You’ve likely heard the story of the Nutcracker. Originally Clara’s dream of a Nutcracker Prince who battles a Mouse King with seven heads was based on “The Nutcracker and the King of Mice” written by E.T.A Hoffman. Alexander Dumas, a well-known French author revised the story and that is what Marius Petipa chose to choreograph into the ballet we see on the stage today. His version is what we have come to love when we take our loved ones to see the Nutcracker Ballet, to watch the magic unfold on the stage.

But what if there was more. The story we didn’t know about. A story of love and pain and illusion.

You see, the Mouse King and Clara are no strangers. They are old friends. In a household as chaotic as the Stahlbaum’s, Clara frequently finds quiet places where she can be alone and dive into the recesses of her mind where her imagination left her no limits.

From the shadows, twitchy little whiskers would move closer to her as the little mouse was intrigued by her softness and beauty. Her smile and kindness drew him in. The mouse world did not have features like this.

At one point she noticed her tiny audience and welcomed into her little world. She had spent countless hours telling him stories and his eyes would grow large as she would make him the victor in her tales. His heroic feats empowered him, and he felt like a king, the king of all mice.

But Mr. Stahlbaum saw that Clara had befriended a rodent and swore to kill him if he ever saw Clara’s friend again. So, Clara told her friend to go and never come back. The Mouse King did as she asked but did not know why. He was hurt and angry, but he sank back into the shadows.

Then one Christmas Eve he sees Clara’s brother picking on her fiercely. He poked at her and mocked her and was mean to her. There was a new toy she was given. A nutcracker. His uniform offered a promise of protection from the onslaught of childish cruelty her family brought. 

But it wasn’t the same. Clara was sad and wanted her old friend, the one with whom she had shared so much. She went to bed distraught.

The Mouse King came to her in her dream as the Christmas tree grew to the size of a forest and enveloped her sadness. He promised her that he would protect her for as long as he could but that he could not stay. He now had a new family.

Clara declared that there was no greater love than theirs. When the Mouse King explained that love was different in the Mouse kingdom, that he did not feel the love that Clara felt, that he never had, that her love for him had merely made him feel powerful and virile, Clara’s heart burst into shards that pierced every part of her.

The Mouse King declared that he would be able to comfort her this one last time, but then he must go forever and never see her again. He said that he no longer wanted Clara in his life and just as she hadn’t, he would give her no reason why. She was left to believe that the only person she had trusted and loved did not love her, thus she must not be lovable. The Mouse King said nothing.

At this moment, her Nutcracker Prince awoke to see the Mouse King standing over the crushed little girl and was certain that the Mouse King had injured her and that her Prince must save her.

The Mouse King’s army quickly overpowered the Nutcracker army, and the prince was taken prisoner by the Mouse King. The Mouse King quickly saw how much the prince cared for Clara and saw the opportunity to unburden himself of her by pawning her off on someone else so that he could return to his new family.

He knew that Clara’s inherent kindness would not allow him to hurt anyone, so he pretended to attack the prince leaving Clara no choice but to interfere. When she threw her slipper at the Mouse King, he feigned his death and had his army carry off his “lifeless” body.

He was free.

Then the Nutcracker Prince was so grateful and so enthralled with Clara that he took her to the land of snow and the Sugar Plum Fairy presented them with a celebration of dances.

It was beautiful and inviting and amazing.

She awakens to find herself embraced by the Nutcracker Prince.

That’s where the ballet ends.

But not the story.

Clara has this wonderful prince who loves her dearly and would do anything for her. They have many stories together. A wonderful family.

But Clara never stops thinking about the Mouse King. She misses the time they shared. She knows it is gone and will never return. She knows he does not love her and does not want her in his life, and it breaks her heart every moment she thinks about it, which is all of the time. She is broken, and no longer the most beautiful girl anyone once knew.

There is no smile in her eyes and her heart has hardened. There is a deadness in her.

She knows her Mouse King is not dead even though he pretends that she is. It’s difficult for her because her feelings come up and it causes such pain for the Nutcracker Prince and their family. Clara knows there is only one way to take care of this situation.

Here is the Mouse King’s triumph. He has her out of his life. He no longer thinks of her. He no longer has to pretend to care about her. She built him up and is no longer useful to him. He has no obligation one way or another. He wins. His hands are clean.

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