ier. "But what am I to give you, old
witch? for you will not do it for nothing, I fancy."

"No," replied the witch, "not a single shilling will I have. You shall
only bring me an old tinder-box which my grandmother forgot when she was
down there last."

"Then tie the rope round my body," cried the soldier.

"Here it is," said the witch, "and here's my blue-checked apron."

Then the soldier climbed up into the tree, let himself slip down into
the hole, and stood, as the witch had said, in the great hall where the
three hundred lamps were burning.

Now he opened the first door. Ugh! there sat the dog with eyes as big as
tea-cups, staring at him. "You're a nice fellow!" exclaimed the soldier;
and he set him on the witch's apron, and took as many copper shillings
as his pockets would hold, and then locked the chest, set the dog on it
again, and went into the second chamber. Aha! there sat the dog with
eyes as big as mill-wheels.

"You should not stare so hard at me," said the soldier; "you might
strain your eyes." And he set the dog upon the witch's apron. And when
he saw the silver money in the chest, he threw away all the copper money
he had, and filled his pocket and his knapsack with silver only. Then he
went into the third chamber. Oh, but that was horrid! The dog there
really had eyes as big as towers, and they turned round and round in his
head like wheels.

"Good evening!" said the soldier; and he touched his cap, for he had
never seen such a dog as that before. When he had looked at him a little
more closely, he thought, "That will do," and lifted him down to the
floor, and opened the chest. Mercy! what a quantity of gold was there!
He could buy with it the whole town, and the sugar sucking-pigs of the
cake woman, and all the tin soldiers, whips, and rocking-horses in the
whole world. Yes, that was a quantity of money! Now the soldier threw
away all the silver coin with which he had filled his pockets and his
knapsack, and took gold instead: yes, all his pockets, his knapsack, his
boots, and his cap were filled, so that he could scarcely walk. Now
indeed he had plenty of money. He put the dog on the chest, shut the
door, and then called up through the tree, "Now pull me up, you old
witch."

"Have you the tinder-box?" asked the witch.

"Plague on it!" exclaimed the soldier, "I had clean forgotten that." And
he went and brought it.

The witch drew him up, and he stood on the high road again, with
pockets