It is Christmas Eve and the Silberhaus family is having a party. Suddenly, in the midst of the festivities, a strange gentleman arrives. He is Uncle Drosselmeyer, the godfather of young Clara Silberhaus. He entertains the guests with gifts that he has brought. Among them are three life-size dancing dolls and a Nutcracker especially for Clara. The Nutcracker resembles a soldier with a very large mouth for cracking nuts. Clara loves the toy immediately. When the party is over and her family has gone to bed, Clara sneaks back into the parlor to find her new toy. She is startled by mice scurrying around for crumbs, and after climbing onto the sofa, she falls asleep. Now, the magic begins…