rough and nasty laid
itself on her cheek, and cheeped and queaked in her ear. The horrible
mouse king came and sat on her shoulder, foamed a blood-red foam out of
all his seven mouths, and chattering and grinding his teeth, he hissed
into Marie's ear:

"'Hiss, hiss!--keep away--don't go in there--ware of that house--don't
you be caught--death to the mouse--hand out your picture-books--none of
your scornful looks!--Give me your dresses--also your laces--or, if you
don't, leave you I won't--Nutcracker I'll bite--drag him out of your
sight--his last hour is near--so tremble for fear!--Fee, fa, fo,
fum--his last hour is come!--Hee hee, pee pee--queak--queak!'

"Marie was overwhelmed with anguish and sorrow, and was looking quite
pale and upset when her mother said to her next morning:

"'This horrid mouse hasn't been caught. But never mind, dear, we'll
catch the nasty thing yet, never fear. If the traps won't do, Fritz
shall fetch the grey Councillor of Legation.'

"As soon as Marie was alone, she went up to the glass cupboard, and
said to Nutcracker, in a voice broken by sobs:

"'Ah, my dear, good Mr. Drosselmeier, what can I do for you, poor
unfortunate girl that I am! Even if I give that horrid king of the mice
all my picture-books, and my new dress which the Child Christ gave me
at Christmas as well, he's sure to go on asking for more; so I soon
shan't have anything more left, and he'll want to eat me! Oh, poor
thing that I am! What shall I do? What shall I do?'

"As she was thus crying and lamenting, she noticed that a great spot of
blood had been left, since the eventful night of the battle, upon
Nutcracker's neck. Since she had known that he was really young Mr.
Drosselmeier, her godpapa's nephew, she had given up carrying him in
her arms, and petting and kissing him; indeed, she felt a delicacy
about touching him at all. But now she took him carefully out of his
shelf, and began to wipe off this blood-spot with her handkerchief.
What were her feelings when she found that Nutcracker was growing
warmer and warmer in her hand, and beginning to move! She put him back
into the cupboard as fast as she could. His mouth began to wobble
backwards and forwards, and he began to whisper, with much difficulty:

"'Ah, dearest Miss Stahlbaum--most precious of friends! How deeply I am
indebted to you for everything--for _everything_! But don't, don't
sacrifice any of your picture-books or pretty dresses for me. Get me a
swo