Children's Literature: A Textbook of Sources for Teachers and Teacher-Training ClassesCurry, Charles Madison
General
Children's Literature: A Textbook of Sources for Teachers and Teacher-Training Classes
Curry, Charles Madison
Children -- Books and reading; Children's literature -- Study and teaching
"I should like to see her," thought the soldier; but he could not get
leave to do so. Now he lived merrily, went to the theater, drove in the
King's garden, and gave much money to the poor; and this was very kind
of him, for he knew from old times how hard it is when one has not a
shilling. Now he was rich, had fine clothes, and gained many friends,
who all said he was a rare one, a true cavalier; and that pleased the
soldier well. But as he spent money every day and never earned any, he
had at last only two shillings left; and he was obliged to turn out of
the fine rooms in which he had dwelt, and had to live in a little garret
under the roof, and clean his boots for himself, and mend them with a
darning-needle. None of his friends came to see him, for there were too
many stairs to climb.
It was quite dark one evening, and he could not even buy himself a
candle, when it occurred to him 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 rose up from the flint, the
door flew open, and the dog who had eyes as big as a couple of tea-cups,
and whom he had seen in the tree, stood before him, and said:
"What are my lord's commands?"
"What is this?" said the soldier. "That's a famous tinder-box, if I can
get everything with it that I want! Bring me some money," said he to the
dog: and _whisk!_ the dog was gone, and _whisk!_ he was back again, with
a great bag full of shillings in his mouth.
Now the soldier knew what a capital tinder-box this was. If he struck it
once, the dog came who sat upon the chest of copper money; if he struck
it twice, the dog came who had the silver; and if he struck it three
times, then appeared the dog who had the gold. Now the soldier moved
back into the fine rooms, and appeared again in handsome clothes; and
all his friends knew him again, and cared very much for him indeed.
Once he thought to himself, "It is a very strange thing that one cannot
get to see the Princess. They all say she is very beautiful; but what is
the use of that, if she has always to sit in the great copper castle
with the many towers? Can I not get to see her at all? Where is my
tinder-box?" And so he struck a light, and _whisk!_ came the dog with
eyes as big as tea-cups.
"It is midnight, certainly," said the soldier, "but I should very much
like to see the Princess, only for one little moment."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account