lights were brought, Godpapa Drosselmeier
duly arrived, and went on with his story as follows:--

"'Drosselmeier and the court astronomer had been journeying for fifteen
long years without finding the slightest trace of the nut Crackatook. I
might go on for more than four weeks telling you where all they had
been, and what extraordinary things they had seen. I shall not do so,
however, but merely mention that Drosselmeier, in his profound
discouragement, at last began to feel a most powerful longing to see
his dear native town of Nuernberg once again. And he was more powerfully
moved by this longing than usual one day, when he happened to be
smoking a pipe of kanaster with his friend in the middle of a great
forest in Asia, and he cried:

"'"Oh, Nuernberg, Nuernberg! dear native town--he who still knows thee
not, place of renown--though far he has travelled, and great cities
seen--as London, and Paris, and Peterwardeen--knoweth not what it is
happy to be--still must his longing heart languish for thee--for thee,
O Nuernberg, exquisite town--where the houses have windows both upstairs
and down!"

"'As Drosselmeier lamented thus dolefully, the astronomer, seized with
compassionate sympathy, began to weep and howl so terribly that he was
heard throughout the length and breadth of Asia. But he collected
himself again, wiped the tears from his eyes, and said:

"'"After all, dearest colleague, why should we sit and weep and howl
here? Why not come to Nuernberg? Does it matter a brass farthing, after
all, where and how we search for this horrible nut Crackatook?"

"'"That's true, too," answered Drosselmeier, consoled. They both got up
immediately, knocked the ashes out of their pipes, started off, and
travelled straight on without stopping, from that forest right in the
centre of Asia till they came to Nuernberg. As soon as they got there,
Drosselmeier went straight to his cousin the toy maker and doll-carver,
and gilder and varnisher, whom he had not seen for a great many long
years. To him he told all the tale of Princess Pirlipat, Dame
Mouseyrinks, and the nut Crackatook, so that he clapped his hands
repeatedly, and cried in amazement:

"'"Dear me, cousin, these things are really wonderful--very wonderful,
indeed!"

"'Drosselmeier told him, further, some of the adventures he had met
with on his long journey--how he had spent two years at the court of
the King of Dates; how the Prince of Almonds had expelled him with