THE HISTORY OF A NUT-CRACKER, 33.

to the little girl, decided in favour of Fritz. Happily for
the poor Nut-cracker, the judge and his wife took little
Mary’s part.

“My dear Fritz,” said the judge, “I trusted the Nut-
cracker to the care of your sister; and as far as my knowledge
of surgery goes, I see that the poor creature is very unwell,
and requires attention. I therefore give him over solely to
the care of Mary, until he is quite well; and no one must
say a word against my decision. And you, Fritz, who stand
up so firmly in behalf of military discipline, when did you
ever hear of making a wounded soldier return to his duty?
The wounded always go to the hospital until they are cured;
and if they be disabled by their wounds, they are entitled to
pensions.”

Fritz was about to reply; but the judge raised his fore-
finger to a level with his right eye, and said, “ Master Fritz !”

You have already seen what influence those two words
had upon the little boy:—thus, ashamed at having drawn

, upon himself the
reprimand convey-
ed in those words,
he slipped quietly
off, without giving
any answer, to the
=, table where his hus-
ee EE sars were posted:

= & ? then, having placed
the sentinels in their stations, he marched off the rest to their
quarters for the night.

In the meantime Mary picked up the three little teeth
which had fallen from the Nut-cracker’s mouth, and kept the
Nut-cracker himself well wrapped up in the pocket-handker-
chief; she had also bound up his chin with a pretty white
ribbon which she cut from the frock. On his side, the little
man, who was at first very pale and much frizhtened, seemed
quite contented in the care of his protectress, and gradually