Page 41 - Nuts to You - The Nutcracker Retold

What was he doing here? Now Reggie was too scared to move! All Reggie could do was whimper, “Mummy, Mummy,” and hardly that because he could barely breathe. And at that moment, Reggie realized he was holding – the pipe!
The Mouse Queen was ecstatic. “Oh, my dear, dear boy! Run!”
Just as Drosselmeir lunged, Reggie fell back in alarm, and scrabbled and backpedaled all the way back to the window, and out of Drosselmeir’s reach. While Drosselmeir screeched to a stop, just out of the Mouse Queen’s reach.
Mummy couldn’t stop praising Reggie. She cooed him (Reggie) and booed him (Drosselmeir) and made such a fuss.
Reggie – after double-checking that Drosselmeir really wasn’t coming any further, and after being reassured that he was on a very safe perch – kept a careful eye to make sure that Drosselmeir didn’t move. Only then did he begin to strut like a miniature of his mummy. Reggie taunted the old man, as he twirled and whirled like a drum major with his baton. “To please her, you geezer, I’d tweezer your sneezer. This seizure, you see sir, for me sir, is only – a teaser!”
And so, it was a huge shock to Reggie when the Mouse Queen knocked him over with a swipe of her hand. “That’s quite enough, you little cock-crow!” Then she patted his head, for she really was a little proud and very surprised that little Reggie had done such a rash act.
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