Page:Fairy tales and stories (Andersen, Tegner).djvu/136

104 of copper, with many walls and towers round about it. No one but the king can go in and out there, because it has been predicted that she will be married to quite a common soldier, and that the king will not hear of."

"I should like to see her," thought the soldier; but that, of course, he would not be permitted to do.

So he began leading a merry life; he went to the theater, drove in the king's park, and gave a deal of money to the poor, which was very good of him. He knew from past experience how terrible it was to be without a penny.

He was now rich, had fine clothes, and a number of friends who all said he was a 'jolly fellow,' a real cavalier, and this the soldier liked much to hear. But as he went on paying out money everyday and received none at all in return, he was at last left with only two pennies, and was obliged to give up the pretty rooms he had been living in, and to move to a small, tiny garret, right under the roof, where he had to brush his own boots and to mend them with a darning-needle; and none of his friends came to see him, for there were so many stairs to walk up!

One dark evening he found he was not even able to buy himself a candle, when suddenly he remembered that there was a candle-end in the tinder-box, which he had taken out of the hollow tree into which the witch had helped him. He brought out the tinder-box and the candle-end, but as soon as he struck fire and the sparks flew from the flint, the door was burst open, and the dog, whom he had seen down under the tree, and who had eyes as large as tea-cups, stood before him and said: "What are master's orders?"

"Hullo! what's this?" said the soldier; "this is a jolly tinder-box, if I can get what I want in this way. "Bring me some money!" he said to the dog; and off the dog went; and the next minute he was back again, holding a large bag full of money in his mouth.

The soldier now knew what a splendid tinder-box it was. It he struck it once, the dog who was sitting on the chest with the copper money came; if he struck it twice, the one who had the silver money appeared; and if he struck it thrice, the one who had the gold came.

So the soldier moved down into his pretty rooms again, put on his fine clothes, and then all his friends knew him at once, and appeared to be very fond of him.

One day he thought to himself: it's very strange one cannot get a sight of that princess! She is so very beautiful, they all say! But what can be the good of that, when she must always sit inside that great copper palace with the many towers. Shall I never be able to see her, I wonder. Where is my tinder-box? He struck a light, and there stood the dog with eyes as large as tea-cups!

It's in the middle of the night, I know," said the soldier, "but I should like so much to see the princess, only for a moment!"