The Nutcracker and the Mouse-King. E. T. A. Hoffmann

      To be sure much fault could be found with his body, for the trunk not only seemed much too large for the thin little legs, but the head also seemed too large. His clothes, however, covered up his defects, as these seemed to belong to a man of taste and culture. He was dressed in a glossy violet coat worn by Hussars, with many white buttons and lacings, the same kind of trousers, and the handsomest little boots that ever were seen on the feet of an officer. These fitted the neat little legs so closely that they seemed to be painted on them.

      It was comical that with this outfit he should have worn a narrow, clumsy cape that looked quite wooden, and on his head a miner’s cap. Marie in noticing this remembered that Godfather Drosselmeier also wore a very plain cloak and a funny cap, but still was a very dear godfather.

      While Marie was examining this neat little man more intently, for she had taken a fancy to him at her first glance, she became more and more aware of what a good-natured expression his face had. From his light green eyes, a little too large and protruding, nothing but friendship and good will shone forth. Around his chin the little man wore a most becoming, well-cared-for beard of white cotton, which made more noticeable the jolly smile on his lips.

      “Oh, father,” Marie called suddenly, “to whom does the darling little man belong, who is leaning against the tree?”

      “That little man,” replied the father, “shall work industriously for all of you. He shall crack all the hard nuts for you with his teeth, and he belongs as much to your older sister Luise as to you and Fritz.

      With that their father picked him up carefully from the table and when he lifted up the wooden cape the little man opened his mouth very wide, showing two rows of very white pointed teeth. Marie at her father’s request, pushed a nut into his mouth, and crack—the little man had bitten it to pieces, so that the shell fell away and the sweet kernel of the nut remained in her hands.

      Now everyone knew at once, even Marie, that this dainty little man was a descendant of the race of nutcrackers and was carrying on the business of his forefathers.

      Marie cried out with joy, and her father said, “As you, Marie, are so much pleased with your friend Mr. Nutcracker, he shall be under your care and protection. Sister Luise and Fritz, however, shall have as much right to use him as you have.”

      A SPLENDID LITTLE MAN.

      Marie embraced the Nutcracker at once and had him crack some nuts, but she always chose the smallest so that the little man did not need to open his mouth too wide, for that was not becoming to him. Luise too came over, and for her also Mr. Nutcracker had to do service, which, however, he seemed to enjoy, as he kept right on smiling.

      Fritz in the meantime, had become tired from so much riding and exercising. When he heard the merry cracking of nuts, he jumped up and joined his sisters. He was laughing heartily at the sight of the comical little man, who was being passed from hand to hand and could not stop opening and closing his mouth with a snap. Fritz kept pushing the largest and hardest nuts into the Nutcracker’s mouth until all of a sudden-crack-crack-three little teeth fell out of his mouth and his whole lower jaw was loose and shaky.

      “Oh my poor, dear Nutcracker,” sobbed Marie and took him away from Fritz.

      “He is a foolish, stupid fellow,” said Fritz. “He wants to be a Nutcracker and has a weak set of teeth—and probably doesn’t understand his trade either. Give him to me, Marie. He shall crack nuts for me even if he loses the rest of his teeth and all of his jaw, for who cares for that good-for-nothing!”

      “No, no,” replied Marie, “you shall not have my dear Nutcracker—just see how sadly he is looking at me and showing me his sore mouth. You, you are a hard-hearted person—you whip your horses and perhaps you would even have one of your soldiers punished with death.”

      “That must be, has to be, you don’t understand,” called Fritz, “but the Nutcracker belongs as much to me as to you, so give him to me.” Marie began to cry violently and quickly wrapped the sick Nutcracker in her little handkerchief.

      The parents came forward with Godfather Drosselmeier. “I have expressly placed the Nutcracker under Marie’s protection,” said the father, “and as I see that he needs it very much at this time, she shall have full power, without anyone else having anything to say about it., I am much astonished at Fritz, that he should require further service from someone who became ill while serving him. He ought to know that one never places a wounded soldier in rank and file.”

      Fritz; was much ashamed, and without paying any more attention to nuts or Nutcracker, crept over to the other side of the table where his hussars, after posting strong sentinels on guard, had moved into their night quarters.

      Marie gathered up Nutcracker’s lost teeth, and around his injured chin she tied a pretty white ribbon which she had unfastened from her dress. Then she wrapped him even more carefully into her handkerchief as he seemed to look pale and frightened. Thus she rocked him in her arms, as if he were a small child, and looked at the beautiful pictures in the new picture book which was among the many other gifts received today.

      MAGIC

      In the Stahlbaum’s living room, just as one entered the door on the left wall stood a high cupboard in which the children kept all the pretty things which were given to them each year. Their father had this cupboard made by a very skillful cabinetmaker, who had used such clear glass and had arranged everything in it so cleverly, that all the gifts looked brighter and lovelier in it than when one held them in one’s hands.

      On the upper shelf, inaccessible to Marie and Fritz, stood Godfather Drosselmeier’s mechanical toys and the shelf just below it contained their picture books. The two lower shelves Fritz and Marie used for whatever they wanted. It usually happened, however, that Marie used the lower space as a home for her dolls, while Fritz used the shelf above it as barracks for his soldiers.

      That was what had happened today also for while Fritz was setting up his hussars above, Marie had taken out Mamsell Trudchen, and had moved the new, beautifully dressed doll into the well furnished rooms and had invited herself to tea and cakes. The room was certainly well furnished, and any other child would have been happy to possess such a little flowered sofa, such charming little chairs, such a dear tea table, and above all, such a bright brass bed in which the most beautiful dolls could rest. All of this stood in the corner of the cupboard, the walls of which were papered with gay colored pictures. In this room, the new doll, whose name was Mamsell Clärchen, could feel much at home.

      It was almost midnight and Godfather Drosselmeier had been gone for a long time, and still Fritz and Marie could not come away from the cupboard, although their mother was urging them to go to bed. “It is true,” called Fritz, “the poor hussars also want to rest, for while I am here not one even dares to nod, I am certain of that.”

      With that he departed, but Marie was begging, “Just a little while longer; let me stay here, Mother, as I have several things to attend to; and when they are done, I will go to bed at once.”

      As Marie was a sensible and obedient child her mother could leave her with the playthings without worrying about her. To guard against her being so engrossed in the new doll that she might forget the lights, her mother extinguished all those around the cupboard, and left burning only the lamp that was suspended from the ceiling in the middle of the room which gave a soft mellow light.

      “Go to bed soon, dear, or you will not be able to get up in time tomorrow morning,” called her mother, as she went into her bedroom.

      As soon as Marie found she was alone, she began to do the things so dear to her heart. She still had the injured Nutcracker in her arm, wrapped in her handkerchief, and now she laid him carefully on the table, unwrapped him and looked after his wounds. Nutcracker was very pale, and smiled