was. They disputed so long, and so earnestly over this skeleton that, at last, the unlearned took up the quarrel, each country feeling bound to support its own learned men. And in this way the governments were drawn into the dispute, and there had liked to have been a war over the old bones. Letters of instruction to Consuls were flying about, and there was a great examination into treaties; when, all at once, it became known that the learned men all agreed that the animal was the _Ichthyosaurus_, and that the last one had died thousands of years ago. So the war was happily averted. Then the dispute was as to who had first found out this fact, but this was amicably settled by the discovery that all the learned men had found it out at precisely the same time. During all this the gnomes had worked away in their new home at their own affairs, and knew nothing of the great commotion they had caused. But king Rhine nodded his old head, and said to himself; “The gnomes are a very little people, but they have managed to set the whole world by the ears.” He recalled all this now, and thought perhaps the wise woman meant what she said about the dwarfs and giants. He despatched a trusty messenger to a colony of dwarfs who lived in a large ruined castle. These dwarfs, or Kobolds, as they are called in that part of the country, sleep all day, and do their work at night. Therefore the king chose an owl, venerable with age and wisdom, for his messenger. He was to travel in the night-time, and rest in the day. On the second night, quite early, the owl arrived at the castle. He flew quietly into the ruin, so as not to frighten the dwarfs, but he found they had already gone. He was afraid he was too late; and that they had all dispersed to perform their several duties; but, hearing a great noise outside, on the opposite wall from that he had entered, he flew up into a narrow window where there was no glass, and looked solemnly down, with his great staring eyes, upon a very merry scene. [Illustration: THE KOBOLDS.] The little kobolds were having a frolic before they separated for the night’s adventures. They were chiefly employed in running up and down the wall, chasing lizards, though some were dancing on the grass at the foot of the castle, and others were swinging on the vines, and gathering grapes. They were making such a hubbub that the owl thought he had better wait for them to get quiet before attempting to make himself heard.