father, and mother, and brothers, and sisters, were gone
to the play; only little anna and her grandpapa were left at
home.

"we'll have a play too," he said, "and it may begin
immediately."

"but we have no theatre," cried little anna, "and we have
no one to act for us; my old doll cannot, for she is a fright,
and my new one cannot, for she must not rumple her new
clothes."

"one can always get actors if one makes use of what one
has," observed grandpapa.

"now we'll go into the theatre. here we will put up a
book, there another, and there a third, in a sloping row. now
three on the other side; so, now we have the side scenes. the
old box that lies yonder may be the back stairs; and we'll lay
the flooring on top of it. the stage represents a room, as
every one may see. now we want the actors. let us see what we
can find in the plaything-box. first the personages, and then
we will get the play ready. one after the other; that will be
capital! here's a pipe-head, and yonder an odd glove; they
will do very well for father and daughter."

"but those are only two characters," said little anna.
"here's my brother's old waistcoat- could not that play in our
piece, too?"

"it's big enough, certainly," replied grandpapa. "it shall
be the lover. there's nothing in the pockets, and that's very
interesting, for that's half of an unfortunate attachment. and
here we have the nut-cracker's boots, with spurs to them. row,
dow, dow! how they can stamp and strut! they shall represent
the unwelcome wooer, whom the lady does not like. what kind of
a play will you have now? shall it be a tragedy, or a domestic
drama?"

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