E. T. A. Hoffmann

Among the greatest writers of fantasy and a major figure in late German Romanticism, Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (1776-1822) created an extraordinary world of fantasy, poetry, and the supernatural. Remarkable characters come vividly to life in imaginative tales that move from the firm ground of reality to ambiguity, mystery and romance. This volume contains two of his best tales.

Young Marie Stahlbaum falls in love with the handsome nutcracker Godfather Drosselmeier gives her family as a Christmas gift, and has adventures with him as he faces the monstrous, seven-headed Mouse King.

An abridged version of the story of Marie Stahlbaum, who helps break the spell on her toy nutcracker and watches him change into a handsome prince.

"When a young girl rescues her nutcracker from an attack by mice, the nutcracker becomes a prince and takes her to see the Snow King and Queen, the Sugar Plum Fairy, and waltzing flowers"--Provided by publisher.

In this retelling of the original 1816 German story, a nutcracker under a terrible spell is given to young Marie as a Christmas gift, and when she helps him defeat the Mouse King, breaking the spell, he takes her to visit kingdom.

One Christmas after hearing how the toy nutcracker made by her godfather got his ugly face, a little girl helps break the spell and watches him change into a handsome prince.

"In search of a key to unlock a box from her late mother, Clara finds her way into a mysterious parallel world. She teams up with a soldier named Philip in order to brave the Fourth Realm to find the key and return harmony to the unstable world." --

Journeyman toymaker Stefan Drosselmeyer is recruited by his mysterious cousin, Christian, to find a mythical nut that will save Boldavia's princess and his own kidnapped father from a fanatical Mouse Queen and her seven-headed Mouse Prince, who have sworn to destroy the Drosselmeyer family.

After rescuing her Christmas nutcracker from an army of angry toys, Clara is rewarded by the nutcracker, now a prince, with a fantastic nighttime journey to a realm of dancing fairies, beautiful palaces, and wonderful things to eat.

After hearing how the toy nutcracker that she and her brother received for Christmas got his ugly face, Marie helps break the spell he is under and watches him change into a handsome prince. Illustrated notes throughout the text explain the historical background of the story.