Page:Nutcracker and Mouse-King (1853).djvu/144

132 crowns. As soon as the Counsellor cast his eyes on them, he laughed and cried: "Stupid pack—stupid pack! These are the very crowns which I used to wear on my watch-chain, years ago, and which I gave to little Maria, on her birthday, when she was two years old. Don't you remember them?" Neither father nor mother could remember them; but when Maria saw that her parents had forgotten their anger, she ran to Godfather Drosselmeier, and said: "Ah, you know all about it, Godfather Drosselmeier. Tell them yourself, that my Nutcracker is your nephew, young Master Drosselmeier, of Nuremberg, and that it was he who gave me the crowns!"

The Counsellor's face turned very dark and grave, and he muttered: "Stupid pack—stupid pack!" Upon this, the doctor took little Maria upon his knee, and said very seriously: "Listen to me, Maria. Once for all, drive your foolish dreams and nonsense out of your head. If I