The Children's Repository—The Magic Nut-Cracker [pp. 463-465]

TIlE ChIILDREV'S REPOSITOR Y.
THE MAGIC NUT-CRACKER.
N the border of a thick forest gr-ew a chest nut-tlree awhose high)est branches climbed
t as near to the sky as any of the forest trees, and were good hiding-places for the birds
to build their nests in, when Spring and Sum mer concealed them with thoutsandcs of green
leaves. They flew away before October came,
and the foliage changed the color of its dress,
that glistened in golden yellow, when the bright
rays of the sunlight fell on it, and some of the
leaves, old and tired of clinging so long to the
bouglhs, drifted toward thie ground beneath,
leaving bare the pricklly green chestnut burs
that held snug and tight the brown nuts clil drene love to gather. The robin who had had
its home in the topmost branches, and there
safely brought up its young broocd, came back
sometimes and peeped into the deserted nest.
The young ones had flowsn away long ago;
indeed, they went as soon as they found they
had wings and learned how to use them. Father
robin peered thlrough the sheltering leaves;
there was the old nest; the school-boy had not
touched it; hle whistled a note or two to his
mate who was close by, as if to assure her that
it would be a good place for next year, then
both spread their wings, and very soon became
likle tiny spots in the distant clouds, far beyond
the reach of any gun or rifle.
The pleasant shade the tree threw over the
hot earth in Summer time was not forgotten
vlwhen the nights were longer, and the days
shlorter, and the winds which, when Summer
breezes hlave played gently with the leaves,
fanning, away the hot breath of the sun, now
came to tear them away firom their old places.
"M.oo, moo," roared a white cow, stopping
under the old tree, as the boy was driving her
home. " M\oo, moo." She remembered how
nice it was to lie down under the shlade and
pant for breath in the long, hot Summner days,
or to drink the cool water of the brook that
slipped along directly beneath, or stand knee deep in the water while she lashed away the
flies with her long switchly tail.
"Get along, get along, will you?" said the
cowh boy, and Mooly was obliged to move on.
The brook, too, was very fond of the chest nut-tree, and loved to loiter a little here, as it
hurried on more softly thlroughl the mossy banks
where the violets were the darkest and sweetest.
"Is n't it almost time for me to carry off some
of those burs?" babbled the Brook.
The wind bent the branchles over until they
touched the water, and the brook caught the
whisper it sent sighing through them as evening came on.
"Not yet, not yet," said the Tree.
The gray squirrels ran nimbl)ly up the limbs.
Very busy were they, searchling for something
to add to their store of food for Winter-briskly
they jumped from bough to bough, but they
shook their heads and bushy tails to no purpose, for the nuts they wanted still slept soundly
in their green prison, with no chance of getting
out.
"AAh, my dears," said the Chlestnut-Tree,
"do n't hurt your pretty little l)riglht eyes with
those thlorns. Have a little patience All in
good time I'11 see that you have your share.
Wait for the Nut-cracker."
Thle squirrels blinked their bright eyes. They
looked at the clear sky and toward the setting
sun; it was sinking to rest, and the clouds
were heaping up golden pillows as it went to
sleep. The north wind rustled the leaves.
' Not yet, not yet," it said, and dclown hopped
the squirrels and ran to look for some other
kind of provision.
A great ugly spider with ten legs, a yellowspotted body, and two great eyes, very far
apart, who had been waiting for them to leave,
now crept swiftly up the rough bark on the
trunk of the tree-on, on she went until she
reached the very end of one of the lower branchles.
"You looking for nuts, too?" said the Tree.
"No, no, I have more important business,"
said the Spider. "I have a palace to build; it
must be finished this very night. I shlall l-ave
a hard night's work, but the first rays of tomorrow's sun will light it up beautifully. If
you do n't object I'11 commence here at once,
as no time is to be lost. I'11 just tie a thread
on this limb, strike a line yonder, and spin a
cord so thlroughl the middle, and you will see
what an ornamenet you will have on your left
side in the imorning, all as fine as gossamer
and soft as silk, and as beautiful a palace as
was ever built by a spider."
She spun as she talked, fastening her delicate
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