They were all delighted. The
Mayor's eldest daughter sat in front and clapped her little soft white
hands. She was a tall, beautiful young maiden, and wore a white dress,
and a little cap woven of blue violets on her yellow hair. Her name
was Violetta.
[Illustration: THERE NEVER WAS ANYTHING LIKE THE FUN AT THE MAYOR'S
CHRISTMAS BALL.]
The supper was served at midnight--and such a supper! The mountains
of pink and white ices, and the cakes with sugar castles and
flower-gardens on the tops of them, and the charming shapes of gold
and ruby-colored jellies! There were wonderful bonbons which even the
Mayor's daughter did not have every day; and all sorts of fruits,
fresh and candied. They had cowslip wine in green glasses, and
elderberry wine in red, and they drank each other's health. The
glasses held a thimbleful each; the Mayor's wife thought that was all
the wine they ought to have. Under each child's plate there was a
pretty present; and every one had a basket of bonbons and cake to
carry home.
At four o'clock the fiddlers put up their fiddles and the children
went home; fairies and shepherdesses and pages and princesses all
jabbering gleefully about the splendid time they had had.
But in a short time what consternation there was throughout the city!
When the proud and fond parents attempted to unbutton their children's
dresses, in order to prepare them for bed, not a single costume would
come off.
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