rd--a sword is what I want. If you get me that, I'll manage the
rest--though--he may----'

"There Nutcracker's speech died away, and his eyes, which had been
expressing the most sympathetic grief, grew staring and lifeless again.

"Marie felt no fear; she jumped for joy, rather, now that she knew how
to help Nutcracker without further painful sacrifices. But where on
earth was she to get hold of a sword for him? She resolved to take
counsel with Fritz; and that evening, when their father and mother had
gone out, and they two were sitting beside the glass cupboard, she told
him what had passed between her and Nutcracker with the king of the
mice, and what it was that was required to rescue Nutcracker.

"The thing which chiefly exercised Fritz's mind was Marie's statement
as to the unexemplary conduct of his red hussars in the great battle.
He asked her once more, most seriously, to assure him if it really was
the truth; and when she had repeated her statement, on her word of
honour, he advanced to the cupboard, and made his hussars a most
affecting address; and, as a punishment for their behaviour, he
solemnly took their plumes one by one out of their busbies, and
prohibited them from sounding the march of the hussars of the guard for
the space of a twelvemonth. When he had performed this duty, he turned
to Marie, and said:

"As far as the sword is concerned, I have it in my power to assist
Nutcracker. I placed an old Colonel of Cuirassiers on retirement on a
pension, no longer ago than yesterday, so that he has no further
occasion for his sabre, which is sharp.'

"This Colonel was settled, on his pension, in the back corner of the
third shelf. He was fetched out from thence, and his sabre--still a
bright and handsome silver weapon--taken off, and girt about
Nutcracker.

"Next night Marie could not close an eye for anxiety. About
midnight she fancied she heard a strange stirring and noise in the
sitting-room--a rustling and a clanging--and all at once came a shrill
'Queak!'

"'The king of the mice! The king of the mice!' she cried, and jumped
out of bed, all terror. Everything was silent; but soon there came a
gentle tapping at the door of her room, and a soft voice made itself
heard, saying:

"Please to open your door, dearest Miss Stahlbaum! Don't be in the
least degree alarmed; good, happy news!'

"It was Drosselmeier's voice--young Drosselmeier's, I mean. She threw
on her dressing-gown, and opened the doo