60 THE HISTORY OF A NUT-CRACKER.

pling melodiously. Upon the sweet-scented waters, silver
swans, with collars of gold round their necks, swam gently
along, warbling the most delicious songs, so that this har-
mony, with which they were apparently much pleased, made
the diamond fishes leap up around them.

“Ah!” cried Mary, ‘this is the pretty river which
Godpapa Drosselmayer made me at Christmas ; and I am the
girl who played with the swans!”

CHAPTER X.

THE JOURNEY.

THE Nut-cracker clapped his hands together once more ;
and, at that moment, the River of Essence of Roses began to
rise visibly ; and from its swelling waves came forth a chariot
made of shells, and covered with precious stones that glit-
tered in the sun. It was drawn by golden dolphins; and
four charming little Moors, with caps made of the scales of
gold-fish and clothes of
humming-birds’ feathers,
leapt upon the bank. They
first carried Mary, and
then the Nut-cracker, very
gently down to the cha-
riot, which instantly be-
gan to advance upon the
stream.
You must confess that
it was a ravishing specta-
= cle, and one which might
even be compared to the voyage of Cleopatra upon the
Cydnus, which you read of in Roman History, to behold
little Mary in the chariot of shells, surrounded by perfume,
and floating on the waves of essence of roses. ‘The golden