and nobody ever after heard what became of him. Certain it is that
by the upset of the waggon some of the boxes were broken, and, of
the puppets which they contained, a Nutcracker and a Harlequin
rolled into the brook. No sooner were they touched by the water,
than instantly a marvellous animation darted through their limbs.
Slowly they raised themselves, and stared at one another with
amazement. There stood Nutcracker, upon his stiff legs, like a
post, beautifully varnished over, with his bright blue eyes, his
wooden pigtail, and the star upon his breast; while Harlequin, in
his particoloured jacket, with his laughing face, clapped together
his hands and legs over his head for very joy, and hopped about
like a magpie.

When these first signs of animation subsided into more tranquil
reflection, Harlequin opened his lips, and said, "Great Prince!
that you are a Prince, and I your merry councillor, is clear
enough, for otherwise you would have no star on your breast, and I
no merry-andrew's jacket; but what shall we do first?"

"That is a question for _you_ to answer, not for _me_," replied
Nutcracker, whom the consciousness of his high birth had already
made grave and haughty. Muttering in his beard, he kept on moving
his under jaw up and down, and continued, "Dear Harlequin! that I
am, as you rightly say, born to be a great man, is proved, not only
by my star, but also by three wishes which have just come into my
head. The first wish is to have a dishfull of the finest nuts, for
which I have a marvellous appetite; the second is to have a
faithful people and a brilliant army, for unquestionably I am born
to govern; the third and last wish is to marry a rich and beautiful
Princess, who shall bring me as her dowry a pretty portion of land,
where I may live with your assistance in all possible ease and
comfort, eat nuts, govern my people, and pass the time merrily.
Your duty is now to advise me how these wishes may be fulfilled."

"Better do than advise," cried Harlequin: "only trust, my Prince,
to my merriment. Before the sun goes down, you shall be in
possession of all these trifles, or my name is not Harlequin, and
my legs will never more dance and clatter over my head."

So saying, in a twinkling he climbed up the nearest nut-tree, and
shook it with all his might. The large nuts fell like a shower of
hail, and the hungry Prince began to crack and eat them with all
speed; and he did not feel quite revived until he