young Drosselmeier would
conduct himself so admirably in his new condition that he would yet be
a prince and a king, in spite of his transmogrification; but also that
his deformity would only disappear after the son of Dame Mouseyrinks,
the seven-headed king of the mice (whom she had born after the death of
her original seven sons) should perish by his hand, and a lady should
fall in love with him notwithstanding his deformity.

"'That is the story of the hard nut, children, and now you know why
people so often use the expression "that was a hard nut," and why
Nutcrackers are so ugly.'

"Thus did Godpapa Drosselmeier finish his tale. Marie thought the
Princess Pirlipat was a nasty ungrateful thing. Fritz, on the other
hand, was of opinion that if Nutcracker had been a proper sort of
fellow he would soon have settled the mouse king's hash, and got his
good looks back again.

"UNCLE AND NEPHEW.

"Should any of my respected readers or listeners ever have happened to
be cut by glass they will know what an exceedingly nasty thing it is,
and how long it takes to get well. Marie was obliged to stay in bed a
whole week, because she felt so terribly giddy whenever she tried
to stand up; but at last she was quite well again, and able to
jump about as of old. Things in the glass cupboard looked very fine
indeed--everything new and shiny, trees and flowers and houses--toys of
every kind. Above all, Marie found her dear Nutcracker again, smiling
at her in the second shelf, with his teeth all sound and right. As she
looked at this pet of hers with much fondness, it suddenly struck her
that all Godpapa Drosselmeier's story had been about Nutcracker, and
his family feud with Dame Mouseyrinks and her people. And now she knew
that her Nutcracker was none other than young Mr. Drosselmeier, of
Nuernberg, Godpapa Drosselmeier's delightful nephew, unfortunately under
the spells of Dame Mouseyrinks. For whilst the story was being told,
Marie couldn't doubt for a moment that the clever clockmaker at
Pirlipat's father's court was Godpapa Drosselmeier himself.

"But why didn't your uncle help you? Why didn't he help you?' Marie
cried, sorrowfully, as she felt more and more clearly every moment that
in the battle, which she had witnessed, the question in dispute had
been no less a matter than Nutcracker's crown and kingdom. Wern't all
the other toys his subjects? And wasn't it clear that the astronomer's
prophec