The Nutcracker and the Mouse King is a Christmas Classic written in 1816 by E. T. A. Hoffman on which the famouse ballet The Nutcracker is based. In the story young Marie Stahlbaum's favourite Christmas toy, the Nutcracjer, comes alive and, after defeating the evil Mouse King in battle, whisks her away to a magical kingdom populated by dolls. The story begins on Christmas Eve at the Stahlbaum h…