Карлик-ніс

           Firesburnedintwentyhugestoves,astreamofclearwater,whichservedalsoforafish-pond,flowedthroughtheapartment,thecupboardswhichcontainedthestoresmostlyinusewereofmarbleandcostlywood,andthereweretenlargepantriescontainingeverykindofdeliciousfoodsfrombothEasternandWesterncountries.Numbersofservantswererunningtoandfro,carryingkettlesandpansandspoonsandladles.Astheheadcookenteredtheyallstoodstillandtherewasnotasoundtobeheardbutthecracklingofthefiresandtheripplingofthestream.

           "WhathastheDukeorderedforhisbreakfastto-day?"thegreatmanaskedofoneoftheinferiorcooks."MylordhasbeenpleasedtoorderDanishsoupandredHamburgpatties,"repliedtheman."Verywell,"saidtheheadcook,turningtoJacob,"youhearwhathisHighnesshasordered.Willyouundertaketopreparesuchdifficultdishes?AstotheHamburgpatties,youwillneverbeabletomakethem,fortherecipeisasecret."

           "Thereisnothingeasier,"repliedthedwarf,forasasquirrelcookhehadoftenbeencalledupontopreparethesedishes."ForthesoupIshallrequireherbs,spices,wildboar’shead,certainroots,vegetables,andeggs,andforthepatties(herehe-loweredhisvoicesothatonlythestewardandtheheadcookcouldhearhim)Irequirefourkindsofmeat,ginger,andasprigofaherbthatisknownbythenameof‘trencher-man’smint.