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The Nutcracker and the Mouse King: Difference between revisions

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'''"The Nutcracker and the Mouse King"''' (Ger. ''Nußknacker und Mausekönig'') is an 1816 story by [[ETAE. HoffmannT. (Creator)A. Hoffmann|ETA Hoffmann]], but you probably know it by its shorter title, '''''[[The Nutcracker (Theatretheatre)|The Nutcracker]]''''' (Rus. ''Щелкунчик, Shchelkunchik'') from the frequently-staged ballet by Tchaikovsky, the musical suite derived therefrom, and from that suite's use in Walt [[Disney]]'s ''[[Fantasia (Disney)|Fantasia]]''. The ballet has also been made into various animated adaptations.
 
The Stahlbaum children are given a toy nutcracker for Christmas from their godfather Drosselmeier. This nutcracker turns out to be more than he seems; he's really Drosselmeier's nephew transformed by a mouse queen's evil curse. With the help of young Marie Stahlbaum, the nutcracker is eventually able to overcome his foe (the queen's vengeful son), regain his true form, and take Marie to the doll kingdom. After taking a grand tour, Marie falls asleep and wakes up in her own bed. When she tries to tell her parents, they think she's dreamed the entire thing and forbid her to speak of it again. However, Marie goes to her nutcracker in the cabinet and vows she would love him if he were real, even if he were ugly. This breaks the curse, and he asks her to marry him. Marie accepts, and in a year he takes her to the doll kingdom, where she is crowned queen.
 
The novel was made into [[The Nutcracker (Theatretheatre)|a ballet]] -- as well as, at least, two feature length [[Animated Adaptation|Animated Adaptations]].
 
A fan translation of Hoffmann's original fairy tale can be found [http://www.springhole.net/writing/the_nutcracker_and_the_mouse_king/index.html here.]
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* [[Curse Escape Clause]]: Two - Princess Pirlipat could escape her curse of ugliness if a young man who had never shaved nor worn boots cracked the nut Krakatuk between his teeth, presented it to the princess with his eyes closed, and took seven steps backward without stumbling. The second is the curse on the Nutcracker: his curse is broken when Marie announces that she would love him even if he were ugly.
* [[The Dreaded]]: The inhabitants of the Land of Dolls believe in a cruel spirit they call [[Fluffy the Terrible|Pastrycook (Konditor)]], who has total power over mankind. Just mentioning his name will quell any uproar, as everyone would suddenly be preoccupied with pondering man's place in the universe.
* [[Duel to Thethe Death]]: It's [[Offscreen Moment of Awesome|not described]], but this is how the Mouse King dies.
* [[Eccentric Mentor]]: Godfather Drosselmeier.
* [[Eek! Aa Mouse!]]: Averted; Hoffman specifically mentions that Marie isn't afraid of mice, though her mother seems to assume she is. (In fact, she's only afraid of one, and for [[Complete Monster|good reason.]])
* [[Everything's Better Withwith Princesses]]: There are what, five of them in all?
* [[Everything's Better Withwith Sparkles]]: The Land of Dolls, ever so much.
* [[Evil Matriarch]]: The Mouse Queen.
* [[Gem-Encrusted]]: The boat/sea chariot Nutcracker and Marie cross the lake on; a room inside Marzipan Castle.
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