ing in my cold grave at this moment, bitten
to death by the accursed king of the mice. I ask you to tell me
candidly, can Princess Pirlipat, princess though she be, compare for a
moment with Miss Stahlbaum here in beauty, in goodness, in virtues of
every kind? My answer is, emphatically "No."'

"All the ladies cried 'No;' and they fell upon Marie's neck with sobs
and tears, and cried:

"Ah! noble preserver of our beloved royal brother! Excellent Miss
Stahlbaum!'

"They now conducted Marie and Nutcracker into the castle, to a hall
whose walls were composed of sparkling crystal. But what delighted
Marie most of all was the furniture. There were the most darling little
chairs, bureaus, writing-tables, and so forth, standing about
everywhere, all made of cedar or Brazil-wood, covered with golden
flowers. The princesses made Marie and Nutcracker sit down, and said
that they would themselves prepare a banquet. So they went and brought
quantities of little cups and dishes of the finest Japanese porcelain,
and spoons, knives and forks, graters and stew-pans, and other kitchen
utensils of gold and silver. Then they fetched the most delightful
fruits and sugar things--such as Marie had never seen the like of--and
began to squeeze the fruit in the daintiest way with their little
hands, and to grate the spices and rub down the sugar-almonds; in
short, they set to work so skilfully that Marie could see very well how
accomplished they were in kitchen matters, and what a magnificent
banquet there was going to be. Knowing her own skill in this line, she
wished, in her secret heart, that she might be allowed to go and help
the princesses, and have a finger in all these pies herself. And the
prettiest of Nutcracker's sisters, just as if she had read the wishes
of Marie's heart, handed her a little gold mortar, saying:

"'Sweet friend, dear preserver of my brother, would you mind just
pounding a little of this sugar-candy?'

"Now as Marie went on pounding in the mortar with good will and
the utmost enjoyment--and the sound of it was like a lovely
song--Nutcracker began to relate, with much minuteness and prolixity,
all that had happened on the occasion of the terrible engagement
between his forces and the army of the king of the mice; how he had had
the worst of it on account of the bad behaviour of his troops; how the
horrible mouse king had all but bitten him to death, so that Marie had
had to sacrifice a number of his subjects wh