Page 140 - Nuts to You - The Nutcracker Retold

Clara heard bits and pieces about a kingdom and candy and mice, something about Franz getting hit with a nut, but it all jumbled in her head, until she wasn’t at all sure what Godfather was telling her – much less what he was asking her to do.
It made no sense.
Clara did understand that the Nutcracker was extremely important to Godfather Drosselmeir, and that HE thought the Nutcracker was Franz, and that SHE was to protect it – uh, him. When Godfather Drosselmeir cast a hasty look over her shoulder and said good-bye, Clara understood with a shock that he was leaving. And he did.
Suddenly, he was gone. One moment Drosselmeir was galloping with her down the line of dancers, then when she pirouetted at the end and turned to grasp his hand, he was gone. Clara looked behind the dancers and behind herself, but it seemed as if her Godfather had disappeared into thin air.
And that made no sense.
Clara had little time to think all this through, for her mother caught up with her at last. Now, Mother Stahlbaum was very disappointed to find Drosselmeir missing, but only because she wanted to spill out her anger on someone’s head, and the polite old clockmaker seemed an easy mark to her. However, she soon realized it was all for the best, for Clara was easier to manage alone. And manage Clara she did, as she quickly herded Clara once more to the Prince, hoping yet to score a match.
Which Clara thought made no sense at all. 126