THE HISTORY OF A NUT-CRACKER. 85

At these words Mary’s parents burst out laughing ; and
the doctor’s nose grew prodigiously longer.

Why did the doctor’s nose grow so much longer? Mary,
surprised by the effect of her remark, could not guess
the reason.

But as there are never auy effects without causes, that
reason no doubt belonged to -some strange and unknown
cause, which we must explain.

CHAPTER IV.

“WONDERFUL EVENTS.

I do not know, my dear little friends, whether you remember
that I-spoke of a certain large cupboard, with glass windows,
in which the children’s toys were locked up. ‘This cupboard
was on the right of the door of the judge’s own room. Mary
was still a baby in the cradle, and Fritz had only just began
to walk, when the judge had that cupboard made by a very
skilful carpenter, who put such brilliant glass in the frames,
that the toys appeared a thousand ‘times finer when ranged
on the shelves than when they were held in the hand. Upon
the top shelf of all, which neither Fritz nor Mary could
reach, the beautiful pieces of workmanship of Godfather
Drosselmayer were placed. Immediately beneath was the
shelf containing the picture-books; and the two lower shelves
were given to Fritz and Mary, who filled them in the way
they liked best. It seemed, however, to have been tacitly
agreed upon ‘between the two children, that Fritz should
hold possession of the higher shelf of the two, for the mar-
shalling of his troops, and that Mary should keep the lower
shelf for her dolls and their households. This arrangement
was entered into on the eve of Christmas Day. Fritz placed
his soldiers upon his own shelf; and Mary, having thrust
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