Puffin Clothbound Classics are stunning collectable hardback editions of some of the best-loved classics in the world - including this charming edition of The Tale of the Nutcracker. Enter a world of magic and enchantment with Dumas's timeless adaptation of the Nutcracker story. 'You foolish child, how can you imagine that this doll, which is composed of wood and cloth, can have life, motion and reflection?' When little Marie receives a rather ugly doll for Christmas, she isn't sure what to make of him. His head is far too large, his legs far too small; but he's certainly excellently dressed! Things take a strange turn on Christmas Eve when, as the clocks strike midnight, the odd little Nutcracker comes to life to do fierce battle against the malevolent Mouse King and his armies. Full of wonder, weirdness and fantasy, this famous adaptation, which inspired Tchaikovsky's beloved ballet, is a celebration of childhood imagination, full of talking toys, candy kingdoms and dastardly mice.