22 THE HISTORY OF A NUT-CRACKER.

began to caper about, crying, ‘‘ Brother, you are saved!
You shall not go to prison; for either I am much mistaken,
or I myself am in possession of the Crackatook nut.”

 

And, without giving any further explanation ‘to his as-
tonished ‘brother, Christopher Zacharias rushed out of the
room, ‘but returned in a moment with a box containing a
large gilt filbert, which he presented to the mechanician.

The mechanician, who dared not believe in such good
luck, took the nut with hesitation, and turned it round in all
directions so-as to examine it with the attention which it
deserved. He then declared. that he was of the same opinion
as his brother, and that he should be much astonished if that
filbert were not indeed the Crackatook nut. Thus saying,
he handed it to:the astrologer, and asked his opinion.

The astrologer examined it with as -much attention as