The steadfast tin soldier (Hans Christian Andersen)
them because they were born from an old tin spoon. Kept the
gun in his hand and looked straight ahead, in the beautiful uniform
red and blue. The first thing I heard in this world, when the
lid of the box in which they were raised, was
the exclamation: "Tin soldiers!" uttered by a child
clapped his hands, had received them because it was his birthday, and they
lined up on the table.
bit 'different: he had one leg because he had been cast last, and
there was not enough tin! However he was quite straight on
his one leg as the others on their own two legs and he had
a strange fate.
On the table where they had been leaning there were many other toys,
but what attracted most attention was a nice castle
paper. Through the windows could be seen in cinemas.
Outside there were many trees around a mirror that
had to be a lake, swam over and there were mirrored swans
wax. Everything was very nice, but it was a prettier
girl standing at the open door of the castle, she was
made of paper, but had the skirt of fine linen and a small tape
blue draped over his shoulders with a central shining spangle,
as big as his face. The girl had both hands in
high, because she was a dancer, and had one leg raised so
high that the Tin Soldier, not seeing her, she too believed that
had one leg, just like him. "That would be the bride
I "thought" but is very elegant and lives in a castle, but I've
just a box and we live in twenty-five, is not a place for
her! However I must try to get acquainted! "He lay long as it was
behind a snuffbox which was on the table, from there he could see
well pretty girl who continued to stand on one leg,
without losing balance.
In the evening's other tin soldiers entered the box
and the inhabitants of the house went to bed. Then toys
began to enjoy itself exchanged visits dance, play
war. The tin soldiers rattled in their box, because
wished to participate in fun, but could not get
cover. The Nutcracker was doing somersaults and the gypsum
enjoyed on the blackboard, made such a noise that the canary
woke up and began to speak in verse.
The only ones who did not move at all were the Tin Soldier and the
little dancer, she kept standing on the toes with the two
arms raised, with the same tenacity he remained upright on his one
leg and his eyes did not move a single moment from her.
Rang midnight and tac ... lifted the lid of the snuff, but
inside there was no tobacco, but a tiny black troll, because it was
a box to surprise.
"Soldier," said the goblin, "Stop looking at others!"
But the tin soldier pretended not to hear.
"Wait and see tomorrow," said the troll.
When the children got up the next day, the soldier was placed near
the window and I do not know if it was the troll or a gust of wind,
window opened and the soldier fell head first down from the third floor.
It was a terrible flight, legs in air, then fell on his cap
thrusting his bayonet between the stones.
The maid and the boy came down directly to look, but although
were about to step on him, they could not see it. If the soldier
he shouted, "Here!" they would certainly have found, but he
thought that it was not good to shout out loud because he was in uniform.
Began to rain, the drops were falling thicker and was a
bell'acquazzone: When the rain stopped at last came two
urchins.
"Look," said one "there's a tin soldier! now we do boating. "
They made a boat with a newspaper, and put Soldier and
did sail along the gutter, ran after him, clapping
hands. God save us! waves that were in the gutter, and current!
All because dell'acquazzone. The boat rocked up and down and all
both turned on itself so quickly that the tin soldier trembled
everything, but nevertheless, tenacious as he was, did not bat an eyelid, looked
straight before him and held his rifle under his arm.
Suddenly the boat is stuck in an underground passage
sewer, it was so dark that the soldier seemed to be in its
box.
"Where am I going?" thought. "Yes, all the fault of the troll!" Ah, if only the
girl on the boat were here with me, then I would not care that
was also darker. "Just then stepped out of a large rat, which
lived in the sewer.
"You have a passport?" He asked. "He pulls out his passport," But
soldier remained silent and held his musket tighter than ever. The
boat passed by and the rat began to follow her. Hu! as
grinding his teeth and shouted at straws and chips: "Stop him!
Stop it! did not pay the customs! did not show his passport. "
But the strain became louder and the tin soldier could already see the
daylight at the end of the sewer, when he heard a noise
terrible, that was frightening even to a brave man-think the
rivulet ended in a big canal, and the soldier was dangerous
as we happen on a large waterfall.
Now it was so close that it was impossible to stop. Stiffened more
he could, because nobody could say he had been afraid. The
boat turned over on itself three or four times and it was full of
water to the brim and was about to sink. The soldier felt the water
reach the throat, and the boat sank deeper and deeper, the paper
Meanwhile disintegrating. The water also covers the head - then thought
the lovely dancer who would never see again, and felt
ringing in ears
Farewell, good soldier
you die too
The paper got rid of everything and the tin soldier sank, but soon was swallowed by a big fish.
Oh, how dark it was inside! darker than in the sewer, and then was
so close, but the soldier was persistent and remained lying there with a gun
shoulder.
The fish is stirred so terrible, then calmed down and it was as if a
lightning through it. The light was shining now, and someone shouted: 'The
Tin Soldier. " The fish had been caught, brought to market
sold and taken to the kitchen where a girl had cut with a
large knife. He took two fingers with the soldier and took him into the living room
where everyone wanted to see this extraordinary man who had traveled
in the belly of a fish, but he is not proud. He was put on the table
and ... oh, the weirdness happen in the world! The soldier was found in
same room where he was before, he saw the same children and
toys that were on the table, the beautiful castle with the
graceful dancer, who was still standing on one foot and held
the other raised, she was tenacious and this touched the soldier
was about to cry tears of tin, but this is not
suited. He looked at her, and she looked at him, but did not say a word.
Just then one of the little boys took the soldier and the
threw in the oven, and just for no reason, certainly was the fault
troll of the snuff.
The soldier saw a great light and felt a great heat, was
unbearable, but he did not know if it was the flame of the fire or
that of love. Its colors were faded, but who could
say whether it was for the trip or for the pain of love? He looked
the girl and she looked at him, and he felt loose, but still
tightly held the gun on his shoulder. Meanwhile, a door
open and the wind grabbed the dancer who flew like a sylph
precisely in the oven near the soldier. Disappeared with a single flame, and
even the soldier is gone. When the day after the
maid took the ashes of the soldier was alone in the little heart
pond, the dancer the shoeblack all charred and blackened.
Hans Christian Andersen
