42 THE HISTORY OF A NUT-CRACKER.

to leave them, and that young Nathaniel remained at court
covered with honour and glory.

As for the unfortunate nut-
cracker, who felt how deeply
painful was his situation, he
uttered not a word, but re-
solved to await patiently the
change which must some day
or another take place in him.
Nevertheless, Imust candidly
admit, that in spite of the
goodnature of his disposition,
he was desperately vexed
with Uncle Drosselmayer,
who, coming at a moment
he was so little expected, and
having enticed him away by
so many fine promises, was the sole and only cause of the
frightful misfortune that had occurred to him.

Such, my dear children, is the History of the Crackatook
Nut, just as Godfather Drosselmayer told it to little Mary
and Fritz; and you can now understand why people often
say, when speaking of anything difficult to do, “ ‘That is a
hard nut to crack.”