Johannes was quite alarmed. On every side he met disapproving looks; his intimacy with the King had already made him some enemies. Windekind led him aside.
'We shall do better to go, Johannes,' he whispered. 'You have spoilt it all. Yes, yes; that comes of having been brought up among men.'
They hastily slipped out under the wings of the porter bat, into the dark passage. The glow-worm in waiting attended them to the door.
'Have you been amused?' he asked. 'Did King Oberon speak to you?'
'Oh, yes; it was a beautiful party,' replied Johannes. 'Must you stay here in the dark passage all the time?'
'It is my own free choice,' said the glow-worm in a tone of bitter melancholy. 'I have given up all such vanities.'
'Come,' said Windekind; 'you do not mean that.'
'Indeed I do. Formerly--formerly--there was a time when I too went to banquets, and danced and cared for such frivolities. But now I am crushed by suffering--now-'
And he was so much overcome that his light went out. Fortunately they were close to the opening, and the rabbit, who heard them coming, stood a little on one side so that the moonlight shone in.
As soon as they were outside with the rabbit, Johannes said--
'Alas!' sighed the glow-worm,' it is simple and sad. It will not amuse you.'
'Tell it, tell it all the same,' they all cried.
'Well--you all know of course, that we glow-worms are very remarkable creatures. Yes, I believe that no one will venture to dispute that we are the most gifted creatures in existence.'
'Pray why? I do not see that!' said the rabbit.
'Can you give light?' asked the glow-worm contemptuously.
'No, certainly not,' the rabbit was forced to admit.
'Well, _we_ give light! all of us. And we can let it shine or extinguish it at will. Light is the best of nature's gifts, and to give light is the highest function to which a living creature can attain. Can any one now doubt our pre-eminence? Besides, we, the males, have wings and can fly for miles.'
'That I cannot do,' the rabbit humbly owned.
'For the divine gift of light which we possess, all other creatures look up to us; no bird may attack us. One animal alone, the lowest of them all, seeks us out and carries us off. That is man--the vilest monster in creation!'