It was Christmas Eve.
Fritz, Marie, and their godfather were sitting next to the Christmas tree.
"Godfather, what's that present?" asked Fritz curiously.
Fritz pointed to a very big red-and-green box.
"Open it and see," replied their godfather.
Fritz and Marie opened their gift.
It was an old wooden nutcracker shaped like a man.
"He's kind of ugly," said Fritz, disappointed.
The nutcracker's legs were too short and his head was too big.
"This nutcracker wasn't always ugly," said Godfather.
"I like this funny-looking nutcracker," said Marie.
"What happened to him?"
"Once upon a time," Godfather began, "there was a king and a queen who lived in a palace.
The queen was in the kitchen, when suddenly a very large mouse burst in.
It was not any ordinary mouse but the queen of the mice.
The Mouse Queen squeaked, 'Queen, may I have some bacon?'
The kind queen replied, 'Of course.'
But the Mouse Queen was cunning.
She quickly called all her family and friends.
Hundreds of mice filled the kitchen. The mice ate everything in sight.
The queen tried to chase them away, but there were too many.
She ran out screaming.
Later the king ordered mousetraps to be set all around the palace.
All of the mice, except for the Mouse Queen, died in the mousetraps.
The Mouse Queen was furious at the king and the queen.
All the mice were dead.
That night, when the king and queen were eating, the Mouse Queen jumped onto the table.
She shrieked at them, 'When you have a baby, I will take my revenge!'
Later, when Princess Perlipat was born, everyone was overjoyed―everyone except the queen.
She was afraid of the Mouse Queen's revenge.
For ten years eight nurses and eight cats guarded the princess day and night.
Meanwhile the Mouse Queen had a son of her own, but she never forgot her plan of revenge.
One night, when the nurses and cats were sleeping, the Mouse Queen snuck into the nursery.
She whispered a magic spell and the beautiful princess became ugly.
The princess' head became larger than her body, and her mouth grew until it was the largest part of her face.
The king and queen were very upset, so the king asked his wise men for help.
They agreed there was only one solution.
The king must find a nut made out of solid gold.
The wise men also told the king to find a handsome nutcracker man: 'The nutcracker must open the golden nut and give it to the princess.
Then he must take seven steps backwards.
When he does, the Mouse Queen's spell will be broken.'
The king's men searched everywhere, and eventually they returned with a golden nut and a nutcracker man.
The king looked at the nutcracker and said, 'Nutcracker, if you break the magic spell, I will give you my kingdom.
If Princess Perlipat wishes, she may marry you.'
The nutcracker man did not answer. He only stared ahead.
The king's men carried the nutcracker and the golden nut into the princess' room.
Many people watched as the nutcracker cracked the nut.
He gave it to the princess, closed his eyes, and started to walk seven steps backward.
Suddenly there was a loud gasp, but the nutcracker kept his eyes closed.
The Mouse Queen had appeared.
Her eyes glittered with anger as she glared at the nutcracker.
The nutcracker was just about to take his seventh step when the Mouse Queen stuck out her bony leg and tripped him.
The nutcracker stumbled and fell, but as he fell, his sword cut the Mouse Queen's neck.
She shrieked in pain and cried out, 'This spell has changed because the nutcracker man has fallen.
The princess will become beautiful, but the nutcracker will be ugly instead.'"