12 THE HISTORY OF A NUT-CRACKER.

heavenly circles which crossed each other in all directions,
that in order to break the spell which rendered Princess
Pirlipata hideous, and to restore her to her former beauty,

pare eee she must eat the kernel of the
Crackatook nut, the shell of
which was so hard that the
wheel of a forty-eight pounder
might pass over it without
breaking it. Moreover, it
was necessary that this nut
should be cracked in the pre-
sence of the princess, and by
a young man who had never
been shaved, and who had
always worn boots. Lastly,
it was requisite that he should
present the nut to the prin-
cess with his eyes closed, and
in the same way step seven paces backward without stumb-
ling. Such was the answer of the stars.

Drosselmayer and the astronomer had worked without
ceasing for four days and four nights, to clear up this mys-
terious affair. It was on the
Sunday evening,—the king
had finished his dinner, and
was just beginning on the des-
sert,—when the mechanic,
who was to be beheaded next
day, entered the royal dining-
room, full of joy, and an-
nounced that he had disco-
vered the means of restoring
Princess Pirlipata to her
beauty. At these news, the
king caught him in his arms, with the most touching kind-
ness, and asked him what those means were.