Hadvorremainedinhercastle，andhadmadepreparationstoreceiveherwooerwhenhecame。Onenight，notlongafter，aloudnoiseandrumblingwasheardunderthecastle。Hadvoratonceguessedwhatitwas，andtoldhermaidstobereadytohelpher。Thenoiseandthunderinggrewlouderandlouder，untilthefloorbegantoopen，whereuponHadvormadethemtakethecaldronofpitchandpourplentyofitintotheopening。Withthatthenoisesgrewfainterandfainter，tillatlasttheyceasedaltogether。
NextmorningtheQueenroseearly，andwentouttothePalacegate，andthereshefoundherbrothertheGiantlyingdead。Shewentuptohimandsaid，’Ipronouncethisspell，thatyoubecomeabeautifulprince，andthatHadvorshallbeunabletosayanythingagainstthechargesthatIshallbringagainsther。’
ThebodyofthedeadGiantnowbecamethatofabeautifulprince，andtheQueenwentinagain。
’Idon’tthink，’saidshetotheKing，’thatyourdaughterisasgoodassheissaidtobe。Mybrothercameandaskedherhand，andshehashadhimputtodeath。IhavejustfoundhisdeadbodylyingatthePalacegate。’
TheKingwentalongwiththeQueentoseethebody，andthoughtitallverystrange；sobeautifulayouth，hesaid，wouldhavebeenaworthymatchforHadvor，andhewouldreadilyhaveagreedtotheirmarriage。TheQueenaskedleavetodecidewhatHadvor’spunishmentshouldbe，whichtheKingwasverywillingtoallow，soastoescapefrompunishinghisowndaughter。TheQueen’sdecisionwasthattheKingshouldmakeabiggrave-moundforherbrother，andputHadvorintoitbesidehim。
OlofknewalltheplansoftheQueen，andwenttotellthePrincesswhathadbeendone，whereuponHadvorearnestlyentreatedhertotellherwhattodo。
’Firstandforemost，’saidOlof，’youmustgetawidecloaktowearoveryourotherclothes，whenyouareputintothemound。
TheGiant’sghostwillwalkafteryouarebothlefttogetherinthere，andhewillhavetwodogsalongwithhim。Hewillaskyoutocutpiecesoutofhislegstogivetothedogs，butthatyoumustnotpromisetodounlesshetellsyouwhereHermodhasgoneto，andtellsyouhowtofindhim。Hewillthenletyoustandonhisshoulders，soastogetoutofthemound；buthemeanstocheatyouallthesame，andwillcatchyoubythecloaktopullyoubackagain；butyoumusttakecaretohavethecloaklooseonyourshoulders，sothathewillonlygetholdofthat。’
Themoundwasallreadynow，andtheGiantlaidinit，andintoitHadvoralsohadtogowithoutbeingallowedtomakeanydefence。AftertheywerebothleftthereeverythinghappenedjustasOlofhadsaid。TheprincebecameaGiantagain，andaskedHadvortocutthepiecesoutofhislegsforthedogs；butsherefuseduntilhetoldherthatHermodwasinadesertisland，whichshecouldnotreachunlessshetooktheskinoffthesolesofhisfeetandmadeshoesoutofthat；withtheseshoesshecouldtravelbothonlandandsea。ThisHadvornowdid，andtheGiantthenlethergetuponhisshoulderstogetoutofthemound。Asshesprangouthecaughtholdofhercloak；butshehadtakencaretoletitlielooseonhershoulders，andsoescaped。
Shenowmadeherwaydowntothesea，towheresheknewtherewastheshortestdistanceovertotheislandinwhichHermodwas。
Thisstraitsheeasilycrossed，fortheshoeskeptherup。Onreachingtheislandshefoundasandybeachallalongbythesea，andhighcliffsabove。Norcouldsheseeanywaytogetupthese，andso，beingbothsadatheartandtiredwiththelongjourney，shelaydownandfellasleep。Asshesleptshedreamedthatatallwomancametoherandsaid，’IknowthatyouarePrincessHadvor，andaresearchingforHermod。Heisonthisisland；butitwillbehardforyoutogettohimifyouhavenoonetohelpyou，foryoucannotclimbthecliffsbyyourownstrength。Ihavethereforeletdownarope，bywhichyouwillbeabletoclimbup；andastheislandissolargethatyoumightnotfindHermod’sdwelling-placesoeasily，Ilaydownthisclewbesideyou。Youneedonlyholdtheendofthethread，andtheclewwillrunonbeforeandshowyoutheway。Ialsolaythisbeltbesideyou，toputonwhenyouawaken；itwillkeepyoufromgrowingfaintwithhunger。’
Thewomannowdisappeared，andHadvorwoke，andsawthatallherdreamhadbeentrue。Theropehungdownfromthecliff，andtheclewandbeltlaybesideher。Thebeltsheputon，theropeenabledhertoclimbupthecliff，andtheclewledherontillshecametothemouthofacave，whichwasnotverybig。Shewentintothecave，andsawtherealowcouch，underwhichshecreptandlaydown。
Wheneveningcamesheheardthenoiseoffootstepsoutside，andbecameawarethatthelionhadcometothemouthofthecave，andshookitselfthere，afterwhichsheheardamancomingtowardsthecouch。ShewassurethiswasHermod，becausesheheardhimspeakingtohimselfabouthisowncondition，andcallingtomindHadvorandotherthingsintheolddays。Hadvormadenosign，butwaitedtillhehadfallenasleep，andthencreptoutandburnedthelion’sskin，whichhehadleftoutside。ThenshewentbackintothecaveandwakenedHermod，andtheyhadamostjoyfulmeeting。
Inthemorningtheytalkedovertheirplans，andweremostatalosstoknowhowtogetoutoftheisland。HadvortoldHermodherdream，andsaidshesuspectedtherewassomeoneintheislandwhowouldbeabletohelpthem。HermodsaidheknewofaWitchthere，whowasveryreadytohelpanyone，andthattheonlyplanwastogotoher。SotheywenttotheWitch’scave，andfoundhertherewithherfifteenyoungsons，andaskedhertohelpthemtogettothemainland。
’Thereareotherthingseasierthanthat，’saidshe，’fortheGiantthatwasburiedwillbewaitingforyou，andwillattackyouontheway，ashehasturnedhimselfintoabigwhale。I
shalllendyouaboat，however，andifyoumeetthewhaleandthinkyourlivesareindanger，thenyoucannamemebyname。’
Theythankedhergreatlyforherhelpandadvice，andsetoutfromtheisland，butonthewaytheysawahugefishcomingtowardsthem，withgreatsplashinganddashingofwaves。Theyweresureofwhatitwas，andthoughttheyhadasgoodreasonasevertheywouldhavetocallontheWitch，andsotheydid。Thenextminutetheysawcomingafterthemanotherhugewhale，followedbyfifteensmallerones。Alloftheseswampasttheboatandwentontomeetthewhale。Therewasafiercebattlethen，andtheseabecamesostormythatitwasnotveryeasytokeeptheboatfrombeingfilledbythewaves。Afterthisfighthadgoneonforsometime，theysawthattheseawasdyedwithblood；thebigwhaleandthefifteensmalleronesdisappeared，andtheygottolandsafeandsound。
NowthestorygoesbacktotheKing’shall，wherestrangethingshadhappenedinthemeantime。TheQueenandherdaughterhaddisappeared，butaratandamousewerealwaysfightingwitheachotherthere。Eversomanypeoplehadtriedtodrivethemaway，butnoonecouldmanageit。Thussometimewenton，whiletheKingwasalmostbesidehimselfwithsorrowandcareforthelossofhisQueen，andbecausethesemonstersdestroyedallmirthinthehall。
Oneevening，however，whiletheyallsatdullanddown-hearted，incameHermodwithaswordbyhisside，andsalutedtheKing，whoreceivedhimwiththegreatestjoy，asifhehadcomebackfromthedead。BeforeHermodsatdown，however，hewenttowheretheratandthemousewerefighting，andcutthemintwowithhissword。Allwereastonishedthenbyseeingtwowitcheslyingdeadonthefloorofthehall。
HermodnowtoldthewholestorytotheKing，whowasverygladtoberidofsuchvilecreatures。NextheaskedforthehandofHadvor，whichtheKingreadilygavehim，andbeingnowanoldman，gavethekingdomtohimaswell；andsoHermodbecameKing。
Olofmarriedagood-lookingnobleman，andthatistheendofthestory。
Therewereonceuponatimefive-andtwentytin-soldiers——allbrothers，astheyweremadeoutofthesameoldtinspoon。Theiruniformwasredandblue，andtheyshoulderedtheirgunsandlookedstraightinfrontofthem。Thefirstwordsthattheyheardinthisworld，whenthelidoftheboxinwhichtheylaywastakenoff，were:’Hurrah，tin-soldiers！’Thiswasexclaimedbyalittleboy，clappinghishands；theyhadbeengiventohimbecauseitwashisbirthday，andnowhebegansettingthemoutonthetable。Eachsoldierwasexactlyliketheotherinshape，exceptjustone，whohadbeenmadelastwhenthetinhadrunshort；buttherehestoodasfirmlyonhisonelegastheothersdidontwo，andheistheonethatbecamefamous。
Thereweremanyotherplaythingsonthetableonwhichtheywerebeingsetout，butthenicestofallwasaprettylittlecastlemadeofcardboard，withwindowsthroughwhichyoucouldseeintotherooms。Infrontofthecastlestoodsomelittletreessurroundingatinymirrorwhichlookedlikealake。Waxswanswerefloatingaboutandreflectingthemselvesinit。Thatwasallverypretty；butthemostbeautifulthingwasalittlelady，whostoodintheopendoorway。Shewascutoutofpaper，butshehadonadressofthefinestmuslin，withascarfofnarrowblueribbonroundhershoulders，fastenedinthemiddlewithaglitteringrosemadeofgoldpaper，whichwasaslargeasherhead。Thelittleladywasstretchingoutbothherarms，forshewasaDancer，andwasliftinguponelegsohighintheairthattheTin-soldiercouldn’tfinditanywhere，andthoughtthatshe，too，hadonlyoneleg。
’That’sthewifeforme！’hethought；’butsheissogrand，andlivesinacastle，whilstIhaveonlyaboxwithfour-and-twentyothers。Thisisnoplaceforher！ButImustmakeheracquaintance。’Thenhestretchedhimselfoutbehindasnuff-boxthatlayonthetable；fromthencehecouldwatchthedaintylittlelady，whocontinuedtostandononelegwithoutlosingherbalance。
Whenthenightcamealltheothertin-soldierswentintotheirbox，andthepeopleofthehousewenttobed。Thenthetoysbegantoplayatvisiting，dancing，andfighting。Thetin-soldiersrattledintheirbox，fortheywantedtobeouttoo，buttheycouldnotraisethelid。Thenut-crackersplayedatleap-frog，andtheslate-pencilranabouttheslate；therewassuchanoisethatthecanarywokeupandbegantotalktothem，inpoetrytoo！TheonlytwowhodidnotstirfromtheirplacesweretheTin-soldierandthelittleDancer。Sheremainedontip-toe，withbotharmsoutstretched；hestoodsteadfastlyonhisoneleg，nevermovinghiseyesfromherface。
Theclockstrucktwelve，andcrack！offflewthelidofthesnuff-box；buttherewasnosnuffinside，onlyalittleblackimp——thatwasthebeautyofit。
’Hullo，Tin-soldier！’saidtheimp。’Don’tlookatthingsthataren’tintendedforthelikesofyou！’
ButtheTin-soldiertooknonotice，andseemednottohear。
’Verywell，waittillto-morrow！’saidtheimp。
Whenitwasmorning，andthechildrenhadgotup，theTin-soldierwasputinthewindow；andwhetheritwasthewindorthelittleblackimp，Idon’tknow，butallatoncethewindowflewopenandoutfellthelittleTin-soldier，headoverheels，fromthethird-
storeywindow！Thatwasaterriblefall，Icantellyou！Helandedonhisheadwithhislegintheair，hisgunbeingwedgedbetweentwopaving-stones。
Thenursery-maidandthelittleboycamedownatoncetolookforhim，but，thoughtheyweresonearhimthattheyalmosttrodonhim，theydidnotnoticehim。IftheTin-soldierhadonlycalledout’HereIam！’theymusthavefoundhim；buthedidnotthinkitfittingforhimtocryout，becausehehadonhisuniform。