t one who had but one
leg. He had been cast last of all, and there had not been quite enough
tin to finish him; but he stood as firmly upon his one leg as the
others upon their two, and it was he whose fortunes became so
remarkable.

On the table where the tin soldiers had been set up were several other
toys, but the one that attracted most attention was a pretty little
paper castle. Through its tiny windows one could see straight into the
hall. In front of the castle stood little trees, clustering round a
small mirror which was meant to represent a transparent lake. Swans of
wax swam upon its surface, and it reflected back their images.

All this was very pretty, but prettiest of all was a little lady who
stood at the castle's open door. She too was cut out of paper, but she
wore a frock of the clearest gauze and a narrow blue ribbon over her
shoulders, like a scarf, and in the middle of the ribbon was placed a
shining tinsel rose. The little lady stretched out both her arms, for
she was a dancer, and then she lifted one leg so high that the Soldier
quite lost sight of it. He thought that, like himself, she had but one
leg.

"That would be just the wife for me," thought he, "if she were not too
grand. But she lives in a castle, while I have only a box, and there are
five and twenty of us in that. It would be no place for a lady. Still, I
must try to make her acquaintance." A snuffbox happened to be upon the
table and he lay down at full length behind it, and here he could easily
watch the dainty little lady, who still remained standing on one leg
without losing her balance.

When the evening came all the other tin soldiers were put away in their
box, and the people in the house went to bed. Now the playthings began
to play in their turn. They visited, fought battles, and gave balls. The
tin soldiers rattled in the box, for they wished to join the rest, but
they could not lift the lid. The nutcrackers turned somersaults, and the
pencil jumped about in a most amusing way. There was such a din that the
canary woke and began to speak--and in verse, too. The only ones who did
not move from their places were the Tin Soldier and the Lady Dancer. She
stood on tiptoe with outstretched arms, and he was just as persevering
on his one leg; he never once turned away his eyes from her.

Twelve o'clock struck--crash! up sprang the lid of the snuffbox. There
was no snuff in it, but a little black goblin. You see it was not a real