The Tinderbox
Long ago, there lived a soldier. He was a charming young man. One day, he was returning home from a war, grateful to be alive.
Left, right, left, right, left, right. And he continued to march in rhythm, with his sword at his hip.
Then, suddenly, on the road, he saw a very ugly witch.
— Good evening, soldier! What a beautiful sword and what a big backpack you have!
— Good evening! Very kind of you, witch.
The witch's lip trembled, and the soldier shivered. He didn't like her hideous appearance at all.
— You are a true soldier, wearing your sword at your hip. Some might even mistake you for a lord. Tell me, would you like to have a lot of money? As much as you want?
— Uh, yes. But how?
The witch flattered him, and he was enchanted. He didn't realize he should be uneasy. She showed him a tree at the edge of the forest and told him to look.
— Do you see that tree? It's hollow inside, and you can enter through the hole at the top. You go down, and once you've arrived...
— Uh, in the tree? But what will I do in the tree?
— Yes, in the tree! Once inside, you'll be tied with a rope. I'll pull you back as soon as you shout. For there is gold in the tree! I can swear to it!
The soldier hesitated and raised an eyebrow.
— There's gold in the tree? But how?
The witch explained everything to him.
— Once inside, you'll see a place lit with lanterns, so it has light. You'll see three doors from left to right. There will be keys in the locks. In the first room, do you want to know what's there? A large chest is in the middle. But be careful of the dog guarding the door.
— A dog, you say?
The soldier was now curious.
— The guardian dog has big eyes. But I have something that will help you.
The witch pulled out a blue checkered apron.
— This will protect you!
She said emphatically.
— Put the dog on it, and it will keep him busy.
The witch explained all the details to him and how there were copper and silver coins mixed together.
— But be careful of the dog at your feet, for its eyes are as big as a bucket!
She continued to tell him that the apron would help him and then that he could take all the coins. The soldier was happy and then he thought.
— This isn't bad at all, nothing I've heard. But what do I have to give you? I think you want something in return, don't you?
— All I want is a tinderbox. My grandmother forgot it last time she was there.
— Then tie the rope around my waist.
The witch tied a rope around his waist, then he climbed up and entered the tree. He descended slowly, directly into a room, where lanterns were visible on the walls.
The soldier walked on, unafraid. And on the chest, indeed, the dog was sitting.
— You're a nice dog.
The soldier took the dog and moved it onto the apron. The dog didn't make a sound and sat quietly.
— That was easy.
Then the soldier looked around. After taking the coins and putting them in his bag, he went into the second room without any haste. As the witch had told him, there was a dog with big eyes. They were so big that they surprised the soldier.
He took the dog and placed it on the apron, but when he opened the chest, he wanted even more. When the soldier's eyes fell on the silver in the chest, he emptied all the copper he had from his bag.
— Silver is better than copper.
The soldier emptied his bag full of copper coins to fill it with the newly discovered silver.
— Wow!
Indeed, the dog was bigger than he expected. Such large eyes somewhat scared him. He took the dog, placed it on the apron, then opened the chest, thinking he had made a mistake.
— Gold? Gold!
There was so much gold! He emptied the silver from his bag, threw it on the ground, and then stuffed his bag with the gold coins.
— Pull me up!
The witch pulled him up; he had the tinderbox. When he came out of the tree, she tried to take it from him.
— But what do you need this box for?
— That's none of your business!
— Tell me, or else...
— Aah! You betrayed me!
— Ha ha! Goodbye, witch!
The Soldier in the City
That day, the soldier entered the city. He had good lodging and food, enjoying everything. Now the soldier had become a distinguished gentleman. The people of the city told him about the great achievements in the city, about their king, and how charming his daughter was.
— Can I go see her?
— Well, no, you can't.
The king didn't want anyone to see her. She lives in a large copper castle.
— Why? The king foresaw her marriage to a soldier and didn't like the idea at all. I don't understand why a soldier wouldn't be good.
The soldier was rich thanks to the coins, but he only had money he spent and earned nothing. And because of his reckless spending, he only had a few coins left. He was forced to move into a tin attic. He sat in his small attic, sewing his boots. It was dark there, and he was so poor he couldn't even afford a candle.
— This burden is too great for me.
Then he remembered the tinderbox. He thought about wood, how to light it with the box.
— I can make a fire and I will survive the night.
He opened the box and tried to light a fire. And then, a dog appeared on the spot. The dog with the big eyes stood before him.
— What does my master wish?
It said to the soldier.
— I don't understand. What do you mean?
— I am at your disposal. You can have anything.
— Anything I wish? Absolutely anything?
The soldier was very surprised. He thought carefully and said:
— Go, dog, and bring me money!
The dog left, and when it returned home, it held money in its mouth, gathered in a net. The soldier returned to his old life, with diamonds and gold. But he was alone, so he wished for a wife.
— I know it's midnight, but I want to see the princess. Yes, that's what I'd like.
And the soldier didn't even have time to blink. The dog returned with the chosen princess. Lying on the floor, the princess slept, and the soldier was very happy.
The Princess and the King
The next day, after everything had happened, the princess woke up and said she had dreamed.
— What kind of dream did you have?
— It was as if there was a dog and a soldier. And while I slept, he kissed me.
— What a strange dream! It's just a dream and nothing more!
The king frowned, he was worried. He assigned a maid to look after his child. Thus, whether it was a dream or a trick, he would find out. The soldier wanted to see her again, so he sent his dog to bring her at once.
The dog took the princess in a flash, but it didn't know that a maid was guarding her. Then the maid put on her shoes and, in the night, through the city, she followed the dog.
— Now that I know it's not just a dream, I will protect the princess, as I promised. I will make a chalk mark on the door of the house.
And the maid did just that. When the dog realized her cunning plan, it marked all the houses with more zeal.
The next morning, the king, queen, maid, and all the officers went to see the house in question.
— Is this the house? Is it there, in this inn?
— No, it's there, my dear husband.
All the houses had the mark drawn on the door, which confused the king and his soldiers. But the queen was clever and had sewn a small bag of grains onto the princess's clothes. Following the trail of grains, they found out where the princess had spent the night.
— Look, there she is!
The queen indicated the spot, and the soldiers entered the house. Then they arrested the man who was trying to hide. For what he had done, he was condemned to death. But before he perished, he took one last breath.
— Custom says that any guilty person has the right to
