4 THE HISTORY OF A NUT-CRACKER.

constantly wpon her knees, Those cats might be considered as
under-oflicers attached to the
court; and the nurses sought
to lighten the cares of the
duty performed by the cats, by
_ gently rubbing them with their
\ fair hands.
You know, my dear children,
. that there are certain times when
= a person watches even while ac-
=" tually dozing ; and so it was that,
one evening, in spite of all the
efforts which the six nurses made to the contrary, as they
sate round the cradle of the princess with the cats upon their
knees, they felt sleep rapidly gaining upon them. Now, as
each nurse kept her own ideas to herself, and was afraid of
revealing them to their companions, hoping all the time that
their drowsiness would not be perceived by the others, the

  
 

    
  
  

 

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result was, that, one after another, they closed their eyes—
their hands stopped from stroking the cats—and the cats
themselves, being no longer rubbed and scratched, profited
by the circumstance to take a nap.