THE SPRING FESTIVAL IN ROOT-VALLEY.--THE NUT-FIELD.--THE
MIGRATING BIRDS.--A STRANGE PEOPLE MAKE THEIR
APPEARANCE.--NUTCRACKER AND HARLEQUIN.--THE PRINCESS
FALLS INTO RAPTURES.
Several years had passed, and the Spring Festival was returning.
All was green and blooming; the trees and hedges were already in
full leaf, and rock, vale, hill and dale were clothed with
their new dress. The Rootmen had already quitted their dark
winter-quarters, and betaken themselves to their summer abodes by
the cool brook, which now once more ran purling merrily along. All
awaited with eager expectation the appearance of the winged guests.
At length the important day arrived. It was a fine May morning;
through the young foliage of the nut-trees the sunshine played and
sparkled on flowers and turf, on pebbles and rippling waters. Early
in the morning the little Heralds, decked out in new coats of moss,
were seen riding through the Valley upon grasshoppers, and crying
aloud with a clear voice,--
"Come forth, ye Rootmen, all come out!
For the Spring is come, and the birds are about."
The summons was no sooner heard, than the whole of the little
People came pouring from all sides into the Nut-field, which was
set apart for such festivals, and was on this occasion decked out
in the most beautiful manner. In the middle, upon a molehill
prettily covered with small pebbles, stood the throne for the good
King and his fair daughter; it was made of snail-shells and
mussel-shells, and cushioned with feathers. A long alley of
lilies-of-the-valley, six deep, led up to the throne; and when
the royal procession galloped up on squirrels, all the little
lily-bells rang with a lovely melody; for at each lily was
stationed a spider, to pull the bells with a thread of its cobweb.
A solemn silence followed. The Birds had not yet made their
appearance. They had probably alighted somewhere in the
neighbourhood, to smooth and arrange their feathers, ruffled by
their long flight; they must of course show themselves to their
kind hosts in decent attire! On a sudden was heard from afar a
sound, which drew nearer and nearer, the usual sign that the guests
were approaching; and soon there was a great rustling in the air.
First came a flock of birds flying over the forest, then more and
more, until at last the whole field was quite overshadowed by the
winged guests, who alighted in large flocks upon the ground.
A general shout of joy resounded on all sides. The newly-arrived
guests were speedily refreshed with food and drink, and then an old
Stork, the most famous story-teller of his time, mounted upon a
large stone, which served him for a rostrum. He had just put on
that pleasant look with which he used to begin all his stories, he
had just cleared his throat and opened his long red bill, when on a
sudden he was interrupted by a loud murmur from the crowd, and a
strange sound, as of many carriages and horses, was heard in the
distance. The Heralds of the Root-King instantly hastened to
ascertain the cause, and presently returned announcing that a new
and strange People were coming through the forest in innumerable
troops, led by a Prince in a scarlet hussar's uniform, with large
blue eyes, and a star upon his breast: his name was Prince
Nutcracker, and with his councillor Harlequin he sought a gracious
audience of the Root-King and his daughter.
At this news the Princess turned red as scarlet, and the King pale
as death, with affright. The Princess imagined that the Man-Prince
in the town had perceived her on the gallery of the Townhouse, and
was now coming to marry her; but the King feared that the giant
race of Men were come to destroy his subjects and conquer his
country. When however they heard that Prince Nutcracker and his
followers were not bigger than the Rootmen, the Princess's fear was
changed into such joy, that she fell on her father's neck, and
kissed his hands again and again; then the King commanded the
Stork to cease his storytelling, and the Prince with his followers
to be conducted immediately to his presence.
How Prince Nutcracker and his councillor Harlequin happened to come
hither the following Chapter will tell.
[Illustration: Third Chapt^r.]