THE HISTORY OF A NUT-CRACKER. 63

were ne disturbance or some festival in the Kingdom of
Toys?

Me There is nothing of all that, dear Miss Silberhaus,”
answered the Nut-cracker; “but the City of Candied Fruits is
so happy a place, and all its people are so joyful, that they
are constantly talking and laughing. And this is always the
same as you see it now. But come with me; let us proceed,
I implore of you.”

Mary, urged by her own curiosity and by the polite in-
vitation of the Nut-cracker, hastened her steps, and soon found
herself in a large market-place, which had the most magnifi-
cent aspects that could possibly be seen. All the houses
around were of sugar, open with fretwork, and having baleony
over balcony ; and in the middle of the market-place was an
enormous cake, from the inside of which flowed four foun-

 

tains, namely, lemonade, orangade, sweet milk, and goose-
berry syrup. The basins around were filled with whip-
syllabub, so delicious in appearance, that several well-dressed
persons publicly ate of it by means of spoons. But the most
agreeable and amusing part of the whole scene, was the crowd
of little people who walked about, arm-in-arm, by thousands
and tens of thousands, all laughing, singing, and chattering, at
the tops of their voices, so that Mary could now account for
the joyous din which she had heard. Besides the inhabitants
of the capital, there were men of all countries—Armenians,