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.