THE HISTORY OF A NUT-CRACKER. 27

“And thus,” said the astrologer, ‘* your son has never
been shaved?”

Christian Elias stared more‘and more.

‘‘ Never,” answered Christopher Zecharias.

‘And during the holidays,” continued the astrologer,
‘how did he pass his time?”

; ane ‘“Why,” replied the father,
“he used to remain in the
shop, in his becoming stu-
dent’s dress; and, through pure
eer he cracked nuts

or all the young ladies who
came to the shop to buy toys,
and who, on that account,
called him Nut-cracker.”

“ Nut-cracker!” cried the
mechanician.

‘“‘ Nut-cracker !” repeated the astrologer in his turn.

And then they looked at each other while Christopher
Zecharias looked at them both.

 

 

‘““My dear sir,” said the astrologer to the toy-man, “in
my opinion your fortune is as good as made.”

The toy-man, who had not heard this prophecy without
a feeling of pleasure, required an explanation, which the as-
trologer, however, put off until the next morning.

When the mechanician and the astrologer were shown to