Hoffmann wrote various kinds of stories. Some of them are about fate, e.g. "Elixiere des Teufels" which is about a Capuchin monk who is tempted by the drink offered by the devil. Some of them are fairy tales, e.g. "Der goldene Topf" ("The golden pan") and "Nussknacker und Mausekönig" ("Nutcracker and Mouse King"). Very often in these stories the supernatural meets everyday reality. Some of his stories are autobiographical because they fantasies about himself. In particular, the story about Kreisler became very popular and was used by musicians, e.g. Robert Schumann in his piano pieces called "Kreisleriana".