rmer Feldkuemmel and the Maid of Orleans
had to stand in the front rank of all.

"'This is really getting too bad,' said Marie's mother the next
morning; 'some nasty mouse or other must have made a hole in the glass
cupboard, for poor Marie's sugar figures are all eaten and gnawed.'
Marie really could not restrain her tears. But she was soon able to
smile again; for she thought, 'What does it matter? Nutcracker is
safe.'

"In the evening Marie's mother was telling her father and Godpapa
Drosselmeier about the mischief which some mouse was doing in the
children's cupboard, and her father said:

"'It's a regular nuisance! What a pity it is that we can't get rid of
it. It's destroying all the poor child's things.'

"Fritz intervened, and remarked:

"The baker downstairs has a fine grey Councillor-of-Legation; I'll go
and get hold of him, and he'll soon put a stop to it, and bite the
mouse's head off, even if it's Dame Mouseyrinks herself, or her son,
the king of the mice.'

"'Oh, yes!' said his mother, laughing, 'and jump up on to the chairs
and tables, knock down the cups and glasses, and do ever so much
mischief besides.'

"'No, no!' answered Fritz; 'the baker's Councillor-of-Legation's a very
clever fellow. I wish I could walk about on the edge of the roof, as he
does.'

"'Don't let us have a nasty cat in the house in the night-time,' said
Louise, who hated cats.

"Fritz is quite right though,' said the mother; 'unless we set a trap.
Haven't we got such a thing in the house?'

"Godpapa Drosselmeier's the man to get us one,' said Fritz; 'it was he
who invented them, you know.' Everybody laughed. And when the mother
said they did not possess such a thing, Drosselmeier said he had
plenty; and he actually sent a very fine one round that day. When the
cook was browning the fat, Marie--with her head full of the marvels of
her godpapa's tale--called out to her:

"Ah, take care, Queen! Remember Dame Mouseyrinks and her people.' But
Fritz drew his sword, and cried, 'Let them come if they dare! I'll give
an account of them.' But everything about the hearth remained quiet and
undisturbed. As Drosselmeier was fixing the browned fat on a fine
thread, and setting the trap gently down in the glass cupboard, Fritz
cried:

"'Now, Godpapa Clockmaker, mind that the mouse king doesn't play you
some trick!'

"Ah, how did it fare with Marie that night? Something as cold as ice
went tripping about on her arm, and something