Marie sat in thoughtful silence; but Fritz murmured quietly to himself: “But for all that, I do want a fox and some hussars.”
It was now quite dark. Fritz and Marie, sitting close together, did not dare to utter another word. They felt as if there were a fluttering of gentle, unseen wings around them, while a very far-away music could be heard. Then a bright gleam of light passed quickly across the wall and the children knew that the Christ Child was being borne away on shining clouds to other happy children. At this moment a silvery bell rang out “Kling-ling! Kling-ling!” the doors flew open, and a brilliant light came streaming from the drawing room.
“Oh! Oh!” cried the children, clapping their hands.
But papa and mamma came and took their hands, saying, “Come, now, darlings, and see what the blessed Christ Child has brought for you.”
The two children stood speechless, with brilliant glances fixed on all the beautiful things before them. After a while Marie, with a sigh, cried, “Oh! How lovely! How lovely!” and Fritz gave several jumps of delight. The children had certainly been very, very good, for never had so many beautiful and delightful things been provided for them as at this Christmas. The great Christmas tree on the table bore many apples of silver and gold, and all its branches were heavy with bud and blossom, consisting of sugar almonds, many tinted bon-bons, and all sorts of charming things to eat. In all the recesses of its branches hundreds of little tapers glittered like stars! How many beautiful things there were! Marie gazed at the loveliest dolls, and all kinds of toys, and a little silk dress, with many tinted ribbons, hung from a projecting branch. “Oh, the lovely, lovely dress,” she cried. Fritz, in the meantime, had had two or three trials around the table to see how his new fox could gallop. “I believe it’s a wild beast,” he said, “but that’s no matter. I can frighten him already.” He set to work to muster his new hussars, well equipped in red and gold uniforms with real silver swords and mounted on such shining white horses that you would have thought them of pure silver.
When the children had become a little quieter there came another tinkling of a bell, and they knew that Godpapa Drosselmeier would show them his Christmas presents, which were on another table, against the wall, concealed by a curtain. When this curtain was drawn, what did the children behold?
On a green lawn, bright with flowers, stood a beautiful castle with a great many shining windows and golden towers. A chime of bells was going on inside it, doors and windows opened, and you saw very small ladies and gentlemen with plumed hats and long robes, walking up and down in the rooms.
Fritz stood looking at the beautiful castle, his arms leaning upon the table. In a little while he said, “Godpapa Drosselmeier, let me go into your castle.”
“That can’t be done, little Fritz,” was his answer. “The castle is not as tall as yourself, golden towers and all.”
“Well, then, make the man with the green cloak, who is always looking from the window, walk about with the others.”