Line #31 Literature/TheNutcrackerAndTheMouseKing


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9	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Nuknaker_und_Mau383eknig_1342.jpg]]
10	[[caption-width-right:300: Original Illustration by E.T.A. Hoffmann.]]
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12	"The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" (Ger. ''Nußknacker und Mausekönig'') is a 1816 FairyTale by Creator/ETAHoffmann, but you probably know it by its shorter title: ''Theatre/TheNutcracker'' (Rus. ''Щелкунчик, Shchelkunchik'') from the frequently staged [[Theatre/TheNutcracker ballet]] by Music/PyotrIlyichTchaikovsky, the musical suite derived therefrom, and from that suite's use in Creator/{{Disney}}'s ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}.'' The ballet has also been made into various screen adaptations, mostly animated.
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14	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 seven-headed 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.
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16	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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18	The story has been adapted numerous times, including two feature length {{Animated Adaptation}}s. It was also famously illustrated by Creator/MauriceSendak for a special version translated by Ralph Mannheim. Additionally, there's a Creator/WaltDisneyPictures live action film adaptation that also incorporates elements from Tchaikovsky's ballet titled ''Film/TheNutcrackerAndTheFourRealms''. On September 8, 2020, Creator/FirstSecondBooks released a graphic novel adaptation drawn by Natalie Andrewson. For more information, see the [[DerivativeWorks/TheNutcracker derivative works page]].
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20	----
21	!! The book provides examples of:
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23	* ArtisticLicenseMarineBiology: Dolphins are described as having ''scales'' and blowing water through their ''nostrils.'' (Dolphins have a single blowhole on the top of their head, and they don't actually blow water out through it.)
24	* AuthorTract: The story isn't very subtle about its message that beauty and royalty do ''not'' equal goodness and virtue.
25	* BlindIdiotTranslation: Ralph Manheim's translation is pretty decent, but he goofs up big time by translating the names of two completely different places into "Candytown." (Specifically, Bonbonshausen and Konfektburg.) And it's not like they were particularly easy to mistake for one another, either.
26	* BigBad: The Mouse King, the mortal enemy of the Nutcracker, who commands an army, soundly defeating his in combat.
27	* BreakTheCutie: The young, sweet Marie is psychologically tormented by the Mouse King.
28	* BugWar: The residents of Candytown (Bonbonshausen) are seen making preparations for an attack from the mosquitoes.
29	* AChildShallLeadThem: Young Drosselmeier is the king of the Land of the Dolls. He's probably 14 at the ''most.''
30	* CurseEscapeClause: Two.
31	** 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.
32	** The curse on the Nutcracker: His curse is broken when Marie announces that she would love him even if he were ugly.
33	* TheDreaded: The inhabitants of the Land of Dolls believe in a cruel spirit they call [[FluffyTheTerrible 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.
34	* DuelToTheDeath: It's [[OffscreenMomentOfAwesome not described,]] but this is how the Mouse King dies once the Nutcracker gets properly armed.
35	* EekAMouse: 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 good reason.)
36	* EvilMatriarch: The Mouse Queen is the terrifying head of her family.
37	* GiveMeASword: After the Mouse King's third SadisticChoice offered to Marie, she discusses it with the Nutcracker, and he assures her once armed, he should be quite capable of handling his foe.
38	* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: The Mouse Queen is an evil queen since she curses Princess Pirlipat with ugliness and turns Drosselmeyer‘s nephew into a nutcracker.
39	* GoldMakesEverythingShiny: Especially flatware and cooking dishes! The dishes are shiny because they're been covered in gold.
40	* TheGrotesque: Princess Pirlipat and the Nutcracker are both hideously ugly. Subverted a bit with Pirlipat in that, after her ugliness is removed, she turns out to be a RoyalBrat.
41	* HappilyEverAfter: The characters all live happily ever after as the nutcracker’s curse is broken. He asks her to marry him which Marie accepts, and in a year and a day he comes for her and takes her away to the doll kingdom, where she is crowned queen.
42	* IncredibleShrinkingMan: The only reasonable way Marie could climb a ladder up her father's coat sleeve is to shrink to the size of a bug...
43	* KidHero: Marie to an extent (she's seven) and most definitely Nutcracker, who becomes king, leads an army, and defeats the BigBad mano a mano (he's most likely somewhere around 13-15).
44	* KilledMidSentence: The dying words of Lady Mouserinks (according to [[https://www.springhole.net/writing/the_nutcracker_and_the_mouse_king/index.html this translation]]) were:
45	-->Oh, Crackatook, hard nut, now I must die\
46	Hee hee, pee pee\
47	Nutcracker, young man, you too will die\
48	My seven-crowned son will avenge my death\
49	And take from you your living breath\
50	Oh, life, so vibrant and red, I - squeak!
51	* TheLadysFavor: The doll Clarette offers a ribbon to the Nutcracker as a favor before he goes into battle, but he shows her that Marie has already given him her ribbon.
52	* LevelAte: The Land of Dolls, where buildings are made from various sweets.
53	* LivingToys: Possibly the oldest example in the book: All of the children's toys are secretly alive.
54	* MultipleHeadCase: The Mouse King has seven heads.
55	* NoNameGiven: The names of the king, queen, and court astronomer are never given. The nutcracker and Marie's parents are only known by their surnames.
56	* OurGiantsAreBigger: Marzipan Castle was once threatened by a giant named Sweettooth. The people of Candytown (Konfektburg) bought him off by offering him a precinct of the city and a large portion of Marmalade Grove.
57	* PajamaCladHero: Marie goes to the Land of Dolls in her nightie.
58	* ThePowerOfLove: Marie's love breaks the Nutcracker's curse thus he regains his human form.
59	* TheQuest: Drosselmeier went on a 15 year journey to find the cure for Princess Pirlipat.
60	* RatKing: The Mouse King has seven heads, which suggests that it might have been inspired by stories of Rat Kings. He's [[AdaptationalSpeciesChange changed to the Rat King in many adaptations]], since [[YouDirtyRat rats]] are seen as more villainous than [[NiceMice mice]].
61	* {{Revenge}}: The Mouse Queen and her family eat almost all the lard intended for the sausage served at a feast. The king almost dies upon eating the sausage, so he traps all her sons and kills them. The Mouse Queen, in return, curses the king's daughter, and later, gets killed while the (future) Nutcracker breaks the curse. After that, ItsPersonal between her son and the Nutcracker.
62	* ReplacementGoldfish: At the end of the story, young Drosselmeier replaces all of the sugar dolls the Mouse King ate. Small comfort when you remember that the originals were living beings...
63	* RoyalBrat: Princess Pirlipat and the king. Especially when they comment on how ugly Drosselmeier‘s nephew become once he was turned into a nutcracker.
64	* RuleOfThree: The Mouse King visits Marie three times before Nutcracker offs him.
65	* SadisticChoice: The Mouse King makes Marie surrender her beloved candies and toys to him, or else he'll destroy the Nutcracker.
66	* TakeAThirdOption: The Mouse King's aforementioned SadisticChoice to Marie. The third option? [[GiveMeASword Arm the Nutcracker]].
67	* ThemeNaming: The Drosselmeier family -- we have Christian Elias Drosselmeier and Christoph Zechariah Drosselemeier. In other words, Christ(something) (Old Testament prophet) Drosselmeier.
68	* VagueAge: Young Drosselmeier. He probably wasn't any older than fourteen when he was transformed into a Nutcracker, given the facts we have to work with. Then when you account for the fact that upward of seven years must have passed before he was given to Marie, he would logically be in his early twenties. But at the end of the story, Drosselmeier refers to him and Marie collectively as "children" and expects them to play together, so apparently he's still quite young.
69	* VileVillainSaccharineShow: The main villain of a story about dolls, candy, and Christmas? A sadistic seven headed mouse. His tininess really doesn't make him any less horrifying.
70	* YouHaveToBelieveMe: After the Nutcracker kills the Mouse King and they visit the Land of Dolls, Marie tries in vain to convince her parents that it wasn't just a dream. To her credit she actually has evidence to show for it (the Mouse King's crowns), but they still find her story too ridiculous to believe.

Context Literature / TheNutcrackerAndTheMouseKing