In the shape of craws the rest of the flock circled cawingly around the strange edifice, which now began to move, like dancing, towards the centre of the place.
As it arrived there, the eagle with the frog and the butterfly soared down to the turf and alighted on one of the colourful mats that were spread out there.

The frog skipped down accurately on the mat to the left, and the butterfly tumbled to the mat on the right and settled in the middle of it.
The tiger got up with the other comrades on his back, and skilfully ran down the trunk of the elephant on to the mat that was nearest to him, the wolf jumping with a mighty bounce onto the mat on the right, the cat making yet another leap to the next mat that was free.

In the meantime the flock of crows had spread about the other seats, and now all of them turned into boys and girls, clothed in brilliant colours, with silvery, sumptuously decorated capes.

“This group here practises the art of transmutation,” Sol explained to his sister. ”Mastering the elements is here the natural prerequisite.
But in particular the students gain a profound knowledge of the inner differences of the individual creatures; for only from them the outer differences derive. In this exercise the boys and girls learn to comprehend the properties of the creatures on the most subtle level of their own mind. In that manner they see the very personal characteristics of the different beings.

“Everything, that lives, has its own inner kernel of life; in this self-effulgent core all living beings are completely similar; this kernel, which looks like a radiant sun, represents the first and finest expression of individual life at all.
Protruding from there in different degrees, the different qualities in their proportion determine the appearance and the traits of the particular creature.

“The one practising has to comprehend these facts within his mind. This is possible only because, in his own most subtle characteristics, he is not different from the other beings.
The art of transmutation is based on the forces of the giants - on the power of the mind over the elements. At the same time it also builds on the high knowledge of the alfs - on their reliable mastery of the innermost faculties of decision in living beings, which we know as their properties and abilities.

“Therefore, in this exercise of transformation, the alfs and the giants together are teaching the students. Do you see the wise man sitting to the right behind the students, on the subtle seat, wrought from the pure light of life, who holds the golden-
silvery mistletoe in his hand?

“He is from the line of the moon-alfs and is a relative of the goddess Sif, the wife of Thor.
From Loki, the god of life, he has secret knowledge of the refinement and cultivation of life, and he teaches it to the students.

“To his left you see a wise giant on the silver-wrought seat of crystal; in his hand he holds the flaming, snake-garlanded mistletoe.
This man comes from the realm of Utgarda-Loki and is a relative of the fire-giant Logi, who is residing there.
From Agni he has received special knowledge about the coordination of the elements, for he is a close friend of his son Beli and therefore often visits the sovereign of the sea.

“Around the clearing again twelve ambassadors of the ruler of the mind sit and examine the application of the divine forces in the different exercises.”