Christmas.

It is a magical time, filled with joy and excitement.

The joy and excitement, in preparing for the arrival of a large gift-bearing stranger, clad in red, pulled in a sleigh by reindeer.

The joy and excitement that a Savior will arrive, soon, born to a virgin in a manger.

At a small house in Virginia, a family is currently hosting a large Christmas party for everyone to join in. This is the household of the Stahlbaums—Mr and Mrs. Stahlbaum, who live with their youngest child, Fritz Stahlbaum, and their aging grandfather, Herr Drosselmeyer—a recent immigrant from Germany. The family also lives with their eldest child, a young girl by the name of—

——————

"—CLARA MARIE STAHLBAUM!!" The young girl's mother exclaimed. "YOU FINISHED UP IN THERE!"

"Sure am!" Clara exclaimed. The young girl left her room, and slid down to the main living room on the stairs.

She didn't land that perfect—she landed inside one of the many, many piles of gift boxes.

"...heh, heh.." Clara laughed, sheepishly. "The kids in Mary Poppins never had these problems."

"Oh, Clara!" Clara's grandfather, Herr Drosselmeyer called, holding a present in one of his arms.

"Ooh!" Clara said. "Thank you, grandpa!"

Drosselmeyer handed the gift, wrapped in gold wrapping paper and a large, red bow over to Clara. Clara opened the gift to find that inside, was a beautifully crafted nutcracker! His coat was red, his pants were blue, and he had the most strikingly charming face for a toy, covered in high-gloss paint all over so that he could remain shiny for years and years to come.

"It's perfect, Grandpa!" Clara hugged her grandfather. "Thank you so much!"

"I made it back vhen I vas in Hamburg." Drosselmeyer said. "I found him in storage after I moved to America, and thought, this vould be perfect for mein liebe vhen she's all grown! You vere only a baby then..."

"Wow..." Clara said.

"Yes, vow.." Drosselmeyer sighed and looked at his hands. "I can't build large stuff like zis anymore, thanks to that verdammt arthritis.."

"OH COOL A NUTCRACKER!!" Exclaimed Clara's little brother. He took it from Clara and immediately started to play around with it.

"HEY!" Clara exclaimed. She tried to snatch the toy from him, but he held it at a length she couldn't reach. "HEY FRITZ GIVE THAT BACK!"

But Fritz continued to play with it, until Clara grabbed it yet again. The two kids tugged and tugged at the wooden man, until his jaw came clean off and landed into the punch bowl.

"WOAH!" Grandpa Drosselmeyer said, pulling out the jaw with a punch spoon. "I think somebody spiked the punch!"

Clara day atop her bed, mourning the loss of the nutcracker's jaw. Then, the door to her room opened, and her mother came inside.

"Clara, sweetie, Fritz told me he's very sorry about the nutcracker." Her mother said. "Grandpa's gonna fix it in the morning, can you please come down and enjoy the rest of the Christmas party?"

"Okay..." Clara said.

Clara walked down to the living room. She continued to dance and have fun, of course, but in her mind, she still wanted her nutcracker back. She did not show her true emotions to everyone, but cried herself to sleep that Christmas Eve night.