to take a seat. As soon as she did so, the shepherds and
shepherdesses danced a pretty ballet, to which the hunters and
huntresses played the music on their horns, and then they all
disappeared amongst the thickets.

"I must really apologize for the poor style in which this dance was
executed, dearest Miss Stahlbaum,' said Nutcracker. 'These people all
belong to our Wire Ballet Troupe, and can only do the same thing over
and over again. Had we not better go on a little farther?'

"'Oh, I'm sure it was all most delightful, and I enjoyed it immensely!'
said Marie, as she stood up and followed Nutcracker, who was going on
leading the way. They went by the side of a gently rippling brook,
which seemed to be what was giving out all the perfume which filled the
wood.

"'This is Orange Brook,' said Nutcracker; 'but, except for its sweet
scent, it is nothing like as fine a water as the River Lemonade, a
beautiful broad stream, which falls--as this one does also--into the
Almond-milk Sea.'

"And, indeed, Marie soon heard a louder plashing and rushing, and came
in sight of the River Lemonade, which went rolling along in swelling
waves of a yellowish colour, between banks covered with a herbage and
underwood which shone like green carbuncles. A remarkable freshness and
coolness, strengthening heart and breast, exhaled from this fine river.
Not far from it a dark yellow stream crept sluggishly along, giving out
a most delicious odour; and on its banks sat numbers of pretty
children, angling for little fat fishes, which they ate as soon as they
caught them. These fish were very much like filberts, Marie saw when
she came closer. A short distance farther, on the banks of this stream,
stood a nice little village. The houses of this village, and the
church, the parsonage, the barns, and so forth, were all dark brown
with gilt roofs, and many of the walls looked as if they were plastered
over with lemon-peel and shelled almonds.

"'That is Gingerthorpe on the Honey River,' said Nutcracker. 'It is
famed for the good looks of its inhabitants; but they are very
short-tempered people, because they suffer so much from tooth-ache. So
we won't go there at present.'

"At this moment Marie caught sight of a little town where the houses
were all sorts of colours and quite transparent, exceedingly pretty to
look at. Nutcracker went on towards this town, and Marie heard a noise
of bustle and merriment, and saw some thousands of nice little