had on a beautiful red coat trimmed with gold
lace, white silk stockings and shoes, with a lovely bouquet of flowers
in his shirt frill. He was beautifully frizzed and powdered, and had a
magnificent queue hanging down his back. The little sword at his side
seemed to be made entirely of jewels, it sparkled and shone so, and the
little hat under his arm was woven of flocks of silk. He gave proof of
the fineness of his manners in that he had brought for Marie a quantity
of the most delightful toys--above all, the very same figures as those
which the mouse king had eaten up--as well as a beautiful sabre for
Fritz. He cracked nuts at table for the whole party; the very hardest
did not withstand him. He placed them in his mouth with his left hand,
tugged at his pigtail with his right, and crack! they fell in pieces.

"Marie grew red as a rose at the sight of this charming young
gentleman; and she grew redder still when, after dinner, young
Drosselmeier asked her to go with him to the glass cupboard in the
sitting-room.

"'Play nicely together, children,' said Godpapa Drosselmeier; 'now that
my clocks are all nicely in order, I can have no possible objection.'

"But as soon as young Drosselmeier was alone with Marie, he went down
on one knee, and spake as follows:

"'Ah! my most dearly-beloved Miss Stahlbaum! 'see here at your feet the
fortunate Drosselmeier, whose life you saved here on this very spot.
You were kind enough to say, plainly and unmistakably, in so many
words, that you would not have despised me, as Princess Pirlipat did,
if I had been turned ugly for your sake. Immediately I ceased to
be a contemptible Nutcracker, and resumed my former not altogether
ill-looking person and form. Ah! most exquisite lady! bless me with
your precious hand; share with me my crown and kingdom, and reign with
me in Marchpane Castle, for there I now am king.'

"Marie raised him, and said gently:

"'Dear Mr. Drosselmeier, you are a kind, nice gentleman; and as you
reign over a delightful country of charming, funny, pretty people, I
accept your hand.'

"So then they were formally betrothed; and when a year and a day had
come and gone, they say he came and fetched her away in a golden coach,
drawn by silver horses. At the marriage there danced two-and-twenty
thousand of the most beautiful dolls and other figures, all glittering
in pearls and diamonds; and Marie is to this day the queen of a realm
where all kinds of sparkling Ch