Page 185 - Nuts to You - The Nutcracker Retold

left Drosselmeir smack-dab in the middle of the path. And, while he was able to hold his own against a group of wanna-get-out-of-here-and-fast Ratties, the spinning and jostling he took left him totally unprepared for the Mouse Queen, coming around the corner – especially a white-hot Mouse Queen, wielding a Magic Nut.
Even as Drosselmeir snatched out his Pipe, he knew it was too late. Before he could draw breath, the Mouse Queen swung with all her might. Before he could purse his lips, the Krakatuk came crashing down upon his head.
And that brings us to the last kind of fight – the ones that are over before you know they started.
And it also answers the question asked so long ago – what curse comes to a clock-maker and wizard when the blow finally falls?
All the Sweeties now knew. And Mother Ginger knew.
And the Mouse Queen certainly knew, and did she ever gloat – as she lifted her trophy into the air and laughed, and laughed, and laughed again.
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