The Tin Soldier is the author of the fairy tale. The Tale of the Steadfast Tin Soldier - Hans Christian Andersen

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Hans Christian Andersen
The Steadfast Tin Soldier

There were once twenty-five tin soldiers, brothers on the mother's side - the old tin spoon; a gun on his shoulder, his head straight, a red and blue uniform - well, what a beauty these soldiers are! The first words they heard when they opened their box house were: “Oh, tin soldiers!” It was the little boy who was given the toy soldiers on his birthday who shouted, clapping his hands. And he immediately began to place them on the table. All the soldiers were exactly the same, except for one, who had one leg. He was the last to be cast, and the tin was a little short, but he stood on his one leg as firmly as the others on two; and he turned out to be the most remarkable of all.

On the table where the soldiers found themselves, there were many different toys, but what caught the eye most was a wonderful palace made of cardboard. Through the small windows one could see the palace chambers; in front of the palace, around a small mirror that depicted a lake, there were trees, and wax swans swam on the lake and admired their reflection. It was all miraculously sweet, but cutest of all was the young lady standing on the very threshold of the palace. She, too, was cut out of paper and dressed in a skirt made of the finest cambric; over her shoulder was a narrow blue ribbon in the form of a scarf, and on her chest sparkled a rosette the size of the young lady’s own face. The young lady stood on one leg, her arms outstretched - she was a dancer - and raised her other leg so high that our soldier did not see her and thought that the beauty was also one-legged, like him.

“I wish I had such a wife! - he thought. “Only she, apparently, is one of the nobles, lives in the palace, and all I have is a box, and even then there are twenty-five of us stuffed in it, she has no place there!” But it still doesn’t hurt to get to know each other.”

And he hid behind a snuff-box that stood right there on the table; from here he could clearly see the lovely dancer, who kept standing on one leg without losing her balance.

Late in the evening, all the other tin soldiers were put into a box, and all the people in the house went to bed. Now the toys themselves began to play at home, at war and at the ball. The tin soldiers began to knock on the walls of the box - they also wanted to play, but could not lift the lids. The Nutcracker tumbled, the stylus danced across the board; There was such a noise and uproar that the canary woke up and also began to speak, and even in poetry! Only the dancer and the tin soldier did not move: she was still standing on her outstretched toes, stretching her arms forward, he stood cheerfully under the gun and did not take his eyes off her.

It struck twelve. Click! - the snuff box opened.

There was no tobacco, but a small black troll; the snuffbox was a trick!

“Tin soldier,” said the troll, “there’s no point in looking at you!”

The tin soldier seemed not to have heard.

- Well, wait! - said the troll.

In the morning the children got up and put the tin soldier on the window.

Suddenly - whether by the grace of a troll or from a draft - the window flew open, and our soldier flew headfirst from the third floor - only a whistle began to whistle in his ears! A minute - and he was already standing on the pavement with his feet up: his head in a helmet and his gun were stuck between the stones of the pavement.

The boy and the maid immediately ran out to search, but no matter how hard they tried, they could not find the soldier; they almost stepped on him with their feet and still did not notice him. He shouted to them: “I’m here!” - they, of course, would have found him right away, but he considered it indecent to shout in the street: he was wearing a uniform!

It began to rain; stronger, stronger, finally the rain poured. When it cleared up again, two street boys came.

- Look! - said one. - There's the tin soldier! Let's send him sailing!

And they made a boat out of newsprint, put a tin soldier in it and launched it into the ditch. The boys themselves ran alongside and clapped their hands. Well well! That's how the waves moved along the groove! The current just carried on - no wonder after such a downpour!

The boat was thrown and spun in all directions, so that the tin soldier was shaking all over, but he stood firm: the gun on his shoulder, his head straight, his chest forward!

The boat was carried under the long bridge: it became so dark, as if the soldier had fallen into the box again.

“Where is it taking me? - he thought. - Yes, these are all the things of a nasty troll! Oh, if only that beauty were sitting in the boat with me - for me, be at least twice as dark!”

At that moment a large rat jumped out from under the bridge.

- Do you have a passport? – she asked. - Give me your passport!

But the tin soldier was silent and clutched his gun even tighter. The boat was carried along, and the rat swam after it. Uh! How she gnashed her teeth and screamed at the chips and straws floating towards her:

- Hold him, hold him! He didn’t pay the fees and didn’t show his passport!

But the current carried the boat faster and faster, and the tin soldier already saw the light ahead, when suddenly he heard such a terrible noise that any brave man would have chickened out. Imagine, at the end of the bridge, water from the ditch rushed into a large canal! It was as scary for the soldier as it was for us to rush in a boat to a large waterfall.

But the soldier was carried further and further, it was impossible to stop. The boat with the soldier slid down; The poor fellow remained stoic as before and didn’t even blink an eye. The boat spun... Once, twice - it filled with water to the brim and began to sink. The tin soldier found himself up to his neck in water; further more... the water covered his head! Then he thought about his beauty: he would never see her again. It sounded in his ears:


Strive forward, O warrior,
And face death calmly!

The paper tore and the tin soldier sank to the bottom, but at that very moment a fish swallowed him.

What darkness! It’s worse than under the bridge, and what’s more, how cramped it is! But the tin soldier stood firm and lay stretched out to his full length, clutching his gun tightly to himself.

The fish rushed here and there, made the most amazing leaps, but suddenly froze, as if it had been struck by lightning. The light flashed and someone shouted: “Tin Soldier!” The fact is that the fish was caught, taken to the market, then it ended up in the kitchen, and the cook ripped open its belly with a large knife. The cook took the tin soldier by the waist with two fingers and carried him into the room, where everyone at home came running to see the wonderful traveler. But the tin soldier was not at all proud. They put it on the table, and something that doesn’t happen in the world! - he found himself in the same room, saw the same children, the same toys and a wonderful palace with a lovely little dancer! She still stood on one leg, raising the other high. So much fortitude! The Tin Soldier was touched and almost cried with tin, but that would have been indecent, and he restrained himself. He looked at her, she at him, but they did not say a word.

Suddenly one of the boys grabbed the tin soldier and, for no apparent reason, threw him straight into the stove. The troll must have set it all up! The tin soldier stood engulfed in flames, he was terribly hot, from the fire or from love - he himself did not know. The colors had completely peeled off of him, he was all faded; who knows why - from the road or from grief? He looked at the dancer, she looked at him, and he felt that he was melting, but still stood firm, with a gun on his shoulder. Suddenly the door in the room opened, the wind caught the dancer, and she, like a sylph, fluttered straight into the stove to the tin soldier, burst into flames at once and - the end! And the tin soldier melted and melted into a lump. The next day the maid was clearing out the ash from the stove and found a small tin heart; from the dancer there was only one rosette left, and even that was all burnt and blackened like coal.

Listen to a fairy tale The Steadfast Tin Soldier online:

Once upon a time there were twenty-five tin soldiers, maternal brothers - an old tin spoon, a gun on his shoulder, his head straight, a red and blue uniform - well, what a beauty these soldiers were! The first words they heard when they opened their box house were: “Oh, tin soldiers!” It was the little boy who was given the toy soldiers on his birthday who shouted, clapping his hands. And he immediately began to place them on the table. All the soldiers were exactly the same, except for one, who had one leg. He was the last to be cast, and the tin was a little short, but he stood on his own leg as firmly as the others on two; and he turned out to be the most remarkable of all.

On the table where the soldiers found themselves, there were many different toys, but what caught the eye most was a palace made of cardboard. Through the small windows one could see the palace chambers; in front of the palace, around a small mirror that depicted a lake, there were trees, and wax swans swam on the lake and admired their reflection. It was all miraculously sweet, but cutest of all was the young lady standing on the very threshold of the palace. She, too, was cut out of paper and dressed in a skirt made of the finest cambric; over her shoulder was a narrow blue ribbon in the form of a scarf, and on her chest sparkled a rosette the size of the young lady’s own face. The young lady stood on one leg, with her arms outstretched - she was a dancer - and raised her other leg so high that our soldier did not even see her, and thought that the beauty was also one-legged, like him.

“I wish I had such a wife! - he thought. - Only she, apparently, is one of the nobles, lives in the palace, and all I have is a box, and even then there are twenty-five of us stuffed in it, she has no place there! But it still doesn’t hurt to get to know each other.”

And he hid behind a snuff-box that stood right there on the table; from here he could clearly see the lovely dancer, who kept standing on one leg without losing her balance.

Late in the evening, all the other tin soldiers were put into a box, and all the people in the house went to bed. Now the toys themselves began to play at home, at war and at the ball. The tin soldiers began to knock on the walls of the box - they also wanted to play, but could not lift the lids. The Nutcracker tumbled, the stylus wrote on the board; There was such a noise and uproar that the canary woke up and also began to speak, and even in poetry! Only the dancer and the tin soldier did not move: she was still standing on her outstretched toes, stretching her arms forward, he stood cheerfully and did not take his eyes off her.

It struck twelve. Click! - the snuff box opened.

There was no tobacco, but a small black troll; the snuffbox was a trick!

Tin soldier, - said the troll, - there is no need for you to look at him!

The tin soldier seemed not to have heard.

Well, wait! - said the troll.

In the morning the children got up and put the tin soldier on the window.

Suddenly - whether by the grace of a troll or from a draft - the window swung open, and our soldier flew headfirst from the third floor - only a whistle began to whistle in his ears! A minute - and he was already standing on the pavement with his foot upside down: his head in a helmet and his gun were stuck between the stones of the pavement.

The boy and the maid immediately ran out to search, but no matter how hard they tried, they could not find the soldier; they almost stepped on him with their feet and still did not notice him. He shouted to them: “I’m here!” - They, of course, would have found him right away, but he considered it indecent to shout in the street, he was wearing a uniform!

It began to rain; stronger, stronger, finally the rain poured. When it cleared up again, two street boys came.

Look! - said one. - There's the tin soldier! Let's send him sailing!

And they made a boat out of newsprint, put a tin soldier in it and let it into the ditch. The boys themselves ran alongside and clapped their hands. Well well! That's how the waves moved along the groove! The current just carried along - no wonder after such a downpour!

The boat was thrown and spun in all directions, so that the tin soldier was shaking all over, but he stood firm: the gun on his shoulder, his head straight, his chest forward!

The boat was carried under the long bridge: it became so dark, as if the soldier had fallen into the box again.

“Where is it taking me? - he thought. - Yes, these are all jokes of a nasty troll! Oh, if only that beauty were sitting in the boat with me - for me, be at least twice as dark!”

At that moment a large rat jumped out from under the bridge.

Do you have a passport? - she asked. - Give me your passport!

But the tin soldier was silent and clutched his gun even tighter. The boat was carried along, and the rat swam after it. Uh! How she gnashed her teeth and screamed at the chips and straws floating towards her:

Hold it, hold it! He didn’t pay the fees and didn’t show his passport!

But the current carried the boat faster and faster, and the tin soldier had already seen the light ahead, when suddenly he heard such a terrible noise that any brave man would have chickened out. Imagine, at the end of the bridge, water from the ditch rushed into the large canal! It was as scary for the soldier as it was for us to rush in a boat to a large waterfall.

But the soldier was carried further and further, it was impossible to stop. The boat with the soldier slid down; The poor fellow remained stoic as before and didn’t even blink an eye. The boat spun... Once, twice - it filled with water to the brim and began to sink. The tin soldier found himself up to his neck in water; further more... the water covered his head! Then he thought about his beauty: he would never see her again. It sounded in his ears:

Strive forward, O warrior,
And face death calmly!

The paper tore and the tin soldier sank to the bottom, but at that very moment a fish swallowed him. What darkness! It’s worse than under the bridge, and what’s more, how cramped it is! But the tin soldier stood firm and lay stretched out to his full length, clutching his gun tightly to himself.

The fish rushed here and there, made the most amazing leaps, but suddenly froze, as if it had been struck by lightning. The light flashed and someone shouted: “Tin Soldier!” The fact is that the fish was caught, taken to the market, then it ended up in the kitchen, and the cook ripped open its belly with a large knife. The cook took the tin soldier by the waist with two fingers and carried him into the room, where everyone at home came running to see the wonderful traveler. But the tin soldier was not at all proud. They put it on the table, and - something that doesn’t happen in the world! - he found himself in the same room, saw the same children, the same toys and a wonderful palace with a lovely little dancer. She still stood on one leg, raising the other high. So much fortitude! The Tin Soldier was touched and almost cried with tin, but that would have been indecent, and he restrained himself. He looked at her, she at him, but they did not say a word.

Suddenly one of the boys grabbed the tin soldier and, for no apparent reason, threw him straight into the stove. The troll probably set it all up! The tin soldier stood engulfed in flames: he was terribly hot, from fire or love - he himself did not know. The colors had completely peeled off of him, he was all faded; who knows from what - from the road or from grief? He looked at the dancer, she looked at him, and he felt that he was melting, but he still stood firm, with a gun on his shoulder. Suddenly the door in the room opened, the wind caught the dancer, and she, like a sylph, fluttered straight into the stove to the tin soldier, burst into flames at once and - the end! And the tin soldier melted and melted into a lump. The next day the maid was clearing out the ash from the stove and found a small tin heart; from the dancer there was only one rosette left, and even that was all burnt and blackened like coal.

Fairy tale The Steadfast Tin Soldier read:

There were once twenty-five tin soldiers, maternal brothers - an old tin spoon, a gun on his shoulder, his head straight, a red and blue uniform - well, what a delight these soldiers were! The first words they heard when they opened their box house were: “Oh, tin soldiers!” It was the little boy who was given the toy soldiers on his birthday who shouted, clapping his hands. And he immediately began to place them on the table. All the soldiers were exactly the same, except for one, who had one leg. He was the last to be cast, and the tin was a little short, but he stood on his own leg as firmly as the others on two; and he turned out to be the most remarkable of all.

On the table where the soldiers found themselves, there were many different toys, but what caught the eye most was a palace made of cardboard. Through the small windows one could see the palace chambers; in front of the palace, around a small mirror that depicted a lake, there were trees, and wax swans swam on the lake and admired their reflection. It was all miraculously sweet, but cutest of all was the young lady standing on the very threshold of the palace. She, too, was cut out of paper and dressed in a skirt made of the finest cambric; over her shoulder was a narrow blue ribbon in the form of a scarf, and on her chest sparkled a rosette the size of the young lady’s own face. The young lady stood on one leg, with her arms outstretched - she was a dancer - and raised her other leg so high that our soldier did not even see her, and thought that the beauty was also one-legged, like him.

“I wish I had such a wife! - he thought. “Only she, apparently, is one of the nobles, lives in the palace, and all I have is a box, and even then there are twenty-five of us stuffed in it, she has no place there!” But it still doesn’t hurt to get to know each other.”

And he hid behind a snuff-box that stood right there on the table; from here he could clearly see the lovely dancer, who kept standing on one leg without losing her balance.

Late in the evening, all the other tin soldiers were put into a box, and all the people in the house went to bed. Now the toys themselves began to play at home, at war and at the ball. The tin soldiers began to knock on the walls of the box - they also wanted to play, but could not lift the lids. The Nutcracker tumbled, the stylus wrote on the board; There was such a noise and uproar that the canary woke up and also began to speak, and even in poetry! Only the dancer and the tin soldier did not move: she was still standing on her outstretched toes, stretching her arms forward, he stood cheerfully and did not take his eyes off her.

It struck twelve. Click! — the snuffbox opened.

There was no tobacco, but a small black troll; the snuffbox was a trick!

“Tin soldier,” said the troll, “there’s no point in looking at you!”

The tin soldier seemed not to have heard.

- Well, wait! - said the troll.

In the morning the children got up and put the tin soldier on the window.

Suddenly - whether by the grace of a troll or from a draft - the window flew open, and our soldier flew headfirst from the third floor - only a whistle began to whistle in his ears! A minute - and he was already standing on the pavement with his feet upside down: his head in a helmet and his gun were stuck between the stones of the pavement.

The boy and the maid immediately ran out to search, but no matter how hard they tried, they could not find the soldier; they almost stepped on him with their feet and still did not notice him. He shouted to them: “I’m here!” - They, of course, would have found him right away, but he considered it indecent to shout in the street, he was wearing a uniform!

It began to rain; The rain finally came stronger and stronger. When it cleared up again, two street boys came.

- Look! - said one. - There's the tin soldier! Let's send him sailing!

And they made a boat out of newsprint, put a tin soldier in it and let it into the ditch.

The boys themselves ran alongside and clapped their hands. Well well! That's how the waves moved along the groove! The current just carried along - no wonder after such a downpour!

The boat was thrown and spun in all directions, so that the tin soldier was shaking all over, but he stood firm: the gun on his shoulder, his head straight, his chest forward!

The boat was carried under the long bridge: it became so dark, as if the soldier had fallen into the box again.

“Where is it taking me? - he thought. - Yes, these are all jokes of a nasty troll! Oh, if only that beauty were sitting in the boat with me - for me, be at least twice as dark!”

At that moment a large rat jumped out from under the bridge.

- Do you have a passport? she asked. - Give me your passport!

But the tin soldier was silent and clutched his gun even tighter. The boat was carried along, and the rat swam after it. Uh! How she gnashed her teeth and screamed at the chips and straws floating towards her:

- Hold him, hold him! He didn’t pay the fees and didn’t show his passport!

But the current carried the boat faster and faster, and the tin soldier had already seen the light ahead, when suddenly he heard such a terrible noise that any brave man would have chickened out. Imagine, at the end of the bridge, water from the ditch rushed into the large canal! It was as scary for the soldier as it was for us to rush in a boat to a large waterfall.

But the soldier was carried further and further, it was impossible to stop. The boat with the soldier slid down; The poor fellow remained stoic as before and didn’t even blink an eye. The boat spun... Once, twice, it filled to the brim with water and began to sink. The tin soldier found himself up to his neck in water; further more... the water covered his head! Then he thought about his beauty: he would never see her again. It sounded in his ears:

Strive forward, O warrior,

And face death calmly!

The paper tore and the tin soldier sank to the bottom, but at that very moment a fish swallowed him.

What darkness! It’s worse than under the bridge, and what’s more, how cramped it is! But the tin soldier stood firm and lay stretched out to his full length, clutching his gun tightly to himself.

The fish rushed here and there, made the most amazing leaps, but suddenly froze, as if it had been struck by lightning. The light flashed and someone shouted: “Tin Soldier!”

The fact is that the fish was caught, taken to the market, then it ended up in the kitchen, and the cook ripped open its belly with a large knife. The cook took the tin soldier by the waist with two fingers and carried him into the room, where everyone at home came running to see the wonderful traveler. But the tin soldier was not at all proud. They put it on the table, and - something that doesn’t happen in the world! - he found himself in the same room, saw the same children, the same toys and a wonderful palace with a lovely little dancer. She still stood on one leg, raising the other high. So much fortitude! The Tin Soldier was touched and almost cried with tin, but that would have been indecent, and he restrained himself. He looked at her, she at him, but they did not say a word.

Suddenly one of the boys grabbed the tin soldier and, for no apparent reason, threw him straight into the stove. The troll probably set it all up! The tin soldier stood engulfed in flames: he was terribly hot, from fire or love - he himself did not know. The colors had completely peeled off of him, he was all faded; who knows from what - from the road or from grief? He looked at the dancer, she looked at him, and he felt that he was melting, but he still stood firm, with a gun on his shoulder. Suddenly the door in the room opened, the wind caught the dancer, and she, like a sylph, fluttered straight into the stove to the tin soldier, burst into flames at once and - the end!

And the tin soldier melted and melted into a lump. The next day the maid was clearing out the ash from the stove and found a small tin heart; from the dancer there was only one rosette left, and even that was all burnt and blackened like coal.

About the fairy tale

The Steadfast Tin Soldier: A Short Love Story

The world-famous tale of the steadfast tin soldier was first published in 1838. The story, invented by the author, and not taken from folk tales, was included in his popular collection “Fairy Tales Told to Children.”

It is said that Hans Christian Andersen was inspired by a piece of tin that he found in the ash of a furnace. Yes, this could very well be the case! A vivid imagination and a subtle perception of the world can give impetus to writing a masterpiece based on one breath of wind.

The Steadfast Tin Soldier is a slightly sad tale of fidelity and beautiful love. The story is recommended for bedtime reading or with family and grandparents. A child already at the age of 5 is able to feel the depth of the sad story and draw conclusions about the persistent character of the little tin hero.

Note to parents and educators!

Children perfectly remember a fairy tale told with emotion and deep inspiration. Convey the narrative in faces, change the voice, focusing on positive and negative characters (actions).

What was Andersen thinking about when he wrote his immortal work?

The piece of tin that the writer found in the ashes puzzled the inquisitive author. He thought, how could this heart-shaped lump get into the oven? Hans immediately remembered his childhood, and the image of the master’s toy business arose in his memory. Andersen vividly imagined an old man in an apron and with calloused hands, melting an old tin spoon. The master poured the hot mass into the mold and he got 24 soldiers, but on the 25th he was a little short of material. The main character was born without a leg, but this made his character even more persistent and fearless.

Why is Andersen's character so unhappy?

All the heroes of the Danish writer have an extraordinary fate and a special appearance. This is because the author of each character wrote from himself. Since childhood, Hans was a lanky and awkward child, and his ugly appearance brought the writer a lot of mental suffering. But despite the pain and hostility of those around him, he achieved all his goals in life.

What did the author want to tell the kids?

Read the fairy tale with pictures online and learn the deep meaning of the old fairy tale. The story about the incredible resilience of the main character amazes children's imagination. The pages tell small and large readers that the soul of a loving and strong-willed person is devoid of fear, deception and meanness. After reading a fairy tale, children will understand when there is a real, sincere dream - there is nothing to be afraid of in life. And if you have met your destiny and your loving soulmate, then you can go through fire, water and copper pipes with her.

Briefly about the plot of the fairy tale

The story begins with a box in which tin soldiers lived. Every day the children took them out into the light of day and played war games. In the evening, all the toys were put in their places, but the one-legged soldier did not want to live in a stuffy box. He wanted to dream and watch his beloved dancer, who was forever frozen in a graceful pose. It was probably a ballerina cut out of paper. One of her legs was raised high, and her body was adorned with a fluffy cambric skirt. On the dancer's chest there was a blue ribbon and a bright iridescent sparkle.

The soldier in love did not take his eyes off the beautiful ballerina, and the evil troll living in the snuffbox gritted his teeth, puffed and was jealous.

In the morning, children found the soldier and placed him on the windowsill. A light breeze or a harmful troll pushed the unfortunate man down and from that moment the terrible adventures of the poor romantic in love began.

The main character will have to go through a lot of troubles and misfortunes before he meets his ballerina again. And how the beautiful story ends, the children will find out at the end of the fairy tale. Read the story with your children, teach them to dream about love and a happy future.

There were once twenty-five tin soldiers in the world, all brothers, because they were born from an old tin spoon. The gun is on the shoulder, they look straight ahead, and what a magnificent uniform - red and blue! They were lying in a box, and when the lid was removed, the first thing they heard was:

Oh, tin soldiers!

It was a little boy who shouted and clapped his hands. They were given to him for his birthday, and he immediately placed them on the table.

All the Soldiers turned out to be exactly the same, and only

the only one was a little different from the rest: he had only one leg, because he was the last to be cast, and there was not enough tin. But he stood on one leg just as firmly as the others on two, and a wonderful story happened to him.

On the table where the soldiers found themselves, there were many other toys, but the most noticeable was a beautiful palace made of cardboard. Through small windows one could look directly into the halls. In front of the palace, around a small mirror that depicted a lake, there were trees, and wax swans swam on the lake and looked into it.

It was all so cute, but the cutest thing was the girl standing at the door of the castle. She, too, was cut out of paper, but her skirt was made of the finest cambric; over her shoulder there was a narrow blue ribbon, like a scarf, and on her chest there was a sparkle no smaller than the girl’s head. The girl stood on one leg, her arms stretched out in front of her - she was a dancer - and raised the other so high that the tin soldier did not even see her, and therefore decided that she was also one-legged, like him.

“I wish I had such a wife! - he thought. - Only she, apparently, is one of the nobles, lives in the palace, and all I have is a box, and even then there are as many as twenty-five of us soldiers in it, there is no place for her there! But you can get to know each other!”

And he hid behind a snuffbox that stood right there on the table. From here he had a clear view of the lovely dancer.

In the evening, all the other tin soldiers, except for him alone, were placed in the box, and the people in the house went to bed. And the toys began to play on their own

And to visit, and to the war, and to the ball. The tin soldiers stirred in the box - after all, they also wanted to play - but could not lift the lid. The Nutcracker tumbled, the stylus danced across the board. There was such a noise and uproar that the canary woke up and began to whistle, and not just, but in verse! Only the tin soldier and the dancer did not move. She still stood on one toe, stretching her arms forward, and he stood bravely on his only leg and did not take his eyes off her.

It struck twelve, and - click! - the lid of the snuff box bounced off, only it contained not tobacco, no, but a small black troll. The snuff box had a trick.

Tin soldier, - said the troll, - don’t look where you shouldn’t!

But the tin soldier pretended not to hear.

Well, wait, the morning will come! - said the troll.

And the morning came; The children stood up and placed the tin soldier on the windowsill. Suddenly, either by the grace of the troll, or from a draft, the window will open, and the soldier will fly upside down from the third floor! It was a terrible flight. The soldier threw himself into the air, stuck his helmet and bayonet between the stones of the pavement, and got stuck upside down.

The boy and the maid immediately ran out to look for him, but they could not see him, although they almost stepped on him. He shouted to them: “I’m here!” - They probably would have found him, but it was not proper for a soldier to scream at the top of his lungs - after all, he was wearing a uniform.

It began to rain, the drops fell more and more often, and finally a real downpour began to pour. When it ended, two street boys came.

Look! - said one. - There's the tin soldier! Let's set him sailing!

And they made a boat out of newsprint, put a tin soldier in it, and it floated along the drainage ditch. The boys ran alongside and clapped their hands. Fathers, what waves were moving along the ditch, what a swift current it was! Of course, after such a downpour!

The ship was thrown up and down and spun so that the tin soldier was shaking all over, but he stood firm - the gun on his shoulder, his head straight, his chest forward.

Suddenly the boat dived under long bridges across a ditch. It became so dark, as if the soldier had fallen into the box again.

“Where is it taking me? - he thought. - Yes, yes, all these are the tricks of a troll! Oh, if that young lady were sitting in the boat with me, then be at least twice as dark, and then nothing!”

Then a large water rat appeared, living under the bridge.

Do you have a passport? - She asked. - Show me your passport!

But the tin soldier took his fill of water and only clutched his gun even tighter. The ship was carried forward and forward, and the rat swam after it. Uh! How she gnashed her teeth, how she shouted to the chips and straws floating towards them:

Hold it! Hold it! He didn't pay the duty! He's passportless!

But the current became stronger and stronger, and the tin soldier already saw the light ahead, when suddenly there was such a noise that any brave man would have been frightened. Imagine, at the end of the bridge the drainage ditch flowed into a large canal. For the soldier it was as dangerous as for us rushing in a boat to a large waterfall.

The canal is already very close, it’s impossible to stop. The ship was carried out from under the bridge, the poor fellow held on as best he could, and did not even blink an eye. The ship spun three or four times, was filled with water to the brim, and it began to sink.

The soldier found himself up to his neck in water, and the boat sank deeper and deeper, the paper became soaked. The water covered the soldier's head, and then he thought about the lovely little dancer - he would never see her again. It sounded in his ears:

Strive forward, warrior,

Death will overtake you!

Then the paper finally fell apart and the soldier sank to the bottom, but at that very moment he was swallowed by a large fish.

Oh, how dark it was inside, even worse than under the bridge over the drainage ditch, and cramped to boot! But the tin soldier did not lose courage and lay stretched out to his full height, not letting go of the gun...

The fish went in circles and began to make the most outlandish leaps. Suddenly she froze, as if lightning had struck her. The light flashed and someone shouted: “Tin Soldier!” It turns out that the fish was caught, brought to the market, sold, brought to the kitchen, and the cook ripped open its belly with a large knife. Then the cook took the soldier by the lower back with two fingers and brought him into the room. Everyone wanted to look at such a wonderful little man - of course, he had traveled in the belly of a fish! But the tin soldier was not at all proud. They put it on the table, and - what miracles happen in the world! - he found himself in the same room, saw the same children, the same toys stood on the table and a wonderful palace with a lovely little dancer. She still stood on one leg, raising the other high - she was also persistent. The soldier was touched and almost cried tin tears, but that would have been unkind. He looked at her, she at him, but they did not say a word to each other.

Suddenly one of the kids grabbed the tin soldier and threw it into the stove, although the soldier had done nothing wrong. This, of course, was arranged by the troll who was sitting in the snuffbox.

The Tin Soldier stood in the flames, a terrible heat engulfed him, but whether it was fire or love, he did not know. The color had completely faded from him, no one could say why - from travel or from grief. He looked at the little dancer, she looked at him, and he felt that he was melting, but still stood firm, not letting go of the gun. Suddenly the door to the room swung open, the dancer was caught by the wind, and she, like a sylph, fluttered straight into the stove to the tin soldier, burst into flames at once - and she was gone. And the tin soldier melted into a lump, and the next morning the maid, scooping out the ashes, found a tin heart instead of the soldier. And all that was left of the dancer was a sparkle, and it was burnt and black, like coal.

There were once twenty-five tin soldiers, maternal brothers - an old tin spoon, a gun on his shoulder, his head straight, a red and blue uniform - well, what a delight these soldiers were! The first words they heard when they opened their box house were: “Oh, tin soldiers!” It was the little boy who was given the toy soldiers on his birthday who shouted, clapping his hands. And he immediately began to place them on the table. All the soldiers were exactly the same, except for one, who had one leg. He was the last to be cast, and the tin was a little short, but he stood on his own leg as firmly as the others on two; and he turned out to be the most remarkable of all.

On the table where the soldiers found themselves, there were many different toys, but what caught the eye most was a palace made of cardboard. Through the small windows one could see the palace chambers; in front of the palace, around a small mirror that depicted a lake, there were trees, and wax swans swam on the lake and admired their reflection. It was all miraculously sweet, but cutest of all was the young lady standing on the very threshold of the palace. She, too, was cut out of paper and dressed in a skirt made of the finest cambric; over her shoulder was a narrow blue ribbon in the form of a scarf, and on her chest sparkled a rosette the size of the young lady’s own face. The young lady stood on one leg, with her arms outstretched - she was a dancer - and raised her other leg so high that our soldier did not even see her, and thought that the beauty was also one-legged, like him.

“I wish I had such a wife! - he thought. “Only she, apparently, is one of the nobles, lives in the palace, and all I have is a box, and even then there are twenty-five of us stuffed in it, she has no place there!” But it still doesn’t hurt to get to know each other.”

And he hid behind a snuff-box that stood right there on the table; from here he could clearly see the lovely dancer, who kept standing on one leg without losing her balance.

Late in the evening, all the other tin soldiers were put into a box, and all the people in the house went to bed. Now the toys themselves began to play at home, at war and at the ball. The tin soldiers began to knock on the walls of the box - they also wanted to play, but could not lift the lids. The Nutcracker tumbled, the stylus wrote on the board; There was such a noise and uproar that the canary woke up and also began to speak, and even in poetry! Only the dancer and the tin soldier did not move: she was still standing on her outstretched toes, stretching her arms forward, he stood cheerfully and did not take his eyes off her.

It struck twelve. Click! — the snuffbox opened.

There was no tobacco, but a small black troll; the snuffbox was a trick!

“Tin soldier,” said the troll, “there’s no point in looking at you!”

The tin soldier seemed not to have heard.

- Well, wait! - said the troll.

In the morning the children got up and put the tin soldier on the window.

Suddenly - whether by the grace of a troll or from a draft - the window flew open, and our soldier flew headfirst from the third floor - only a whistle began to whistle in his ears! A minute - and he was already standing on the pavement with his feet upside down: his head in a helmet and his gun were stuck between the stones of the pavement.

The boy and the maid immediately ran out to search, but no matter how hard they tried, they could not find the soldier; they almost stepped on him with their feet and still did not notice him. He shouted to them: “I’m here!” - They, of course, would have found him right away, but he considered it indecent to shout in the street, he was wearing a uniform!

It began to rain; stronger, stronger, finally the rain poured. When it cleared up again, two street boys came.

- Look! - said one. - There's the tin soldier! Let's send him sailing!

And they made a boat out of newsprint, put a tin soldier in it and let it into the ditch. The boys themselves ran alongside and clapped their hands. Well well! That's how the waves moved along the groove! The current just carried along - no wonder after such a downpour!

The boat was thrown and spun in all directions, so that the tin soldier was shaking all over, but he stood firm: the gun on his shoulder, his head straight, his chest forward!

The boat was carried under the long bridge: it became so dark, as if the soldier had fallen into the box again.

“Where is it taking me? - he thought. - Yes, these are all jokes of a nasty troll! Oh, if only that beauty were sitting in the boat with me - for me, be at least twice as dark!”

At that moment a large rat jumped out from under the bridge.

- Do you have a passport? she asked. - Give me your passport!

But the tin soldier was silent and clutched his gun even tighter. The boat was carried along, and the rat swam after it. Uh! How she gnashed her teeth and screamed at the chips and straws floating towards her:

- Hold him, hold him! He didn’t pay the fees and didn’t show his passport!

But the current carried the boat faster and faster, and the tin soldier had already seen the light ahead, when suddenly he heard such a terrible noise that any brave man would have chickened out. Imagine, at the end of the bridge, water from the ditch rushed into the large canal! It was as scary for the soldier as it was for us to rush in a boat to a large waterfall.

But the soldier was carried further and further, it was impossible to stop. The boat with the soldier slid down; The poor fellow remained stoic as before and didn’t even blink an eye. The boat spun... Once, twice - it filled with water to the brim and began to sink. The tin soldier found himself up to his neck in water; further more... the water covered his head! Then he thought about his beauty: he would never see her again. It sounded in his ears:

Strive forward, O warrior,
And face death calmly!

The paper tore and the tin soldier sank to the bottom, but at that very moment a fish swallowed him. What darkness! It’s worse than under the bridge, and what’s more, how cramped it is! But the tin soldier stood firm and lay stretched out to his full length, clutching his gun tightly to himself.

The fish rushed here and there, made the most amazing leaps, but suddenly froze, as if it had been struck by lightning. The light flashed and someone shouted: “Tin Soldier!” The fact is that the fish was caught, taken to the market, then it ended up in the kitchen, and the cook ripped open its belly with a large knife. The cook took the tin soldier by the waist with two fingers and carried him into the room, where everyone at home came running to see the wonderful traveler. But the tin soldier was not at all proud. They put it on the table, and - something that doesn’t happen in the world! - he found himself in the same room, saw the same children, the same toys and a wonderful palace with a lovely little dancer. She still stood on one leg, raising the other high. So much fortitude! The Tin Soldier was touched and almost cried with tin, but that would have been indecent, and he restrained himself. He looked at her, she at him, but they did not say a word.

Suddenly one of the boys grabbed the tin soldier and, for no apparent reason, threw him straight into the stove. The troll probably set it all up! The tin soldier stood engulfed in flames: he was terribly hot, from fire or love - he himself did not know. The colors had completely peeled off of him, he was all faded; who knows from what - from the road or from grief? He looked at the dancer, she looked at him, and he felt that he was melting, but he still stood firm, with a gun on his shoulder. Suddenly the door in the room opened, the wind caught the dancer, and she, like a sylph, fluttered straight into the stove to the tin soldier, burst into flames at once and - the end! And the tin soldier melted and melted into a lump. The next day the maid was clearing out the ash from the stove and found a small tin heart; from the dancer there was only one rosette left, and even that was all burnt and blackened like coal.

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