The Nutcracker and the Mouse King/Fridge

Fridge Brilliance

 * Drosselmeier and his nephew are natives of the city of Nuremberg. Why did the author choose Nuremberg? Perhaps the fact that it makes some of the world's best gingerbread has something to do with it!

Fridge Horror

 * Nutcracker later referred to the sugar dolls Marie sacrificed to save him from the Mouse King as his own subjects. This means they were alive, which implies that they were Eaten Alive. Knowing what a monster the Mouse King was, it's safe to assume it wasn't swift and merciful, either.