poetic and dramatic art, and marred his
prose descriptions, both in novels and books of travel, by an intrusive
egotism and lyric exaggeration. No doubt, therefore, the most permanent
part of his work is that which popular instinct has selected, the
'Picture Book without Pictures,' the 'Tales and Stories'; and among
these, those will last longest that have least of the lyric and most of
the dramatic element.

Nearly all of Andersen's books are translated in ten uniform but
unnumbered volumes, published by Houghton, Mifflin and Company. Of the
numerous translations of the 'Tales,' Mary Howitt's (1846) and Sommer's
(1893) are the best, though far from faultless.

The 'Life of Hans Christian Andersen' by R. Nisbet Bain (New York, 1895)
is esteemed the best.

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THE STEADFAST TIN SOLDIER

From 'Collected Fairy Tales,' newly translated

There were once twenty-five tin soldiers, who were all brothers, for
they were cast out of one old tin spoon. They held their muskets, and
their faces were turned to the enemy; red and blue, ever so fine, were
the uniforms. The first thing they heard in this world, when the cover
was taken from the box where they lay, were the words, "Tin soldiers!" A
little boy shouted it, and clapped his hands. He had got them because it
was his birthday, and now he set them up on the table. Each soldier was
just like the other, only one was a little different. He had but one
leg, for he had been cast last, and there was not enough tin. But he
stood on his one leg just as firm as the others on two, so he was just
the one to be famous.

On the table where they were set up stood a lot of other playthings; but
what caught your eye was a pretty castle of paper. Through the little
windows you could see right into the halls. Little trees stood in front,
around a bit of looking-glass which was meant for a lake. Wax swans swam
on it and were reflected in it. That was all very pretty, but still the
prettiest thing was a little girl who stood right in the castle gate.
She was cut out of paper too, but she had a silk dress, and a little
narrow blue ribbon across her shoulders, on which was a sparkling star
as big as her whole face. The little girl lifted her arms gracefully in
the air, for she was a dancer; and then she lifted one leg so high that
the tin soldier could not find it at all, and thought that she had only
one leg, just like himself.

"That would be the wife for me