There were once twenty-five tin soldiers in the world. All the sons of one mother - an old tin spoon - and, therefore, they were each other’s siblings. These were nice, brave guys: a gun on their shoulder, a wheel on their chest, a red uniform, blue lapels, shiny buttons... Well, in a word, what a miracle these soldiers are!

All twenty-five lay side by side in a cardboard box. It was dark and cramped. But tin soldiers are a patient people, they lay motionless and waited for the day when the box would be opened.

And then one day the box opened.

- Tin soldiers! Tin soldiers! - the little boy shouted and clapped his hands with joy.

He was given tin soldiers on his birthday.

The boy immediately began to place them on the table. Twenty-four were absolutely identical - one could not be distinguished from another, but the twenty-fifth soldier was not like the rest. He turned out to be one-legged. It was the last to be cast, and there wasn't enough tin. However, he stood on one leg as firmly as others stood on two.

It was with this one-legged soldier that a wonderful story happened, which I will tell you now.

On the table where the boy built his soldiers there were many different toys. But the best of all the toys was the wonderful cardboard palace. Through its windows one could look inside and see all the rooms. In front of the palace there was a round mirror. It was just like a real lake, and there were small green trees around this mirror lake. Wax swans swam across the lake and, arching their long necks, admired their reflection.

All this was beautiful, but the most beautiful was the mistress of the palace, standing on the threshold, in the wide open doors. It was also cut out of cardboard; she was wearing a thin cambric skirt, a blue scarf on her shoulders, and on her chest a shiny brooch, almost as large as its owner’s head, and just as beautiful.

The beauty stood on one leg, stretching both arms forward - she must have been a dancer. She raised her other leg so high that our tin soldier at first even decided that the beauty was also one-legged, like himself.

“I wish I had such a wife! - thought the tin soldier. “But she’s probably of a noble family.” Look at what a beautiful palace he lives in!.. And my house is a simple box, and there was almost a whole company of us packed in there - twenty-five soldiers. No, she doesn't belong there! But it still doesn’t hurt to get to know her...”

And the soldier hid behind a snuff box that stood right there on the table.

From here he had a clear view of the lovely dancer, who stood on one leg the entire time and never even swayed!

Late in the evening, all the tin soldiers, except for the one-legged one - they could never find him - were put in a box, and all the people went to bed.

And so, when the house became completely quiet, the toys themselves began to play: first to visit, then to war, and in the end they had a ball. The tin soldiers knocked with their guns on the walls of their box - they also wanted to go out and play, but they could not lift the heavy lid. Even the nutcracker began to somersault, and the stylus began to dance across the board, leaving white marks on it - tra-ta-ta-ta, tra-ta-ta-ta! There was such a noise that the canary in the cage woke up and began chatting in its own language as quickly as it could, and in verse at that.

Only the one-legged soldier and the dancer did not move.

She still stood on one leg, stretching out both hands forward, and he froze with a gun in his hands, like a sentry, and did not take his eyes off the beauty.

It struck twelve. And suddenly - click! - the snuff box opened.

There was never any smell of tobacco in this snuff box, but there was a small evil troll sitting in it. He jumped out of the snuffbox, as if on a spring, and looked around.

- Hey you, tin soldier! - shouted the troll. - Don’t look too hard at the dancer! She's too good for you.

But the tin soldier pretended not to hear anything.

- Oh, that's how you are! - said the troll. - Okay, wait until the morning! You will still remember me!

In the morning, when the children woke up, they found a one-legged soldier behind a snuff box and put him on the window.

And suddenly - either the troll set it up, or it was just a draft, who knows? - but only the window opened, and the one-legged soldier flew from the third floor upside down, so much so that his ears began to whistle. Well, he had a lot of fear!

Not a minute had passed - and he was already sticking out of the ground upside down, and his gun and head in a helmet were stuck between the cobblestones.

The boy and the maid immediately ran out into the street to find the soldier. But no matter how much they looked around, no matter how much they rummaged around on the ground, they never found it.

Once they almost stepped on a soldier, but even then they passed by without noticing him. Of course, if the soldier shouted: “I’m here!” - They would have found him right away. But he considered it obscene to shout in the street - after all, he wore a uniform and was a soldier, and a tin one at that.

The boy and the maid went back into the house. And then suddenly it began to rain, and what a rain! Real rain!

Wide puddles spread along the street and fast streams flowed. And when the rain finally stopped, two street boys came running to the place where the tin soldier was sticking out between the cobblestones.

“Look,” said one of them. - Yes, no way, it’s a tin soldier!.. Let’s send him sailing!

And they made a boat out of an old newspaper, put a tin soldier in it and lowered it into the ditch.

The boat floated off, and the boys ran alongside, jumping up and clapping their hands.

The water in the ditch was still bubbling. I wish it wouldn't seethe after such a downpour! The boat either dived, then took off on the crest of the wave, then it circled in place, then it was carried forward.

The tin soldier in the boat was trembling all over - from his helmet to his boot - but stood firm, as a real soldier should: a gun on his shoulder, his head up, his chest in a wheel.

And then the boat skidded under a wide bridge. It became so dark, as if the soldier had fallen back into his box.

“Where am I? - thought the tin soldier. – Oh, if only my beautiful dancer were with me! Then I wouldn’t care at all...”

At that moment a large water rat jumped out from under the bridge.

- Who are you? - she screamed. - Do you have a passport? Show me your passport!

But the tin soldier was silent and only tightly clutched his gun. His boat was carried further and further, and the rat swam after him. She clicked her teeth fiercely and shouted to the chips and straws floating towards her:

- Hold him! Hold it! He doesn't have a passport!

And she raked her paws with all her might to catch up with the soldier. But the boat was carried so fast that even a rat could not keep up with it. Finally, the tin soldier saw a light ahead. The bridge has ended.

“I'm saved!” - thought the soldier.

But then such a roar and roar was heard that any brave man could not stand it and trembled with fear. Just think: behind the bridge the water was falling down noisily - straight into a wide stormy canal!

The tin soldier, who sailed in a small paper boat, was in the same danger as we were if we were in a real boat being carried towards a real big waterfall.

But it was no longer possible to stop. The boat with the tin soldier washed out into a large canal. The waves tossed her up and down, but the soldier still stood strong and didn’t even blink an eye.

And suddenly the boat spun in place, scooped up water on the starboard side, then on the left, then on the right again, and soon filled with water to the very brim.

Here the soldier is already waist-deep in water, now up to his throat... And finally the water covered him completely.

Sinking to the bottom, he sadly thought about his beauty. He won't see the cute dancer again!

But then he remembered an old soldier’s song:

Step forward, always forward!
Glory awaits you beyond the grave!..–
and prepared to meet death with honor in the terrible abyss. However, something completely different happened.

Out of nowhere, a large fish emerged from the water and instantly swallowed the soldier along with his gun.

Oh, how dark and cramped it was in the fish’s stomach, darker than under a bridge, cramped than in a box! But the tin soldier stood firm even here. He drew himself up to his full height and clutched his gun even tighter. He lay there like that for quite some time.

Suddenly the fish darted from side to side, began to dive, wriggle, jump and finally froze.

The soldier could not understand what happened. He prepared to bravely face new challenges, but everything around him was still dark and quiet.

And suddenly, like lightning flashed in the darkness.

Then it became completely light, and someone shouted:

- That's the thing! Tin soldier!

And the thing was this: they caught the fish, took it to the market, and then it ended up in the kitchen. The cook ripped open her belly with a large shiny knife and saw a tin soldier. She took it with two fingers and carried it into the room.

The whole house came running to see the wonderful traveler. They put the little soldier on the table, and suddenly - what miracles can happen in the world! - he saw the same room, the same boy, the same window from which he flew out into the street... There were the same toys around, and among them stood a cardboard palace, and a beautiful dancer stood on the threshold. She still stood on one leg, raising the other high. This is called resilience!

The Tin Soldier was so moved that tin tears almost rolled out of his eyes, but he remembered in time that a soldier was not supposed to cry. Without blinking, he looked at the dancer, the dancer looked at him, and both were silent.

Suddenly one of the boys - the smallest one - grabbed the tin soldier and, for no apparent reason, threw him straight into the stove. Probably, he was taught by the evil troll from the snuff box.

The wood burned brightly in the stove, and the tin soldier became terribly hot. He felt that he was burning all over - either from fire, or from love - he himself did not know. The color drained from his face, he was all washed out - maybe from chagrin, or maybe because he had been in the water and in the stomach of a fish.

But even in the fire he stood straight, clutched his gun tightly and did not take his eyes off the beautiful dancer. And the dancer looked at him. And the soldier felt that he was melting...

At that moment, the door to the room swung wide open, a draft wind caught the beautiful dancer, and she, like a butterfly, fluttered into the stove straight to the tin soldier. The flame engulfed her, she burst into flames - and that was the end. At this point the tin soldier completely melted.

The next day, the maid began to rake out the ash from the stove and found a small lump of tin, shaped like a heart, and a charred, coal-black brooch.

This was all that remained of the steadfast tin soldier and the beautiful dancer.

There were once twenty-five tin soldiers in the world. All the sons of one mother - an old tin spoon - and, therefore, they were each other’s siblings. These were nice, brave guys: a gun on their shoulder, a wheel on their chest, a red uniform, blue lapels, shiny buttons... Well, in a word, what a miracle these soldiers are!

All twenty-five lay side by side in a cardboard box. It was dark and cramped. But tin soldiers are a patient people, they lay motionless and waited for the day when the box would be opened.

And then one day the box opened.

Tin soldiers! Tin soldiers! - the little boy shouted and clapped his hands with joy.

He was given tin soldiers on his birthday.

The boy immediately began to place them on the table. Twenty-four were absolutely identical - one could not be distinguished from another, but the twenty-fifth soldier was not like the rest. He turned out to be one-legged. It was the last to be cast, and there wasn't enough tin. However, he stood on one leg as firmly as others stood on two.

It was with this one-legged soldier that a wonderful story happened, which I will tell you now.

On the table where the boy built his soldiers there were many different toys. But the best of all the toys was the wonderful cardboard palace. Through its windows one could look inside and see all the rooms. In front of the palace there was a round mirror. It was just like a real lake, and there were small green trees around this mirror lake. Wax swans swam across the lake and, arching their long necks, admired their reflection.

All this was beautiful, but the most beautiful was the mistress of the palace, standing on the threshold, in the wide open doors. It was also cut out of cardboard; she was wearing a skirt of thin cambric, a blue scarf on her shoulders, and on her chest a shiny brooch, almost as large as its owner’s head, and just as beautiful.

The beauty stood on one leg, stretching both arms forward - she must have been a dancer. She raised her other leg so high that our tin soldier at first even decided that the beauty was also one-legged, like himself.

“I wish I had such a wife! - thought the tin soldier. - Yes, but she is probably of a noble family. Look at what a beautiful palace he lives in!.. And my house is a simple box, and there was almost a whole company of us packed in there - twenty-five soldiers. No, she doesn't belong there! But it still doesn’t hurt to get to know her...”

And the soldier hid behind a snuff box that stood right there on the table.

From here he had a clear view of the lovely dancer, who stood on one leg the entire time and never even swayed!

Late in the evening, all the tin soldiers, except for the one-legged one - they could never find him - were put in a box, and all the people went to bed.

And so, when the house became completely quiet, the toys themselves began to play: first to visit, then to war, and in the end they had a ball. The tin soldiers knocked with their guns on the walls of their box; they also wanted to go out and play, but they could not lift the heavy lid. Even the nutcracker began to tumble, and the stylus began to dance across the board, leaving white marks on it - tra-ta-ta-ta, tra-ta-ta-ta! There was such a noise that the canary in the cage woke up and began chatting in its own language as quickly as it could, and in verse at that.

Only the one-legged soldier and the dancer did not move.

She still stood on one leg, stretching out both hands forward, and he froze with a gun in his hands, like a sentry, and did not take his eyes off the beauty.

It struck twelve. And suddenly - click! - the snuff box opened.

There was never any smell of tobacco in this snuff box, but there was a small evil troll sitting in it. He jumped out of the snuffbox, as if on a spring, and looked around.

Hey you, tin soldier! - shouted the troll. - Don’t look too hard at the dancer! She's too good for you.

But the tin soldier pretended not to hear anything.

Oh, that's how you are! - said the troll. - Okay, wait until the morning! You will still remember me!

In the morning, when the children woke up, they found a one-legged soldier behind a snuff box and put him on the window.

And suddenly - either the troll set it up, or it was just a draft, who knows? - but as soon as the window opened, the one-legged soldier flew from the third floor upside down, so much so that his ears began to whistle. Well, he had a lot of fear!

Not a minute had passed - and he was already sticking out of the ground upside down, and his gun and head in a helmet were stuck between the cobblestones.

The boy and the maid immediately ran out into the street to find the soldier. But no matter how much they looked around, no matter how much they rummaged around on the ground, they never found it.

Once they almost stepped on a soldier, but even then they passed by without noticing him. Of course, if the soldier shouted: “I’m here!” - They would have found him right now. But he considered it obscene to shout in the street - after all, he wore a uniform and was a soldier, and a tin one at that.

The boy and the maid went back into the house. And then suddenly it began to rain, and what a rain! Real rain!

Wide puddles spread along the street and fast streams flowed. And when the rain finally stopped, two street boys came running to the place where the tin soldier was sticking out between the cobblestones.

Look, said one of them. - Yes, no way, this is a tin soldier!.. Let's send him sailing!

And they made a boat out of an old newspaper, put a tin soldier in it and lowered it into the ditch.

The boat floated off, and the boys ran alongside, jumping up and clapping their hands.

The water in the ditch was still bubbling. I wish it wouldn't seethe after such a downpour! The boat either dived, then took off on the crest of the wave, then it circled in place, then it was carried forward.

The tin soldier in the boat was trembling all over - from his helmet to his boot - but stood steadfastly, as a real soldier should: a gun on his shoulder, his head up, his chest in a wheel.

And then the boat skidded under a wide bridge. It became so dark, as if the soldier had fallen back into his box.

“Where am I? - thought the tin soldier. - Oh, if only my beautiful dancer were with me! Then I wouldn’t care at all...”

At that moment a large water rat jumped out from under the bridge.

Who are you? - she screamed. - Do you have a passport? Show me your passport!

But the tin soldier was silent and only tightly clutched his gun. His boat was carried further and further, and the rat swam after him. She clicked her teeth fiercely and shouted to the chips and straws floating towards her:

Hold it! Hold it! He doesn't have a passport!

And she raked her paws with all her might to catch up with the soldier. But the boat was carried so fast that even a rat could not keep up with it. Finally, the tin soldier saw a light ahead. The bridge has ended.

“I'm saved!” - thought the soldier.

But then such a roar and roar was heard that any brave man could not stand it and trembled with fear. Just think: behind the bridge the water was falling down noisily - straight into a wide, stormy canal!

The tin soldier, who sailed in a small paper boat, was in the same danger as we were if we were in a real boat being carried towards a real big waterfall.

But it was no longer possible to stop. The boat with the tin soldier washed out into a large canal. The waves tossed her up and down, but the soldier still stood strong and didn’t even blink an eye.

And suddenly the boat spun in place, scooped up water on the starboard side, then on the left, then on the right again, and soon filled with water to the very brim.

Here the soldier is already waist-deep in water, now up to his throat... And finally the water covered him completely.

Sinking to the bottom, he sadly thought about his beauty. He won't see the cute dancer again!

But then he remembered an old soldier’s song:

Step forward, always forward!
Glory awaits you beyond the grave!..-

and prepared to meet death with honor in the terrible abyss. However, something completely different happened.

Out of nowhere, a large fish emerged from the water and instantly swallowed the soldier along with his gun.

Oh, how dark and cramped it was in the fish’s stomach, darker than under a bridge, cramped than in a box! But the tin soldier stood firm even here. He drew himself up to his full height and clutched his gun even tighter. He lay there like that for quite some time.

Suddenly the fish darted from side to side, began to dive, wriggle, jump and finally froze.

The soldier could not understand what happened. He prepared to bravely face new challenges, but everything around him was still dark and quiet.

And suddenly, like lightning flashed in the darkness.

Then it became completely light, and someone shouted:

That's the thing! Tin soldier!

And the thing was this: they caught the fish, took it to the market, and then it ended up in the kitchen. The cook ripped open her belly with a large shiny knife and saw a tin soldier. She took it with two fingers and carried it into the room.

The whole house came running to see the wonderful traveler. They put the little soldier on the table, and suddenly - what miracles happen in the world! - he saw the same room, the same boy, the same window from which he flew out into the street... There were the same toys around, and among them stood a cardboard palace, and a beautiful dancer stood on the threshold. She still stood on one leg, raising the other high. This is called resilience!

The Tin Soldier was so moved that tin tears almost rolled out of his eyes, but he remembered in time that a soldier was not supposed to cry. Without blinking, he looked at the dancer, the dancer looked at him, and both were silent.

Suddenly one of the boys - the smallest one - grabbed the tin soldier and, for no apparent reason, threw him straight into the stove. Probably, he was taught by the evil troll from the snuff box.

The wood burned brightly in the stove, and the tin soldier became terribly hot. He felt that he was burning all over - either from fire, or from love - he himself did not know. The color drained from his face, he was all washed out - maybe from chagrin, or maybe because he had been in the water and in the stomach of a fish.

But even in the fire he stood straight, clutched his gun tightly and did not take his eyes off the beautiful dancer. And the dancer looked at him. And the soldier felt that he was melting...

At that moment, the door to the room swung wide open, a draft wind caught the beautiful dancer, and she, like a butterfly, fluttered into the stove straight to the tin soldier. The flame engulfed her, she burst into flames - and that was the end. At this point the tin soldier completely melted.

The next day, the maid began to rake out the ash from the stove and found a small lump of tin, shaped like a heart, and a charred, coal-black brooch.

This was all that remained of the steadfast tin soldier and the beautiful dancer.

There were once twenty-five tin soldiers, brothers on the mother's side - the old tin spoon; a gun on his shoulder, his head straight, a red and blue uniform - what a beauty these soldiers are! The first words they heard when they opened their box house were: “Oh, tin soldiers!” It was the little boy who was given the toy soldiers on his birthday who shouted, clapping his hands. He immediately began to place them on the table. All the soldiers were exactly the same, except for one, who was on one leg. He was the last to be cast, and the tin was a little short, but he stood on his one leg as firmly as the others on two; and he turned out to be the most remarkable of all.

On the table where the soldiers found themselves, there were many different toys, but what caught the eye most was a wonderful palace made of cardboard. Through the small windows one could see the palace chambers; in front of the palace, around a small mirror that depicted a lake, there were trees, and wax swans swam on the lake and admired their reflection. It was all miraculously sweet, but cutest of all was the young lady standing on the very threshold of the palace. She was cut out of paper and dressed in a skirt made of the finest cambric; over her shoulder was a narrow blue ribbon in the form of a scarf, and on her chest sparkled a rosette the size of the young lady’s own face.

The young lady stood on one leg, with her arms outstretched - she was a dancer - and raised her other leg so high that our soldier could not see her at all, and thought that the beauty was also one-legged, like him.

“If only I had a wife! - he thought. - Only she, apparently, is one of the nobles, lives in the palace, and all I have is a box, and even then there are twenty-five of us stuffed in it: she has no place there! But it still doesn’t hurt to get to know each other.”

And he hid behind a snuffbox that stood right there on the table; From here he had a clear view of the lovely dancer, who kept standing on one leg without losing her balance.

Late in the evening, all the other tin soldiers were put into a box, and all the people in the house went to bed. Now the toys themselves began to play “for a visit”, “at war” and “at a ball”. The tin soldiers began to knock on the walls of the box - they also wanted to play, but could not lift the lids. The Nutcracker tumbled, the stylus danced across the board; There was such a noise and uproar that the canary woke up and also spoke, and in poetry! Only the dancer and the tin soldier did not move: she was still standing on her outstretched toes, stretching her arms forward, he stood cheerfully under the gun and did not take his eyes off her.

It struck twelve. Click! - the snuff box opened.

There was no tobacco, but a small black beech tree - that's the trick!

“Tin soldier,” said the beech tree, “there’s no point in looking at you!”

The tin soldier seemed not to have heard.

Well, wait a minute! - said the beech.

In the morning the children got up and put the tin soldier on the window.

Suddenly - either by the grace of the beeches or from a draft - the window swung open, and our soldier flew headfirst from the third floor - only a whistle began to whistle in our ears! A minute - and he was already standing on the pavement with his feet upside down: his head in a helmet and his gun were stuck between the stones of the pavement.

The boy and the maid immediately ran out to search, but no matter how hard they tried, they could not find the soldier; they almost stepped on him with their feet and still did not notice him. He shouted to them: “I’m here!” - They, of course, would have found him right away, but he considered it indecent to shout in the street: he was wearing a uniform!

It began to rain; stronger, stronger, finally a real downpour began. When it cleared up again, two street boys came.

Hey! - said one. - There's the tin soldier! Let's send him sailing!

And they made a boat out of newsprint, put a tin soldier in it and let it into the ditch. The boys themselves ran alongside and clapped their hands. Eh-ma! That's how the waves moved along the groove! The current just carried on - no wonder after such a downpour!

The boat was thrown and spun in all directions, so that the tin soldier was shaking all over, but he stood firm: the gun on his shoulder, his head straight, his chest forward!

The boat was carried under long bridges: it became so dark, as if the soldier had fallen into the box again.

“Where is it taking me? - he thought. - Yes, these are all the nasty beech things! Oh, if only that beauty were sitting in the boat with me, for me it would be at least twice as dark!”

At that moment a large rat jumped out from under the bridge.

Do you have a passport? - she asked. - Give me your passport!

But the tin soldier was silent and held his gun tightly. The boat was carried along, and the rat ran after it. Uh! How she gnashed her teeth and screamed at the chips and straws floating towards her:

Hold it, hold it! He didn’t pay the fee, didn’t show his passport! But the current carried the boat faster and faster, and the tin soldier already saw the light ahead, when suddenly he heard such a terrible noise that any brave man would have chickened out. Imagine - at the end of the bridge the groove flowed into a large canal! It was as scary for the soldier as it was for us to rush in a boat to a large waterfall.

But it was no longer possible to stop. The boat with the soldier slid down; The poor guy still kept to himself and didn’t even blink an eye. The boat spun... Once, twice - it filled with water to the brim and began to sink. The tin soldier found himself up to his neck in water; further - more... the water covered his head! Then he thought about his beauty: he would never see her again. It sounded in his ears:

Strive forward, O warrior,

And face death calmly!

The paper tore, and the tin soldier went to the bottom, but at that very moment a fish swallowed him.

What darkness! It’s worse than under the bridge, and how narrow it is! But the tin soldier stood firm and lay at his full length, clutching his gun tightly to himself.

The fish rushed here and there, made the most amazing leaps, but suddenly froze, as if it had been struck by lightning. The light flashed and someone shouted: “Tin Soldier!” The fact is that the fish was caught, taken to the market, then it ended up in the kitchen, and the cook ripped open its belly with a large knife. The cook took the tin soldier by the waist with two fingers and carried him into the room, where everyone at home came running to see the wonderful traveler. But the tin soldier was not proud. They put it on the table, and - what can happen in the world! - he saw himself in the same room, saw the same children, the same toys and a wonderful palace with a beautiful dancer! She still stood on one leg, raising the other high. So much fortitude! The Tin Soldier was touched and almost cried with tin, but that would have been indecent, and he restrained himself. He looked at her, she at him, but they did not exchange a word.

Suddenly one of the boys grabbed the tin soldier and, for no apparent reason, threw him straight into the stove. Probably the beech set it all up! The tin soldier stood engulfed in flames. He felt terribly hot, from the fire or from love - he himself did not know. The colors had completely peeled off of him, he was all faded; who knows why - from the road or from grief? He looked at the dancer, she looked at him, and he felt that he was melting, but still stood firm, with a gun on his shoulder. Suddenly the door in the room opened, the wind caught the dancer, and she, like a sylph, fluttered straight into the stove to the tin soldier, burst into flames at once, and - the end! And the tin soldier melted and melted into a lump. The next day the maid was choosing ash from the stove and found it in the form of a small tin heart; from the dancer there was only one rosette left, and even that was all burnt and blackened like coal.

There were once twenty-five tin soldiers in the world, all brothers, because they were born from an old tin spoon. The gun is on the shoulder, they look straight ahead, and what a magnificent uniform - red and blue! They were lying in a box, and when the lid was removed, the first thing they heard was:
- Oh, tin soldiers!
It was a little boy who shouted and clapped his hands. They were given to him for his birthday, and he immediately placed them on the table.
All the soldiers turned out to be exactly the same, and only one was a little different from the rest: he had only one leg, because he was the last to be cast, and there was not enough tin. But he stood on one leg just as firmly as the others on two, and a wonderful story happened to him.
On the table where the soldiers found themselves, there were many other toys, but the most noticeable was a beautiful palace made of cardboard. Through small windows one could look directly into the halls. In front of the palace, around a small mirror that depicted a lake, there were trees, and wax swans swam on the lake and looked into it.
It was all so cute, but the cutest thing was the girl standing at the door of the castle. She, too, was cut out of paper, but her skirt was made of the finest cambric; over her shoulder there was a narrow blue ribbon, like a scarf, and on her chest there was a sparkle no smaller than the girl’s head. The girl stood on one leg, her arms stretched out in front of her - she was a dancer - and raised the other so high that the tin soldier did not even see her, and therefore decided that she was also one-legged, like him.
“I wish I had a wife like that!” he thought. “Only she, apparently, is one of the nobles, lives in a palace, and all I have is a box, and even then there are twenty-five of us soldiers in it, there’s no place for her.” there! But you can meet!”
And he hid behind a snuffbox that stood right there on the table. From here he had a clear view of the lovely dancer.
In the evening, all the other tin soldiers, except for him alone, were placed in the box, and the people in the house went to bed. And the toys themselves began to play - both to visit, and to the war, and to the ball. The tin soldiers stirred in the box - after all, they also wanted to play - but could not lift the lid. The Nutcracker tumbled, the stylus danced across the board. There was such a noise and uproar that the canary woke up and began to whistle, and not just, but in verse! Only the tin soldier and the dancer did not move. She still stood on one toe, stretching her arms forward, and he stood bravely on his only leg and did not take his eyes off her.
It struck twelve, and - click! - the lid of the snuff box bounced off, only it contained not tobacco, no, but a small black troll. The snuff box had a trick.
“Tin soldier,” said the troll, “don’t look where you shouldn’t!”
But the tin soldier pretended not to hear.
- Well, wait, the morning will come! - said the troll.
And the morning came; The children stood up and placed the tin soldier on the windowsill. Suddenly, either by the grace of the troll, or from a draft, the window will open, and the soldier will fly upside down from the third floor! It was a terrible flight. The soldier threw himself into the air, stuck his helmet and bayonet between the stones of the pavement, and got stuck upside down.
The boy and the maid immediately ran out to look for him, but they could not see him, although they almost stepped on him. He shouted to them: “I’m here!” - They probably would have found him, but it was not proper for a soldier to scream at the top of his lungs - after all, he was wearing a uniform.
It began to rain, the drops fell more and more often, and finally a real downpour began to pour. When it ended, two street boys came.
- Look! - said one. - There's the tin soldier! Let's set him sailing!
And they made a boat out of newsprint, put a tin soldier in it, and it floated along the drainage ditch. The boys ran alongside and clapped their hands. Fathers, what waves were moving along the ditch, what a swift current it was! Of course, after such a downpour!
The ship was thrown up and down and spun so that the tin soldier was shaking all over, but he stood firm - the gun on his shoulder, his head straight, his chest forward.
Suddenly the boat dived under long bridges across a ditch. It became so dark, as if the soldier had fallen into the box again.
“Where is it taking me?” he thought. “Yes, yes, all these are the tricks of a troll! Oh, if that young lady were sitting in the boat with me, then be at least twice as dark, and then nothing!”
Then a large water rat appeared, living under the bridge.
- Do you have a passport? - She asked. - Show me your passport!
But the tin soldier took his fill of water and only clutched his gun even tighter. The ship was carried forward and forward, and the rat swam after it. Uh! How she gnashed her teeth, how she shouted to the chips and straws floating towards them:
- Hold him! Hold it! He didn't pay the duty! He's passportless!
But the current became stronger and stronger, and the tin soldier already saw the light ahead, when suddenly there was such a noise that any brave man would have been frightened. Imagine, at the end of the bridge the drainage ditch flowed into a large canal. For the soldier it was as dangerous as for us rushing in a boat to a large waterfall.
The canal is already very close, it’s impossible to stop. The ship was carried out from under the bridge, the poor fellow held on as best he could, and did not even blink an eye. The ship spun three or four times, was filled with water to the brim, and it began to sink.
The soldier found himself up to his neck in water, and the boat sank deeper and deeper, the paper became soaked. The water covered the soldier's head, and then he thought about the lovely little dancer - he would never see her again. It sounded in his ears:
Strive forward, warrior,
Death will overtake you!
Then the paper finally fell apart and the soldier sank to the bottom, but at that very moment he was swallowed by a large fish.
Oh, how dark it was inside, even worse than under the bridge over the drainage ditch, and cramped to boot! But the tin soldier did not lose courage and lay stretched out to his full height, not letting go of the gun...
The fish went in circles and began to make the most outlandish leaps. Suddenly she froze, as if lightning had struck her. The light flashed and someone shouted: “Tin Soldier!” It turns out that the fish was caught, brought to the market, sold, brought to the kitchen, and the cook ripped open its belly with a large knife. Then the cook took the soldier by the lower back with two fingers and brought him into the room. Everyone wanted to look at such a wonderful little man - of course, he had traveled in the belly of a fish! But the tin soldier was not at all proud. They put it on the table, and - what miracles happen in the world! - he found himself in the same room, saw the same children, the same toys stood on the table and a wonderful palace with a lovely little dancer. She still stood on one leg, raising the other high - she was also persistent. The soldier was touched and almost cried tin tears, but that would not have been nice. He looked at her, she at him, but they did not say a word to each other.
Suddenly one of the kids grabbed the tin soldier and threw it into the stove, although the soldier had done nothing wrong. This, of course, was arranged by the troll who was sitting in the snuffbox.
The Tin Soldier stood in the flames, a terrible heat engulfed him, but whether it was fire or love, he did not know. The color had completely faded from him, no one could say why - from travel or from grief. He looked at the little dancer, she looked at him, and he felt that he was melting, but still stood firm, not letting go of the gun. Suddenly the door to the room swung open, the dancer was caught by the wind, and she, like a sylph, fluttered straight into the stove to the tin soldier, burst into flames at once - and she was gone. And the tin soldier melted into a lump, and the next morning the maid, scooping out the ashes, found a tin heart instead of the soldier. And all that was left of the dancer was a sparkle, and it was burnt and black, like coal. That's

Hans Christian Andersen

The Steadfast Tin Soldier

There were once twenty-five tin soldiers in the world. All the sons of one mother - an old tin spoon - and, therefore, they were each other’s siblings. These were nice, brave guys: a gun on their shoulder, a wheel on their chest, a red uniform, blue lapels, shiny buttons... Well, in a word, what a miracle these soldiers are!

All twenty-five lay side by side in a cardboard box. It was dark and cramped. But tin soldiers are a patient people, they lay motionless and waited for the day when the box would be opened.

And then one day the box opened.

Tin soldiers! Tin soldiers! - the little boy shouted and clapped his hands with joy.

He was given tin soldiers on his birthday.

The boy immediately began to place them on the table. Twenty-four were absolutely identical - one could not be distinguished from another, but the twenty-fifth soldier was not like the rest. He turned out to be one-legged. It was the last to be cast, and there wasn't enough tin. However, he stood on one leg as firmly as others stood on two.

It was with this one-legged soldier that a wonderful story happened, which I will tell you now.

On the table where the boy built his soldiers there were many different toys. But the best of all the toys was the wonderful cardboard palace. Through its windows one could look inside and see all the rooms. In front of the palace there was a round mirror. It was just like a real lake, and there were small green trees around this mirror lake. Wax swans swam across the lake and, arching their long necks, admired their reflection.

All this was beautiful, but the most beautiful was the mistress of the palace, standing on the threshold, in the wide open doors. It was also cut out of cardboard; she was wearing a skirt of thin cambric, a blue scarf on her shoulders, and on her chest a shiny brooch, almost as large as its owner’s head, and just as beautiful.

The beauty stood on one leg, stretching both arms forward - she must have been a dancer. She raised her other leg so high that our tin soldier at first even decided that the beauty was also one-legged, like himself.

“I wish I had such a wife! - thought the tin soldier. - Yes, but she is probably of a noble family. Look at what a beautiful palace he lives in!.. And my house is a simple box, and there was almost a whole company of us packed in there - twenty-five soldiers. No, she doesn't belong there! But it still doesn’t hurt to get to know her...”

And the soldier hid behind a snuff box that stood right there on the table.

From here he had a clear view of the lovely dancer, who stood on one leg the entire time and never even swayed!

Late in the evening, all the tin soldiers, except for the one-legged one - they could never find him - were put in a box, and all the people went to bed.

And so, when the house became completely quiet, the toys themselves began to play: first to visit, then to war, and in the end they had a ball. The tin soldiers knocked with their guns on the walls of their box - they also wanted to go out and play, but they could not lift the heavy lid. Even the nutcracker began to tumble, and the stylus began to dance across the board, leaving white marks on it - tra-ta-ta-ta, tra-ta-ta-ta! There was such a noise that the canary in the cage woke up and began chatting in its own language as quickly as it could, and in verse at that.

Only the one-legged soldier and the dancer did not move.

She still stood on one leg, stretching out both hands forward, and he froze with a gun in his hands, like a sentry, and did not take his eyes off the beauty.

It struck twelve. And suddenly - click! - the snuff box opened.

There was never any smell of tobacco in this snuff box, but there was a small evil troll sitting in it. He jumped out of the snuffbox, as if on a spring, and looked around.

Hey you, tin soldier! - shouted the troll. - Don’t look too hard at the dancer! She's too good for you.

But the tin soldier pretended not to hear anything.

Oh, that's how you are! - said the troll. - Okay, wait until the morning! You will still remember me!

In the morning, when the children woke up, they found a one-legged soldier behind a snuff box and put him on the window.

And suddenly - either the troll set it up, or it was just a draft, who knows? - but as soon as the window opened, the one-legged soldier flew from the third floor upside down, so much so that his ears began to whistle. Well, he had a lot of fear!

Not a minute had passed - and he was already sticking out of the ground upside down, and his gun and head in a helmet were stuck between the cobblestones.

The boy and the maid immediately ran out into the street to find the soldier. But no matter how much they looked around, no matter how much they rummaged around on the ground, they never found it.

Once they almost stepped on a soldier, but even then they passed by without noticing him. Of course, if the soldier shouted: “I’m here!” - They would have found him right now. But he considered it obscene to shout in the street - after all, he wore a uniform and was a soldier, and a tin one at that.

The boy and the maid went back into the house. And then suddenly it began to rain, and what a rain! Real rain!

Wide puddles spread along the street and fast streams flowed. And when the rain finally stopped, two street boys came running to the place where the tin soldier was sticking out between the cobblestones.

Look, said one of them. - No way it’s a tin soldier!.. Let’s send him sailing!

And they made a boat out of an old newspaper, put a tin soldier in it and lowered it into the ditch.

The boat floated off, and the boys ran alongside, jumping up and clapping their hands.

The water in the ditch was still bubbling. I wish it wouldn't seethe after such a downpour! The boat either dived, then took off on the crest of the wave, then it circled in place, then it was carried forward.

The tin soldier in the boat was trembling all over - from his helmet to his boot - but stood steadfastly, as a real soldier should: a gun on his shoulder, his head up, his chest in a wheel.

And then the boat skidded under a wide bridge. It became so dark, as if the soldier had fallen back into his box.

“Where am I? - thought the tin soldier. - Oh, if only my beautiful dancer were with me! Then I wouldn’t care at all..."

At that moment a large water rat jumped out from under the bridge.

Who are you? - she screamed. - Do you have a passport? Show me your passport!

But the tin soldier was silent and only tightly clutched his gun. His boat was carried further and further, and the rat swam after him. She clicked her teeth fiercely and shouted to the chips and straws floating towards her:

Hold it! Hold it! He doesn't have a passport!

And she raked her paws with all her might to catch up with the soldier. But the boat was carried so fast that even a rat could not keep up with it. Finally, the tin soldier saw a light ahead. The bridge has ended.

"I'm saved!" - thought the soldier.

But then such a roar and roar was heard that any brave man could not stand it and trembled with fear. Just think: behind the bridge the water was falling down noisily - straight into a wide, stormy canal!

The tin soldier, who sailed in a small paper boat, was in the same danger as we were if we were in a real boat being carried towards a real big waterfall.

But it was no longer possible to stop. The boat with the tin soldier washed out into a large canal. The waves tossed her up and down, but the soldier still stood strong and didn’t even blink an eye.

And suddenly the boat spun in place, scooped up water on the starboard side, then on the left, then on the right again, and soon filled with water to the very brim.

Here the soldier is already waist-deep in water, now up to his throat... And finally the water covered him completely.

Sinking to the bottom, he sadly thought about his beauty. He won't see the cute dancer again!

But then he remembered an old soldier’s song:

“Step forward, always forward!

Glory awaits you beyond the grave!..” -