Soonitbegantodrizzle；thenthedropscamefaster，andtherewasaregulardown-pour。Whenitwasover，twolittlestreetboyscamealong。
’Justlook！’criedone。’HereisaTin-soldier！Heshallsailupanddowninaboat！’
Sotheymadealittleboatoutofnewspaper，puttheTin-soldierinit，andmadehimsailupanddownthegutter；boththeboysranalongbesidehim，clappingtheirhands。Whatgreatwavestherewereinthegutter，andwhataswiftcurrent！Thepaper-boattossedupanddown，andinthemiddleofthestreamitwentsoquickthattheTin-soldiertrembled；butheremainedsteadfast，showednoemotion，lookedstraightinfrontofhim，shoulderinghisgun。Allatoncetheboatpassedunderalongtunnelthatwasasdarkashisboxhadbeen。
’WherecanIbecomingnow？’hewondered。’Oh，dear！Thisistheblackimp’sfault！Ah，ifonlythelittleladyweresittingbesidemeintheboat，itmightbetwiceasdarkforallIshouldcare！’
Suddenlytherecamealongagreatwater-ratthatlivedinthetunnel。
’Haveyouapassport？’askedtherat。’Outwithyourpassport！’
ButtheTin-soldierwassilent，andgraspedhisgunmorefirmly。
Theboatspedon，andtheratbehindit。Ugh！howheshowedhisteeth，ashecriedtothechipsofwoodandstraw:’Holdhim，holdhim！hehasnotpaidthetoll！Hehasnotshownhispassport！’
Butthecurrentbecameswifterandstronger。TheTin-soldiercouldalreadyseedaylightwherethetunnelended；butinhisearstheresoundedaroaringenoughtofrightenanybraveman。
Onlythink！attheendofthetunnelthegutterdischargeditselfintoagreatcanal；thatwouldbejustasdangerousforhimasitwouldbeforustogodownawaterfall。
Nowhewassoneartoitthathecouldnotholdonanylonger。
Onwenttheboat，thepoorTin-soldierkeepinghimselfasstiffashecould:nooneshouldsayofhimafterwardsthathehadflinched。Theboatwhirledthree，fourtimesround，andbecamefilledtothebrimwithwater:itbegantosink！TheTin-soldierwasstandinguptohisneckinwater，anddeeperanddeepersanktheboat，andsofterandsoftergrewthepaper；nowthewaterwasoverhishead。HewasthinkingoftheprettylittleDancer，whosefaceheshouldneverseeagain，andtheresoundedinhisears，overandoveragain:
’Forward，forward，soldierbold！
Death’sbeforethee，grimandcold！’
Thepapercameintwo，andthesoldierfell——butatthatmomenthewasswallowedbyagreatfish。
Oh！howdarkitwasinside，evendarkerthaninthetunnel，anditwasreallyveryclosequarters！ButtherethesteadfastlittleTin-soldierlayfulllength，shoulderinghisgun。
Upanddownswamthefish，thenhemadethemostdreadfulcontortions，andbecamesuddenlyquitestill。Thenitwasasifaflashoflightninghadpassedthroughhim；thedaylightstreamedin，andavoiceexclaimed，’Why，hereisthelittleTin-soldier！’Thefishhadbeencaught，takentomarket，sold，andbroughtintothekitchen，wherethecookhadcutitopenwithagreatknife。Shetookupthesoldierbetweenherfingerandthumb，andcarriedhimintotheroom，whereeveryonewantedtoseetheherowhohadbeenfoundinsideafish；buttheTin-soldierwasnotatallproud。Theyputhimonthetable，and——no，butwhatstrangethingsdohappeninthisworld！——theTin-soldierwasinthesameroominwhichhehadbeenbefore！Hesawthesamechildren，andthesametoysonthetable；andtherewasthesamegrandcastlewiththeprettylittleDancer。Shewasstillstandingononelegwiththeotherhighintheair；shetoowassteadfast。ThattouchedtheTin-soldier，hewasnearlygoingtoshedtin-tears；butthatwouldnothavebeenfittingforasoldier。Helookedather，butshesaidnothing。
AllatonceoneofthelittleboystookuptheTin-soldier，andthrewhimintothestove，givingnoreasons；butdoubtlessthelittleblackimpinthesnuff-boxwasatthebottomofthistoo。
TheretheTin-soldierlay，andfeltaheatthatwastrulyterrible；butwhetherhewassufferingfromactualfire，orfromtheardourofhispassion，hedidnotknow。Allhiscolourhaddisappeared；whetherthishadhappenedonhistravelsorwhetheritwastheresultoftrouble，whocansay？Helookedatthelittlelady，shelookedathim，andhefeltthathewasmelting；
butheremainedsteadfast，withhisgunathisshoulder。
Suddenlyadooropened，thedraughtcaughtupthelittleDancer，andoffsheflewlikeasylphtotheTin-soldierinthestove，burstintoflames——andthatwastheendofher！ThentheTin-soldiermelteddownintoalittlelump，andwhennextmorningthemaidwastakingouttheashes，shefoundhimintheshapeofaheart。TherewasnothingleftofthelittleDancerbuthergiltrose，burntasblackasacinder。
Farawayinthecountrylayanoldmanor-housewherelivedanoldsquirewhohadtwosons。Theythoughtthemselvessoclever，thatiftheyhadknownonlyhalfofwhattheydidknow，itwouldhavebeenquiteenough。TheybothwantedtomarrytheKing’sdaughter，forshehadproclaimedthatshewouldhaveforherhusbandthemanwhoknewbesthowtochoosehiswords。
Bothpreparedforthewooingawholeweek，whichwasthelongesttimeallowedthem；but，afterall，itwasquitelongenough，fortheybothhadpreparatoryknowledge，andeveryoneknowshowusefulthatis。OneknewthewholeLatindictionaryandalsothreeyears’issueofthedailypaperofthetownoffbyheart，sothathecouldrepeatitallbackwardsorforwardsasyoupleased。Theotherhadworkedatthelawsofcorporation，andknewbyheartwhateverymemberofthecorporationoughttoknow，sothathethoughthecouldquitewellspeakonStatemattersandgivehisopinion。Heunderstood，besidesthis，howtoembroiderbraceswithrosesandotherflowers，andscrolls，forhewasveryreadywithhisfingers。
’Ishallwintheking’sdaughter！’theybothcried。
Theiroldfathergaveeachofthemafinehorse；theonewhoknewthedictionaryandthedailypaperbyhearthadablackhorse，whiletheotherwhowassocleveratcorporationlawhadamilk-
whiteone。Thentheyoiledthecornersoftheirmouthssothattheymightbeabletospeakmorefluently。Alltheservantsstoodinthecourtyardandsawthemmounttheirsteeds，andherebychancecamethethirdbrother；forthesquirehadthreesons，butnobodycountedhimwithhisbrothers，forhewasnotsolearnedastheywere，andhewasgenerallycalled’Blockhead-Hans。’
’Oh，oh！’saidBlockhead-Hans。’Whereareyouoffto？YouareinyourSunday-bestclothes！’
’WearegoingtoCourt，towoothePrincess！Don’tyouknowwhatisknownthroughoutallthecountryside？’Andtheytoldhimallaboutit。
’Hurrah！I’llgoto！’criedBlockhead-Hans；andthebrotherslaughedathimandrodeoff。
’Dearfather！’criedBlockhead-Hans，’Imusthaveahorsetoo。
Whatadesireformarriagehasseizedme！Ifshewillhaveme，sheWILLhaveme，andifshewon’thaveme，Iwillhaveher。’
’Stopthatnonsense！’saidtheoldman。’Iwillnotgiveyouahorse。YOUcan’tspeak；YOUdon’tknowhowtochooseyourwords。
Yourbrothers！Ah！theyareverydifferentlads！’
’Well，’saidBlockhead-Hans，’ifIcan’thaveahorse，Iwilltakethegoatwhichismine；hecancarryme！’
Andhedidso。Hesatastrideonthegoat，struckhisheelsintoitsside，andwentrattlingdownthehigh-roadlikeahurricane。
’Hoppettyhop！whataride！’HereIcome！’shoutedBlockhead-
Hans，singingsothattheechoeswererousedfarandnear。Buthisbrotherswereridingslowlyinfront。Theywerenotspeaking，buttheywerethinkingoverallthegoodthingstheyweregoingtosay，foreverythinghadtobethoughtout。
’Hullo！’bawledBlockhead-Hans，’hereIam！JustlookwhatI
foundontheroad！’——andheshowedthemadeadcrowwhichhehadpickedup。
’Blockhead！’saidhisbrothers，’whatareyougoingtodowithit？’
’Withthecrow？IshallgiveittothePrincess！’
’Doso，certainly！’theysaid，laughingloudlyandridingon。
’Slap！bang！hereIamagain！LookwhatIhavejustfound！
Youdon’tfindsuchthingseverydayontheroad！’Andthebrothersturnedroundtoseewhatintheworldhecouldhavefound。
’Blockhead！’saidthey，’thatisanoldwoodenshoewithoutthetop！Areyougoingtosendthat，too，tothePrincess？’
’OfcourseIshall！’returnedBlockhead-Hans；andthebrotherslaughedandrodeonagoodway。
’Slap！bang！hereIam！’criedBlockhead-Hans；’betterandbetter——itisreallyfamous！’
’Whathaveyoufoundnow？’askedthebrothers。
’Oh，’saidBlockhead-Hans，’itisreallytoogood！HowpleasedthePrincesswillbe！’
’Why！’saidthebrothers，’thisispuremud，straightfromtheditch。’
’Ofcourseitis！’saidBlockhead-Hans，’anditisthebestkind！