The Nutcracker Suite is a series of eight pieces composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1892. It is based on the story of E.T.A. Hoffmann's The Nutcracker and the Mouse King and is one of the most popular ballets of all time. The word 'Nests' is a five-letter solution to the crossword puzzle and is a reference to the ballet's setting, which takes place in a house with a Christmas tree and a series of nests.