Chapter 2:
Herr Drosselmeyer's Gift
It was Herr Drosselmeyer, the strange friend of her mother and father who always brought along with him such magnificent gifts and interesting tales that Clara thought about them until his next visit. And here he was again, bringing tidings from his traveling and, more importantly, toys! Toys from his wonderful workshop somewhere...wherever he lived. Clara didnt really care...she just wanted to hear more of his tales and see more of his toys.
It appeared that he hadn't disappointed this year. With him he had three huge boxes and a bag, presumably all full of wonderful things that he would show the party guests.
And stepping in behind him was the second-biggest reason that Clara had stayed awake throughout the preposterous party: his nephew, Jeremy, was the one boy Clara could never stop thinking about. She blushed whenever anyone mentioned his name, and actually seeing him in person was always one of the highlights of her Christmas.
Fritz, however, was not so thrilled. While Drosselmeyer always had interesting stuff for him, the old man creeped Fritz out, and having to shake his hand always made the young boy shudder.
Unfortunately, it seemed as though his parents took pleasure in putting him through the torture of shaking Drosselmeyer's hand every single chance they could get. So Fritz was completely helpless as his father and mother dragged him across the room to shake the creepy old guy's hand.
Fritz touched his index finger to Drosselmeyer's, then bolted as fast as he could, drawing a reproachful look from his father. Next came Clara, gliding over to see him, the exact opposite of Fritz in his desperation to get away.
She hugged him warmly. "More tales, Uncle?" she asked, a hopeful light shining in her eyes.
"There will be more tales," he said. "Of a sort. You will see. But that is for later. Now I must liven up this party."
"What'd you bring?" she question eagerly.
"You will see," he replied, a mysterious smile appearing on his well- worn face.
He called for a few of the strongest men at the party to help him with the boxes. Through their combined efforts, the men were able to heave the boxes through the front door and shut out the cold.
Once the boxes were on the floor, Drosselmeyer began to dance around them madly, waving his arms. Was it magic? Of course it was!
Slowly, he opened the door to the first box. He lifted out a life- sized doll! She was a beauty, too. She looked like a normal baby doll that a little girl would play with, except that she was a big as any girl who'd ever played with a baby doll.
Everyone gasped in amazement as Drosselmeyer cranked a lever on the doll's side 'round and 'round...until music began to play and she began to dance!
And oh what a beautiful dance it was. She pranced around on her toes; she blew kisses to the assembled crowd...you name it, that baby doll did every single amazing dance move that any great performer would ever do during a concert.
When she was done, everyone applauded Drosselmeyer and his magnificent craftsmanship. A few of the little kids asked him if he was magic. The old man simply laughed and waved his hand. "Maybe," he said. "Or maybe it's something else. You'll have to find out."
And all the children giggled. They didn't know what to believe...but it was Christmas Eve, and they were being entertained by one of the most amazing shows they'd ever seen.
Out of the other two boxes came life-sized soldier dolls...much to the wonder and amazement to the boys at the party, who had fun making the dolls salute them. When their dance was finally over, Drosselmeyer called Fritz to him.
"Come here boy," he said. "Uncle Drosselmeyer has something for you."
Slowly, Fritz made his way over to the mysterious old man. Drosselmeyer was clad entirely in black, adding to the air of mystery and intimidation that scared Fritz so.
"Y-y-yes?" the boy stammered.
"Look!" Drosselmeyer exclaimed. And from within the folds of his black cloak, he produced a telescope. "See, this is what you do with it," he said, putting his eye up to the lens and scanning the room with an intent look on his face.
"Oh!" Fritz said, getting excited. "Let me try! Let me try!"
"There you are," Drosselmeyer said, handing the device to the boy. Fritz scanned the room...it was a wonderful gift; what fun he'd have with it. As he began to walk away, Drosselmeyer stopped him by putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. The old man put out his hand. Reluctantly, Fritz shook it, and then got away as quickly as possible to gloat about his prize to the other boys.
"Clara," Drosselmeyer called, and the girl came forward, eager to see what he had gotten for her.
"Yes?" she said, sidling up to him.
"Look!" he exclaimed, and produced, from the folds of his cloak, the most beautiful nutcracker that anyone at the party had ever seen.
Clara gasped. "F-f-for me?" she said incredulously.
"Yes, for my darling Clara," he replied.
"Wow!" she exclaimed. Immediately she was swarmed under by the other children, who were madly offering three and four years-worth of their Christmas presents to be allowed to have the nutcracker. But Clara wouldn't hear of it.
I can't believe she got so much better a present, Fritz thought angrily. She doesn't deserve any better of a present than I do. We've both been good! Then Fritz got an idea. And the more he thought about it, and the more he watched Clara prance around the party taunting people with her new gift, the more he liked the idea.
Quietly, he sneaked around the people who were watching Clara's dance. It was beautiful and graceful, as usual. Fritz didn't care. As she danced close to the wall on one side, Fritz leaped out.
"Ah!" she exclaimed. And before she could figure out what was happening, Fritz had grabbed the nutcracker around the middle. He ran away from her, gloating, raising the wooden doll in his hand.
He slammed it to the ground. He raised his foot. "AAAHHHHH!" he yelled in frustration and anger. WHAM! Down came his booted foot, right on top of the doll.
There was a sickening crack. He had cloven the nutcracker clear in two.
Softly, one of Clara's friends, a few years younger than her, walked forward. "How could you?" she said in disgust to Fritz. Gently, she picked up both pieces of the broken doll and gave them to Drosselmeyer.
"It's not such a big deal," he said comfortingly to the party at large. "Look!" And he produced a scarf from somewhere inside his clothing. He tied it around the doll, and it was once again as good as new. Clara took it from him and again took to prancing around the party, every now and again glancing at Jeremy to see if he was still admiring her dancing skills.
And so the party dragged on into the night, with the children falling asleep one by one, and the families leaving one by one. At last Fritz fell asleep, and was taken to his room. Clara left for her room, and Drosselmeyer, who was staying overnight, left for his with Jeremy in tow.
It was only Dr. and Mrs. Silberhaus.
"I think it was a success, don't you?" Mrs. Silberhaus asked.
"It was wonderful," said Dr. Silberhaus, and he kissed her. Hand in hand, the two walked off to their room, to share sweet dreams before Christmas morning.
It was Herr Drosselmeyer, the strange friend of her mother and father who always brought along with him such magnificent gifts and interesting tales that Clara thought about them until his next visit. And here he was again, bringing tidings from his traveling and, more importantly, toys! Toys from his wonderful workshop somewhere...wherever he lived. Clara didnt really care...she just wanted to hear more of his tales and see more of his toys.
It appeared that he hadn't disappointed this year. With him he had three huge boxes and a bag, presumably all full of wonderful things that he would show the party guests.
And stepping in behind him was the second-biggest reason that Clara had stayed awake throughout the preposterous party: his nephew, Jeremy, was the one boy Clara could never stop thinking about. She blushed whenever anyone mentioned his name, and actually seeing him in person was always one of the highlights of her Christmas.
Fritz, however, was not so thrilled. While Drosselmeyer always had interesting stuff for him, the old man creeped Fritz out, and having to shake his hand always made the young boy shudder.
Unfortunately, it seemed as though his parents took pleasure in putting him through the torture of shaking Drosselmeyer's hand every single chance they could get. So Fritz was completely helpless as his father and mother dragged him across the room to shake the creepy old guy's hand.
Fritz touched his index finger to Drosselmeyer's, then bolted as fast as he could, drawing a reproachful look from his father. Next came Clara, gliding over to see him, the exact opposite of Fritz in his desperation to get away.
She hugged him warmly. "More tales, Uncle?" she asked, a hopeful light shining in her eyes.
"There will be more tales," he said. "Of a sort. You will see. But that is for later. Now I must liven up this party."
"What'd you bring?" she question eagerly.
"You will see," he replied, a mysterious smile appearing on his well- worn face.
He called for a few of the strongest men at the party to help him with the boxes. Through their combined efforts, the men were able to heave the boxes through the front door and shut out the cold.
Once the boxes were on the floor, Drosselmeyer began to dance around them madly, waving his arms. Was it magic? Of course it was!
Slowly, he opened the door to the first box. He lifted out a life- sized doll! She was a beauty, too. She looked like a normal baby doll that a little girl would play with, except that she was a big as any girl who'd ever played with a baby doll.
Everyone gasped in amazement as Drosselmeyer cranked a lever on the doll's side 'round and 'round...until music began to play and she began to dance!
And oh what a beautiful dance it was. She pranced around on her toes; she blew kisses to the assembled crowd...you name it, that baby doll did every single amazing dance move that any great performer would ever do during a concert.
When she was done, everyone applauded Drosselmeyer and his magnificent craftsmanship. A few of the little kids asked him if he was magic. The old man simply laughed and waved his hand. "Maybe," he said. "Or maybe it's something else. You'll have to find out."
And all the children giggled. They didn't know what to believe...but it was Christmas Eve, and they were being entertained by one of the most amazing shows they'd ever seen.
Out of the other two boxes came life-sized soldier dolls...much to the wonder and amazement to the boys at the party, who had fun making the dolls salute them. When their dance was finally over, Drosselmeyer called Fritz to him.
"Come here boy," he said. "Uncle Drosselmeyer has something for you."
Slowly, Fritz made his way over to the mysterious old man. Drosselmeyer was clad entirely in black, adding to the air of mystery and intimidation that scared Fritz so.
"Y-y-yes?" the boy stammered.
"Look!" Drosselmeyer exclaimed. And from within the folds of his black cloak, he produced a telescope. "See, this is what you do with it," he said, putting his eye up to the lens and scanning the room with an intent look on his face.
"Oh!" Fritz said, getting excited. "Let me try! Let me try!"
"There you are," Drosselmeyer said, handing the device to the boy. Fritz scanned the room...it was a wonderful gift; what fun he'd have with it. As he began to walk away, Drosselmeyer stopped him by putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. The old man put out his hand. Reluctantly, Fritz shook it, and then got away as quickly as possible to gloat about his prize to the other boys.
"Clara," Drosselmeyer called, and the girl came forward, eager to see what he had gotten for her.
"Yes?" she said, sidling up to him.
"Look!" he exclaimed, and produced, from the folds of his cloak, the most beautiful nutcracker that anyone at the party had ever seen.
Clara gasped. "F-f-for me?" she said incredulously.
"Yes, for my darling Clara," he replied.
"Wow!" she exclaimed. Immediately she was swarmed under by the other children, who were madly offering three and four years-worth of their Christmas presents to be allowed to have the nutcracker. But Clara wouldn't hear of it.
I can't believe she got so much better a present, Fritz thought angrily. She doesn't deserve any better of a present than I do. We've both been good! Then Fritz got an idea. And the more he thought about it, and the more he watched Clara prance around the party taunting people with her new gift, the more he liked the idea.
Quietly, he sneaked around the people who were watching Clara's dance. It was beautiful and graceful, as usual. Fritz didn't care. As she danced close to the wall on one side, Fritz leaped out.
"Ah!" she exclaimed. And before she could figure out what was happening, Fritz had grabbed the nutcracker around the middle. He ran away from her, gloating, raising the wooden doll in his hand.
He slammed it to the ground. He raised his foot. "AAAHHHHH!" he yelled in frustration and anger. WHAM! Down came his booted foot, right on top of the doll.
There was a sickening crack. He had cloven the nutcracker clear in two.
Softly, one of Clara's friends, a few years younger than her, walked forward. "How could you?" she said in disgust to Fritz. Gently, she picked up both pieces of the broken doll and gave them to Drosselmeyer.
"It's not such a big deal," he said comfortingly to the party at large. "Look!" And he produced a scarf from somewhere inside his clothing. He tied it around the doll, and it was once again as good as new. Clara took it from him and again took to prancing around the party, every now and again glancing at Jeremy to see if he was still admiring her dancing skills.
And so the party dragged on into the night, with the children falling asleep one by one, and the families leaving one by one. At last Fritz fell asleep, and was taken to his room. Clara left for her room, and Drosselmeyer, who was staying overnight, left for his with Jeremy in tow.
It was only Dr. and Mrs. Silberhaus.
"I think it was a success, don't you?" Mrs. Silberhaus asked.
"It was wonderful," said Dr. Silberhaus, and he kissed her. Hand in hand, the two walked off to their room, to share sweet dreams before Christmas morning.