Nutcracker and the mouse king

hemselves as certain of victory. Clowns, pantaloon, chimney-sweepers, fiddlers, and drummer are already down below on the field; and the motto-figures in my compartment are all astir, preparing for the fight. Will you not, dear sir, rest in my arms, or behold the battle from the top of my high feather-hat?”
Thus spoke Clara, but Nutcracker behaved quite roughly, kicking so hard with his legs that the doll had soon to let him go and set him on the ground. Immediately then he knelt gallantly on one knee, murmuring out:
“Fair lady, ever in the thick of the combat will I remember the grace and favour thou hast shown me!”
At this Clara bent down so low that she could seize him by both arms, lifted him softly up, made haste to loosen her richly-spangled girdle, and would have thrown it over his shoulder, if he had not taken two steps backwards, laying his hand upon his breast and speaking with formal politeness:
“Do not deign, oh lady, to waste your favours on me” Here he stopped short, sighed deeply, tore from his shoulder the ribbon with which Mary had bandaged him, pressed it to his lips, hung it round him as his cognisance; then, bravely brandishing his glittering unsheathed sword, sprang, light and active as a bird, over the ledge of the cupboard on to the doom
You remark, kind and honoured reader, that Nutcracker, even before he really became alive, must have deeply felt the affectionate goodness with which Mary had treated him; and on this account only, because Mary was so kind, he would not take or wear a token from Missy Clara, splendid and beautiful as it was. The true-hearted Nutcracker chose rather to adorn himself with Mary`s simple ribbon.
But what now is going to happen? As soon as Nutcracker sprang down, the squeaking and pattering broke out again. Ah, under the big table swarm the deadly squadrons of countless mice; and over all towers the frightful seven-headed Mouse King! How will the battle go?
CHAPTER V
THE BATTLE
Beat the general march, my trusty drummer!” cried Nutcracker at the top of his voice; and at once the drummer began to rub-a-dub in the skillfullest way, so that the panes of the cupboard shook and echoed. Now came a crashing and clattering within, and Mary perceived that the lids of the various boxes in which Fred`s army had been quartered were violently raised up, and out sprang the infantry and down on to the lower shelf, where they fell into shining ranks.
Nutcracker flew up and down, haranguing the troops in animating words:
“Let no dog of a trumpeter blow or stir!” he exclaimed angrily; and straightaway turned to the Pantaloon, who had grown somewhat pale, with a tell-tale chattering of his long chin, and addressed him in solemn tones:
“General, I know your courage and your experience; here quickness of eye and decision are all-important – to you I entrust the command-in-chief of the cavalry and the artillery; you don`t need a horse, as you have such long legs, and can gallop along on them well enough. Now attend to your duty!”
Forthwith Pantaloon pressed his long dry fingers upon his mouth, and gave such a piercing crow that it rang like the notes of a hundred shrill bugles. Thereupon arose in the cupboard a neighing and a trampling, and lo! Fred`s cuirassiers and dragoons, but, before all, the new gaily-equipped hussars, moved out, soon coming to a halt on the floor below.
Now, with flying flags and clanging music, regiment after regiment defiled before Nutcracker, and drew themselves up in three lines obliquely across the room. But in front Fred`s cannon advanced rattling, with their gunners about each; and presently they began to go boom-boom, and Mary saw how their sugar-plum shot plunged into the masses of the mouse army, who became powdered all over and put greatly to shame. But particularly they suffered severe loss from a battery of heavy guns which had taken up its position on Mamma`s footstool, and – boom-poom-boom – kept volleying out gingerbread nuts among the mice, which did much execution.
The mice, however, steadily advanced, and even came the length of taking a few of the guns; but still resounded the martial din – birr-boom-pirr-boom-birr! – till for smoke and dust Mary could scarcely see what was going on. Yet this much was certain, that each army fought with the utmost determination, and that victory wavered from one side to the other.
The mice kept on drawing out fresh forces, while their fire, very well delivered, took effect even as far as the glass cupboard. Clara and Gertrude ran up and down in despair, and wrung their hands till they were sore.
“Am I to die in my blooming youth, I, the fairest of dolls?” screamed Clara.
“Have I for this so carefully preserved my looks, to perish here within the walls of my home?” cried Gertrude.
Then they fell upon one another`s neck, and lamented so loudly as to be heard over all the wild tumult of the battle. For, worthy reader, you can scarcely have any idea of the scene that now raged.Pirr-pirr-r-puff puff, piff-sclatterdang-sclatterdong-boom, br-r-r-oom, boom –br-r-r-ro-oom-boom-br-r-r-r-r-r-m! – a confusion of pealing, thundering, and roaring, amid which squeaked and squealed the mice and their sovereign; and then again rose Nutcracker`s commanding voice, as he issued the necessary orders, and could be seen hurrying up to his battalions in the thick of the fire.
General Pantaloon had made some most dashing cavalry charges, and covered himself with glory; but Fred`s hussars were driven back by the mouse-artillery, which left deadly marks on their red jackets, and this checked their ardour. Pantaloon drew them off by the left, and in his excitement he himself, with his cuirassiers and dragoons, executed the same movement; that is to say, they all retired by the left and went home. Thus the battery posted on the footstool became endangered, and before long, a heavy column of fierce ugly mice charged it so resolutely that footstool, guns, and gunners were all lost. Nutcracker seemed confounded by dismay, and ordered the right wing to make a retrograde movement.
You understand, my reader Fred, experienced in war as you are, that to make such a movement means much the same thing as running away; and along with me, you already lament the disaster about to come on the army of Mary`s beloved Nutcracker! Yet turn away your eyes from this sad spectacle, and regard the left wing of the Nutcrackerish army, where all still goes well, giving the soldiers and their commander good cause for hope.
During the hottest of the fight, masses of mouse-cavalry had been quietly debouching from under the chest of drawers, and with loud horrid squeaks, had furiously hurled themselves upon Nutcracker`s left wing; but what a resistance they met! Slowly, owing to the nature of the ground, it being difficult to pass the cupboard ledge, had the regiment of motto-figures advanced under the leadership of two Chinese Emperors, and formed themselves into a hollow square. These spirited, gaily-equipped, and noble troops, consisting of many Gardeners, Highlanders, Japanese, Barbers, Harlequins, Cupids, Lions, Tigers, Baboons, and Apes, fought coolly, courageously, and steadily. By their Spartan bravery would this choice regiment have wrested the victory from the foe, had not a daring captain of the hostile cavalry, rushing recklessly forward, bitten off the head of one of the Chinese Emperors; then the latter in his fall knocked over two Japanese and a Baboon. This made a gap through which the enemy broke into the square, and soon the whole regiment was bitten to pieces. Yet the conquerors gained little advantage by this butchery. As soon as any of their bloodthirsty troopers had bitten a bold adversary in two, he found a small slip of printed paper in his throat, from which he died immediately.
This did not much avail Nutcracker`s army, which, retreat once begun, became more and more completely routed, and lost men faster and faster, till the unfortunate Nutcracker, with a very small band of his comrades, was brought to bay close in front of the glass cupboard.
“Bring up the reserves! Pantaloon, Clown, Drummer, where are you?” So shouted Nutcracker, who yet hoped to see fresh troops pouring out of the cupboard.
There did come out, indeed, a few brown men and women, made of gingerbread, with gilded faces, hats, and helmets, but they laid so clumsily about them that they struck none of the enemy, but instead knocked off the cap of their commander Nutcracker himself. The light troops opposed to them soon bit through their legs, so that they tumbled down higgledy-piggledy, bringing some of their own comrades with them.
Closely surrounded by foes, Nutcracker was now in the utmost danger and distress. He would have sprung back into the cupboard, but his legs were too short. Clara and Gertrude lay in a swoon; they could not help him. Hussars and dragoons galloped over him, as he cried in despair:
“A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!”
At that moment two of the enemy`s skirmishers seized him by his wooden cloak, and up rushed the Mouse King, squeaking out triumph from all his seven throats.
“Oh, my poor Nutcracker!” sobbed out Mary, unable longer to restrain herself. Hardly knowing what she did, she snatched off her left shoe and violently flung it at the Mouse King, right into the middle of his troops. That moment, all appeared to grow dim and to vanish away; but Mary felt in her right arm a still sharper pain than before, and fell fainting on the floor.
CHAPTER VI
LAID UP
When Mary awoke out of her deep death-like sleep, she was lying in her own bed, and the sun appeared shining clear and bright into the room through the windows covered with frost. By her side sat a strange gentleman, whom, however, she presently recognised as a surgeon.
“She is awake now,” said he softly, and up came her mother, regarding her with anxious looks of inquiry.
“Oh, dear mother!” murmured little Mary, “are all the mice gone, …