CHRISTMAS IN SWITZERLAND. 21

day he had had no meat, and the clear, cold air, together with
the exercise of chopping wood, had given him a tremendous
capacity for eating. Marie, too, enjoyed her beef thoroughly,
though she continually stopped, and her eyes glistened with
pleasure, as she saw the dear old grandfather so supremely
happy.

Presently, however, he stopped, and, looking round, per-
ceived a jug of cider upon the table, which he had not observed
before. He instantly filled both mugs, and they drank the
Fairy’s health with great glee.

However, in this world nothing lasts forever, and after a
while they seemed to have had as much beef as they wanted.
Marie, who had only had half a mugful of the cider, thought
she should like a glass of water, and modestly knocked three
times at the tree, according to the Fairy’s directions.

_ Instantly there appeared, to her great surprise, four Rabbits,
~ in the livery of the Fairy, that is to say, white breeches with
light “blue stripes, and silver jackets with gold embroidery.
In their hands they bore a large dish, and, having removed
the. beef from the table, they deposited upon it an enormous

pudding, and stood bowing around the table as if. tos invite ©

the company to fall to at once.

This was not to be; and, although Marie resisted all. her
grandfather’s entreaties to do more than just taste the pudding,
the old man fell to with a relish, in which no one could have
believed who had seen him previously tackle the beef. The
pudding removed, the attendant Rabbits at once produced a
magnificent cheese, of which, however, the old man could
partake but sparingly, and in a few minutes the dinner was
over.
When Marie had said grace, she was not quite sure what