“Oh yes， your Honour，” said Golg. “Lovely places； what we call the Land of Bism. This country where we are now， the Witch‘s country， is what we call the Shallow Lands. It’s a good deal too near the surface to suit us. Ugh！ You might almost as well be living outside， on the surface itself. You see， we‘re all poor gnomes from Bism whom the Witch has called up here by magic to work for her. But we’d forgotten all about it till that crash came and the spell broke. We didn‘t know who we were or where we belonged. We couldn’t do anything， or think anything， except what she put into our heads. And it was glum and gloomy things she put there all those years. I‘ve nearly forgotten how to makejoke or dance a jig. But the moment the bang came and he chasm opened and the sea began rising， it all came back. nd of course we all set off as quick as we could to get own the crack and home to our own place. And you can ee them over there all letting off rockets and standing on heir heads for joy. And I’ll be very obliged to your Honours you‘ll soon let me go and join in.”
