'You are a fine fellow!' said the Soldier, and put him on the Witch's apron, took as much copper as his pockets could hold then he shut the chest, put the dog on it again, and went into the second room. Ugh! there sat the dog with eyes as big as saucers glaring at him. Then the Soldier climbed up the tree, let himself down through the hole, and found himself standing, as the Witch had said, underground in the large hall, where the three hundred lamps were burning. 'Here it is,' said the Witch, 'and here is my blue-check apron.' 'Well, tie the rope round my waist! 'said the Soldier. 'Not a single farthing will I take! For me you shall bring nothing but an old tinder-box which my grandmother forgot last time she was down there.' 'But what am I to give you, old Witch for surely you are not going to do this for nothing?' 'Come, this is not bad!' said the Soldier. Only, put him on my apron and he won't touch you, and you can take out of the chest as much gold as you like!'
But the dog that guards the chest there has eyes as large as the Round Tower at Copenhagen! He is a savage dog, I can tell you but you needn't be afraid of him either. If you prefer gold, you can get that too, if you go into the third room, and as much as you like to carry. But don't take any notice of him just set him upon my apron, and help yourself to the money. If you would rather have silver, you must go into the next room, where there is a dog with eyes as large as mill-wheels. I will give you my blue-check apron, which you must spread out on the floor, and then go back quickly and fetch the dog and set him upon it open the chest and take as much money as you like.
If you go into the first room, you will see a great chest in the middle of the floor with a dog sitting upon it he has eyes as large as saucers, but you needn't trouble about him. Then you will see three doors, which you can open-the keys are in the locks. 'Listen! When you reach the bottom of the tree you will find yourself in a large hall it is light there, for there are more than three hundred lamps burning. 'What shall I do down there?' asked the Soldier. I will tie a rope round your waist, so that I may be able to pull you up again when you call.' You must climb up to the top, and then you will see a hole through which you can let yourself down into the tree. 'Do you see that great tree there?' said the Witch, pointing to a tree beside them. 'Thank you, old Witch,' said the Soldier. 'What a fine sword and knapsack you have! You are the very picture of a fine soldier! You ought to have as much money as you can carry!' She was very ugly to look at: her bottom-lip hung down to her breast. Anyway, it ends happily for the hero and the princess (but not for the witch of the King and Queen).Ī soldier came marching along the high road-left, right! A left, right! He had his knapsack on his back and a sword by his side, for he had been to the wars and was now returning home.Īn old Witch met him on the road. This may represent the young author's cynical view of Copenhagen society - he moved there from his village when he was young. It seem that everyone in it is mostly interested in money and prestige, and the soldier's friends quickly abandon him when he loses his wealth.
Perhaps the moral of this tale is that there is no moral. But instead of the exotic eastern setting, we are in Europe, with a comparison of the dog's eyes to the Great Tower of Copenhagen in Andersen's native Denmark. There is even a princess who is brought to the hero while asleep. The Tinderbox - a box to kindle a flame - is the equivalent of the wonderful lamp, the witch is the evil magician, and the dogs with swirling eyes take the place of the two genies of the lamps. Its exciting plot seems to owe quite a lot to Aladdin. The Tinderbox was the first story published (in 1835) by the Danish storyteller, Hans Christian Andersen.
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