"Marie told the whole story of the battle, as she had witnessed it, and was frequently interrupted by the loud laughter of her mother and sister; but Fritz and Drosselmeier listened quite gravely.
"'Where in the name of goodness has the child got her head filled with all that nonsense?' cried her father.
"'She has such a lively imagination, you see,' said her mother; 'she dreamt it all when she was feverish with her arm.'
"'It is all nonsense,' cried Fritz, 'and it isn't true! my red hussars are not such cowards as all that. If they were, do you suppose I should command them?'
"But godpapa smiled strangely, and took little Marie on his knee, speaking more gently to her than ever he had been known to do before.
"'More is given to you, Marie dear,' he said, 'than to me, or the others. You are a born princess, like Pirlipat, and reign in a bright beautiful country. But you still have much to suffer, if you mean to befriend poor transformed Nutcracker; for the king of the mice lies in wait for him at every turn. But I cannot help him; you, and you only, can do that. So be faithful and true.'
"Neither Marie nor any of the others knew what Godpapa Drosselmeier meant by these words. But they struck Dr. Stahlbaum--the father--as being so strange that he felt Drosselmeier's pulse, and said:
"'There seems a good deal of congestion about the head, my dear sir. I'll just write you a little prescription.'
"But Marie's mother shook her head meditatively, and said:
"'I have a strong idea what Mr. Drosselmeier means, though I can't exactly put it in words.'