By way of the Honey River, crossing Gingerbread Village. Doesn't it all just sound so amazing? A trip, started through a tiny cedarwood staircase, coming down through the sleeve of her father's travelling coat, Marie embarks on a wonderful journey beginning at Christmas Wood, all the way to Marzipan castle, where her beloved Nutcracker introduces her to his four sisters.
My little ones, and I have to admit me too, are completely enamoured with the story of The Nutcracker. This is the first year they have heard of it, so it is pretty magical to them. I try to introduce them each year to one of the important ones, instead of jamming them all in one big puddle. The littlest one has been drawing ever since the end of November, nutcrackers in all kinds of denominations, Grandfather clocks, little girls called Marie (with no left shoe of course!) and all kinds of whimsical stories accompany her drawings. They watched me make, with much joy and anticipation, this Christmas custom doll, and they actually pleaded she must have a Nutcracker to go with her.
Although we haven't had the pleasure of taking them to see the ballet yet, we did watch a movie version of it, the one produced by Maurice Sendak. And they were captured with every step of it. I think wonderful stories have that kind of magic, the one that stays in your heart, and inspires you to dream about them, to draw, to dance to their music, to create in their name. Most definitely, The Nutcracker and the Mice King, written by E.T.A. Hoffmann, is one of those stories. Now I must go and wet-felt this little needle-felted Nutcracker, so that they can both start their journey to their new home. In the mean time, I will perhaps listen some more to Tchaikovsky. See you soon!