THE HISTORY OF A NUT-CRACKER. 51

baker’s cat is too polite to do any such thing ; and I wish I
could walk along the pipes and the roofs of houses .as skil-
fully as he can.”

‘““No cats here, if you please !” cried the judge’s wife,
- who could not bear those domestic animals.

“ But, after all,” said the judge, who overheard what was
going on, ‘‘ some good may follow from the remarks of Fritz:
if you will not have a cat, get a mouse-trap.”

“Capital!” cried Fritz: “that idea is very happy, since
Godpapa Drosselmayer invented mouse-traps.”

Every one now laughed; and as, after a strict search, no

such thing as a mouse-trap was found in the house, the ser-
vant went to Godfather Drosselmayer,
who sent back a famous one, which was
baited with a bit of bacon, and placed in
the spot where the mice had made such
havock.
Mary went to bed with the hope that
morning would find the king of the mice
a prisoner in the box, to which his glut-
tony was almost certain tolead him. But
at about eleven o’clock, and while she was in her first sleep,
she was awoke by something cold and velvety that leapt
about upon her arms and face ; and, at the same moment,
the whining and squeaking which she knew so well, rang in
her ears. The horrible king of the mice was there—seated
on her pillow, with his eyes shooting red flames and his
seven mouths wide open, as if he were about to eat poor
Mary up.

“Tlaugh at the trap—I laugh at the trap,” said the king
of the mice: “I shall not go into the little house, and the
bacon will not tempt me. T shall not be taken: I laugh at
the trap! But you must give me your picture-books and
your little silk frock; if not, I will eat up your friend the
Nut-cracker.”

You can very well understand that after such a demand

D