ntatseeinghimagain.“Whereisyourmaster,KingDimitri?Iwanttoseehim….”Thetwotigerslookedtowardsthemeadowsandtooktwostepsforwardasiftoshowhimtheway.“Okay,soheisoverthere.Iknowthispddon’tneedyoutoleadtheway.Iwanttogiveyourmasterthesurpriseofhislife,soyoutwogoaboutyourownbusiness…”DwarfMickeydodgedhiswaytowardsthemeadowsontiptoes,walkedtowardsKingDimitriandsatrightbesidehimwithoutanyofhisoldfriendsnotighispresence.EvenMedusaandCyclopswerenotawareofhisadvent.KingDimitriwasoverjoyedtoseehislong-separatedfriendDwarfMickeyandcspedhiminabearhugsaying,

    “Myoldfriend!Myoldfriend!Youarehere.That’swonderful…Ihavemissedyousomuch!Howareyou?eon;tellmewhatyouhadbeendoingallthistime…”DwarfMickeywasbusywolfingdownthefood.Heswalloasinhismouthwithoutchewingproperly,dranksomeoftheexcellenthundredflowerwine,smackedhislipsandanswered,

    23

    “Oldmanme?Ihaven’tbeendoingmuch,justhavingagoodlohismIwaswokenupbythegofons,neighingofhorsesandshoutingofafewthousawasasifabigbattlewasbeingfoughtuphereonnd.Thentherewaspletesilence.IyandthoughtthatatsteveryonehaddiedandIcouldsleepsoundlyagain.Butthenafterawhiletherewereloudshoutsagainalloverthepcefollowedbysingingandmusicasifthedeadhadebacktolifeagain.Iwasthinkingwhattheheck.Why’tthedeadstaydead?Myslumberwasdisruptedandtherewaslittlehopeofmygoingbacktosleepagain.Theworsewassomeonepouredacupofthiswonderfulhundredflowerswiotheke.Itsfragrancereachedmeevenatthebottomoftheke,wakingupthewinewormsinmystomadtheybegantowreakhavocthere.WhatcouldIdo?Iamagluttonandanalcoholic,soIclimbedonshoreandhereIamagain!Youpeoplearereallyselfish.Youareenjoyingthiswonderfulfoodandwineanddon’tevenaskmetojoinin.That’sreallytoobadofyouandnothowgoodfriendsshouldtreateachother!”KingDimitriughedloudly,puthishandsaroundDwarfMickey’sshouldersandsaid,

    “Don’tbeangry,mygoodfriend.Thereisanendlesssupplyofwinehere,allyoudrink.Iguaranteeyouhaveallyouwant,how’sthat?”

    “OldfriendMickey”saidMr.Kaffeeholdinguphiscupofwine.“Ireally,reallymissedyou!eon,Iwilldrinktoyou,cheers!”EveryonehelduptheircuptoDwarfMickeyandtalkingandughiiedtheircups.Fromthenon,thefriendstoastedeachotherinthespiritofbonhomieforeveryceivablepurposeandhadaroodtime.Theseeightmen,whosefriendshipstartedinthemundaneworldwereuogetheragainincamaraderieintheKingdomofDreams.

    Thesunwassetting,cthecloudsiernskyintfmihegrassswayedgentlyintheeveningbreezeasiftheytoowereslightlyintoxicated.Thegoldpacegaveoffahazy,dreamlikebrilliance.

    “Ireally’tbelievemyeyes!”excimedMr.Kaffeewithdeepfeeling“Howcouldsuchasublimeandmagnifitpacemadeofsolidgoldexistonthesepins?It’smindbogglingthatsuchathingcouldhappen.Aremyeyesfoolingme?”

    “Icouldn’tbelieveitatfirstmyself”saidKingDimitrismilingly.“Butitreallyisstandingtherebeforeus.ThetwinnymphsCharmaineaibehindtheirfatherZeus’badorderedtheheavenlyartisanstoedowhandfinishtheworkonthegoldpaonenight.OfcourseeverythingispossibleintheKingdomofDreamsahingisuakethisgoldpaceforexample;itssymboliificeisgreaterthanitssubstantialone.”

    “Yettingmeallmixedup”int

ntatseeinghimagain.“Whereisyourmaster,KingDimitri?Iwanttoseehim….”Thetwotigerslookedtowardsthemeadowsandtooktwostepsforwardasiftoshowhimtheway.“Okay,soheisoverthere.Iknowthispddon’tneedyoutoleadtheway.Iwanttogiveyourmasterthesurpriseofhislife,soyoutwogoaboutyourownbusiness…”DwarfMickeydodgedhiswaytowardsthemeadowsontiptoes,walkedtowardsKingDimitriandsatrightbesidehimwithoutanyofhisoldfriendsnotighispresence.EvenMedusaandCyclopswerenotawareofhisadvent.KingDimitriwasoverjoyedtoseehislong-separatedfriendDwarfMickeyandcspedhiminabearhugsaying,

    “Myoldfriend!Myoldfriend!Youarehere.That’swonderful…Ihavemissedyousomuch!Howareyou?eon;tellmewhatyouhadbeendoingallthistime…”DwarfMickeywasbusywolfingdownthefood.Heswalloasinhismouthwithoutchewingproperly,dranksomeoftheexcellenthundredflowerwine,smackedhislipsandanswered,

    23

    “Oldmanme?Ihaven’tbeendoingmuch,justhavingagoodlohismIwaswokenupbythegofons,neighingofhorsesandshoutingofafewthousawasasifabigbattlewasbeingfoughtuphereonnd.Thentherewaspletesilence.IyandthoughtthatatsteveryonehaddiedandIcouldsleepsoundlyagain.Butthenafterawhiletherewereloudshoutsagainalloverthepcefollowedbysingingandmusicasifthedeadhadebacktolifeagain.Iwasthinkingwhattheheck.Why’tthedeadstaydead?Myslumberwasdisruptedandtherewaslittlehopeofmygoingbacktosleepagain.Theworsewassomeonepouredacupofthiswonderfulhundredflowerswiotheke.Itsfragrancereachedmeevenatthebottomoftheke,wakingupthewinewormsinmystomadtheybegantowreakhavocthere.WhatcouldIdo?Iamagluttonandanalcoholic,soIclimbedonshoreandhereIamagain!Youpeoplearereallyselfish.Youareenjoyingthiswonderfulfoodandwineanddon’tevenaskmetojoinin.That’sreallytoobadofyouandnothowgoodfriendsshouldtreateachother!”KingDimitriughedloudly,puthishandsaroundDwarfMickey’sshouldersandsaid,

    “Don’tbeangry,mygoodfriend.Thereisanendlesssupplyofwinehere,allyoudrink.Iguaranteeyouhaveallyouwant,how’sthat?”

    “OldfriendMickey”saidMr.Kaffeeholdinguphiscupofwine.“Ireally,reallymissedyou!eon,Iwilldrinktoyou,cheers!”EveryonehelduptheircuptoDwarfMickeyandtalkingandughiiedtheircups.Fromthenon,thefriendstoastedeachotherinthespiritofbonhomieforeveryceivablepurposeandhadaroodtime.Theseeightmen,whosefriendshipstartedinthemundaneworldwereuogetheragainincamaraderieintheKingdomofDreams.

    Thesunwassetting,cthecloudsiernskyintfmihegrassswayedgentlyintheeveningbreezeasiftheytoowereslightlyintoxicated.Thegoldpacegaveoffahazy,dreamlikebrilliance.

    “Ireally’tbelievemyeyes!”excimedMr.Kaffeewithdeepfeeling“Howcouldsuchasublimeandmagnifitpacemadeofsolidgoldexistonthesepins?It’smindbogglingthatsuchathingcouldhappen.Aremyeyesfoolingme?”

    “Icouldn’tbelieveitatfirstmyself”saidKingDimitrismilingly.“Butitreallyisstandingtherebeforeus.ThetwinnymphsCharmaineaibehindtheirfatherZeus’badorderedtheheavenlyartisanstoedowhandfinishtheworkonthegoldpaonenight.OfcourseeverythingispossibleintheKingdomofDreamsahingisuakethisgoldpaceforexample;itssymboliificeisgreaterthanitssubstantialone.”

    “Yettingmeallmixedup”int