The YELLOW FAIRY BOOK - online childrens book

Illustrated classic fairy tales for children by Andrew Lang

Share page

	THE STEADFAST TIN-SOLDIER              309
	When the night came all the other tin-soldiers went into their box, and the people of the house went to bed. Then the toys began to play at visiting, dancing, and fighting. The tin-soldiers rattled in their box, for they wanted to be out too, but they could not raise the lid. The mat-crackers played at leap-frog, and the slate-pencil ran about the slate ; there was such a noise that the canary woke up and began to talk to them, in poetry too ! The only two who did not stir from their places were the Tin-soldier and the little Dancer. She remained on tip-toe, with both arms outstretched; he stood steadfastly on his one leg, never moving his eyes from her face.
	The clock struck twelve, and crack! off flow the lid of the snuff­box ; but there was no snuff inside, only a little black imp —that was the beauty of it. ' Hullo, Tin-soldier I' said the imp. ' Don't look at things that aren't intended for the likes of you ! ' But the Tin-soldier took no notice, and seemed not to hear. ' Very well, wait till to-morrow! ' said the imp. When it was morning, and the children had got up, the Tin-soldier was put in the window ; and whether it was the wind or the little black imp, I don't know, but all at once the window flew open y.                                                                                             \ a