his is the really important part of the
study, the one which becomes increasingly interesting as readers grow
older and the stories they study become more and more complex and
difficult. The study of the characters of Shakespeare's heroes and
heroines is more than interesting pastime for men and women--it is good,
hard work.

For a simple example of what is meant, let us undertake briefly the
study of _The Hardy Tin Soldier_ (Volume I, page 148).

1. The hero is the Hardy Tin Soldier himself.

2. Persons of secondary importance are:

a. The twenty-four brothers.
b. The little boy.
c. The Dancing Lady.
d. The Goblin.
e. The servant-maid.
f. The two street boys.
g. The Water Rat.
h. The fish.
i. The cook.

Of these the Dancing Lady is second only to the lame Soldier; the
Goblin, the two street boys, the little boy and the Water Rat are given
considerable prominence, while the twenty-four brothers, the
servant-maid, the fish and the cook are introduced merely to effect a
certain incident or to give an air of truthfulness to the events. This
is a fairy tale, and in it we must be faithful to our juvenile friends,
considering the Goblin, the Water Rat and the fish as real persons, and
the Tin Soldier as a very human being.

3. In appearance the Tin Soldier was tall and erect, but alas! he had
only one leg! His uniform was red and blue and very splendid. He carried
his musket across his shoulder as a marching soldier should, kept his
eyes straight to the front, and stood very firmly upon his one foot. In
the fire he lost the tinsel and the color from his uniform, and when the
Dancer joined him he melted into a little tin heart.

4. While Andersen tells outright some of the characteristics of the
little Soldier, he leaves others to be inferred from acts. The Soldier
thinks, and sometimes the reader is told just what he thinks, but never
once does he speak--to him silence is golden. Yet not once do we miss
his voice, and it is only when we have finished that we suddenly think
what a silent little body he is. That is part of the author's art. The
Soldier never once moves his eyes, or changes his attitude; the author
never forgets that he is a _tin_ soldier, but makes his every act
consistent with his stiffness and rigidity. That is more of the author's
skill. There were other soldiers, twenty-four of them, and all were
brothers. A less skilful author would have stopped in the telli