The Nutcracker Page 2
Fritz was ashamed of himself, and without bothering any more about nuts and nutcrackers he went round to the other side of the table, where his hussars, after posting guards outside camp, had gone into their quarters for the night. Marie picked up the little teeth that Nutcracker had lost, and took a pretty white ribbon off her little dress to bind up his poor chin, then wrapped her handkerchief even more carefully than before around the poor little man, who looked very pale and shaken. She rocked him in her arms like a baby as she looked at the lovely pictures in the new books that had been lying among her many other presents. She was really cross, which wasn’t like her at all, when Godfather Drosselmeier laughed heartily and kept asking what she was doing, making such a fuss of an ugly little creature like that.
The odd likeness to Drosselmeier himself that she had thought she noticed when she first set eyes on the little man came back into her mind, and she said, very seriously, “Who knows, dear Godfather—if you were to smarten yourself up as nicely as my dear Nutcracker, and you wore such lovely shiny boots, who knows, you might look as handsome as he does!”
Marie didn’t know why her parents laughed so much at that, or why the Councillor had such a red face and didn’t laugh as cheerfully as before. But she supposed he had his own reasons.
MARVELS AND WONDERS
WHEN YOU GO THROUGH the doorway of the Stahlbaums’ sitting room, you see a tall glass-fronted cupboard standing against the longer wall of the room, and the children keep all the lovely things they are given every year in this cupboard. Luise had been very little when her father had it made by a skilful joiner, who fitted the clear glass panes and finished it so well that everything seemed almost brighter and prettier inside the cupboard than when you had it in your hands. On the top shelf, where Marie and Fritz couldn’t reach them, stood the works of art made by Godfather Drosselmeier, and right under those was the shelf for picture books. Marie and Fritz could put what they liked in the two lower shelves of the cupboard, but somehow or other Marie always made her dolls a home on the bottom shelf, while Fritz garrisoned his troops on the shelf just above it. The same thing happened today—Fritz stationed his hussars on the second shelf up, while Marie put Mamzell Trudy aside to make space for her beautifully dressed new doll in the nicely furnished room on the bottom shelf, and invited herself to come and eat sweets with her. As I was saying, the room was very well furnished, and you may believe me, because I don’t know whether you, my attentive little listener Marie—yes, as you know the little Stahlbaum girl’s name is Marie too!—well, as I was going to say, I don’t know whether you too have a little dolls’ sofa with flowered upholstery, several dear little chairs, a sweet tea table and above all a very nice, neat little bed where your most beautiful dolls can rest. But all these things were certainly in the dolls’ corner of the glass-fronted cupboard, and here even its walls were covered with brightly coloured pictures. I’m sure you can imagine how comfortable the new doll, whose name, as Marie found out that evening, was Mamzell Clara, would feel in that room.
It was late in the evening, indeed almost midnight; Godfather Drosselmeier had left a long time ago, and the children still couldn’t tear themselves away from the glass-fronted cupboard, however often their mother told them it was time to go to bed.
“But it’s a fact,” cried Fritz at last, “that those poor fellows” (he meant his hussars) “would like to get some rest, and while I’m here not one of them will dare to move at all, as I very well know!”
With these words he went away, but Marie begged, “Let me stay a little longer, dear Mother, just a tiny little while longer. There are lots of things I have to do, you see, and when I’ve finished doing them I’ll go straight to bed!”
Marie was a good, sensible child, and her kind mother could leave her alone with the toys without a qualm. However, it so happened that Marie was not particularly tempted by the new doll or the rest of the pretty toys, so she wouldn’t need lights burning around the cupboard, and her mother put them all out, leaving only the lamp hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the room to give a soft, pleasing light. “And come to bed soon, dear Marie, or you’ll never be able to get up at the right time in the morning,” said her mother, as she went to her own bedroom.
As soon as Marie found herself alone, she quickly turned to what was dearest to her heart, although she didn’t want to let her mother know that yet, she herself was not sure why. She had been carrying poor sick Nutcracker about, wrapped in her handkerchief. Now she put him down carefully on the table, unwrapped the handkerchief very, very gently, and looked at his wound. Nutcracker was extremely pale, but at the same time he was smiling in such a friendly if melancholy way that it went to Marie’s heart. “Oh, dear little Nutcracker,” she said very softly, “don’t be cross with my brother Fritz for hurting you so much. He didn’t mean it, but the wild soldier’s life he leads has made him rather hard-hearted. However, he’s a good boy really, I assure you. But now I’m going to nurse you very carefully until you’re quite better and cheerful again. Godfather Drosselmeier will put your little teeth firmly back in place and set your broken shoulders.”
Marie had meant to say more, but she stopped, because, as she mentioned the name of Drosselmeier, friend Nutcracker’s mouth twisted, and green sparks seemed to flash from his eyes. Next moment, however, as Marie was on the point of taking fright, she saw Nutcracker’s honest face looking at her again with his sad smile, and she knew very well that the flame of the lamp in the room, touched by a draught, was what had distorted his mouth for a moment. “What a silly girl I am to get scared so easily, thinking a wooden doll could make faces at me! But I love my Nutcracker because he’s so funny, and so good-natured, so it’s only right for him to be well nursed!” With these words, Marie took friend Nutcracker in her arms, went over to the glass-fronted cupboard, knelt down in front of it and told her new doll, “Please, Mamzell Clara, would you mind moving out and letting poor sick Nutcracker have your little bed? You can make do with the sofa, I’m sure. Remember, you’re in good health, you’re well and strong, or you wouldn’t have such plump, dark-red cheeks, and not many dolls, even the most beautiful, have such a lovely soft sofa as yours.”
Mamzell Clara, who was looking very grand in her Christmas finery but also very glum, didn’t say a word. “Why am I making such a business of it?” Marie asked herself. She took the doll’s bed out, laid Nutcracker in it very gently and tenderly, tied up his injured shoulders with a pretty ribbon that she had been wearing round her waist, and covered him up to just below his nose. “But he can’t stay there with naughty Clara,” she went on, and taking the bed with Nutcracker in it out of the cupboard she put it back on the shelf above, so that it was next to the lovely village where Fritz had stationed his hussars. She closed the cupboard door, and was going to her bedroom, when—now listen to this, children!—when a soft, soft whispering and rustling began all round the room—behind the stove, behind the chairs, behind the cupboards.
Meanwhile the clock on the wall was whirring louder and louder, but it couldn’t strike. Marie looked that way. The great gilded owl sitting on top of the clock had lowered its wings so that they covered the whole of the clock face, and the owl’s ugly cat-like head with its hooked beak was stretched far forward. And now the whirring was louder, and you could hear words. “Tick, tock, tick, tock, whirr softly, softly now, old clock. Mouse King’s ear is keen and strong, whirr whirr, bong bong, sing him, sing this little song. Little bell strike, little bell chime, Mouse King’s running out of time!” And then there was a muted, soft “bong, bong”, twelve times!
Marie began to feel so scared and alarmed that she nearly ran away when she caught sight of Godfather Drosselmeier sitting on the clock instead of the owl, with his yellow coat-tails hanging down like wings on both sides, but she pulled herself together and called in a loud if tearful voice, “Godfather Drosselmeier, Godfather Drosselmeier, what are you doing up there? Come down and don’t frighten me like that, you bad Godfather Dr
osselmeier!”
But then there was a great deal of giggling and whistling, and soon she heard a pattering sound behind the walls like a thousand little paws trotting back and forth, and a thousand little lights looked through the cracks in the floorboards. However, they were not lights, oh no! They were little sparkling eyes, and Marie saw that there were mice coming out of everywhere and making their way into the room. Soon they were scurrying around, trot trot, hop hop!—more and more and more mice galloping about, and finally they drew themselves up in rank and file just as Fritz drew up his soldiers before a battle. Marie thought that was a charming sight, and as she had no natural fear of mice, like many other children, her fright was wearing off when suddenly such a terrible, high-pitched whistling began that it sent an icy shiver down her back.
And now what did she see? Yes, really, my honoured reader Fritz, I know that your heart is in the right place, just like the heart of wise, brave General Fritz Stahlbaum, but if you had seen the sight that presented itself to Marie’s eyes now, if you had seen that, I am sure that even you would have run away. I’d go so far as to think you would have jumped straight into bed and pulled the covers up over your ears much further than necessary.
And poor Marie couldn’t even do that because—now listen, children!—right there before her feet sand and chalk and crumbled bits of masonry were coming up from below, as if sprayed into the air by some invisible power, and up through the floor came seven mouse heads wearing seven sparkling crowns, making a terrible hissing, whistling sound. Soon the body of the single mouse whose neck supported all seven heads made its way right out as well, and the huge mouse crowned with its seven diadems called out three times to the entire mouse army, its seven heads squeaking in loud chorus. Now all at once the army began to move, and off it went at the double—making straight for the cupboard where Marie was standing close to the glass doors. Her heart was thudding so hard with fear and horror that she thought it would jump right out of her chest next moment, and then she would die. It was as if all the blood in her veins were standing still. Half fainting, she staggered back—and then there was a clinking and a cracking. Her elbow went through a glass pane at the front of the cupboard and broke it to pieces. At that moment she felt a sharp pain in her left arm, but at the same time her heart suddenly felt much lighter, she heard no squeaking and whistling any more, everything around her was suddenly perfectly quiet, and although she didn’t like to look, she thought that the mice had scuttled off into their holes again at the sound of breaking glass.
But now, what was this? Directly behind Marie there were strange sounds in the cupboard, and soft little voices began to say, “Wake up, wake up, to battle go, this very night, the foe’s in sight, wake up, wake up, and off we go, the enemy shall be laid low.” And at the same time there was a harmonious and delightful bell-like sound.
“Oh, my little glockenspiel!” cried Marie happily, leaping quickly aside. Then she saw a strange light in the cupboard and heard sounds of something busily moving and scurrying around. Several toys were advancing, running around and waving their little arms. And now, all at once, Nutcracker sat up, threw off the covers, and jumped out of bed with both feet at once, crying at the top of his voice, “Crick, crack, crick crack, stupid silly mousie pack—crick crack, bad mice, you’ll be dealt with in a trice.” And with that he drew his little sword and waved it in the air, shouting, “Now my dear vassals, friends and brothers, will you stand by me in the heat of battle?”
Immediately three Scaramouches, one Pantaloon, four chimney sweeps, two zither-players and a drummer cried loudly, “Yes, General, we will keep faith with you—we’ll go to war at your side! Death or victory!” And they rushed after the inspired Nutcracker, who attempted the dangerous leap down from his shelf in the cupboard. It was all very well for the other toys to drop to the floor, for not only did they wear rich clothes of cloth and silk, there was nothing much inside them but cotton wool and sawdust, so they fell like so many sacks of wool and had a soft landing. But poor Nutcracker would certainly have broken his arms and legs, for remember, it was nearly two feet from the shelf where he was standing to the floor below, and his body was as fragile as if he had been carved from linden wood. Yes, Nutcracker would certainly have broken his arms and legs the moment he took the plunge, had not Mamzell Clara quickly jumped up from the sofa and caught the hero with his drawn sword from behind in her soft arms.
“Oh, you dear good Clara!” sobbed Marie. “How I have misjudged you! I am sure you gave up your little bed willingly to friend Nutcracker!” But Mamzell Clara said, holding the young hero gently to her silken breast, “My lord, sick and wounded as you are, do you mean to brave the dangers of battle? See your brave vassals assembling, ready for the fight and sure of victory. Scaramouche, Pantaloon, Chimney Sweep, Zither Player and Drummer are down already, and the sugar figures with mottos inside them from my shelf are on the move and getting excited! My lord, will you not rest in my arms, or watch the victory of your forces from on top of my feathered hat?”
So said Clara, but Nutcracker wouldn’t keep still, and kicked his legs so hard that Clara had to put him down quickly. Then, however, he went down gallantly on one knee, murmuring, “My lady, in the thick of the battle I will always think of you and your gracious kindness to me!”
Then Clara curtseyed so low that she could take him by his little arm and gently pick him up, and she quickly took off her belt, which was decorated with sparkly stuff, and was going to put it around him, but he took two steps back, placed his hand on his breast, and said solemnly, “No, lady, do not waste your favours on me, for …” And he hesitated, sighed deeply, then snatched off the ribbon that Marie had used to bandage his shoulders, pressed it to his lips, put it on like a sash, and, waving his drawn sword bravely, jumped down from the edge of the cupboard to the floor, swift and nimble as a bird.
You will notice, my kind and very excellent audience, that Nutcracker was very well aware, when he really came to life, of all the love and kindness that Marie had lavished on him, and so now it was only because he was so dear to Marie’s heart that he would not accept and wear Mamzell Clara’s belt, although it looked very bright and pretty. Good, faithful Nutcracker preferred to wear Marie’s plain ribbon.
But what was going to happen now? As soon as Nutcracker jumped down the squeaking and whistling began again. Drawn up under the big table stood the serried ranks of countless mice, and above them towered the terrible mouse with seven heads! What was to become of our friends now?
THE BATTLE
“STRIKE UP OUR MILITARY march, my faithful vassal Drummer!” cried Nutcracker in a very loud voice, and the drummer immediately beat a drum roll in the most expert way, making the panes in the glass-fronted cupboard clink and ring. Now there was a creaking and a tapping inside, and Marie realised that the lids of all the boxes in which Fritz’s army was billeted were being lifted by force from below, and the soldiers jumped out and down to the bottom shelf, where they drew themselves up in ranks on parade. Nutcracker strode up and down, speaking words of encouragement to his troops. “No dog of a trumpeter stirring his stumps!” cried Nutcracker angrily, but then he turned quickly to Pantaloon, who had turned rather pale and whose long chin was shaking badly, and said solemnly, “General, I well know your courage and experience. We must survey the situation fast, we must seize the moment—I entrust command of all the cavalry and artillery to you. You won’t need a horse because you have such long legs, and you can gallop pretty well with them. Now, do your duty!”
At once, Pantaloon put his thin, long fingers to his mouth and crowed in such a piercing tone that it sounded like a hundred clear little trumpets blowing merrily. Then there was a whinnying and a stamping of hooves in the cupboard, and out came Fritz’s cuirassiers and dragoons, and best of all the gleaming new hussars, to assemble down on the floor. Now regiment after regiment paraded past Nutcracker, with flags flying and military music playing, and they lined up in a broad row right across the floor of
the room. Fritz’s cannon moved up in front of them surrounded by the gunners, and soon shots were crashing out. Marie saw the sugar cannonballs explode as they landed in the dense army of mice, leaving them dusted with white icing sugar and very much ashamed of themselves. A heavy battery stationed on Mama’s footstool did bravely, inflicting great damage by firing ginger nuts at the mice—bang, bang, bang!—and knocking them over. However, the mice were coming closer and even overran several of the guns, but then there was more firing—crash, crash, crash!—and what with the smoke and the dust Marie could hardly see what was going on.
But this much was certain—all the troops were fighting fiercely, and the battle swayed now this way and now that. The mice came up in massed formation, and the little silver pills that they slung with the utmost skill were soon falling into the glass-fronted cupboard. Clara and Trudy ran desperately back and forth, wringing their hands. “Am I to die in the flower of my youth?” cried Clara. “I, the most beautiful of all the dolls!” “Have I preserved my charms so well only to die here within my own four walls?” cried Trudy. Then they fell into each other’s arms, weeping so noisily that you could hear them through all the noise of battle. For, my dear audience, you can hardly imagine the spectacle now in progress. Crash, bang, crash, went the guns, piff, paff, puff—crash, bang, crash, bang!—boing, bang, boing. Meanwhile the Mouse King and the mice were squealing and squeaking, and then the mighty voice of Nutcracker was heard again giving efficient orders, and there he went striding past the battalions under fire.