The Steadfast Tin Soldier

The Steadfast Tin Soldier

Once upon a time there was a set of twenty-five tin soldiers who were all brothers, because they had been made from the same old spoonful of melted lead.

They were all brave and wore their uniforms with pride.

The very moment the lid of the box they arrived in was opened for the first time, the first thing they heard was a child’s excited voice shouting:

— Tin soldiers!

It was little James’s birthday, and the soldiers were his present. Eagerly, he set them carefully on the table, one beside the other.

All the soldiers looked identical except one, who had only a single leg.

He had been the last to be cast, and there wasn’t enough lead left to make him two legs, but that didn’t stop him from standing as straight as his companions.

On the same table there were many other toys, but among them all a beautiful paper castle stood out, with tiny windows through which one could see elegant halls.

Around the castle, little paper trees circled a mirror-lake where wax swans glided gracefully.

But what truly caught the one-legged soldier’s eye was a figure standing in the castle doorway.

She was a paper ballerina, wearing a dress of the finest muslin and a blue ribbon crossing her shoulders. She shimmered in the light as if by magic.

The ballerina held a dancing pose, with one arm stretched high and one leg lifted so high it looked as though she, too, had only one leg.

The soldier, watching her, thought to himself:

— This is the lady who could be my wife. But she’s so distinguished, and she lives in such a fine castle!

Very carefully, he slid behind a snuffbox so he could admire her without being seen. From there, he gazed at her for hours.

The ballerina stood on the tip of her toe, so still and perfect that she looked like a real princess.

When night fell, all the toys were put back into their boxes, and the family went to sleep.

Then the true adventure began for the toys.

There were giggles and whispers as the soldiers chatted among themselves, a nutcracker did pirouettes, and a slate filled with drawings.

But our brave tin soldier only had eyes for the ballerina, who remained as elegant and calm as ever.

In the midst of the darkness and the hush, only the ticking of the clock filled the room.

Just as the clock struck twelve, something unexpected happened.

A snuffbox near the soldier sprang open, and out popped a mischievous little goblin who did not look pleased:

— Tin soldier! Will you stop staring at what’s none of your business?

The soldier, steady and unafraid, did not answer. The goblin, annoyed, warned him:

— All right then, just you wait till tomorrow!

But the brave soldier only had eyes for the ballerina, and he refused to be cowed by the goblin’s words.

The night passed slowly, and all the toys, the soldier included, waited eagerly for the new day.

The next morning, something very strange happened. While James and his sister Sofía were playing near the window, it suddenly blew open with a hard gust of wind.

The tin soldier, who was right at the edge, lost his balance and toppled headfirst outside.

— Oh no!

Cried Sofía, running to the window.

But it was already too late. The tin soldier had fallen from the third floor and landed with his leg in the air, his bayonet wedged between the paving stones of the street.

James and Sofía ran down to look for him, but no matter how hard they searched, they could not find him.

— If only he could shout, he’d tell us where he is.

Said James, looking around.

But the tin soldier, always brave and solemn, thought it wouldn’t be proper to shout while in uniform, so he kept silent, waiting to be found.

Meanwhile, the sky darkened and it began to rain hard. The water poured down in torrents, sweeping everything along.

Just as the rain eased, a boy and a girl passing by spotted the soldier lying on the ground.

— Look, a tin soldier! Let’s make him sail in a boat

Quickly they made a little boat out of an old newspaper and set the soldier inside it.

They put it into the stream that ran down the street, and the boat began to sail with the soldier aboard.

— Wow, look how he sails!

he exclaimed, clapping.

The stream had turned into a torrent from the recent rain, and the waves tossed the paper boat up and down.

Although the soldier felt dizzy, he held firm, eyes forward and musket gripped tight.

All at once, the paper boat was swept toward a storm drain that swallowed the brave soldier and his fragile craft. Inside the darkness of the drain, the tin soldier wondered:

— Where will I end up now?

— Surely that goblin has something to do with this!

Then, in the gloom, a huge water rat appeared, blocking the way.

— Got a passport?

Screeched the rat in a menacing voice.

— Come on then, show your passport!

The soldier, without a word, pressed his musket tighter and kept on as the current dragged the boat faster and faster.

The rat followed close behind, squealing and growling:

— Stop him! He hasn’t paid the toll, nor shown his passport!

But the boat kept to its course, and soon after, the tin soldier began to see light at the end of the tunnel.

At the same time, he heard a thunderous roar that frightened him more than the darkness itself.

He was coming to the end of the drain, which emptied into a great canal. For the little soldier it was as dangerous as a giant waterfall.

The boat moved faster and faster, and just when it seemed it would capsize, the soldier saw open sky ahead and knew there was nothing he could do but stand firm.

The paper boat, already nearly undone by the water, shot out of the end of the drain and splashed down into the great canal.

The poor tin soldier held steady, though the water rose to his neck. The current was so strong that the boat began to fill and sink.

The soldier, ever valiant, showed no fear.

— Forward, brave warrior!

he told himself, recalling an old song from his casting days.

Suddenly, a huge fish, drawn by the soldier’s gleam, gulped him down in a single bite.

Inside the fish’s belly, everything was dark and cramped. The soldier stood upright, his musket still on his shoulder, while the fish swam and writhed.

It wasn’t long before the fish was caught and taken to market, where a fishmonger sold it to a local family.

In that house’s kitchen, the cook cut the fish open and, to her surprise, found the brave tin soldier inside.

— Well now, a tin soldier!

Exclaimed the cook.

— He must be very special to have survived inside a fish!

Carefully, the cook carried the soldier back to the parlor, the very place he had been before.

James and Sofía were there, and they couldn’t believe their soldier had returned from such an incredible adventure.

— He’s our soldier!

Cried James, thrilled.

— He’s back!

They set the soldier on the table, where the paper castle stood and, of course, the little ballerina was still there, in the same elegant pose with one leg in the air.

The soldier could not take his eyes off her; it seemed she could not stop looking at him either.

Suddenly, a gust of wind caused by an opening door sent the paper ballerina flying toward the fireplace, right where the soldier was.

James tried to catch her, but he was too late.

— Oh no!

cried Sofía.

The soldier and the ballerina fell together into the flames of the hearth.

The flames wrapped around them, and in that instant, love and fate bound them together in a shining glow.

The next day, when the cook cleaned the fireplace, she found something extraordinary among the ashes: a small heart of lead.

Of the ballerina, only her sequin remained, now darkened by the fire.

— See, Sofía?

— said James, looking at the little heart.

— They’ll always be together, even now.

Sofía nodded, tears in her eyes but a smile on her lips.

— Yes, together in the heart.

she whispered.

And so, the brave tale of the tin soldier and his dear ballerina was etched forever in their hearts.

And that is all… for the moment.

Til the next tale.