now when the merchant had sailed on for a while , a terrible storm broke loose , a thunderstorm without an equal , and he drifted and drifted , and did not know where or whither . at last he came to a land where he had never yet been , and went up into the city . in the tavern which he entered the table was set , and at every place lay a switch , one for each guest . this seemed strange to the merchant , for he could not understand what was to be done with all the switches . yet he sat down and thought : " i will watch carefully , and see just what the rest do with them , and then i can imitate them . " yes , and when the food came on the table , then he knew why the switches were there : the place was alive with thousands of mice , and all who were sitting at the table had to work and fight and beat about them with their switches , and nothing could be heard but the slapping of the switches , one worse than the other . sometimes people hit each other in the face , and then they had to take time to say , " excuse me ! "
how did the merchant feel when he came to the tavern ?
confused .
confused .