It was Christmas time, an exciting time in the Park house. The kitchen was alive with smells of the different foods for the Christmas Eve Party. Jimin and Yeonjun were trying to sneak a couple turnovers, seeing the tray on the counter. They had just come in from playing in the snow, their cheeks and noses red from the cold. A servant saw them and their objective. They were no longer small children so they were easily spotted. She smiled and grabbed a couple before catching the boys by their ears and depositing them outside the kitchen with a pep talk before handing them each a turnover and going back to the kitchen. The boys laughed and discussed their next mission as they ate their treat. After eating, they were called by their mother to start getting ready for the party.
As they were getting ready, they discussed the most important reason of the season, presents. The presents were under the tree in the main parlor, where most of the party was going to be held. The boys weren't allowed in there right now while the servants set up for the party.
"What do you think Godfather Drosselmeyer will bring this year?" Yeonjun asked, pulling on his clothes. "I bet he has made two armies of clockwork soldiers and they'll go to war with each other and fire cannons and guns like this: BAAAMMMMM! It will be just like a real battle!"
Jimin laughed. "I would like to see him make a toy theater with an orchestra that plays, and dancers that look like swans. In fact, Godfather Drosselmeyer said he once went to see Russian dancers and they were the most marvelous thing he has ever seen. That is why I think he's making a magic theater." He dressed before going over and doing his and Yeonjun's hair.
"You are no fun Jiminnie." Yeonjun squirmed as Jimin did his hair. "Godfather Drosselmeyer doesn't do magic. He makes clockwork that you can wind up."
"Hey, he does do magic." Jimin finished up Yeonjun's hair and slapped his shoulder. He then sat next to Yeonjun to do his own hair. When they were finished, Jimin was in a crushed red velvet suit and Yeonjun was in a black suit.
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(Jimin's outfit (imagine Jimin with black hair))
The two went down and welcomed the guests. Aunts, uncles, and friends from around town were invited. Once out of the cold, the children would chatter, occasionally arguing, while the adults caught up with each other over warm cider. Then, the doorbell rang to announce that Godfather Drosselmeyer had arrived. The two boys excused themselves from their group and rushed to meet him in the hall.
Godfather Drosselmeyer was a funny-looking man, who wore a wig that sometimes slid half off his head. He had a faint mustache that had never grown very bushy, and his left eye was usually half closed. His hands and fingers were very tiny, but he was ever so clever with them; for Yeonjun was right; Godfather Drosselmeyer was a watch and clock maker, and one of the cleverest who ever lived at that. Then perhaps Jimin was right too; maybe, just maybe he also could do a little magic. But in any case, his presents were always amazing and wonderful.
This year he had brought along his son, Taehyung. Taehyung was taller than Jimin and had honey brown hair. Taehyung was also sporting a black suit, but it looked more worn, and comfortable, though Taehyung denied that latter.
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(Yeonjun and Taehyung's outfits (Imagine Tae has honey brown hair))
"Oh Godfather! Please come with us to the parlor so we can open our presents!" begged Yeonjun after exchanging hugs. Drosselmeyer laughed and followed Yeonjun while Taehyung and Jimin followed behind them. The two of them quickly became friends.
It took a while to gather the whole family; including parents, children, aunts, uncles and godparents. At last it was time to open the presents. The children excitedly opened their gifts. Sweets, dolls, and tin soldiers all emerged from the wrapping, and even a sultan's palace was beautifully carved and painted. They were exciting and lovely presents. At last they were all opened, except that Jimin and Yeonjun hadn't yet found a gift from Godfather Drosselmeyer. Jimin understood that he was keeping back an extra special surprise for them, but Yeonjun thought that their godfather was such a strange man, that perhaps he had forgotten all about Christmas this year. Both children were too polite to ask; but Jimin gave his Godfather a gift of his own: a picture of a sugar plum fairy that he had painted himself. The fairy had pink hair and was waving his wand. The old man was clearly delighted with it.
Putting down the ornament, he looked at the two boys and said, "And what have I got for Jimin and Yeonjun this year? Ah yes, I remember now. Taehyung, can you go get the parcel? It is in the foyer with my overcoat."
Taehyung rushed out and brought back a very small present. It was no longer than his hand. He handed it to his father, who looked back to Jimin and Yeonjun. "Which one of you two wants to open it this year?"
Yeonjun saw how small the present was and said, "Let Jiminnie open it. He's so excited about it because he's still a baby."
"I am not. I may be small but I have beat you in many things Junnie." Jimin stuck his tongue at Yeonjun and gently took the present and felt it. Yes here was its head, a little on the large size, and here were its legs. He smiled and said, "It's a doll. I bet it dances."
Jimin carefully unwrapped it, and saw that it wasn't just a doll. It was a nutcracker, painted to look like a soldier. The handles were legs in black trousers, and with feet in shiny boots, and the part where you put the nuts to crack them looked like an oversized head with giant jaws. On top of its head it wore a tall furry hat. To tell you the truth, it was rather ugly.
"Why, thank you!" said Jimin.
"You're not disappointed, are you?" Godfather Drosselmeyer asked.
"No," he said. "I love the nutcracker soldier because he's funny," and he gave his godfather a hug.
But Yeonjun did not like the nutcracker soldier at all. Sure, it was a soldier, but it wasn't handsome and didn't come with an army of canons that went bam. He thought it was useless, well almost, you could use it to crack nuts, and after dinner that's what they did. Jimin, Taehyung and Yeonjun sat under the Christmas tree and cracked walnuts in the mouth of the soldier. Jimin and Yeonjun found it easy to crack the nuts with the nutcracker and would share the cracked nuts with their friends. That is until Yeonjun tried to break open an extra hard nut. He squeezed and squeezed and squeezed until the nutcracker eventually broke. One of its jaws came off, leaving the poor soldier with half a mouth.
"Oh no!" Yelled Jimin. "Why did you do that?" He grabbed the nutcracker and the broken off piece of its jaw with a pout and ran off to find their mother; but his mother only was to hug Jimin and promise that Godfather Drosselmeyer would make the nutcracker as good as new in the morning. It was funny, but now that the nutcracker soldier was damaged, Jimin felt sorry for it. Even though it had an ugly face, he began to like it as much as if it were one of his friends. After everyone left with promises of returning for the Christmas Party the next day, and the boys were getting ready for bed, Jimin went to lay the nutcracker under the Christmas tree for the night. But he felt so sad about the broken jaw that he lay down and held the broken soldier closely to him. He cried a little, and soon he fell asleep amongst the presents. If you had come into the room just then, you might have thought that Jimin himself was a big doll, like the others, flopped under the tree.
