THE HISTORY OF A NUT-CRACKER. 29 f

little man for upwards of ten minutes, without daring to
touch it, Mary exclaimed, “‘Oh! dear papa, whose is that
funny figure leaning against the Christmas tree?”

“It belongs to no one in particular,” answered the
judge; ‘but to both of you together.”

“How do you mean, dear papa? Ido not understand you.”

“ This little man,” continued the judge, ‘“ will help you
both ; for it is he who in future will crack all your nuts for
you; and he belongs as much to Fritz as to you, and as
much to you as to Fritz.”

Thus speaking, the judge took up the little man very
carefully, and raismg his wooden cloak, made him open his

» mouth by a very simple motion,

and display two rows of sharp
white teeth. Mary then placed a
nut in the little man’s mouth; and
* erack—crack—theshell was broken
into a dozen pieces, and the
kernel fell whole and sound into
Mary’s hand. The little girl then

SS ; learnt that the dandified gentleman
belonged to that ancient and re-
spectable race of Nut-crackers
whose origin is as ancient as that
of the town of Nuremberg, and
that he continued to exercise the
honourable calling of his fore-
fathers. Mary, delighted to have
made this discovery, leapt for <=
joy; whereupon the Judge said,
ff Well, my dear little Mary, since
the Nut-cracker pleases you so
much, although it belongs equally
to Fritz and yourself, it is to you
that I especially trust it. I place
it in your care.”