Flintbox

There's a soldier on the highway in open stride - one, two! One, two! He was carrying a marching bag and a long sword at his waist, for he had been in several wars and was now going home. On his way he ran into an old hag; she was a very loathsome figure, with her lower lip hanging down to her tits. She said: "Good night, soldier! What a fine sword you have, and what a big marching bag you have, and what a soldier you are! Now you can have as much money as you like."

"Thank you, old witch!" The soldier said.

"Do you see that big tree?" The witch said, pointing to a tree next to them. "It's empty in there. If you climb up to the top of it, you can see a hole. You slip downward from there, and you can burrow deep into the tree. I want you to tie a rope around your waist so that, when you call out to me, you can be pulled up."

"What am I going to do under the tree?" The soldier asked.

"To get money," replied the witch. "You will know that as soon as you go under the tree, you will see a wide corridor. It is very bright there because there are more than 100 bright lights lit. You will see three doors, all of which can be opened because the key is in the lock. When you go into the first room, you can see a big box in the middle, on which sits a dog with very big eyes, like a pair of teacups. But you do not care about it! I can give you my blue gingham apron. You lay it on the floor, then quickly walk over and pick up the dog, and put it on my apron. Then you open the box and take out as much money as you want. The money is all cast in copper. But if you want to get the silver money, you have to go into the second room. But there sits a dog with eyes as big as water wheels. But you don't pay any attention to it. You put it on my apron and take the money out. But if you want to get the money cast in gold, you can get there, too. You can take as much as you can carry - if you go to the third room. But the dog sitting on the money box here has eyes as big as a 'round tower'①. You should know that it is a dog! But you don't have to be afraid. You just put it on my apron, and it won't hurt you. You can take as much gold out of that box as you want.

①This refers to the famous "Round Tower" in Copenhagen; it was originally an observatory.

"That's not bad," said the soldier. "But what will I give you in return? Old witch? I don't suppose you don't want anything."

"No," said the witch, "I don't want a single coin. All I want is for you to take out that old flint box for me. It was the last one my grandmother forgot in there."

"All right! Please tie the rope around my waist." The soldier said.

"All right," said the witch. "Take my blue plaid apron."

The soldier climbed up the tree and slipped into that hole at once. Just as the old witch had said, he now came into a large corridor lit with hundreds of lamps. He opened the first door. Oops! Sure enough, a dog was sitting there. With eyes as big as teacups, he stared straight at him.

"You good fellow!" The soldier said. So he carried it to the witch's apron. Then he took out as many coppers as his coat pocket could hold. He locked the chest and put the dog on top again, so he went into the second room. Alas! Here sat a dog with eyes as big as a pair of water wheels.

"You shouldn't stare at me like that," said the soldier. "Then you'll break your eyes." He carried the dog to the witch's apron. When he saw how many silver coins were in the chest, he threw away all his coppers and filled his coat pocket and his marching bag with them. Then he went into the third room - and boy was it scary! Here was a dog with two eyes the size of "round towers"! They were spinning in his head like a wheel!

"Good night!" The soldier said. He raised his hand to his hat in a salute, for he had never seen such a dog before. But, after looking at it for a while, he thought to himself, "That's about right now." He took it down and put it on the ground. Then he opened the box. Jesus Christ! There was so much gold in there! He could have bought the whole of Copenhagen with this gold, he could have bought all the sugar pigs from the pastry woman, he could have bought all the tin soldiers in the world, all the horsewhips, all the rocking horses, all of them. Yes, it was a lot of money - the soldier poured out all the silver coins that were in his coat pocket and his marching bag, and put them in the gold. Yes, his coat pocket, his marching bag, his hat, and his leather boots were all full, and he could hardly walk. Now he did have money. He put the dog back into the box, locked the door, and shouted from the tree, "Pull me up, old witch!"

①This refers to a type of vendor who sold snacks and toys in the old days in Denmark. "Sukkergrise" (sugar pigs) are little pigs made of sugar, which can be used as toys and eaten at the same time.

"Have you fetched the lighter box yet?" The witch asked.

"Not a bit!" The soldier said. "I forgot all about it." So he went down again and fetched the flint box. The witch pulled him out. So he was now standing on the main road again. His coat pocket, his leather boots, his marching bag, his hat, all full of money.

"What do you need this firebox for?" The soldier asked.

"It's none of your business," the witch retorted, "you've got the money - you just give me the flint box."

"Nonsense!" The soldier said. "What do you want it for, please tell me right now. Or I'll draw my sword and cut your head off."

"I can't tell you that!" The witch said.

The soldier chopped off her head in one fell swoop. She fell! He wrapped all his money in her apron and carried it on his back like a bundle; then he put the flint box in his coat pocket and kept walking toward the city.

It was a beautiful city! He checked into one of the best hotels, took the most comfortable room, and ordered his favorite drink, for he was now rich and had plenty of money. The tea-room, who polished his boots, thought that his leather shoes were so comically old for a rich gentleman like him. But it was too late for him to buy new ones. The next day he got proper boots and nice clothes. Now our soldier was a new and fresh gentleman. Everyone told him everything about the city, about the king, about his daughter, who was a very beautiful princess.

"Where can I see her?" The soldier asked.

"No one can see her," everyone said in unison. "She lives in a wide bronze palace, surrounded by several walls and several towers. Only the king himself can come and go there freely, for there was once a prophecy that she would marry a common soldier, which the king could not bear."

"I would like to see her," thought the soldier. But he could not get permission.

He was now living happily, often going to the theater, strolling in the king's garden, and giving away much money to the poor people. This was good behavior because he had long experienced how terrible it was to have no money! Now he was rich, had fancy clothes to wear, and had made many friends. These friends said that he was a rare person, a man of great courage. These kinds of words made this soldier sound very comfortable. But he just spent the money every day, but could not earn one to come in. So finally he only had two coins left. So he had to move out of those beautiful rooms and live in a penthouse on the top floor. He had to polish his shoes and mend his shoes with stitches. None of his friends came to see him anymore because of the high ladder he had to climb to get up there.

One night it was very dark. He could not even afford to buy a candle. Then he suddenly remembered that he still had a candle head in the lightbox - the one that the witch had helped him to get out from under the empty tree. He took the flint box and the candle head out. When he rubbed it on the flint, the spark came out, the door suddenly opened automatically, and the dog he saw under the tree with eyes the size of a teacup appeared in front of him. It said.

"My master, what is your command?"

"What is this all about?" Soldier Earth said. "This is a comical lighter box. If only I could get what I want to like this! Get me some money!" He said to the dog. So "shh", and the dog disappeared. A moment later, another "hush", the dog returned with a large pocket of money in its mouth.

Now the soldier realized what a wonderful lighter it was. As soon as he rubbed it, the dog came and sat on the box with the coins. If he rubbed it twice, the dog with only silver came. If he rubbed it three times, the dog with only gold appeared. Now the soldier had moved into the splendid rooms and was wearing beautiful clothes again. All his friends immediately recognized him again and were very concerned about him.