The morning after Christmas,

On the Stahlbaum parlor floor,

Lay broken and invalid,

Soldiers from the Great Mouse War.

 

They fought their very hardest,

In the battle that past night,

But all their efforts went unnoticed,

In the morning light,

 

During the Christmas clean-up,

Army men broken and worn,

Were taken to the garbage can,

And thought of no more,

 

The ones who stayed were ones unharmed,

But were unlucky too,

For they were chastised for not doing

More than they could do.

 

The surviving men were forbade to march,

And their feathers were plucked from their hats,

For their leader was infuriated,

Because they did not defeat the rats,

 

Yet when the King of Mice returned,

They armed their nutcracker friend,

Again, they were willing to fight for the cabinet,

For a solder's job never ends,

 

This time, the horrible rats were defeated,

Nutcracker had his victory,

He celebrated in the Land of Toys,

Bringing his sweet Marie,

 

But the soldiers were left there inside of the cabinet,

Remembering the cost,

Of fighting such wars, and how it all was forgotten,

Whenever a battle was lost.