her. What
is this?"

"My first sings by the water side,
My next is Heidelberg's great pride,
My whole was a blind poet, who
In England lived and suffered too."

"Shakspere," said Julius, whose pride it was to answer instantly.

"Wrong," cried Rolf, delighted. "How could a _shake_ sing by the water
side, Jule?"

"Oh, I supposed you meant a shake in somebody's voice, as he was riding or
driving along," said Jule, to justify himself. "Now what are you laughing
at?"

"Because you have made such a wrong guess. It is some one 'very different,
entirely different,' Jule. It is Milton, the blind poet Milton. Now try
another because you failed in this. My first"--

"No, no, I must beg for a rest. It is too much brain work for vacation. I
am going now to see how Castor is after my ride this morning." And Julius
dashed off to the stable.

"Oh, what a shame!" cried Rolf, "what a pity! Now there is no one to
guess, and I made four splendid charades on my way home. It is too bad
that you are not old enough to guess, Hunne."

"But I can guess; I am old enough," said the little fellow rather vexed.

"Well, then try this one, try hard. Stop playing with the nuts and I will
crack some more for you bye and bye. Now listen:

"My first conceals from light of day
The wanderer on his final way;
My second sizzling in the pan,
Makes hungrier still the hungry man;
My whole, bedecked in trappings gay,
Goes ambling on the livelong day."

"A nutcracker," said Hunne without hesitation. Julius was his beau-ideal
of all that was best, and he thought that if he imitated Jule, and
answered quickly the first thing that came into his head, that was
guessing.

But Rolf was angry.

"How can you be so stupid, Hunne? Just think about it a little, can a nut
cover some one on his last way?"

"Why, it can cover--well--the shell covers it."

"Nonsense! and a nutcracker can not go ambling all day, can it, you stupid
child."

"Now see, mine can," said the little boy, who did not like to be called
stupid, and he tied his handkerchief round the neck of the long suffering
nutcracker and dragged it after him up and down the room, lifting it up
now and then at regular intervals.

"Oh well, yes, you think you're right; and I can't explain it because you
don't understand anything about it. Just try to think a little; can you
hear a cracker sizzling as its cooks, and will it make you hungry to hear
i