46 THE HISTORY OF A NUT-CRACKER.

her large blue eyes towards the doctor, and, looking earnestly
at him, said, ‘I now know, dear godpapa, that my Nut-
cracker is your nephew, young Drosselmayer, of Nuremberg.
He has become a prince, and also king of the kingdom of
toys, as your friend the astrologer prophesied. But you
know that he is at open war with the king of the mice.
Come, dear godpapa, tell me why you did not help him when
you were sitting astride upon the clock ? and why do you now
desert him ?”

And, with these words, Mary again related, amidst the
laughter of her father, her mother, and Miss Trudchen, the
events of that famous battle which she had seen. Fritz and
Godfather Drosselmayer alone did not enjoy the whole
scene.

“‘ Where,” said the godfather, ‘“ does that little girl get all
those foolish ideas which enter her head?”

‘She has a very lively imagination,” replied Mary’s
mother; ‘and, after all, these are only dreams and visions
occasioned by fever.”

“ And I can prove ¢hat,” shouted Fritz; ‘for she says
that my red hussars took to flight, which cannot possibly be
true—unless indeed they are abominable cowards, in which
case they would not get the better of me, for I would flog
them all soundly.”

Then, with a singular smile, Godfather Drosselmayer
took Mary upon his knees, and said with more kindness than
before, ‘‘ My dear child, you do not know what course you
are pursuing in espousing so warmly the cause of your Nut-
cracker. You will have to suffer much if you persist in
taking. the part of one who is in disgrace; for the king of
the mice, who considers him to be the murderer of his
mother, will persecute him inall ways. But, in any case, re-
member that it is not I—but you alone—who can save him.
Be firm and faithful—and all will go well.”

Neither Mary nor any one else understood the words of
Godfather Drosselmayer: on the contrary, those words