Page 107 - Nuts to You - The Nutcracker Retold

of ways, he was a chip off the old block. That thought gave her comfort. She could always count on Reggie to do a nasty trick. And what she had in store for Clara was mean and nasty and should put her out of commission for a long, long while, for we all know that bites are bad news.
The Mouse Queen looked at Reggie for so long that, at first, he was relieved. She wasn’t going to send him, after all! Better off staying away from anything on two legs, was his first thought.
Then, perversely enough, Reggie began to get angry at the thought that maybe his mother didn’t think he was good enough to go. Here she was, wishing she had another son, a good son. Well, he’d show her. He’d go out right now and do it all. Reggie stamped his leg
and spun around to exit the clock, but the Mouse Queen spun him back.
“No. No,” she said, and Reggie’s heart dropped.
See, he thought, I’m never good enough.
While all the while the Mouse
Queen was thinking he was really bad enough, and was convinced that Reggie could pull it off. Actually, what was happening was the Mouse Queen was dying for more sugar and growing more antsy and impatient by the second, and just wanted the whole thing off her paws so she could get back and EAT.
“You’re perfect,” she cooed, and Reggie’s heart leapt. “Or will be,” she corrected, and Reggie’s heart sank.
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