He soon noticed that there were three dwarfs who took no part in the fun, and these sat upon the root of a tree near the castle talking very earnestly together. The owl knew something of the habits of the kobolds, and he supposed this trio to be the Council, chosen yearly by the colony. It was the business of the Council to assign to each dwarf his nightly task, and the affairs of the colony were mainly placed in its hands. While the three are holding counsel together, and the owl is waiting, I will tell you something about these dwarfs. They were generally larger than Fairies, although some of them were very small indeed. There were three or four kinds of these little people, all called dwarfs, although there was a great difference in their characters, and labors. Some were wicked, and thought only of doing spiteful tricks; some were lazy drones, some mingled publicly with men, and became kings’ fools; some would never show themselves to human beings; and some were gnomes and worked underground. The kobolds were the brightest, and most industrious of all the dwarfs, and were famed for being good-tempered and obliging. Every night these little creatures were busy in the fields, and the stables, and the kitchens of the neighborhood. They never quarrelled among themselves, and they gave nobody any trouble. Hence they were spoken of as the _Peaceful People_. Sometimes field laborers, on going out in the morning to weed, or to reap, would find the work already done. A poor farmer’s wife coming into her kitchen in the morning to make the fire would find the wood all cut, and laid in order, and a pail of water brought from the spring. Sometimes the little people would go into the dining room, and wash the glasses, and clean the silver. Occasionally they would go to work, and drive all the mice and spiders out of a house. They washed dishes, and cleaned vegetables, and made themselves useful about the house in every possible way. All they required in return was a little food. A bowl of milk, or some nice fresh bread, was set upon the kitchen table, and that was supper enough for a kobold. Some of them preferred to work in stables. They would curry the horses; comb out their manes; shake down straw for the litters, and clean the stables. But this is hard work, and the little things would get very tired. So the coachmen, and the farmers used to tie knots in the manes of the horses to afford resting places for the kobolds. They would sit in these to rest their weary limbs and often take a little nap there to refresh themselves. They visited the sheep in the fold, or on the hill-sides, and kept the fleeces white and clean. [Illustration: TAKING A REST.] There were many other things the kobolds did, but I have told enough to give you an idea of the busy, and helpful life they led; and will now return to the colony that lived in the old castle.