The Nutcracker and the Mouse King

By E.T.A. Hoffman and Mint Editions

The Nutcracker and the Mouse King (1816) is a story by E.T.A. Hoffmann. A leading writer of the German Romantic period, Hoffmann inspired generations of artists with his thrilling blend of fantasy, science fiction, and fairy tale. In 1892, Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky turned Alexandre Dumas’ adaptation of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King into The Nutcracker, which remains one of the most popular ballets of all time.

On Christmas Eve, Fritz and Marie anxiously await the presentation of gifts. Initially awed by the clockwork castle made by their godfather Drosselmeyer, a famous inventor, they soon turn their attentions to a nutcracker. When Fritz accidentally breaks their new toy, Marie carefully bandages its jaw back into place. That night, while the whole house sleeps, Marie is awoken by the chiming of the grandfather clock. Terrified, she watches as a battle is waged between a horde of mice—led by a seven-headed king—and the toys, suddenly brought to life, led by the noble nutcracker. The next morning, she attempts to inform her parents of what she has seen, but they refuse to believe her. All remains quiet for the next several days, but when Drosselmeyer returns with the mended nutcracker, he tells her a story of the vengeful Mouse Queen.

This edition of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s The Nutcracker and the Mouse King is a classic of German literature reimagined for modern readers.

Since our inception in 2020, Mint Editions has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh, professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover, all while maintaining the integrity of the original book.

With thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mint Editions
• Release date: Mar 24, 2021
• ISBN: 9781513294483

E.T.A. Hoffman

E.T.A. Hoffmann (1776-1822) was a German author, jurist, and composer. Born in Prussia, Hoffmann was raised by his mother, an uncle, and two aunts in Königsberg following his parents’ divorce in 1778. He attended a Lutheran school from 1781 to 1792, where he excelled in classics and developed his talents as a writer, artist, and pianist. In 1787, he befriended Theodor Gottlieb von Hippel the Younger, a future statesman. In 1796, as he continued to study for the necessary examinations for government work, he took a job as a clerk for his uncle Johann, who would soon be promoted to a position in Berlin. After a brief time in Berlin, where Hoffman attempted to embark on a career as a composer, he moved with Hippel to Posen, South Prussia. There, he worked as a minor government official until a scandal forced him into exile in Płock, New East Prussia. Although initially wary of Polish society, Hoffmann soon established himself and was promoted to the role of chief Prussian administrator in Warsaw. When the city was captured by Napoleon in 1806, he was forced to return to Berlin, where he dedicated himself to writing stories and plays. He achieved moderate acclaim with such stories as The Nutcracker and the Mouse King (1816), “The Sandman” (1817), and The Life and Opinions of the Tomcat Murr (1820). In his lifetime, his most successful work was the opera Undine, which premiered at the Königliches Schauspielhaus in Berlin in 1816. Recognized as a leading figure in German Romanticism and a pioneer of science fiction and fantasy, Hoffman has inspired generations of writers and intellectuals including Edgar Allan Poe, Charles Dickens, Franz Kafka, and Sigmund Freud. Perhaps most notably, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King would serve as source material for Tchaikovsky's beloved ballet The Nutcracker (1892).

Book preview

I

CHRISTMAS EVE

During the long, long day of the twenty-fourth of December, the children of Doctor Stahlbaum were not permitted to enter the parlor, much less the adjoining drawing-room. Frederic and Maria sat nestled together in a corner of the back chamber; dusky twilight had come on, and they felt quite gloomy and fearful, for, as was commonly the case on this day, no light was brought in to them. Fred, in great secrecy, and in a whisper, informed his little sister (she was only just seven years old), that ever since morning be had heard a rustling and a rattling, and now and then a gentle knocking, in the forbidden chambers. Not long ago also he had seen a little dark man, with a large chest under his arm, gliding softly through the entry, but he knew very well that it was nobody but Godfather Drosselmeier. Upon this Maria clapped her little hands together for joy, and exclaimed, Ah, what beautiful things has Godfather Drosselmeier made for us this time!

Counsellor Drosselmeier was not a very handsome man; he was small and thin, had many wrinkles in his face, over his right eye he had a large black patch, and he was without hair, for which reason he wore a very nice white wig; this was made of glass however, and was a very ingenious piece of work. The Godfather himself was very ingenious also, he understood all about clocks and watches, and could even make them. Accordingly, when any one of the beautiful clocks in Doctor Stahlbaum’s house was sick, and could not sing, Godfather Drosselmeier would have to attend it. He would then take off his glass wig, pull off his brown coat, put on a blue apron, and pierce the clock with sharp-pointed instruments, which usually caused little Maria a great deal of anxiety. But it did the clock no harm; on the contrary, it became quite lively again, and began at once right merrily to rattle, and to strike, and to sing, so that it was a pleasure to all who heard it. Whenever he came, he always brought something pretty in his pocket for the children, sometimes a little man who moved his eyes and made a bow, at others, a box, from which a little bird hopped out when it was opened—sometimes one thing, sometimes another.

When Christmas Eve came, he had always a beautiful piece of work prepared for them, which had cost him a great deal of trouble, and on this account it was always carefully preserved by their parents, after he had given it to them.

Ah, what beautiful present has Godfather Drosselmeier made for us this time! exclaimed Maria.

It was Fred’s opinion that this time it could be nothing else than a castle, in which all kinds of fine soldiers marched up and down and went through their exercises; then other soldiers would come, and try to break into the castle, but the soldiers within would fire off their cannon very bravely, until all roared and cracked again. No, no, cried Maria, interrupting him, Godfather Drosselmeier has told me of a lovely garden where there is a great lake, upon which beautiful swans swim about, with golden collars around their necks, and sing their sweetest songs. Then there comes a little girl out of the garden down along the lake, and coaxes the swans to the shore, and feeds them with sweet cake.

Swans never eat cake, interrupted Fred, somewhat roughly, and even Godfather Drosselmeier himself can’t make a whole garden. After all, we have little good of his playthings; they are all taken right away from us again. I like what Papa and Mamma give us much better, for we can keep their presents for ourselves, and do as we please with them. The children now began once more to guess what it could be this time. Maria thought that Miss Trutchen (her great doll) was growing very old, for she fell almost every moment upon the floor, and more awkwardly than ever, which could not happen without leaving sad marks upon her face, and as to neatness in dress, this was now altogether out of the question with her. Scolding did not help the matter in the least. Frederic declared, on the other hand, that a bay horse was wanting in his stable, and his troops were very deficient in cavalry, as his Papa very well knew.

By this time it had become quite dark. Frederic and Maria sat close together, and did not venture again to speak a word. It seemed now as if soft wings rustled around them, and very distant, but sweet music was heard at intervals. At this moment a shrill sound broke upon their ears—kling, ling—kling, ling—the doors flew wide open, and such a dazzling light broke out from the great chamber, that with the loud exclamation, Ah! ah! the children stood fixed at the threshold. But Papa and Mamma stepped to the door, took them by the hand, and said, Come, come, dear children, and see what Christmas has brought you this year.

II

THE GIFTS

Kind reader, or listener, whatever may be your name, whether Frank, Robert, Henry,—Anna or Maria, I beg you to call to mind the table covered with your last Christmas gifts, as in their newest gloss they first appeared to your delighted vision. You will then be able to imagine the astonishment of the children, as they stood with sparkling eyes, unable to utter a word, for joy at the sight before them. At last Maria called out with a deep sigh, Ah, how beautiful! ah, how beautiful! and Frederic gave two or three leaps in the air higher than he had ever done before. The children must have been very obedient and good children during the past year, for never on any Christmas Eve before, had so many beautiful things been given to them. A tall Fir tree stood in the middle of the room, covered with gold and silver apples, while sugar almonds, comfits, lemon drops, and every kind of confectionery, hung like buds and blossoms upon all its branches. But the greatest beauty about this wonderful tree, was the many little lights that sparkled amid its dark boughs, which like stars illuminated its treasures, or like friendly eyes seemed to invite the children to partake of its blossoms and fruit. The table under the tree shone and flushed with a thousand different colors—ah, what beautiful things were there! who can describe them? Maria spied the prettiest dolls, a tea set, all kinds of nice little furniture, and what eclipsed all the rest, a silk dress tastefully

Reviews for The Nutcracker and the Mouse King

[matke-261098 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A very carefully translated work, this is the classic story of an enchanted Nutcracker who must battle the forces of the Mouse King. This is amusing and a little gory. The translator’s notes at the end reveal a delightful sense of humor, give a fuller understanding of the German customs reflected.
Most highly recommended.

[gmillar_8 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Delightful.
My book is Vol 237 of the "Kings Treasuries of Literature", a series of books designed for teachers to use in their classrooms.

[thetruebookaddict · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The original story is vastly different from the beloved ballet. I love the ballet. I've seen it many times, but I also really loved this story. I can almost imagine that the recent holiday film, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, had some basis in this original story. I've heard some people were in an uproar over the film because it's different from the ballet. Perhaps they have not read this original story? On my end, I'm always open to new interpretations of a story.

I highly recommend this. Wonderful story made even more enchanting by the fantastic illustrations of Maurice Sendak.

[sturlington_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Read aloud to my son for Christmas. This is the basis for the famous ballet, the story of Marie, who receives a Nutcracker doll for Christmas that subsequently comes to life, battles a seven-headed mouse king, and takes Marie on a tour of a fairyland made of sweets. My son pronounced it "weird, but very descriptive, so I could picture it in my head, so I liked it." I thought it was entertaining, but surreal and dreamlike.

[abigailadams26 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Marie Stahlbaum and her brother Fritz eagerly await the arrival of their godfather and the gifts and toys he will bring them in this classic German Christmas fairy-tale. A clever man with a talent for mechanical inventions, Godfather Drosselmeier brings them a wooden Nutcracker who subsequently features in Marie's fantastical dreams that Christmas Eve night, leading the charge against a fearsome seven-headed Mouse King, and then escorting the young girl on a trip to a magical land of sweets, where he himself is prince...

Originally published in 1816, E.T.A. Hoffman's magical holiday tale was adapted by the French author Alexander Dumas, père in 1844, which version was then used in the famous ballet by Tchaikovsky, first performed in 1892. Many readers might be more familiar with the story from the ballet, in which Marie's name has been changed to Clara, and which features a number of scenes in which dancers from different parts of the world present Clara with the treats famous in their region. The Nutcracker & the Mouse King is a picture-book adaptation of the original Hoffman tale however, done by German children's author Renate Raecke, and illustrated by Russian artist Yana Sedova, who has also worked on a beautiful version of Andersen's The Snow Queen. Here Marie has kept her original name, and her adventures in the land of sweets include no dancers. That said, although young readers (especially American ones) might be more familiar with the version of the tale found in the ballet, the story here is quite exciting, full of magical transformations and tense confrontation - the conflict between the Nutcracker and the Mouse King!, the Nutcracker turning into a prince! - sure to please. The artwork, moreover, is simply gorgeous, featuring numerous enchanting details - many of the items on the page are presented as if they were Christmas tree ornaments or mechanical toys - and a vibrant and sumptuous color scheme. Recommended to anyone looking for the original version of The Nutcracker for younger children.

[jenspirko · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you only know the story from the ubiquitous ballet, revisit it via this version. Maurice Sendak's distinctive art lends just the right appealingly surreal tone to ETA Hoffman's fairy tale. Like all good fairy tales, there is a thread of darkness and danger along with bright fantasy, and the spare storytelling pairs perfectly with the lush illustrations of this version.

[debnance_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'm so used to seeing the Nutcracker as a ballet that it comes as a big of a shock to see the story in print.

(And, honestly, I'm not sure that I don't prefer it that way.)

Love the Sendak illustrations. Why not, I suggest, just have them? Skip the words which feel redundant. A wordless book, maybe?

[hrose2931 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I went to the Nutcracker Ballet every year as a little girl. It was such a tradition I can't remember not going, but at some point I stopped going. I don't remember how old I was, maybe when I stopped believing in Santa? Maybe later. But schools used to go on field trips to see it I remember. It was A BIG DEAL! And I haven't seen it since I was a little girl. But I vaguely remembered bits and pieces of it. A girl in a white dress. A soldier, a battle, a rat soldier. All of it was kind of way back in my mind.

I started with the Prologue for The Nutcracker written by Maurice Sendak in 1984. He dug up the original story of the Nutcracker written by E.T.A. Hoffmann. It was then translated by Ralph Manheim and a whole subplot "The Story of the Hard Nut" was discovered that had never been performed in the ballet. So not only did I get to rekindle my memories of the ballet I remembered, but an entirely new fairytale was revealed to me. And you know how when you read a book, it's always better than the movie?
The same is true for watching a ballet and reading the book. You can read the intentions and feelings, what everything looks like in detail, whereas on a stage you might miss something because you're too far away. So, as always, I liked the book better. I always will.

It starts off right away with a beautifully written story, somewhat dark, set in the past with the Christ Child bringing their presents. And they are very good children indeed as they get many presents. The tree is described in great detail and so beautifully, I want to decorate mine like that. And then Marie finds the Nutcracker and falls in love with it. But she's told she has to share The Nutcracker and her brother Fritz breaks him. All is better when she is given the Nutcracker to care for and she wraps him in her handkerchief. She is besotted with him.

Now you may or may not know the story from there but the King of the Mice wages a battle against the Nutcracker and Marie and her brother's soldiers. Marie is wounded and her Godfather comes to tell her a story, "The Story of the Hard Nut," which he tells her over three consecutive nights and repairs the Nutcracker. "The Story of the Hard Nut" explains why the King of the Mice and the Nutcracker are fighting in the first place, a long history between the two families, err mice and man. It greatly adds to the story and I'm sorry it's been left out for so long.

I always remembered that Clara was the center of the romance in The Nutcracker, but it is dear sweet Marie and her steadfast love of the ugly Nutcracker that brings the story to it's end. She is laughed at by her family as she tells of her journey with The Nutcracker to Marzipan Castle where he is King. She's not allowed to mention it again for fear of her father throwing The Nutcracker and all her other dolls out as well. But all is well in the end.

The pictures are...they are Maurice Sendak. There are a few monsters from Where the Wild Things Are peeking out from behind things. They are as descriptive as a picture can be. I've always loved Maurice Sendak's work and it works so well in this story with the King of the Mice and the Nutcracker especially.
I highly recommend adding this to your Christmas collection. I loved the ending!!

If you'd like to see a few of the pictures from the book you can click HERE and check them out. Clicking on each picture will bring up a larger picture and a description of what's happening in the scene.

Thanks to Danielle at Crown Publishing for the complimentary copy for review.

[nbmars · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is not just a hackneyed version of "The Nutcracker" dressed up by the magnificent illustrations of Maurice Sendak. On the contrary, this book (beautifully printed and bound) features the original story written by E.T.A. Hoffmann, later watered down for the famous ballet. While I have always loved the ballet in any form, this story is far superior to the traditional one, and captured my attention from the very start. As Sendak wrote in his preface about the version familiar to audiences today:

"[It] is smoothed out, bland, and utterly devoid not only of difficulties but of the weird, dark qualities that make it something of a masterpiece.”

Kent Stowell, the artistic director of the Pacific Northwest Ballet, invited Sendak to collaborate on a new production, and they agreed to adapt the Hoffman version. The translation used in this book by Ralph Manheim is superb – there is nothing dated or stodgy about it, and I found myself unable to quit reading until I had finished the entire story. And as admirers of Sendak know, as an illustrator he is particularly well-suited to capture “weird, dark qualities” and render them as not at all scary but full of whimsy and fascinating detail.

My favorite parts? The character known as the Giant Sweettooth of Candytown (since he is obviously one of my progenitors) and the very last sentiment, which concludes:

"…Marie is believed to be still the queen of a country where sparkling Christmas woods, transparent marzipan castles, in short, the most wonderful things, can be seen if you have the right sort of eyes for it.”

“The right sort of eyes” …. What a marvelous concept!

[craso_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Nutcracker is a beloved staple of the Christmas season. Each December children and adults enjoy the Tchaikovsky ballet but have you ever wondered where the story came from? There are actually two tales. The original fable is titled "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" by E. T. A. Hoffman. Hoffman was a Prussian civil servant who wrote in his spare time. His version is a delightful fairytale told mostly in narrative with very little dialogue. The next story is "The History of a Nutcracker" by Alexandre Dumas. Dumas uses Hoffman's tale as the base and fleshes it out with more dialogue and explainations of the action. His story is written for a more modern audience. Tchaikovsky used Dumas' tale as inspiration for his famous ballet although the Nutcracker in the story looks much different than the one in the ballet. It is hard to choose between the two. I prefer the fairytale to the modern version because it is a quant story compared to the more conventionally written one.