Page 38 - Nuts to You - The Nutcracker Retold

running up the drawbridge. There were mice running down the drawbridge, and up the walls and along the parapets and over the roof! The bells in the watchtower, which the Sweeties never manned, began a wild and crazy ringing – as mice flooded through the arches and under the bells.
With sudden comprehension, Mother Ginger cried, “Crisis! Mices!” But it was too late. Mice were everywhere! The Sweeties who could, fled through the open gates and into the countryside. Mother Ginger swept the remaining Sweeties into the castle. And in an instant, Franz raced from the clock to the throne room, and slammed the doors shut.
And from inside the castle walls, the Sweeties waited. They could hear mice munching and crunching and eating them out of house and home. But no mouse chewed through the gates, no rodent crunched down the doors. What was happening out there?
In the meantime, Franz was wading manfully through Princess Pirlipat’s total lack of concern. In response to her kingdom being overrun by mice, Pirlipat was worried about her petticoats, and without looking up from her mirror, airily suggested to Franz that he get cats, or set traps, so the mice wouldn’t eat her finery.
Leaving the Princess as a hopeless case, a lost cause, and a bit of fluff when a strong ruler was needed, Franz raced to the window, hoping to call on Drosselmeir for help. But the call for help died on his lips as he saw Drosselmeir’s tower covered with mice bigger than any mice he had ever seen, or dreamed of before.
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