"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