安徒生童话英文阅读(4)

　　It was quite dark one evening, and he could not even buy himself a candle , when it occurred to him that there was a candle-end in the tinder-box which he hadtaken out of the hollow tree into which the witch had helped him .He brought out the tinder-box and the candle-end; but as soon as he struck fire and the sparks rose up from the flint, the door flew open, and the dog who had eyes as big as a couple of tea-cups, and whom he had seen in the tree, stood before him, and said:

　　“What are my lord's commands?”

　　“What is this?” said the soldier. “That's a famous tinder-box, if I can get everything with it that I want! Bring me some money , ” said he to the dog ; and whisk ! the dog was gone, and whisk! he was back again, with a great bag full of shillings in his mouth.

　　Now the soldier knew what a capital tinder-box this was . If he struck it once , the dog came who sat upon the chest of copper money; if he struck it twice, the dog came who had the silver; and if he struck it three times, then appeared the dog who had the gold . Now the soldier moved back into the fine rooms, and appeared again in handsome clothes; and all his friends knew him again, and cared very much for him indeed .

　　Once he thought to himself, “It is a very strange thing that one cannot get to see the princess . They all say she is very beautiful; but what is the use of that, if she has always to sit in the great copper castle with the many towers? Can I not get to see her at all? Where is my tinder-box?” And so he struck a light , and whisk ! came the dog with eyes as big as tea-cups.

　　“It is midnight, certainly,” said the soldier, “but I should very much like to see the princess, only for one little moment . ”

　　The dog was outside the door directly, and, before the soldier thought it, came back with the princess. She sat upon the dog's back and slept; and every one could see she was a real princess , for she was so lovely . The soldier could not refrain from kissing her, for he was a thorough soldier.