安徒生童話故事第1篇：打火匣The Tinder-Box

　　引導語：打火匣的安徒生童話，大家學習過？是《安徒生童話全集》的第1篇，歡迎大家閱讀！

　　公路上有一個兵在開步走——一，二!一，二!他背著一個行軍袋，腰間掛著一把長劍，因為他已經參加過好幾次戰爭，現在要回家去。他在路上碰見一個老巫婆;她是一個非常可憎的人物，她的下嘴唇垂到她的奶上。她說：“晚安，兵士!你的劍真好，你的行軍袋真大，你真是一個不折不扣的兵士!現在你喜歡要有多少錢就可以有多少錢了。”

　　“謝謝你，老巫婆!”兵士說。

　　“你看見那棵大樹嗎?”巫婆說，指著他們旁邊的一棵樹。“那里面是空的。如果你爬到它的頂上去，就可以看到一個洞口。你從那兒朝下一溜，就可以深深地鉆進樹身里去。我要你腰上系一根繩子，這樣，你喊我的時候，便可以把你拉上來。”

　　“我到樹底下去干什么呢?”兵士問。

　　“取錢呀，”巫婆回答說。“你將會知道，你一鉆進樹底下去，就會看到一條寬大的走廊。那兒很亮，因為那里點著一百多盞明燈。你會看到三個門，都可以打開，因為鑰匙就在門鎖里。你走進第一個房間，可以看到當中有一口大箱子，上面坐著一只狗，它的眼睛非常大，像一對茶杯。可是你不要管它!我可以把我藍格子布的圍裙給你。你把它鋪在地上，然后趕快走過去，把那只狗抱起來，放在我的圍裙上。于是你就把箱子打開，你想要多少錢就取出多少錢。這些錢都是銅鑄的。但是如果你想取得銀鑄的錢，就得走進第二個房間里去。不過那兒坐著一只狗，它的眼睛有水車輪那么大。可是你不要去理它。你把它放在我的圍裙上，然后把錢取出來。可是，如果你想得到金子鑄的錢，你也可以達到目的。你拿得動多少就可以拿多少——假如你到第三個房間里去的話。不過坐在這兒錢箱上的那只狗的一對眼睛，可有‘圓塔’①那么大啦。你要知道，它才算得是一只狗啦!可是你一點也不必害怕。你只消把它放在我的圍裙上，它就不會傷害你了。你從那個箱子里能夠取出多少金子來，就取出多少來吧。”

　　“這倒很不壞，”兵士說。“不過我拿什么東西來酬謝你呢。老巫婆?我想你不會什么也不要吧。”

　　“不要，”巫婆說，“我一個銅板也不要。我只要你替我把那個舊打火匣取出來。那是我祖母上次忘掉在那里面的。”

　　“好吧!請你把繩子系到我腰上吧。”兵士說。

　　“好吧，”巫婆說。“把我的藍格子圍裙拿去吧。”

　　兵士爬上樹，一下子就溜進那個洞口里去了。正如老巫婆說的一樣，他現在來到了一條點著幾百盞燈的大走廊里。他打開第一道門。哎呀!果然有一條狗坐在那兒。眼睛有茶杯那么大，直瞪著他。

　　“你這個好家伙!”兵士說。于是他就把它抱到巫婆的圍裙上。然后他就取出了許多銅板，他的衣袋能裝多少就裝多少。他把箱子鎖好，把狗兒又放到上面，于是他就走進第二個房間里去。哎呀!這兒坐著一只狗，眼睛大得簡直像一對水車輪。

　　“你不應該這樣死盯著我，”兵士說。“這樣你就會弄壞你的眼睛啦。”他把狗兒抱到女巫的圍裙上。當他看到箱子里有那么多的銀幣的時候，他就把他所有的銅板都扔掉，把自己的衣袋和行軍袋全裝滿了銀幣。隨后他就走進第三個房間——乖乖，這可真有點嚇人!這兒的一只狗，兩只眼睛真正有“圓塔”那么大!它們在腦袋里轉動著，簡直像輪子!

　　“晚安!”兵士說。他把手舉到帽子邊上行了個禮，因為他以前從來沒有看見過這樣的一只狗兒。不過，他對它瞧了一會兒以后，心里就想，“現在差不多了。”他把它抱下來放到地上。于是他就打開箱子。老天爺呀!那里面的金子真夠多!他可以用這金子把整個的哥本哈根買下來，他可以把賣糕餅女人②所有的糖豬都買下來，他可以把全世界的錫兵啦、馬鞭啦、搖動的木馬啦，全部都買下來。是的，錢可真是不少——兵士把他衣袋和行軍袋里滿裝著的銀幣全都倒出來，把金子裝進去。是的，他的衣袋，他的行軍袋，他的帽子，他的皮靴全都裝滿了，他幾乎連走也走不動了。現在他的確有錢了。他把狗兒又放到箱子上去，鎖好了門，在樹里朝上面喊一聲：“把我拉上來呀，老巫婆!”

　　“你取到打火匣沒有?”巫婆問。

　　“一點也不錯!”兵士說。“我把它忘記得一干二凈。”于是他又走下去，把打火匣取來。巫婆把他拉了出來。所以他現在又站在大路上了。他的衣袋、皮靴、行軍袋、帽子，全都盛滿了錢。

　　“你要這打火匣有什么用呢?”兵士問。

　　“這與你沒有什么相干，”巫婆反駁他說，“你已經得到錢——你只消把打火匣交給我好了。”

　　“廢話!”兵士說。“你要它有什么用，請你馬上告訴我。不然我就抽出劍來，把你的頭砍掉。”

　　“我可不能告訴你!”巫婆說。

　　兵士一下子就把她的頭砍掉了。她倒了下來!他把他所有的錢都包在她的圍裙里，像一捆東西似的背在背上;然后把那個打火匣放在衣袋里，一直向城里走去。

　　這是一個頂漂亮的城市!他住進一個最好的旅館里去，開了最舒服的房間，叫了他最喜歡的酒菜，因為他現在發了財，有的是錢。替他擦皮靴的那個茶房覺得，像他這樣一位有錢的紳士，他的這雙皮鞋真是舊得太滑稽了。但是新的他還來不及買。第二天他買到了合適的靴子和漂亮的衣服。現在我們的這位兵士成了一個煥然一新的紳士了。大家把城里所有的一切事情都告訴他，告訴他關于國王的事情，告訴他這國王的女兒是一位非常美麗的公主。

　　“在什么地方可以看到她呢?”兵士問。

　　“誰也不能見到她，”大家齊聲說。“她住在一幢寬大的銅宮里，周圍有好幾道墻和好幾座塔。只有國王本人才能在那兒自由進出，因為從前曾經有過一個預言，說她將會嫁給一個普通的士兵，這可叫國王忍受不了。”

　　“我倒想看看她呢，”兵士想。不過他得不到許可。

　　他現在生活得很愉快，常常到戲院去看戲，到國王的花園里去逛逛，送許多錢給窮苦的人們。這是一種良好的行為，因為他自己早已體會到，沒有錢是多么可怕的事!現在他有錢了，有華美的衣服穿，交了很多朋友。這些朋友都說他是一個稀有的人物，一位豪俠之士。這類話使這個兵士聽起來非常舒服。不過他每天只是把錢花出去，卻賺不進一個來。所以最后他只剩下兩個銅板了。因此他就不得不從那些漂亮房間里搬出來，住到頂層的一間閣樓里去。他也只好自己擦自己的皮鞋，自己用縫針補自己的皮鞋了。他的朋友誰也不來看他了，因為走上去要爬很高的梯子。

　　有一天晚上天很黑。他連一根蠟燭也買不起。這時他忽然記起，自己還有一根蠟燭頭裝在那個打火匣里——巫婆幫助他到那空樹底下取出來的那個打火匣。他把那個打火匣和蠟燭頭取出來。當他在火石上擦了一下，火星一冒出來的時候，房門忽然自動地開了，他在樹底下所看到的那條眼睛有茶杯大的狗兒就在他面前出現了。它說：

　　“我的主人，有什么吩咐?”

　　“這是怎么一回事兒?”兵土說。“這真是一個滑稽的打火匣。如果我能這樣得到我想要的東西才好呢!替我弄幾個錢來吧!”他對狗兒說。于是“噓”的一聲，狗兒就不見了。一會兒，又是“噓”的一聲，狗兒嘴里銜著一大口袋的錢回來了。

　　現在士兵才知道這是一個多么美妙的打火匣。只要他把它擦一下，那只狗兒就來了，坐在盛有銅錢的箱子上。要是他擦它兩下，那只有銀子的狗兒就來了。要是他擦三下，那只有金子的狗兒就出現了。現在這個兵士又搬到那幾間華美的房間里去住，又穿起漂亮的衣服來了。他所有的朋友馬上又認得他了，并且還非常關心他起來。

　　有一次他心中想：“人們不能去看那位公主，也可算是一樁怪事。大家都說她很美;不過，假如她老是獨住在那有許多塔樓的銅宮里，那有什么意思呢?難道我就看不到她一眼嗎?——我的打火匣在什么地方?”他擦出火星，馬上“噓”的一聲，那只眼睛像茶杯一樣的狗兒就跳出來了。

　　“現在是半夜了，一點也不錯，”兵士說。“不過我倒很想看一下那位公主哩，哪怕一忽兒也好。”

　　狗兒立刻就跑到門外去了。出乎這士兵的意料之外，它一會兒就領著公主回來了。她躺在狗的背上，已經睡著了。誰都可以看出她是一個真正的公主，因為她非常好看。這個兵士忍不住要吻她一下，因為他是一個不折不扣的丘八呀。

　　狗兒又帶著公主回去了。但是天亮以后，當國王和王后正在飲茶的時候，公主說她在晚上做了一個很奇怪的夢，夢見一只狗和一個兵，她自己騎在狗身上，那個兵吻了她一下。“這倒是一個很好玩的故事呢!”王后說。

　　因此第二天夜里有一個老宮女就得守在公主的床邊，來看看這究竟是夢呢，還是什么別的東西。

　　那個兵士非常想再一次看到這位可愛的公主。因此狗兒晚上又來了，背起她，盡快地跑走了。那個老宮女立刻穿上套鞋，以同樣的速度在后面追趕。當她看到他們跑進一幢大房子里去的時候，她想：“我現在可知道這塊地方了。”她就在這門上用白粉筆畫了一個大十字。隨后她就回去睡覺了，不久狗兒把公主送回來了。不過當它看見兵士住的那幢房子的門上畫著一個十字的時候，它也取一支粉筆來，在城里所有的門上都畫了一個十字。這件事做得很聰明，因為所有的門上都有了十字，那個老宮女就找不到正確的地方了。

　　早晨，國王、王后、那個老宮女以及所有的官員很早就都來了，要去看看公主所到過的地方。

　　當國王看到第一個畫有十字的門的時候，他就說：“就在這兒!”

　　但是王后發現另一個門上也有個十字，所以她說：“親愛的丈夫，不是在這兒呀?”

　　這時大家都齊聲說：“那兒有一個!那兒有一個!”因為他們無論朝什么地方看，都發現門上畫有十字。所以他們覺得，如果再找下去，也不會得到什么結果。

　　不過王后是一個非常聰明的女人。她不僅只會坐四輪馬車，而且還能做一些別的事情。她取出一把金剪刀，把一塊綢子剪成幾片，縫了一個很精致的小袋，在袋里裝滿了很細的蕎麥粉。她把這小袋系在公主的背上。這樣布置好了以后，她就在袋子上剪了一個小口，好叫公主走過的路上，都撒上細粉。

　　晚間狗兒又來了。它把公主背到背上，帶著她跑到兵士那兒去。這個兵士現在非常愛她;他倒很想成為一位王子，和她結婚呢。

　　狗兒完全沒有注意到，面粉已經從王宮那兒一直撒到兵士那間屋子的窗上——它就是在這兒背著公主沿著墻爬進去的。早晨，國王和王后已經看得很清楚，知道他們的女兒曾經到什么地方去過。他們把那個兵士抓來，關進牢里去。

　　他現在坐在牢里了。嗨，那里面可夠黑暗和悶人啦!人們對他說：“明天你就要上絞架了。”這句話聽起來可真不是好玩的，而且他把打火匣也忘掉在旅館里。第二天早晨，他從小窗的鐵欄桿里望見許多人涌出城來看他上絞架。他聽到鼓聲，看到兵士們開步走。所有的人都在向外面跑。在這些人中間有一個鞋匠的學徒。他還穿著破圍裙和一雙拖鞋。他跑得那么快，連他的一雙拖鞋也飛走了，撞到一堵墻上。那個兵士就坐在那兒，在鐵欄桿后面朝外望。

　　“喂，你這個鞋匠的小鬼!你不要這么急呀!”兵士對他說。“在我沒有到場以前，沒有什么好看的呀。不過，假如你跑到我住的那個地方去，把我的打火匣取來，我可以給你四塊錢。但是你得使勁地跑一下才行。”這個鞋匠的學徒很想得到那四塊錢，所以提起腳就跑，把那個打火匣取來，交給這兵士，同時——唔，我們馬上就可以知道事情起了什么變化。在城外面，一架高大的絞架已經豎起來了。它的周圍站著許多兵士和成千成萬的老百姓。國王和王后，面對著審判官和全部陪審的人員，坐在一個華麗的王座上面。

　　那個兵士已經站到梯子上來了。不過，當人們正要把絞索套到他脖子上的時候，他說，一個罪人在接受他的裁判以前，可以有一個無罪的要求，人們應該讓他得到滿足：他非常想抽一口煙，而且這可以說是他在這世界上最后抽的一口煙了。

　　對于這要求，國王不愿意說一個“不”字。所以兵士就取出了他的打火匣，擦了幾下火。一——二——三!忽然三只狗兒都跳出來了——一只有茶杯那么大的眼睛，一只有水車輪那么大的眼睛——還有一只的眼睛簡直有“圓塔”那么大。

　　“請幫助我，不要叫我被絞死吧!”兵士說。

　　這時這幾只狗兒就向法官和全體審判的人員撲來，拖著這個人的腿子，咬著那個人的鼻子，把他們扔向空中有好幾丈高，他們落下來時都跌成了肉醬。

　　“不準這樣對付我!”國王說。不過最大的那只狗兒還是拖住他和他的王后，把他們跟其余的人一起亂扔，所有的士兵都害怕起來，老百姓也都叫起來：“小兵，你做咱們的國王吧!你跟那位美麗的公主結婚吧!”

　　這么著，大家就把這個兵士擁進國王的四輪馬車里去。那三只狗兒就在他面前跳來跳去，同時高呼：“萬歲!”小孩子用手指吹起口哨來;士兵們敬起禮來。那位公主走出她的銅宮，做了王后，感到非常滿意。結婚典禮舉行了足足八天。那三只狗兒也上桌子坐了，把眼睛睜得比什么時候都大。

　　①這是指哥本哈根的有名的“圓塔”;它原先是一個天文臺。

　　②這是指舊時丹麥賣零食和玩具的一種小販。“糖豬”(Sukkergrise)是糖做的小豬，既可以當玩具，又可以吃掉。

 

　　英文版：

　　ASOLDIER came marching along the high road: “Left, right—left, right.” He had his knapsack on his back, and a sword at his side; he had been to the wars, and was now returning home.

　　As he walked on, he met a very frightful-looking old witch in the road. Her under-lip hung quite down on her breast, and she stopped and said, “Good evening, soldier; you have a very fine sword, and a large knapsack, and you are a real soldier; so you shall have as much money as ever you like.”

　　“Thank you, old witch,” said the soldier.

　　“Do you see that large tree,” said the witch, pointing to a tree which stood beside them. “Well, it is quite hollow inside, and you must climb to the top, when you will see a hole, through which you can let yourself down into the tree to a great depth. I will tie a rope round your body, so that I can pull you up again when you call out to me.”

　　“But what am I to do, down there in the tree?” asked the soldier.

　　“Get money,” she replied; “for you must know that when you reach the ground under the tree, you will find yourself in a large hall, lighted up by three hundred lamps; you will then see three doors, which can be easily opened, for the keys are in all the locks. On entering the first of the chambers, to which these doors lead, you will see a large chest, standing in the middle of the floor, and upon it a dog seated, with a pair of eyes as large as teacups. But you need not be at all afraid of him; I will give you my blue checked apron, which you must spread upon the floor, and then boldly seize hold of the dog, and place him upon it. You can then open the chest, and take from it as many pence as you please, they are only copper pence; but if you would rather have silver money, you must go into the second chamber. Here you will find another dog, with eyes as big as mill-wheels; but do not let that trouble you. Place him upon my apron, and then take what money you please. If, however, you like gold best, enter the third chamber, where there is another chest full of it. The dog who sits on this chest is very dreadful; his eyes are as big as a tower, but do not mind him. If he also is placed upon my apron, he cannot hurt you, and you may take from the chest what gold you will.”

　　“This is not a bad story,” said the soldier; “but what am I to give you, you old witch? for, of course, you do not mean to tell me all this for nothing.”

　　“No,” said the witch; “but I do not ask for a single penny. Only promise to bring me an old tinder-box, which my grandmother left behind the last time she went down there.”

　　“Very well; I promise. Now tie the rope round my body.”

　　“Here it is,” replied the witch; “and here is my blue checked apron.”

　　As soon as the rope was tied, the soldier climbed up the tree, and let himself down through the hollow to the ground beneath; and here he found, as the witch had told him, a large hall, in which many hundred lamps were all burning. Then he opened the first door. “Ah!” there sat the dog, with the eyes as large as teacups, staring at him.

　　“You’re a pretty fellow,” said the soldier, seizing him, and placing him on the witch’s apron, while he filled his pockets from the chest with as many pieces as they would hold. Then he closed the lid, seated the dog upon it again, and walked into another chamber, And, sure enough, there sat the dog with eyes as big as mill-wheels.

　　“You had better not look at me in that way,” said the soldier; “you will make your eyes water;” and then he seated him also upon the apron, and opened the chest. But when he saw what a quantity of silver money it contained, he very quickly threw away all the coppers he had taken, and filled his pockets and his knapsack with nothing but silver.

　　Then he went into the third room, and there the dog was really hideous; his eyes were, truly, as big as towers, and they turned round and round in his head like wheels.

　　“Good morning,” said the soldier, touching his cap, for he had never seen such a dog in his life. But after looking at him more closely, he thought he had been civil enough, so he placed him on the floor, and opened the chest. Good gracious, what a quantity of gold there was! enough to buy all the sugar-sticks of the sweet-stuff women; all the tin soldiers, whips, and rocking-horses in the world, or even the whole town itself There was, indeed, an immense quantity. So the soldier now threw away all the silver money he had taken, and filled his pockets and his knapsack with gold instead; and not only his pockets and his knapsack, but even his cap and boots, so that he could scarcely walk.

　　He was really rich now; so he replaced the dog on the chest, closed the door, and called up through the tree, “Now pull me out, you old witch.”

　　“Have you got the tinder-box?” asked the witch.

　　“No; I declare I quite forgot it.” So he went back and fetched the tinderbox, and then the witch drew him up out of the tree, and he stood again in the high road, with his pockets, his knapsack, his cap, and his boots full of gold.

　　“What are you going to do with the tinder-box?” asked the soldier.

　　“That is nothing to you,” replied the witch; “you have the money, now give me the tinder-box.”

　　“I tell you what,” said the soldier, “if you don’t tell me what you are going to do with it, I will draw my sword and cut off your head.”

　　“No,” said the witch.

　　The soldier immediately cut off her head, and there she lay on the ground. Then he tied up all his money in her apron. and slung it on his back like a bundle, put the tinderbox in his pocket, and walked off to the nearest town. It was a very nice town, and he put up at the best inn, and ordered a dinner of all his favorite dishes, for now he was rich and had plenty of money.

　　The servant, who cleaned his boots, thought they certainly were a shabby pair to be worn by such a rich gentleman, for he had not yet bought any new ones. The next day, however, he procured some good clothes and proper boots, so that our soldier soon became known as a fine gentleman, and the people visited him, and told him all the wonders that were to be seen in the town, and of the king’s beautiful daughter, the princess.

　　“Where can I see her?” asked the soldier.

　　“She is not to be seen at all,” they said; “she lives in a large copper castle, surrounded by walls and towers. No one but the king himself can pass in or out, for there has been a prophecy that she will marry a common soldier, and the king cannot bear to think of such a marriage.”

　　“I should like very much to see her,” thought the soldier; but he could not obtain permission to do so. However, he passed a very pleasant time; went to the theatre, drove in the king’s garden, and gave a great deal of money to the poor, which was very good of him; he remembered what it had been in olden times to be without a shilling. Now he was rich, had fine clothes, and many friends, who all declared he was a fine fellow and a real gentleman, and all this gratified him exceedingly. But his money would not last forever; and as he spent and gave away a great deal daily, and received none, he found himself at last with only two shillings left. So he was obliged to leave his elegant rooms, and live in a little garret under the roof, where he had to clean his own boots, and even mend them with a large needle. None of his friends came to see him, there were too many stairs to mount up. One dark evening, he had not even a penny to buy a candle; then all at once he remembered that there was a piece of candle stuck in the tinder-box, which he had brought from the old tree, into which the witch had helped him.

　　He found the tinder-box, but no sooner had he struck a few sparks from the flint and steel, than the door flew open and the dog with eyes as big as teacups, whom he had seen while down in the tree, stood before him, and said, “What orders, master?”

　　“Hallo,” said the soldier; “well this is a pleasant tinderbox, if it brings me all I wish for.”

　　“Bring me some money,” said he to the dog.

　　He was gone in a moment, and presently returned, carrying a large bag of coppers in his month. The soldier very soon discovered after this the value of the tinder-box. If he struck the flint once, the dog who sat on the chest of copper money made his appearance; if twice, the dog came from the chest of silver; and if three times, the dog with eyes like towers, who watched over the gold. The soldier had now plenty of money; he returned to his elegant rooms, and reappeared in his fine clothes, so that his friends knew him again directly, and made as much of him as before.

　　After a while he began to think it was very strange that no one could get a look at the princess. “Every one says she is very beautiful,” thought he to himself; “but what is the use of that if she is to be shut up in a copper castle surrounded by so many towers. Can I by any means get to see her. Stop! where is my tinder-box?” Then he struck a light, and in a moment the dog, with eyes as big as teacups, stood before him.

　　“It is midnight,” said the soldier, “yet I should very much like to see the princess, if only for a moment.”

　　The dog disappeared instantly, and before the soldier could even look round, he returned with the princess. She was lying on the dog’s back asleep, and looked so lovely, that every one who saw her would know she was a real princess. The soldier could not help kissing her, true soldier as he was. Then the dog ran back with the princess; but in the morning, while at breakfast with the king and queen, she told them what a singular dream she had had during the night, of a dog and a soldier, that she had ridden on the dog’s back, and been kissed by the soldier.

　　“That is a very pretty story, indeed,” said the queen. So the next night one of the old ladies of the court was set to watch by the princess’s bed, to discover whether it really was a dream, or what else it might be.

　　The soldier longed very much to see the princess once more, so he sent for the dog again in the night to fetch her, and to run with her as fast as ever he could. But the old lady put on water boots, and ran after him as quickly as he did, and found that he carried the princess into a large house. She thought it would help her to remember the place if she made a large cross on the door with a piece of chalk. Then she went home to bed, and the dog presently returned with the princess. But when he saw that a cross had been made on the door of the house, where the soldier lived, he took another piece of chalk and made crosses on all the doors in the town, so that the lady-in-waiting might not be able to find out the right door.

　　Early the next morning the king and queen accompanied the lady and all the officers of the household, to see where the princess had been.

　　“Here it is,” said the king, when they came to the first door with a cross on it.

　　“No, my dear husband, it must be that one,” said the queen, pointing to a second door having a cross also.

　　“And here is one, and there is another!” they all exclaimed; for there were crosses on all the doors in every direction.

　　So they felt it would be useless to search any farther. But the queen was a very clever woman; she could do a great deal more than merely ride in a carriage. She took her large gold scissors, cut a piece of silk into squares, and made a neat little bag. This bag she filled with buckwheat flour, and tied it round the princess’s neck; and then she cut a small hole in the bag, so that the flour might be scattered on the ground as the princess went along. During the night, the dog came again and carried the princess on his back, and ran with her to the soldier, who loved her very much, and wished that he had been a prince, so that he might have her for a wife. The dog did not observe how the flour ran out of the bag all the way from the castle wall to the soldier’s house, and even up to the window, where he had climbed with the princess. Therefore in the morning the king and queen found out where their daughter had been, and the soldier was taken up and put in prison. Oh, how dark and disagreeable it was as he sat there, and the people said to him, “To-morrow you will be hanged.” It was not very pleasant news, and besides, he had left the tinder-box at the inn. In the morning he could see through the iron grating of the little window how the people were hastening out of the town to see him hanged; he heard the drums beating, and saw the soldiers marching. Every one ran out to look at them. and a shoemaker’s boy, with a leather apron and slippers on, galloped by so fast, that one of his slippers flew off and struck against the wall where the soldier sat looking through the iron grating. “Hallo, you shoemaker’s boy, you need not be in such a hurry,” cried the soldier to him. “There will be nothing to see till I come; but if you will run to the house where I have been living, and bring me my tinder-box, you shall have four shillings, but you must put your best foot foremost.”

　　The shoemaker’s boy liked the idea of getting the four shillings, so he ran very fast and fetched the tinder-box, and gave it to the soldier. And now we shall see what happened. Outside the town a large gibbet had been erected, round which stood the soldiers and several thousands of people. The king and the queen sat on splendid thrones opposite to the judges and the whole council. The soldier already stood on the ladder; but as they were about to place the rope around his neck, he said that an innocent request was often granted to a poor criminal before he suffered death. He wished very much to smoke a pipe, as it would be the last pipe he should ever smoke in the world. The king could not refuse this request, so the soldier took his tinder-box, and struck fire, once, twice, thrice,— and there in a moment stood all the dogs;—the one with eyes as big as teacups, the one with eyes as large as mill-wheels, and the third, whose eyes were like towers. “Help me now, that I may not be hanged,” cried the soldier.

　　And the dogs fell upon the judges and all the councillors; seized one by the legs, and another by the nose, and tossed them many feet high in the air, so that they fell down and were dashed to pieces.

　　“I will not be touched,” said the king. But the largest dog seized him, as well as the queen, and threw them after the others. Then the soldiers and all the people were afraid, and cried, “Good soldier, you shall be our king, and you shall marry the beautiful princess.”

　　So they placed the soldier in the king’s carriage, and the three dogs ran on in front and cried “Hurrah!” and the little boys whistled through their fingers, and the soldiers presented arms. The princess came out of the copper castle, and became queen, which was very pleasing to her. The wedding festivities lasted a whole week, and the dogs sat at the table, and stared with all their eyes.