d; and on that
day a person like Santa Claus, whom you know in England, makes his
appearance. He is called _De Greef van Half-Fasten_--that is, the
Count of Mi-Careme--and comes to give presents to all good children.
But he is so like Santa Claus that we shall leave him alone in the
meantime, for I shall presently be telling you what Santa Claus does
in Belgium.

There is, however, another Count who does not visit England--the Count
of Nut Land, who rides along with a sack of nuts, which he throws
about for anyone to pick up. Strange to say, cracking these nuts is
supposed to be a cure for toothache! Is not that a funny idea?

CHAPTER XI

CHILDREN'S WINTER FESTIVALS

Very young children in Belgium look forward to the evening before
November 11, which is the Day of St. Martin, because they have heard
that something very exciting is going to happen.

Their parents make them stand in a corner, with their faces to the
wall. They must not look round, for if they do nothing will happen.
But if they are not inquisitive, ask no questions, and stand quite
still, a shower of nuts and apples suddenly falls on the floor behind
them. They are told that these have been thrown down from heaven by
St. Martin, and they at once turn round and scramble for them.

There is another thing which is sometimes done on St. Martin's Eve.
The father, or some big boy, comes into the younger children's
bedroom, dressed up as the saint, with a beard and robes, and asks how
the children have been behaving. If he is told they have been good, he
gives them apples or sweetmeats; but if he hears they have been
naughty, he pulls out a whip, throws it down, and leaves the room.

At Malines, and perhaps elsewhere, the children of poor people have a
little procession of their own on St. Martin's Day, when they dress up
and go about singing from house to house. One of them, who is dressed
as St. Martin, carries a large basket, into which the people at whose
doors they ring put apples or money. At another town, called Furnes,
there is also a procession of children, who carry paper lanterns, with
lighted candles in them, and march singing through the streets. The
same thing is done in the country round Bruges, where the children
visit the farm-houses at night, singing and asking for apples and
nuts.

There are cakes, called _gauffres_, which are often eaten on St.
Martin's Day, and are therefore sometimes called St. Martin's cakes.
That favour