{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_25464/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_25464","id":"gutenberg_25464","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/25464","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Children & Young Adult Reading","Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Fairy tales"],"text":"Produced by Jason Isbell, Suzan Flanagan, and the Online\nDistributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net\n\n\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration: THE\nKING OF ROOT VALLEY\nA FAIRY TALE]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n                          THE\n\n                   KING OF ROOT VALLEY\n\n                AND HIS CURIOUS DAUGHTER.\n\n                      A Fairy Tale.\n\n                          BY\n\n                       R. REINICK.\n\n  With Eight Illustrations, by T. Von Oer and R. Reinick.\n\n                        LONDON:\n           CHAPMAN AND HALL, 193, PICCADILLY.\n                         1856.\n\n\n\n\n                      PRINTED BY\n          JOHN EDWARD TAYLOR, LITTLE QUEEN STREET,\n                  LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS.\n\n\n\n\nContents.\n\n\nCHAPTER THE FIRST.\n                                                            PAGE\n\n    THE ROOT-VALLEY AND ITS INHABITANTS.--THE STORY-TELLING\n        GUESTS.--THE KING OF ROOT-VALLEY AND HIS CURIOUS\n        DAUGHTER.--THE AERIAL CHARIOT.--FESTIVITIES IN THE\n        TOWN.--RETURN THROUGH THE AIR FROM THE ROOF OF THE\n        TOWN-HOUSE.--WHIMS OF THE PRINCESS                     1\n\nCHAPTER THE SECOND.\n\n    THE SPRING FESTIVAL IN ROOT-VALLEY.--THE NUT-FIELD.--THE\n        MIGRATING BIRDS.--A STRANGE PEOPLE MAKE THEIR\n        APPEARANCE.--NUTCRACKER AND HARLEQUIN.--THE PRINCESS\n        FALLS INTO RAPTURES                                    7\n\nCHAPTER THE THIRD.\n\n    THE WONDERFUL BROOK.--THE OVERTURNED CARRIER'S\n        WAGGON.--NUTCRACKER AND HARLEQUIN COME TO LIFE.--THE\n        THREE WISHES.--THE BOX OF NUREMBERG TOYS.--THE\n        WANDERING RATS.--HOW HARLEQUIN BRINGS TO LIFE A WHOLE\n        NATION AND ARMY.--BATTLE WITH THE\n        RATS.--HOMAGE.--PROCESSION TO THE ROOT-VALLEY         11\n\nCHAPTER THE FOURTH.\n\n    NUTCRACKER IS BETROTHED TO THE PRINCESS OF ROOT-VALLEY, AND\n        TAKES POSSESSION OF THE NUTFIELD.--THE BIRDS\n        DEPART.--WHAT ILL COMES OF IT.--WEDDING AND PARTING   19\n\nCHAPTER THE FIFTH.\n\n    THE PUPPET-KINGDOM IS SET IN ORDER.--HAUGHTINESS OF\n        NUTCRACKER, HIS WIFE, AND SUBJECTS.--ANTIPATHY OF THE\n        TWO PEOPLES.--THE ROOT-KING ABDICATES HIS\n        CROWN.--NUTCRACKER A TYRANT.--PREPARATIONS FOR WAR IN\n        ROOT-VALLEY.--THE WAR.--HARLEQUIN'S DEATH.--FLIGHT AND\n        DESTRUCTION OF THE PUPPET-KINGDOM.--NUTCRACKER'S\n        DEATH.--THE PRINCESS SAVED                            22\n\nCHAPTER THE SIXTH.\n\n    THE BIRDCATCHER AND HIS FAMILY.--HOW THE CHILDREN RETURN\n        HOME WITH RARE TREASURES.--NUTCRACKER'S DEAD BODY.--THE\n        LITTLE MAIDEN IN THE STORK'S NEST, AND WHO SHE\n        WAS.--AFFECTING RECONCILIATION ON THE\n        NUTFIELD.--THREATENING DANGER TO THE\n        ROOTMEN.--EMIGRATION OF THE ROOTMEN                   28\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration: First Chapter.]\n\nThe King of Root Valley\n\nAND\n\nHis Curious Daughter.\n\nCHAPTER THE FIRST.\n\n    THE ROOT-VALLEY AND ITS INHABITANTS.--THE STORY-TELLING\n        GUESTS.--THE KING OF ROOT-VALLEY AND HIS CURIOUS\n        DAUGHTER.--THE AERIAL CHARIOT.--FESTIVITIES IN THE\n        TOWN.--RETURN THROUGH THE AIR FROM THE ROOF OF THE\n        TOWN-HOUSE.--WHIMS OF THE PRINCESS.\n\n\nThe road between Nuremberg and Leipsic ran in former times, in one\npart, along the edge of a dark forest, which stretched into the\ncountry far over the mountains. In the middle of this forest the\nrocks enclosed a deep green valley, bordered by almost impenetrable\nhedges, so that neither man nor beast could enter it. Here dwelt at\nthat time the merry little people of the Rootmen. They were pretty\nlittle creatures, in form and look like human beings,--the tallest\nabout six inches high, and the smallest as long as your little\nfinger. In summer they lived in mossy bowers and under the leaves\nof the tall fern; in winter they nestled among the roots of trees,\nin the holes of some gnarled old trunk, and crept into the clefts\nin the rocks. Their dress was fine and elegant: the little men wore\ncoats and hose of moss, and the little women dresses of pretty\nvariegated flowers, leaves, and gossamer, according as the weather\nwas warm or cold. They never felt the time long, having always\nplenty of employment; they had to keep their roads in order, gather\nin their stores, and the like; their favourite pastimes were\nclimbing and jumping, and arranging grand water-parties in\nnutshells upon the brook which ran through their country. At other\ntimes they would play at Hunt-the-hare with the Grasshoppers and\nMay-beetles, and dance the most graceful dances to the song of the\nBirds: nor must it be forgotten that they understood the language\nof all living creatures.\n\nTwo festivals in the year gave the little Rootmen especial delight.\nOn certain days in Spring and Autumn there arrived large troops of\nmerry guests, who were hospitably welcomed and entertained, and who\nin return used to tell the inquisitive little people what was\npassing in the world without.\n\nThese guests were no other than the thousands and thousands of\nBirds of Passage, who in Spring came from the South, and in Autumn\nfrom the North. The Storks told their village stories, the Swallows\ntwittered their fairy-tales, and the Nightingales brought with them\nnew and beautiful songs. There came frequently too a troop of\nmigrating Rats, who gave descriptions of their travels, while\nMagpies and Ravens told legends and tales of marvel that made one\nshudder. In this manner the little Rootmen received constantly news\nof the whole wide world. Such stories of course filled them with\ncuriosity to make acquaintance with Men, but an innate feeling of\ndread prevented the little beings from quitting their peaceful\nValley.\n\nNow one time there reigned over this people a dear good old King,\nwho had one daughter, a very beautiful Princess; she was however\nmore full of curiosity than all other maidens in the world, nay\neven more so indeed than her own little countrywomen. Her longing\nto see Men and Women in the world without, of whom she had heard so\nmany wonderful things, had grown very strong. The good old King did\nall in his power to dissuade her from this wish, representing Men\nas fierce and selfish giants: \"No living creature,\" said he, \"is\nsecure from their mastery; the biggest elephant is obliged to dance\nto their will, as well as the smallest flea.\" But all was of no\navail; his daughter had taken it into her head to visit the world,\nand go she would. The thought of this preyed upon her mind, and she\ngrew more and more melancholy and thin; until at length the King\nresolved to grant her wish, in the hope that the sight would\nfrighten her for ever, and drive away her curiosity.\n\nA beautiful new Birds'-nest was therefore immediately selected,\ncushioned with feathers and moss, and over this was fixed a shadowy\nroof of leaves, as a shelter from the sun. In this car the\nRoot-King seated himself with the Princess; nor was it forgotten to\nplace in it also a delicate repast of juicy berries, honey, and\ntender young buds. Two Cranes, who had practised their task for a\nweek previously, took up the nest with their bills, and flew with\nit through the air to the nearest large Town inhabited by Men.\n\nIn a few hours the two birds were hovering with the nest over the\nhouses of the town. With a gentle flight they descended, and\ndeposited the royal aerial chariot carefully upon the tower of the\nTownhouse, whence there was a view over all the streets, without\nany fear of being seen. That was indeed a sight! Even the King\nhimself had never imagined that a city of Men could be so splendid.\nThe Princess too shouted and jumped with joy, until she nearly fell\nout of the nest, had not one of the Cranes with his long bill\nsuddenly caught her by her little leg.\n\nNow, as chance would have it, on this same day the Prince of that\ncountry was celebrating his wedding with the daughter of a foreign\nKing, so that the whole city was in one blaze of splendour.\n\nWhat shows and sights were there to be seen! processions, fairs,\nreviews of a thousand regiments, theatres in the open air,\nrope-dancers, races,--in short, it is impossible to describe them\nall. But first and foremost the Prince and his young wife! how\nsplendid he looked in his scarlet uniform, with the star upon his\nbreast, moustachios, and large blue eyes; and she, in a red velvet\ndress, covered with pearls and precious stones, which sparkled and\nsent their light high up to the very gallery of the Townhouse.\nWherever you looked there was something new and strange, and so it\nwent on from early in the morning until the sun disappeared behind\nthe mountains.\n\nHowever much all these marvellous sights delighted the old King,\nhis opinion of Mankind remained unaltered, and he was sorry that\nhis daughter should just have chosen this day to witness the most\nbrilliant side of Men's doings. He was however too weak to deny\nhimself a view of the scene; nay, he would even have remained up\nthere still longer, but that, as night fell and darkness came on,\nsome men suddenly appeared on the gallery, to illuminate the\nbuilding and let off the fireworks. The men approached the nest.\nHow the Princess started with affright at the sight of such\ngigantic forms! The King too lost his speech from terror; and had\nnot the Cranes, of themselves, lifted up the stork's nest into the\nair and borne it quickly off, there would have been an end of the\nKing and his daughter, and of our story too. However fortunately\nthey were just in time: and still from afar off the aerial\ntravellers saw the fireworks fly into the air, whizzing and\nfizzing, and crackling and sparkling, from the tower of the\nTownhouse, which was certainly all very splendid at a distance,\nbut close by would have been certain death. So the King and his\ndaughter returned safe and sound to their own Root-Valley.\n\nThe little Princess of course now saw well that Men were too big\nfor her to be able to share in their grand doings; still her old\nfancies and longing returned, and even stronger than ever, although\nin a somewhat altered form. She was firmly convinced that there\nmust be upon earth yet another race of beings as small as her own\nlittle countrymen, but as clever and wise as Men; and so she\nresolved never in her life to marry, unless a Prince of her own\nsize should take her for his wife; but then too he must have\nexactly such an hussar's jacket, and exactly such a star on his\nbreast, and just the same large blue eyes, as the Man-Prince in the\ncity; and he must also rule over a little People, who possessed\nexactly the same peculiarities as they.\n\nThese whims and fancies of his daughter made the good old King\nquite sad. Right gladly would he have had a son-in-law,--but such a\none! where in the wide world was he to be found? He indeed did all\nin his power to form and teach his People according to the rules\nand laws of Men, but nothing came of it,--they were not a whit the\ncleverer. The little fellows were never tired of _hearing_ of Men\nand their doings, but to become like them--no indeed! They would\nremain for ever and aye what they were,--free, merry little\nRootmen! The end of it was that the Princess got no husband, and\nthe King no son-in-law.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration: Second Chapter.]\n\nCHAPTER THE SECOND.\n\n    THE SPRING FESTIVAL IN ROOT-VALLEY.--THE NUT-FIELD.--THE\n        MIGRATING BIRDS.--A STRANGE PEOPLE MAKE THEIR\n        APPEARANCE.--NUTCRACKER AND HARLEQUIN.--THE PRINCESS\n        FALLS INTO RAPTURES.\n\n\nSeveral years had passed, and the Spring Festival was returning.\nAll was green and blooming; the trees and hedges were already in\nfull leaf, and rock, vale, hill and dale were clothed with\ntheir new dress. The Rootmen had already quitted their dark\nwinter-quarters, and betaken themselves to their summer abodes by\nthe cool brook, which now once more ran purling merrily along. All\nawaited with eager expectation the appearance of the winged guests.\n\nAt length the important day arrived. It was a fine May morning;\nthrough the young foliage of the nut-trees the sunshine played and\nsparkled on flowers and turf, on pebbles and rippling waters. Early\nin the morning the little Heralds, decked out in new coats of moss,\nwere seen riding through the Valley upon grasshoppers, and crying\naloud with a clear voice,--\n\n    \"Come forth, ye Rootmen, all come out!\n     For the Spring is come, and the birds are about.\"\n\nThe summons was no sooner heard, than the whole of the little\nPeople came pouring from all sides into the Nut-field, which was\nset apart for such festivals, and was on this occasion decked out\nin the most beautiful manner. In the middle, upon a molehill\nprettily covered with small pebbles, stood the throne for the good\nKing and his fair daughter; it was made of snail-shells and\nmussel-shells, and cushioned with feathers. A long alley of\nlilies-of-the-valley, six deep, led up to the throne; and when\nthe royal procession galloped up on squirrels, all the little\nlily-bells rang with a lovely melody; for at each lily was\nstationed a spider, to pull the bells with a thread of its cobweb.\n\nA solemn silence followed. The Birds had not yet made their\nappearance. They had probably alighted somewhere in the\nneighbourhood, to smooth and arrange their feathers, ruffled by\ntheir long flight; they must of course show themselves to their\nkind hosts in decent attire! On a sudden was heard from afar a\nsound, which drew nearer and nearer, the usual sign that the guests\nwere approaching; and soon there was a great rustling in the air.\nFirst came a flock of birds flying over the forest, then more and\nmore, until at last the whole field was quite overshadowed by the\nwinged guests, who alighted in large flocks upon the ground.\n\nA general shout of joy resounded on all sides. The newly-arrived\nguests were speedily refreshed with food and drink, and then an old\nStork, the most famous story-teller of his time, mounted upon a\nlarge stone, which served him for a rostrum. He had just put on\nthat pleasant look with which he used to begin all his stories, he\nhad just cleared his throat and opened his long red bill, when on a\nsudden he was interrupted by a loud murmur from the crowd, and a\nstrange sound, as of many carriages and horses, was heard in the\ndistance. The Heralds of the Root-King instantly hastened to\nascertain the cause, and presently returned announcing that a new\nand strange People were coming through the forest in innumerable\ntroops, led by a Prince in a scarlet hussar's uniform, with large\nblue eyes, and a star upon his breast: his name was Prince\nNutcracker, and with his councillor Harlequin he sought a gracious\naudience of the Root-King and his daughter.\n\nAt this news the Princess turned red as scarlet, and the King pale\nas death, with affright. The Princess imagined that the Man-Prince\nin the town had perceived her on the gallery of the Townhouse, and\nwas now coming to marry her; but the King feared that the giant\nrace of Men were come to destroy his subjects and conquer his\ncountry. When however they heard that Prince Nutcracker and his\nfollowers were not bigger than the Rootmen, the Princess's fear was\nchanged into such joy, that she fell on her father's neck, and\nkissed his hands again and again; then the King commanded the\nStork to cease his storytelling, and the Prince with his followers\nto be conducted immediately to his presence.\n\nHow Prince Nutcracker and his councillor Harlequin happened to come\nhither the following Chapter will tell.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration: Third Chapt^r.]\n\nCHAPTER THE THIRD.\n\n    THE WONDERFUL BROOK.--THE OVERTURNED CARRIER'S\n        WAGGON.--NUTCRACKER AND HARLEQUIN COME TO LIFE.--THE\n        THREE WISHES.--THE BOX OF NUREMBERG TOYS.--THE\n        WANDERING RATS.--HOW HARLEQUIN BRINGS TO LIFE A WHOLE\n        NATION AND ARMY.--BATTLE WITH THE\n        STAR.--HOMAGE.--PROCESSION TO THE ROOT-VALLEY.\n\n\nThe road from Nuremberg to Leipsic, at the time of our story, ran\nin one part close to a deep hollow, through which a clear brook\nwound its way. The stream flowed directly from Root-Valley, and had\nthe marvellous property, that whatever fell into it instantly\nbecame alive, provided only that it had previously had the form of\nsome living thing.\n\nIt chanced one day that a carrier's waggon was passing this spot on\nits way to the Leipsic Fair, packed full of boxes, when on a sudden\na wheel came off, and the waggon rolled over into a hollow. Now in\nthe boxes were Nuremberg toys of all kinds, enough to fit out a\nwhole fair. When the poor carrier saw his waggon overthrown into\nthe hollow, where he could not get at it, off he ran in despair,\nand nobody ever after heard what became of him. Certain it is that\nby the upset of the waggon some of the boxes were broken, and, of\nthe puppets which they contained, a Nutcracker and a Harlequin\nrolled into the brook. No sooner were they touched by the water,\nthan instantly a marvellous animation darted through their limbs.\nSlowly they raised themselves, and stared at one another with\namazement. There stood Nutcracker, upon his stiff legs, like a\npost, beautifully varnished over, with his bright blue eyes, his\nwooden pigtail, and the star upon his breast; while Harlequin, in\nhis particoloured jacket, with his laughing face, clapped together\nhis hands and legs over his head for very joy, and hopped about\nlike a magpie.\n\nWhen these first signs of animation subsided into more tranquil\nreflection, Harlequin opened his lips, and said, \"Great Prince!\nthat you are a Prince, and I your merry councillor, is clear\nenough, for otherwise you would have no star on your breast, and I\nno merry-andrew's jacket; but what shall we do first?\"\n\n\"That is a question for _you_ to answer, not for _me_,\" replied\nNutcracker, whom the consciousness of his high birth had already\nmade grave and haughty. Muttering in his beard, he kept on moving\nhis under jaw up and down, and continued, \"Dear Harlequin! that I\nam, as you rightly say, born to be a great man, is proved, not only\nby my star, but also by three wishes which have just come into my\nhead. The first wish is to have a dishfull of the finest nuts, for\nwhich I have a marvellous appetite; the second is to have a\nfaithful people and a brilliant army, for unquestionably I am born\nto govern; the third and last wish is to marry a rich and beautiful\nPrincess, who shall bring me as her dowry a pretty portion of land,\nwhere I may live with your assistance in all possible ease and\ncomfort, eat nuts, govern my people, and pass the time merrily.\nYour duty is now to advise me how these wishes may be fulfilled.\"\n\n\"Better do than advise,\" cried Harlequin: \"only trust, my Prince,\nto my merriment. Before the sun goes down, you shall be in\npossession of all these trifles, or my name is not Harlequin, and\nmy legs will never more dance and clatter over my head.\"\n\nSo saying, in a twinkling he climbed up the nearest nut-tree, and\nshook it with all his might. The large nuts fell like a shower of\nhail, and the hungry Prince began to crack and eat them with all\nspeed; and he did not feel quite revived until he had eaten his\nfill.\n\nThe second wish it was far more difficult to accomplish;\nnevertheless Harlequin found ways and means to counsel in this case\nlikewise. The contents of the waggon, which lay scattered about,\ncontained people and soldiers enough; he had only to open the\nboxes, and bring to life all the thousands of puppets which were\nshut up in them; but unluckily the lids of the boxes were fastened\ndown so tight, that the united strength of the two little men was\nunable to force them open. They toiled and moiled till they were\nquite exhausted, but all in vain. In this perplexity a word of\nadvice was worth something. Nutcracker's big blue eyes started out\nof his head from the mere effort of considering and contriving,\ntill they looked like those of a crayfish; Harlequin, on the\ncontrary, never lost heart or ceased his merriment for an instant.\nHe twirled round and round like a top, looking for help on all\nsides; and before he himself thought of it, indeed an unexpected\naid came in a marvellous way.\n\nAfar off the brown fields which bordered the forest-glen appeared\nall at once to become alive. An immense host of migrating Rats, on\ntheir journey from the South to the North, were advancing this way,\nand by chance fell directly upon the scattered heap of boxes.\n\n\"Out of the way, my Prince!\" cried Harlequin, \"if we would not let\nourselves be devoured like hazelnuts.\"\n\nThey both sprang on one side. The Rats, which, as every one knows,\nnever turn out of their road, but always go straight forward,\nthrough field and wood, over hedge and ditch, gnawing their way\nthrough stick and stone, fell without ado upon the chests and\nboxes. The fresh young pine-wood boards were a welcome prize to\ntheir sharp teeth, and so too the strong hempen ropes. Speedily off\nfell the box-lids, one here, one there,--crack went a rope on this\nside, another on that! The most splendid toys presently lay\nscattered about in confusion on the road, and some of the Rats fell\nto gratifying their nibbling propensity upon them. When Harlequin\nbeheld this, he cried aloud to the Rats, \"A good appetite to you,\nye board-eaters! have you enough?\" And so saying he jumped into the\nbrook, and flung his legs and arms about him, till the water\nsplashed over all the other little Nutcrackers, Harlequins, and tin\nand wooden soldiers, who instantly became alive and jumped upon\ntheir legs.\n\n\"Follow me!\" cried Harlequin: \"one fool makes many,--one wise man\nmany wise!\" And he was right. Fresh puppets kept continually rising\nup and coming to life; the regiments formed themselves, the little\nhorses were soon harnessed to the cannons and drew them, the tin\nGenerals put themselves at the head of their troops, and the order\nof battle was arranged against the Rats. It was indeed high time,\nfor many of the puppets had already fallen under the sharp teeth of\ntheir assailants. At the sight of this, Nutcracker's spirit and\nheroic courage were aroused; his eyes rolled, his jaws chattered\nwith very thirst of fight, his wooden pigtail accompanied all the\nmotions of his mouth with rapid twitchings. Impatiently he drew his\nsword, and at the head of his Body-guard (who were also\nNutcrackers, but without the star, and therefore no princes) he led\nhis army to battle.\n\nAnd now he gave the signal to fire! Instantly all the firearms and\ncannons of the innumerable regiments were discharged at the Rats,\nwho, terrified by the strange noise, took to flight in all haste.\nThus a brilliant victory was gained, and in place of the late\nconfusion of overturned boxes, there was now to be seen quite a\nnew world, glittering in all the colours of the rainbow. Towns\nand villages, fortresses and country-houses, kitchens and\ndrawing-rooms, lay scattered one upon another, whilst thousands of\nlittle men and animals were running about. The first thing now was,\nof course, that Prince Nutcracker should receive the homage of his\nsubjects as their ruler.\n\nBut there still remained the third task to be accomplished,--to\nfind a Princess, and with her hand to obtain a piece of land upon\nwhich the new colony might settle. Here again Harlequin's ingenuity\nsoon suggested advice and aid. Some of the wounded and captured\nRats were commanded to give a description of all the Princesses\nwhom they had met with in the course of their travels. When they\ncame to tell of the beauty of the Princess of Root-Valley, the\nwooden heart of Prince Nutcracker, as he listened to their\ndescription, warmed so, that a sound shot through it as if a deal\nboard were cracking and splitting in a room suddenly heated. This\nsound he regarded as an omen; this and no other Princess was to be\nhis Queen. He therefore resolved instantly to go with all his\nPeople to where the Princess lived, and sue for her hand.\n\nThe procession was forthwith marshalled in due order; the Rat\nprisoners served as pioneers and guides; after these followed the\ncavalry, then the Prince with all his Court, and behind him the\ncannons and infantry. Now came rocking-horses, heavily laden with\nband-boxes, in which were towns, villages, theatres, fortresses,\nkitchens, and so forth, and all the furniture and cooking utensils;\nbehind these followed the little baggage-waggons, and tin and\nwooden coaches crammed full of passengers; then people on foot, of\nall sorts, in every fashion of dress from the time of Adam to the\npresent day. After all these came long droves of animals, large and\nsmall, out of all the Noah's-arks and menageries which had been in\nthe waggon,--first the tame and then the wild animals, the latter\naccompanied by tin Bedouins and Circassians, who had to watch lest\nthe little roaring beasts should devour each other or any other\nharmless beings. And all the while Harlequins, Scaramouches, and\nPantaloons kept jumping and skipping about in the procession, and\nby their tricks and merriment kept all the people in good heart and\nhumour on the long and arduous march.\n\nMeanwhile a large fleet of magnetic ships, with tin swans, ducks,\nand fishes swimming around them, floated in state on the wonderful\nbrook, along the bank of which the procession marched. Now let the\nReader picture to himself this interminable multitude advancing in\nthe beautiful green woods, all amidst lilies-of-the-valley, violets\nand buttercups, lettuce-leaves, nettles, and ferns, marching over\nhill and dale, in a sparkling sunshine, and with a blue sky\noverhead,--and withal the toil and efforts of the little wights,\nthe creaking of wheels, the cracking of whips, the word of command\nresounding through the ranks, the music and singing when the path\nwas smooth and easy, and the cries and shrieks upon the bad\nroads,--how pretty and animated and merry the whole scene must have\nbeen! No wonder indeed that, along the whole way which the\nprocession journeyed, the birds came out of the trees and hedges,\nthe beetles crept out of the flowers, even the worms and snails\ncame out of their hiding-places, all full of curiosity to see the\nsight; and no wonder too that they were all impressed with great\nadmiration for Prince Nutcracker, who ruled over such a splendid\npeople, and even made long travels with them!\n\nAfter long and arduous toil, and incredible efforts, the Colony\narrived at the large Nutfield, of which we have before heard.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration: Fourth Chapter.]\n\nCHAPTER THE FOURTH.\n\n    NUTCRACKER IS BETROTHED TO THE PRINCESS OF ROOT-VALLEY, AND\n        TAKES POSSESSION OF THE NUTFIELD.--THE BIRDS\n        DEPART.--WHAT ILL COMES OF IT.--WEDDING AND PARTING.\n\n\nPrince Nutcracker and his followers were received in the most\nfriendly manner by the good King of Root-Valley. The Princess was\nin a sea of rapture at the brilliant appearance of the bright,\nvarnished, wooden Prince, who in a formal and well-turned speech\ndeclared his love for her, together with his other wishes, in a\npleasing and appropriate manner. The old King even was so moved by\nhis words, that without more ado he gave him his daughter to wife,\nand the whole Nutfield as her dowry. And now, when the old man\ntenderly embraced his future son-in-law, all the people around\nshouted with joy, and all the thousands of little birds joined in\nthe general jubilee, piping and singing, and clapping their wings,\namidst shouts of \"Long live Prince Nutcracker and his Bride!\" Then\nit was arranged that the whole procession of the Puppet-people\nshould take possession of their new land, the Nutfield, before the\neyes of the assembled Rootmen, which immediately took place.\n\nAs often happens in life, that dear old friends are forgotten and\nput aside for new ones, so it fell out in this instance. The\nmigrating Birds, who had formerly been treated with the greatest\nattention and respect, and who on this occasion testified their\nsympathy and joy at the union of the two Peoples, had in the course\nof this day to experience the mortification of seeing their old\nfriends turn their backs upon them. The little Root-mannikins, in\neager curiosity, pushed them back on all sides, and gave them\npretty clearly to understand that they might take to flight, and\nremain away for ever.\n\nIndignant at such treatment, the Birds rose all together upon the\nwing, like one, hovered an instant over the heads of the two\nPeoples with a loud noise, and then disappeared with rapid flight\nin the blue distance.\n\nOh horror and alarm! What happened then? The sudden flight of these\nthousands of Birds created such a rush of air, like a whirlwind,\nthat scarcely a man of the newly-arrived guests could keep himself\non his feet. Whole ranks of tin soldiers fell one upon another; the\ncardpaper heroes, actors, and huntsmen were swept far away over the\nfields; and even Prince Nutcracker himself, who was at that instant\njust going in a polite manner to kiss the hand of his beloved\nPrincess, was so shaken that he staggered and fell, rolled down\nthe molehill, and lay sprawling at the foot of it with open mouth.\n\nAn ill omen this for the power of the new Government! The great\nadmiration which the Rootmen had hitherto felt for their new\nfriends quickly turned into disdain at this catastrophe. The good\nKing and the fair Princess alone did not allow themselves to be\ncarried away by their astonishment; they instantly descended from\ntheir throne, and helped the fallen Prince to regain his legs. But\nNutcracker broke out into bitter reproaches; he called the Birds,\nwho had upset him, silly high-flying fools, who set themselves\nabove the whole world, and overturned all rule and order. His anger\nwas not to be softened, until his future father-in-law promised\nthat, to prevent the recurrence of any similar disaster, he would\nallow nothing flying to enter his kingdom, not even flying leaves.\n\nOne by one all the little people got up on their legs again, and\nthe rest of the day was passed in merriment and feasting. On the\nmorrow the wedding of Prince Nutcracker and his fair Bride was\ncelebrated with the grandest solemnities; after which the two\nPeoples took leave of one another in the most friendly manner; the\nRoot-mannikins returned to their own Valley, and the Puppet-folks\nremained on the Nutfield.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration: Fifth Chapter.]\n\nCHAPTER THE FIFTH.\n\n    THE PUPPET-KINGDOM IS SET IN ORDER.--HAUGHTINESS OF\n        NUTCRACKER, HIS WIFE, AND SUBJECTS.--ANTIPATHY OF THE\n        TWO PEOPLES.--THE ROOT-KING ABDICATES HIS\n        CROWN.--NUTCRACKER A TYRANT.--PREPARATIONS FOR WAR IN\n        ROOT-VALLEY.--THE WAR.--HARLEQUIN'S DEATH.--FLIGHT AND\n        DESTRUCTION OF THE PUPPET-KINGDOM.--NUTCRACKER'S\n        DEATH.--THE PRINCESS SAVED.\n\n\nIt took Prince Nutcracker a full week to put his State in order, to\nerect towns, fortresses, and villages on their proper spots, and to\nassign to his subjects their places and sphere of activity. All\nthis was admirably executed with the aid of his indefatigable\ncouncillor Harlequin, who was the soul of the whole undertaking.\nEverything too seemed to favour the new State, for as yet there had\nbeen no cloud in the sky, no gust of wind to overthrow a company of\nsoldiers, no rain to wash off the beautiful colours of the castles,\nor to wet the princely decorations of the great theatre.\n\nThus lived the young Princess for some days with her husband in joy\nand splendour. She had laid aside her old dresses of leaves,\nflowers, and gossamer, and was arrayed like the most elegant\nState Puppet, after the newest Paris fashions. She left off her\nnatural lively movements, and assumed the stiff and stately\ndeportment of her husband and the ladies of the Court, who\nconsidered it unbecoming to turn their head ever so little on\none side. She almost wholly forgot how to walk, while she\nwas constantly driving to balls, concerts, and parades, to\ncockchafer-hunts and fly-chases. Her chief delight was in finery:\nevery day she put on a new dress, and before her windows were shops\nof all the newest fashions, so that her first glance fell upon them\nwhen she got up in the morning.\n\nHer husband too, and his subjects, grew continually more and more\nhaughty. They looked down with contempt upon everything that was\nnot a Puppet, or so finely painted and varnished as they. Every\nbird that flew past, or came near them, was pursued with the\ngreatest cruelty.\n\nEven the Rootmen, who came from time to time for their pleasure,\nwere received with more and more coldness, insomuch that they soon\nceased coming at all. Nay the good King himself was compelled to\nwitness how his son-in-law and his own daughter came in time to\ntreat him with indifference. Naturally the former friendship of the\ntwo Peoples was soon turned into bitter hatred. Before a month had\nelapsed Prince Nutcracker's arrogance became so great, that he\ndemanded of the Rootmen a monthly tribute of two thousand of the\nfinest hazelnuts: at the same time he assembled his troops and\nplanted his fortresses in a line on the frontier of the\nRoot-kingdom, resolving, in case of refusal, to invade with his\narmy the territory of his father-in-law.\n\nSuch a violation of all right naturally filled the gentle spirit of\nthe good old King with indignation. One whole day long he wept\ntears of bitterness into his mossy beard; he then publicly\nrenounced his ungrateful daughter, and forbade her ever to come\ninto his sight again. At length he retired from all affairs of\ngovernment; he felt that he was too tender-hearted for such arduous\nbusiness.\n\nThe tidings of this soon reached his daughter. Her eyes were now at\nonce opened, and she saw how unworthily she had given away her\nhand, how from vanity she had violated her duty to her father, and\nto all those who had once been dear to her. Alas, it was too late!\nShe tried all means to dissuade her husband from his unjust\ndemands, but he was resolute; and when she continued unceasingly\nher entreaties, his anger turned against her likewise; he shut her\nup in her room, and would not hear a word more from her. Instead of\njoy and peace, her constant companions now were sorrow and\nrepentance.\n\nMeanwhile in the Root-kingdom a young and vigorous King was\nelected, who shared the hostility of his people against the\ninsolent intruders, and forthwith declared war upon them. He\nresolved by a decisive battle either to annihilate or drive them\naway, and to this end he summoned his Allies from all sides to his\naid. Rabbits and moles, lizards and worms, were to invade\nNutcracker's country by an underground attack, and overthrow towns\nand villages; locusts, bees, and cockchafers were to fall upon the\nenemy from the air; whilst on the ground the Rootmen themselves\nshould assail the foe with sharp rush-lances and two-edged blades\nof grass.\n\nThe morning of the fatal battle dawned gloomily; the sky was\ncovered with black clouds. Clad in their green and brown moss coats\nthe Rootmen marched toward the Nutfield, so that the enemy did not\nobserve them until they were close under his fortresses. Suddenly\nthere burst forth a cannonade and firing from all the loopholes;\nbut the balls remained sticking in the moss of the assailants, who\nanswered the terrific discharge with loud laughter. Quickly the\narmy of the Rootmen pressed onward into the Nutfield: Prince\nNutcracker threw himself upon them with his Body-guard, but was\ndriven back; whereupon he fled into the palace, and made Harlequin\nhis Fieldmarshal. With wild leaps of despair Harlequin led the main\narmy to the field.\n\nBut soon a general panic seized upon all. The subterranean Allies\nof the enemy had already undermined the ground along which the army\nof Puppets were marching, and with it the fortresses, towns, and\nvillages on the Nutfield; at the same time almost all the buildings\nround about tumbled one upon another with a loud crash.\nFieldmarshal Harlequin himself was seized by the leg by a fierce\nold Mole, who dragged him down into the earth, in spite of the most\nheroic struggles: he was never seen again!\n\nThis was the signal for a general and wild flight of Nutcracker's\nbrilliant army, who fled to the royal palace with the cry of \"Save\nyourselves as you can!\" The palace consisted of strongly-built\nwooden saloons, and longest withstood the labours of the\nundermining animals. Here Nutcracker had already put the horses to\nhis State-carriage; then quickly jumping into it with his wife, he\nholloa'd to the coachman, \"Off and away, far out of this Valley, as\nfast as you can, and as far as possible!\" And all his people\ncrowded round the coach in wild confusion to find a refuge, for on\nevery side insects came flying and buzzing around in the air, and\nwith their wings overthrew everything that was not firmly fixed.\n\nAway went the fugitives, rolling over the field like a great ball.\nAlthough hard pressed by the enemy, and with the loss of many\nkilled, they succeeded in creeping through the great hedge which\nsurrounded the Valley, and escaping into the forest.\n\nThe reverses of the insolent Prince and his subjects now reached\ntheir height: the very sky waged war against them, and poured down\nupon them torrents of rain. Nutcracker and his Princess saw with\ngrief, from the windows of their coach, the torrent increasing and\noverflowing the road,--their subjects, houses, and furniture swept\npast in the whirlpool, one after another falling under the toils of\nthe march, tumbling over precipices or getting entangled in roots,\nnettles, and heaps of fallen leaves, and perishing miserably.\nNutcracker's whole People were speedily destroyed: he too had not\ngone many yards, when the water unglued the joints of his coach,\nand the princely pair were carried away by the flood. But the\nnatural strong and active spirit of the Princess was now\nre-awakened by the danger. How had she once used to skip about\nexultingly, and swim upon the waves in such weather! With one hand\nshe seized her husband's pigtail, and with the other a twig. She\ntried with a spring to reach the root of a tree; but alas! the hair\nof the terrified Prince was not strong enough: the pigtail remained\nin her hand, and she saw her husband carried away by the torrent\nand vanish from her sight.\n\nAt first she called sorrowfully after him, but presently her\nnatural spirit became only the more daring. She threw off her silly\nfashionable dress, soaked with the rain, which cramped her slender\nlimbs; and quickly clothing herself in the first leaves she could\nfind, climbed up like a squirrel into an old tree, and in a hole in\nits branches sought shelter from the storm and the approaching\nnight.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration: Sixth Chapter.]\n\nCHAPTER THE SIXTH.\n\n    THE BIRDCATCHER AND HIS FAMILY.--HOW THE CHILDREN RETURN\n        HOME WITH RARE TREASURES.--NUTCRACKER'S DEAD BODY.--THE\n        LITTLE MAIDEN IN THE STORK'S NEST, AND WHO SHE\n        WAS.--AFFECTING RECONCILIATION ON THE\n        NUTFIELD.--THREATENING DANGER TO THE\n        ROOTMEN.--EMIGRATION OF THE ROOTMEN.\n\n\nAt the time when all these wonderful occurrences happened, there\nlived at the entrance of this forest an old Birdcatcher and his\nfamily. During the two years since he had settled here, his\nbusiness had prospered remarkably; and, especially in the Spring\nand Autumn, so many birds had been taken in his nets, that he had\nearned many a bright dollar, and had laid by many a spare penny.\n\nNow once on a Spring day a heavy rain had fallen, and, strange to\nsay, ever since that time not a bird was longer to be seen there:\nevery morning the Birdcatcher found his nets torn, his limed twigs\ndestroyed, and even his screech-owl and other decoy-birds had\nvanished from their cages and perches. And yet he knew well enough\nthere lived no other man in the whole forest who could have done\nall this.\n\nOne day he had sent his children with the cart deep into the\nforest, to fetch brushwood. Evening came on, and they did not\nreturn. It already began to grow dark, and as they still had not\ncome back, his anxiety increased, and he determined to go in search\nof them. He had just crossed the threshold, when suddenly he heard\na shouting and singing at a distance in the wood. Joyous sounds! it\nwas his dear children, who were dragging and pushing along the\nlittle cart, piled up and closely packed.\n\n\"You good-for-nothing little brats, where have you been all this\ntime?\" he exclaimed, half angrily, though overjoyed. But they\nlaughed, and removing the green brushwood with which they had\ncovered the loaded cart, they exclaimed, quite red in the face with\ndelight, \"Only see, father, what we have here!\" And, lo and behold,\nthe cart was filled from top to bottom with broken, bent, and\ngnaw'd playthings!\n\nAnd now they went on to tell the whole story of their treasures;\nand amidst a Babel of voices, all speaking together, one louder\nthan another, the sum and substance of the story was this. After\nlosing their way, they had wandered about till they came to a\nnarrow, smooth dale, which lost itself like a footpath in the wood.\nThe ground was all wet and miry from the rain. Suddenly, to their\namazement, they found all these splendid things scattered about in\nradiant confusion; and, had not the sun already sunk behind the\npine-trees, they would have followed the path still further. It\nseemed to have no end, but disappeared deep in the thicket, and, as\nfar as they could see, it was all bestrewn with similar treasures.\n\nThe story seemed strange to their father, and he resolved to follow\nthe path they spoke of the next day, hoping in his own mind to\ndiscover a track of the culprit who had decoyed away the birds and\ntorn his nets.\n\nThe next morning, as soon as the dawn glimmered through the still\nforest, the Birdcatcher's whole family were on their way with the\nwood-cart to the dale; and, truly enough, there they found\neverything as the children had described.\n\n\"Look, look, father! there is another splendid little wooden\nfellow!\" exclaimed the youngest child, raking out of the mire a\nlittle Nutcracker, bedaubed with mud, his colours all washed off,\nand his pedestal lost.\n\n\"Heyday! what a face the fellow has, and what a mouth, and what\ngoggling eyes!\" cried all the children in one voice.\n\n\"Silly nonsense! stupid toy!\" exclaimed the old man angrily, as he\nsnatched the Nutcracker from them, and flung it far away into the\nwood.\n\nBut now a wonderful sight presented itself to his view.\n\nOut of a Crane's nest, high up on an old oak-tree, there rose a\nlittle maiden of human form, quite enveloped in gossamer. She\nclimbed down from the tree like a squirrel, ran with all speed to\nthe spot where Nutcracker lay, dug him a grave with her hands, and,\nwith the aid of the two Cranes, laid him in it, and raked the earth\nover the spot; after which she climbed again up the tree, and into\nthe nest.\n\nThe Birdcatcher and his family stood open-mouthed, in silent\nastonishment; they feared to frighten away the little maiden, but\nthis strange sight made them hesitate what to do.\n\n\"So, so, then, you are the little witch who robs me of my bread!\"\nat last exclaimed the Birdcatcher, giving vent to his repressed\nanger. \"Wait there awhile, my pretty little bird: tomorrow morning\nwe will come again with axe and nets; we will then cut down your\ntree in a trice and catch you. For the present let us see where\nthis path leads, and whether there are not more of you here.\"\n\nBefore he had finished speaking, he espied the little maiden\npeeping anxiously from under her white veil out of the nest, and\nmaking a sign. And instantly the Cranes came flying to her, took up\nthe nest with their bills, raised it from the branches, and bore it\nswiftly through the air.\n\nWho other could the little maiden be than our Princess of\nRoot-Valley?\n\nFear of her father and her countrypeople had prevented her\nreturning to her native Valley. At the same time a feeling of\nsorrow for the haughtiness with which she had treated the Birds\nwhom she had once loved, had grown so strong in her heart, that she\nresolved to make amends for her former ill-conduct to these\ngood-natured creatures. Since the fatal day when her husband and\nhis people had been all destroyed, she had made her abode in this\ntree, and taken under her tender care all the young birds whose\nparents had died. Indeed she it really was who, in spite of her\nfear of Men, had every night destroyed the Birdcatcher's nets, and\nhad warned the birds against venturing near him.\n\nAt this instant however she saw the danger which threatened her\ncountrymen, if these selfish people should discover the\nRoot-kingdom. All other considerations therefore must yield.\nWithout delay she desired the Cranes to convey her straight to her\nown Valley, where she was resolved to alight, happen what might.\n\nIn the Nutfield, which had so recently been the scene of her false\nsplendour and her follies, the Rootmen happened on this very day to\nbe assembled. Notwithstanding her wrong conduct, they had not yet\ngiven up the Princess, and, at the entreaties of her father, they\nwere met to consider what steps could be taken to search for her.\n\nThe Cranes alighted with the nest. In an instant the repentant\ndaughter fell on the neck of her overjoyed father, and all the\nPeople compassionated her, and forgave her from the bottom of their\nhearts. In their delight at seeing her again, all were ready to\ngive themselves up to unrestrained rejoicing, but the Princess\nchecked their merriment. She told her People the danger which\nthreatened them of being discovered by Men. Anxiety and terror\nseized the Rootmen at this news: it was no longer possible to\nremain in the forest. They at once resolved to leave Root-Valley,\nand to emigrate by subterranean passages to distant lands.\n\nThe whole body put themselves forthwith in motion, when just at\nthat instant there appeared upon the rocky heights, behind the\nthick hedge, the Birdcatcher with his family. If these folks had\nbeen astonished at the first instant, how much more so were they\nnow, when they saw all the little Rootmen disappear in the rocks!\n\nAngry and impatient at not being able to get at them, the\nBirdcatcher tried all he could to break through the hedge, but in\nvain,--he only came off with scratched and bleeding hands.\n\n\"Ill-luck!\" he exclaimed; \"had I but my axe and nets, to catch\nthose tiny little creatures, I might sell them in the town, or make\na show of them, and become the richest man in the world!\" And\nthereupon he took his whistle, and began to whistle an alluring\nmelody, thinking by this means to entice the little People like\nbirds; but this attempt was likewise in vain. All the little\nRootmen passed before his eyes into the rock, actually laughing\nand making faces at him; and when the very last little elf vanished\nin the rock, the opening closed. Since that time no one has ever\nagain seen the little Rootmen.\n\nThe End.\n\n[Illustration: The End.]\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nTRANSCRIBER'S NOTES\n\n\nInconsistencies in hyphenation have been retained; however, some\nmid-paragraph illustrations have been moved to the beginning of the\nchapter.\n\nThe caret in \"Third Chapt^r\" indicates a superscripted letter \"r.\"","title":"The King of Root Valley: and his curious daughter","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":7848}