r than your cousin's son here, and I don't intend to close an eye
this night till I've drawn that youngster's horoscope."

"'With which he threw away his nightcap, and at once set to work to
consult the stars. The cousin's son was a nice-looking, well-grown
young fellow, had never been shaved, and had never worn boots. True, he
had been a Jumping Jack for a Christmas or two in his earlier days, but
there was scarcely any trace of this discoverable about him, his
appearance had been so altered by his father's care. He had appeared
last Christmas in a beautiful red coat with gold trimmings, a sword by
his side, his hat under his arm, and a fine wig with a pigtail. Thus
apparelled, he stood in his father's shop exceeding lovely to behold,
and from his native _galanterie_ he occupied himself in cracking nuts
for the young ladies, who called him "the handsome nutcracker."

"'Next morning the Astronomer fell, with much emotion, into the
Arcanist's arms, crying:

"'"This is the very man!--we have got him!--he is found! Only, dearest
colleague, two things we must keep carefully in view. In the first
place, we must construct a most substantial pigtail for this precious
nephew of yours, which shall be connected with his lower jaw in such
sort that it shall be capable of communicating a very powerful pull to
it. And next, when we get back to the Residenz, we must carefully
conceal the fact that we have brought the young gentleman who is to
shiver the nut back with us. He must not make his appearance for a
considerable time after us. I read in the horoscope that if two or
three others bite at the nut unsuccessfully to begin with, the king
will promise the man who breaks it,--and, as a consequence, restores
the princess her good looks,--the princess's hand and the succession to
the crown."

"The doll-maker cousin was immensely delighted with the idea of his
son's marrying Princess Pirlipat, and being a prince and king, so he
gave him wholly over to the envoys to do what they liked with him. The
pigtail which Drosselmeier attached to him proved to be a very powerful
and efficient instrument, as he exemplified by cracking the hardest of
peach-stones with the utmost ease.

"'Drosselmeier and the Astronomer, having at once sent the news to the
Residenz of the discovery of the nut Crackatook, the necessary
advertisements were at once put in the newspapers, and, by the time
that our travellers got there, several nice young gentlemen,