40 THE HISTORY OF A NUT-CRACKER.

in a very bad humour at losing her bed, some evil might
happen to the poor invalid if he were left with so insolent a
i -person. She therefore placed the bed,

with the Nut-cracker in it, upon the
:second shelf, close by the ridge where
Fritz’s cavalry were quartered: then,
having laid Miss Clara upon the sofa,
she closed the cupboard, and was about
to rejoin Miss Trudchen .in the bed-
chamber, when all round the room the
poor little girl heard a variety of low
scratching sounds, coming from behind
the chairs, the store, and the cupboard.
i! The large clock which hung against the
wall, and which was surmounted by a
- large gilt owl, instead of a cuckoo, as is

usual with old German clocks, began that usual whirring
sound which gives warning of striking; and .yet 1 did not
strike. Mary glanced towards
it, and saw that the immense
gilt owl had drooped its wings
in such a way that they cover-
ed the entire clock, and that
the bird thrust forward as far
as it could its hideous cat-like
head, with the round eyes and
the crooked beak. Then the
whirring sound of the clock
became loude? and louder, and
gradual’y changed into the (Uf
resemblance of a human voice,
until it appeared as if these
words issued from the beak of
the owl: ‘Clocks, clocks,
clocks! whir, whir, whir! in a low tone! The king of the
mice has a sharp ear! Sing him his old song! Strike,