The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffman

Synopsis:

This is a short story about a young girl named Marie whose favorite Christmas toy, the Nutcracker, comes alive and defeats the evil Mouse King in a battle, and then takes Marie to a magical kingdom full of dolls. On Christmas Eve, Marie Stahlbaum and her siblings receive several gifts including a nutcracker. The dolls in the toy cabinet as well as the nutcracker come to life, and the nutcracker leads the dolls into battle against the evil Mouse King. The nutcracker then visits Marie’s room and takes her to the Kingdom of Dolls when she is named the queen.

Review:

I loved this short story and found it to be very lighthearted and would definitely recommend it to read around the Christmas season.

“Maria was not allowed, then, to speak any more of her adventures, but the images of that wonderful fairy kingdom played about her in sweet, rustling tones. She could bring them all back again, whenever she fixed her thoughts steadfastly upon them, and hence it came that, instead of playing, as she formerly did, she would sit silent and thoughtful, musing within herself, for which reason the rest would often scold her, and call her a little dreamer.”