Artificial Christmas Trees

I was intrigued by the royal design of the Mouse King Nutcracker ornament.  Perhaps it's the dark lavender cape.  Or the richly designed coat.  Maybe it's the sword.  Or could it be the crown?  A mouse with a crown.  Indeed only in fables that a mouse could be a king complete with a royal court.  Of course, that and Disney.

Different Adaptations of the Mouse King

In researching more on the Mouse King, it's hard not to go back to the entire fable written in 1816 by E.T.A. Hoffmann.  In the story, the Mouse King is an evil mischievious character who seems to enjoy harming the Nutcracker.  His queen is equally deceptive with the power to lay curses on humans.

In the ballet, he plays a lesser role as the leader of a gang of mice who battles the toy soldiers led by the Nutcracker.  He is killed quickly in the ballet.  No longer appearing after Act I.

There is also a movie called Nutcracker: The Motion Picture (1986) that's worth checking out.

Helpful websites on the Nutcracker

- The Nutcracker and the Mouse King
- The Story of the Nutcracker by the Pacific Northwest Ballet