THE HISTORY OF A NUT-CRACKER. 55

lower part of the cupboard, which he vainly sought to climb
up: he could not do so without the aid.of Miss Rose or Miss
Clara; and they had found nothing better to do than to
faint. Nut-cracker made a last effort, collected all his
courage, and cried in an agony of despair, “A horse! a
horse! my kingdom for a horse!” But, as in the case of
Richard IIL, his voice remained without even an echo—or
rather betrayed him to the enemy. Two of the rifle-brigade
of the mice seized upon
his wooden cloak; and
at the same time the
king of the mice cried
with his seven mouths,
“On your heads, take
«him alive! Remem-
ber that I have my
mother toavenge! This
punishment must serve as an example to all future Nut-
crackers |”

And, with these words, the king rushed: upon the
prisoner. :

But Mary could no longer support that horrible spectacle.

“Oh! my poor Nut-cracker!” she exclaimed: ‘I love
you with all my heart, and cannot see é
you die thus!”

At the same moment, by a natural
impulse, and without precisely knowing
what she was doing, Mary took off one
of her shoes, and threw it with all her
force in the midst of the combatants.
Her aim was so ‘good that the shoe hit
the king of the mice, and made him roll
over in the dust. A moment afterwards,
king and army—conquerors and con-
quered—all alike oS as if by

enchantment. Mary felt a more severe