d to appeal to Andersen. The
romance of the Whip Top and the Ball in the
little story "The Lovers" deals with another
odd couple. "Constant" or "steadfast" are terms
sometimes used in the different versions
instead of "hardy," and, if they seem better to
carry the meaning intended, teachers should
feel free to substitute one of them in telling
or reading the story. The translation is by H.
W. Dulcken.

THE HARDY TIN SOLDIER

HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN

There were once five-and-twenty tin soldiers; they were all brothers,
for they had all been born of one old tin spoon. They shouldered their
muskets, and looked straight before them; their uniform was red and
blue, and very splendid. The first thing they had heard in the world,
when the lid was taken off their box, had been the words, "Tin
soldiers!" These words were uttered by a little boy, clapping his hands:
the soldiers had been given to him, for it was his birthday; and now he
put them upon the table. Each soldier was exactly like the rest; but one
of them had been cast last of all, and there had not been enough tin to
finish him; but he stood as firmly upon his one leg as the others on
their two; and it was just this Soldier who became remarkable.

On the table on which they had been placed stood many other playthings,
but the toy that attracted most attention was a neat castle of
cardboard. Through the little windows one could see straight into the
hall. Before the castle some little trees were placed round a little
looking-glass, which was to represent a clear lake. Waxen swans swam on
this lake, and were mirrored in it. This was all very pretty; but the
prettiest of all was a little lady, who stood at the open door of the
castle; she was also cut out in paper, but she had a dress of the
clearest gauze, and a little narrow blue ribbon over her shoulders, that
looked like a scarf; and in the middle of this ribbon was a shining
tinsel rose as big as her whole face. The little lady stretched out both
her arms, for she was a dancer; and then she lifted one leg so high that
the Tin Soldier could not see it at all, and thought that, like himself,
she had but one leg.

"That would be the wife for me," thought he; "but she is very grand. She
lives in a castle, and I have only a box, and there are five-and-twenty
of us in that. It is no place for her. But I must try to make
acquaintance with her