THEŔE were őnçe^wőnçe fîve and twentý tin sôldierś. They were brőtherś, for they had åll bėen^been mâde out of^uv thé sâme ôld tin spöön. They åll shôuldered their bâyónets, held themselveś upright, and lōōked straight bėfore them.

Their ûníformś were verý smart-lōōking—red and blüe—and verý splendíd. Thé first thing they heaŕd in thé woŕld, when thé lid wáś^woś tâkén off thé box in which they lay, wáś^woś thé woŕdś "Tin sôldierś!" Thêśe woŕdś were spôkén bŷ a little boy, whö clapped hiś handś for joy. Thé sôldierś had bėen^been givén him bėcauśe it wáś^woś hiś birthday, and now hê wáś^woś pūtting them out upon thé tâble.

Each wáś^woś ėxactlý lîke thé rest tó^tö a hãir, ėxcept one^wőne whö had but one^wőne leg. Hê had bėen^been cast last of^uv åll, and theŕe had not bėen^been qυîte enough^ėnouf tin tó^tö finish him; but hê stōōd aś firmlý upon hiś one^wőne leg aś thé őtherś upon their twö, and it wáś^woś hê whöśe forťüneś bėcâme sô rėmarkáble.

On thé tâble wheŕe thé tin sôldierś had bėen^been set up were severál őther toyś, but thé one^wőne that áttractéd môst áttention wáś^woś a prėttý little pâper castle. Thröügh its tîný windôwś one^wőne cōūld see straight intö thé håll. In frőnt of^uv thé castle stōōd little treeś, clustéring round a småll mirroŕ which wáś^woś meant tó^tö reprėśent a transparént lâke. Swånś^swonś of^uv wax swam upon its surfáçe, and it rėflectėd back their imáĝėś.

Åll this wáś^woś verý prėttý, but prėttïést of^uv åll wáś^woś a little lâdý whö stōōd at thé castle's ôpén door. Shê töö wáś^woś cut out of^uv pâper, but shê wore a frock of^uv thé clėárėst gauze and a narrôw blüe ribbón ôver her shôulderś, lîke a scarf, and in thé middle of^uv thé ribbón wáś^woś plâçed a shîning tinsél rôśe. Thé little lâdý stretched out bôth her armś, for shê wáś^woś a dançer, and then shê liftėd one^wőne leg sô high that thé Sôldier qυîte lost sight of^uv it. Hê thøught that, lîke himself, shê had but one^wőne leg.

"That wōūld bê just thé wîfe for mê," thøught hê, "if shê were not töö grand. But shê liveś in a castle, whîle Î have ônlý a box, and theŕe are fîve and twentý of^uv us in that. It wōūld bê nô plâçe for a lâdý. Still, Î must trŷ tó^tö mâke her ácqυaintánçe." A snuffbox happéned tó^tö bê upon thé tâble and hê lay down at fūll length bėhînd it, and hėŕe hê cōūld eaśílý wātch^wotch thé daintý little lâdý, whö still rėmained standing on one^wőne leg without löśing her balánçe.

When thé êvening câme åll thé őther tin sôldierś were pūt áway in their box, and thé pêople in thé house went tó^tö bed. Now thé playthingś bėgan tó^tö play in their turn. They viśítėd, føught battleś, and gâve bållś. Thé tin sôldierś rattled in thé box, for they wished tó^tö join thé rest, but they cōūld not lift thé lid. Thé nutcrackerś turned sőmersaults, and thé pençíl jumped ábout in a môst ámûśing way. Theŕe wáś^woś such a din that thé cánãrý wôke and bėgan tó^tö speak—and in verse, töö. Thé ônlý ones^wőneś whö did not möve fróm their plâçėś were thé Tin Sôldier and thé Lâdý Dançer. Shê stōōd on tiptôe with outstretched armś, and hê wáś^woś just aś persévėring on hiś one^wőne leg; hê never őnçe^wőnçe turned áway hiś eŷeś fróm her.

Twelve ô'clock struck—crash! up sprang thé lid of^uv thé snuffbox. Theŕe wáś^woś nô snuff in it, but a little black goblin. Yöü see it wáś^woś not a real snuffbox, but a jack-in-thé-box.

"Tin Sôldier," sãid thé Goblin, "keep thîne eŷeś tó^tö thŷself. Gâze not at whåt dőeś not cónçern thee!"

But thé Tin Sôldier prêtendėd not tó^tö hėaŕ.

"Ônlý wait, then, till tó^tö-morrôw," rėmarked thé Goblin.

Next morning, when thé childrén got up, thé Tin Sôldier wáś^woś plâçed on thé windôw sill, and, whether it wáś^woś thé Goblin or thé wind that did it, åll at őnçe^wőnçe thé windôw flew ôpén and thé Tin Sôldier fell head foremôst fróm thé third storý tó^tö thé street bėlôw. It wáś^woś a trėmendoús fåll! Ôver and ôver hê turned in thé ãir, till at last hê restėd, hiś cap and bâyónet sticking fast bėtween thé pâving stôneś, whîle hiś one^wőne leg stōōd upright in thé ãir.

Thé maidservánt and thé little boy câme down at őnçe^wőnçe tó^tö lōōk for him, but, thôugh they nėaŕlý trod upon him, they cōūld not manáĝe tó^tö fînd him. If thé Sôldier had but őnçe^wőnçe cålled "Hėŕe am Î!" they might eaśílý enough^ėnouf have heaŕd him, but hê did not thiñk it bėcóming tó^tö crŷ out for help, bêing in ûníform.

It now bėgan tó^tö rain; faster and faster fell thé drops, until theŕe wáś^woś a heavý shõwer; and when it wáś^woś ôver, twö street boyś câme bŷ.

"Lōōk yöü," sãid one^wőne, "theŕe lîeś a tin sôldier. Hê must cőme out and sail in a boat."

Sô they mâde a boat out of^uv an ôld newśpâper and pūt thé Tin Sôldier in thé middle of^uv it, and áway hê sailed down thé gutter, whîle thé boyś ran álong bŷ hiś sîde, clapping their handś.

Gōōdnéss! how thé wâveś rocked that pâper boat, and how fast thé stream ran! Thé Tin Sôldier bėcâme qυîte giddý, thé boat vėered round sô qυicklý; still hê möved not a muscle, but lōōked straight bėfore him and held hiś bâyónet tightlý.

Åll at őnçe^wőnçe thé boat passed intö a drain, and it bėcâme aś dark aś hiś ôwn ôld hôme in thé box. "Wheŕe am Î gôing now?" thøught hê. "Yes, tó^tö bê ŝūre, it iś åll that Goblin's döing. Āh! if thé little lâdý were but sailing with mê in thé boat, Î wōūld not cãŕe if it were twîçe aś dark."

Just then a greât wåter rat, that lived under thé drain, dartėd suddénlý out.

"Have yöü a passport?" asked thé rat. "Wheŕe iś yøur passport?"

But thé Tin Sôldier kept sîlénçe and ônlý held hiś bâyónet with a firmer grasp.

Thé boat sailed on, but thé rat follôwed. Whew! how hê gnashed hiś teeth and crîed tó^tö thé sticks and strawś: "Stop him! stop him! Hê haśn't paid tôll! Hê haśn't shôwn hiś passport!"

But thé stream grew stroñger and stroñger. Ålreadý thé Tin Sôldier cōūld see daylight at thé point wheŕe thé tunnél endėd; but at thé sâme tîme hê heaŕd a rushing, røáring noiśe, at which a bôlder man might have trembled. Thiñk! just wheŕe thé tunnél endėd, thé drain wîdéned intö a greât sheet that fell intö thé mouth of^uv a sëwer. It wáś^woś aś períloús a siťüâtion for thé Sôldier aś sailing down a mightý wåterfåll wōūld bê for us.

Hê wáś^woś now sô nėaŕ it that hê cōūld not stop. Thé boat dashed on, and thé Tin Sôldier held himself sô well that nô one^wőne might say of^uv him that hê sô much aś wiñked an eŷe. Three or føur tîmeś thé boat whirled round and round; it wáś^woś fūll of^uv wåter tó^tö thé brim and must çertáinlý siñk.

Thé Tin Sôldier stōōd up tó^tö hiś neck in wåter; deeper and deeper sañk thé boat, softer and softer grew thé pâper; and now thé wåter clôśed ôver thé Sôldier's head. Hê thøught of^uv thé prėttý little dançer whöm hê shōūld never see ágãin, and in hiś ėaŕś rang thé woŕdś of^uv thé song:

Thé pâper boat partėd in thé middle, and thé Sôldier wáś^woś ábout tó^tö siñk, when hê wáś^woś swāllôwed^swollôwed bŷ a greât fish.

Ôh, how dark it wáś^woś! darker êvén than in thé drain, and sô narrôw; but thé Tin Sôldier rėtained hiś couráĝe; theŕe hê lay at fūll length, shôuldéring hiś bâyónet aś bėfore.

Tó^tö and frô swam thé fish, turning and twisting and mâking thé strânĝėst möveménts, till at last hê bėcâme perféctlý still.

Sőmething lîke a flash of^uv daylight passed thröügh him, and a voiçe sãid, "Tin Sôldier!" Thé fish had bėen^been caught, tâkén tó^tö markėt, sôld and bøught, and tâkén tó^tö thé kitchén, wheŕe thé cōōk had cut him with a larĝe knîfe. Shê sêized thé Tin Sôldier bėtween her fiñger and thumb and tōōk him tó^tö thé rööm wheŕe thé famílý sat, and wheŕe åll were eager tó^tö see thé çelébrâtėd man whö had travéled in thé maw of^uv a fish; but thé Tin Sôldier rėmained unmöved. Hê wáś^woś not at åll proud.

They set him upon thé tâble theŕe. But how cōūld sô cûrïoús a thing happén? Thé Sôldier wáś^woś in thé verý sâme rööm in which hê had bėen^been bėfore. Hê saw thé sâme childrén, thé sâme toyś stōōd upon thé tâble, and ámőng them thé prėttý dançing maidén, whö still stōōd upon one^wőne leg. Shê töö wáś^woś steadfast. That touched thé Tin Sôldier's heart. Hê cōūld have wept tin tėaŕś, but that wōūld not have bėen^been proper. Hê lōōked at her and shê lōōked at him, but nêither spôke a woŕd.

And now one^wőne of^uv thé little boyś tōōk thé Tin Sôldier and threw him intö thé stôve. Hê gâve nô reaśón for döing sô, but nô doubt thé Goblin in thé snuffbox had sőmething tó^tö dö with it.

Thé Tin Sôldier stōōd now in a blâze of^uv red light. Thé heat hê felt wáś^woś terríble, but whether it prôçeedėd fróm thé fîŕe or fróm thé lőve in hiś heart, hê did not knôw. Hê saw that thé cőloŕś were qυîte gone fróm hiś ûníform, but whether that had happéned on thé journêy or had bėen^been cauśed bŷ griêf, nô one^wőne cōūld say. Hê lōōked at thé little lâdý, shê lōōked at him, and hê felt himself melting; still hê stōōd firm aś ever, with hiś bâyónet on hiś shôulder. Then suddénlý thé door flew ôpén; thé wind caught thé Dançer, and shê flew straight intö thé stôve tó^tö thé Tin Sôldier, flashed up in a flâme, and wáś^woś gone! Thé Tin Sôldier meltėd intö a lump; and in thé ashėś thé maid found him next day, in thé shâpe of^uv a little tin heart, whîle of^uv thé Dançer nőthing rėmained sâve thé tinsél rôśe, and that wáś^woś burned aś black aś a coal.