p. Peter was just on the point of giving himself
up for lost, expecting the next moment to be swallowed up by Two Eyes,
when it was clear again, and Two Eyes was in his old place, and the
stocking was hanging on its hook; only Santa Klaus had disappeared up
the chimney. For you see, Kleiner Traum's kaleidoscope was quiet again.

Now what did Peter see? The stocking was swollen to an enormous bulk,
and what was more, Peter could see everything that was going on inside.
He saw that they were quarrelling about the places they should occupy;
for in the heel and in the toe of the stocking, were the two holes which
were now of an alarming size. The Sled commenced the trouble. It felt
itself slowly but surely slipping toward the hole in the toe, with the
weight of all the other things on him. "Don't crowd so!" Peter heard the
Sled say to the Tin Trumpet.

"I'm not pushing," said the Tin Trumpet; "I'd give anything if I weren't
sliding so toward that dreadful hole!" "Monkey-Jack, I'll thank you to
keep that stick of yours out of my mouth." Just then, an apple losing
its footing, dropped through the hole in the heel of the stocking, and
Peter heard it go rolling over the floor; another quickly followed, and
another.

"Oh!" said the Mask, "this is getting dangerous; there is a dreadful
cavity under me; but I'll put a bold face on it. There goes another
apple." Peter heard apple follow apple out of the hole in the heel, till
the whole dozen were on the floor, where they still went rolling off
after each other toward the staircase when they hopped thumpty-thump
down the steps, till the last one had gone. Meanwhile the Sled, the Tin
Trumpet and the Monkey-Jack were having a sad time in the foot of the
stocking. "I cannot hold on much longer," said the Sled, and it had
hardly spoken the words, before it slid out through the toe, and Peter
heard it go sliding over the floor and follow the apples down the
staircase.

Matters were no better, but rather worse in the leg of the stocking. A
weak voice was heard in the corner. It was a Peanut complaining bitterly
of the Marbles. "If ye had not come in here among us," it said, "we
should have done very well, but now ye are pushing us all toward the
hole." The Marbles could not reply, they were too frightened themselves;
they had crowded in among the Peanuts for safety, and now there was
danger of both going. One large Marble alone held them all back; it was
wedged in by the Monkey-Jack,