Chapter 6-Günter and the Royal Mice
"Many years ago, Godmother Elena had to turn a Kingdom's Royal Family into mice, for the King and Queen were using their Magic Gifts for their own personal gains. However, their son, Prince James, was born without magic, but he used Blood Magic to achieve the gains his parents were. He did this by sacrificing his personal servants and then their replacements. When Godmother Elena and the other Godmothers found out, they told her to punish them. She had no choice, so she punished them by first taking away the parents' magic and then turning them all into mice. Things were peaceful in this Kingdom for a while, until the new King and Queen and their beautiful but selfish daughter, Princess Mildred, ordered that a blue cheese cake made for the King's birthday." I make a disgusted face at the mention of blue cheese cake. And Uncle Drosselmeier laughs. "But, the new Royal Family had a special Magician and clockmaker working for them, along with his nephew who was the Magician's Apprentice. The lad's name was Günter Drosselmeier and he had just turned fourteen when this all happened."
"But that's your last name!" but he ignores my outburst, and I resolve to not interrupt again.
"While the cooks were making the cake, the long-forgotten Mouse Queen and her son came up to the cooks and demanded the cake. Every mouse in the castle came into the kitchen and began to eat the cake that had just been decorated. The kitchen staff tried to stop them, but one mouse bit anyone who tried, so they just stood in horror as their work was eaten by mice. When the King ordered the cake brought to him, the head of the cooks had to bring the bad news. So, the King then ordered the Magician and his nephew to come up with a way to catch all the mice and put them to death.
"They came up with the mousetrap, and caught every mouse. Except the Mouse Queen and her only son, both of whom crept into Princess Mildred's bedchamber the next night. The Mouse Queen put a spell on the Princess, turning her beauty into ugliness. And the next dawn, the King ordered the Magician to find a way to break the spell within a day, or he would be beheaded."
"That's awful!"
"Yes, but before the dawn of the next day, the Magician found the cure. She had to eat the Crackatooth nut, but only if a young man who had never worn boots could crack the nut with his teeth and give it to her with his eyes closed then take seven steps backwards without stumbling. The King ordered every young nobleman in the Kingdom to come to the palace, take off their shoes and attempt to crack the nut. The one that did would marry the Princess. Everyone but the King, Queen, Magician and Günter were not allowed to look, they were all blindfolded for the Princess was much too ugly to be seen.
"However, none of the young men could crack the nut, and the ones that heard the screams of the others fled. The King then ordered the Magician to be beheaded. But, Günter took off his shoes, put the nut in his mouth, and pulled on his long hair and the nut cracked open. He closed his eyes, went up to Mildred and gave her the nut. She immediately changed back into her beautiful self after eating it. Then, as he was taking the seven steps backwards, the Mouse Queen appeared and put a spell on him. She bit him to make the spell work, but he fell backwards and crushed her by toppling over the statues of the King. He almost crushed her son, but he narrowly escaped and his tail got crushed.
"The son now was the Mouse King, since his mother was dead. But, the spell took effect on young Günter, making him what you see before you now. And though the King had said the one to crack the nut would marry his daughter, he refused to hear his Magician out on how to break the spell on him. And ordered a celebration on the return of his daughter's beauty. The Mouse King then vowed his revenge on the poor boy and the Magician was banished from that Kingdom." When I realize that the story is over, I look at my nutcracker and feel pity for Günter.
"That is a horrible story! The Princess should've helped him or try to help him! Can the spell be broken?" Uncle Drosselmeier nods and says that Günter must kill the Mouse King and win the heart of a fair, young maiden. But he also says that in a way, Günter is a prince. For he is the Prince of the Land of the Dolls. I yawn and cover my mouth. "I'm going to retire. Thank you for the story, and for Günter." I stand to leave, but Damiana comes rushing towards me.