Drosselmeyer – an eccentric relative  – arrives with a present for Clara: a nutcracker doll in the shape of a Prince.

After the party, Clara is unable to sleep and creeps back into the darkened room to find her nutcracker.

She falls asleep on the floor, clutching the nutcracker in her arms.

As the clock chimes midnight, Clara wakes to find giant mice running around her.

Drosselmeyer mysteriously reappears and transforms Clara’s nutcracker into a real life prince, who leads the toy soldiers into battle with the mice and their leader, the King Rat.

Clara strikes a fatal blow to King Rat and the battle is won. As a reward, Drosselmeyer sends Clara and the Prince on a wonderful journey.

They travel to an enchanting land of ice and snow, where they meet the Snow Queen and the Snowflake Fairies. Clara’s journey with the Prince continues on a sleigh.

The entertainment ends with a grand pas de deux (a dance for two) danced by the Nutcracker Prince and the Sugar Plum Fairy.

Finally, all the entertainers bid Clara farewell, and she slowly drifts back to sleep.

Clara’s parents find her asleep on the floor, still clutching her nutcracker doll. Her father lifts her in his arms and carries her back to her bed when Drosselmeyer appears. Was this all a dream? Did it really happen, or was it simply another of Drosselmeyer’s conjuring tricks?