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Ben could hardly believe his eyes

A se mossy rock scarcely a pace away froer than a chicken, wore a huge hat on his head, which was as gray as the surrounding rocks He was also holding a pickax

"No, it’s not hi Ben up and down

"How do you know, Stonebeard?" Three more stout little fellows ca Ben as if he were soe animal, which, to their astonishment, had landed on theirif he was, that’s how I know," replied Stonebeard "This is a huh" The dwarf glanced in all directions, evidently worried He even glanced up at the sky Then, looking deterround, bewildered Stonebeard stood right in front of hi the pickax in his little hands as if it would help hiiant hu their fearless leader with bated breath

"You, hu Ben on the knee "Who else is here with you?"

"Wh-hat?" stammered Ben

The fat little man turned to his friends and tapped his forehead "A few teacups short of the full set!" he informed them "But I’ll have another try" He turned back to Ben "Who -- else -- is -- here -- with -- you?" he asked "An elf? A fairy? A brownie? A will-o’-the-wisp, or what?"

Without lanced swiftly at the place where Firedrake and Sorrel were sleeping

"Ahaaa!" Stonebeard stepped to one side, stood on tiptoe … and gasped for breath, awestruck His eyes were as round as e hat, scratched his bald head, and put the hat back on

"Hey, Leadengleam, Gravelbeard, Graniteface!" he called "Come out from behind that rock" He added, in devoutly hushed tones, "You’re never going to believe this It’s a dragon! A silver dragon!"

Slowly, still on tiptoe, he crept toward the sleeping Firedrake His friends cah excitement

"Here, wait a minute!" Ben had finally recovered his powers of speech He jumped up and ht not be e lemonade bottles, but all the sarirowled Stonebeard "We only want a look at him"

"Sorrel!" Ben called over his shoulder "Sorrel, wake up! There’s a bunch of funny little men here"

"Funny little men?" Stonebeard took a step toward Ben "Do you by any chance mean us? Did you hear that, brothers?"

"What’s all this racket?" gru as she crawled out froon

"A forest brownie!" cried Leadengleam in alarm

"Mountain dwarves!" said Sorrel "Well, fancy that You’re never safe fro the little leam by the collar The dwarf dropped his has in the air His friends instantly irl effortlessly fended theet all worked up," she said, relieving the dwarves of their ha them over her shoulder "Don’t you know you on? Suppose he’d eaten you for breakfast? You look really juicy Nice and crunchy, too!"

"Huh! Silly brownie talk!" said Stonebeard, scowling at Sorrel, but even so he took two tiny steps backward to be on the safe side