Nussknacker (Nutcracker) are mentioned in records of the city of Sonnenberg (Thuringia) about 1735 as "nut biter"- sturdy men with large heads- that operated according to the principles of leverage. By the middle of the 19th century the combination of a useful tool and a human appearance was well accepted. People liked to put a mean looking officer or even a king to work for them to crack nuts. The art of the nutcracker started in 1816. That year Hoffmann published the fairy tale' Nussknacker und der Mäusekönig.'(Nutcracker and the mouse king). But when Tschaikowsky wrote his Nutcracker Suite, it even got more popular. Even today this ballet is liked by parents and children. Katharina _____________________________________________________________________________________ Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com