3. At last, when he had only two pennies left, he had to go and live in an attic, where he cleaned his own boots, and mended his own clothes. None of his friends would come to see him. They said there were too many stairs to go up to get to his attic.

4. One dark night he had no fire and no light. Then all at once he thought of the bit of candle in the tinder-box which he had brought from the old tree, and he took it out.

He struck a spark from the flint. The door flew open, and in ran the dog with eyes as big as teacups.

5. "What orders, master ?" said the dog.

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Orders? why, this is nice!" said the soldier. "Bring me some money."

Off went the dog. He came back in no time, with a big bag of pennies in his mouth for his

master.

6. Now the soldier found out the use of the tinder-box. If he struck it once, the dog with the teacup eyes came for his orders. If he struck it twice, the dog with eyes like millwheels, that sat on the chest of silver, came. If he struck it three times, the dog with eyes like towers came.

7. Now he went back to his fine rooms. His friends came to see him, but he chose other friends, for he knew now that those did not care for him.

8. Once he thought to himself, "Dear me, how I wish I could see that sweet princess! I wish I could make the dogs bring her as they bring money. It must be so dull in her copper castle.

Where is my tinder-box?" It was night, but he struck the box, and the dog with teacup eyes

came.

9. "Though it is night," said the soldier, "I do want to see that princess just for a moment." The dog was gone. In a moment there he was with the princess. She was so lovely that every one must see she was a real prin

cess. The soldier kissed her forehead as she lay asleep on the dog's back, and away he ran with her.

XXIX. THE TINDER-BOX.- Part IV.

stu'pid scis'sors | hap'pen | an'gry | clev'er | chalk | flour

1. Next day the king and queen were having their breakfast, when the princess told them what a strange dream she had had in the night. "I rode on a dog," she said, "and a soldier gave me a kiss."

"What a stupid story!" said the queen, who was quite angry.

2. That night a lady had to sit beside the princess's bed, to see if something would happen, or if it were only a dream.

The soldier wanted to see the princess again, and so sent the dog for her.

But the old lady ran after him.

3. When she saw the dog go into a large house, she took out a bit of chalk, and made a cross on the door. Then she went home.

But the dog was too bright for her. He took a piece of chalk, and made a cross on every door in the town.

4. Next day the king and queen and the old lady, and all their soldiers, went out to find the house with the cross on it.

"This is it," said the king. "No; it is here,"

said the queen. a cross on each

And they soon found there was door; so they went home.

5. But the queen was a very clever woman, and she thought of a plan. She took her gold scissors and cut out a little silk bag.

This bag she filled with flour, and then she tied it around the princess's neck. She cut a little hole in the bag first.

6. So when the dog came next night to take the princess to visit the soldier, the flour ran out as he went along.

The soldier had grown very fond of the pretty princess. All he wanted now was to be a prince, so that the king might let him marry her.

7. But next day the king and queen went along where they saw the flour lie. They found out where their daughter had been, and they had the soldier put in prison.

Oh, dear! how sad he was now! And the worst of it was that they came to tell him he was to be hanged next day.

8. This was very bad news. No one would save him, and he had left his tinder-box at the inn.

So he could not get the good dogs to come and help him. And when the sun rose, he could see a crowd running along. They were all going to see him hanged.

9. As the soldier looked through the bars of his prison, he saw a shoemaker's boy running with the rest, in his leather apron. He ran so fast that one of his shoes flew off and hit the bars where the poor soldier sat.

10. Then the soldier cried out, "Do not be in such a hurry, my boy. They cannot begin without me, and you see I am not there yet.

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But would you like to earn some money? If you will run to my inn, and get me my old tinder-box, I will give you four shillings."

11. The boy ran off as fast as he could go. Soon he came back with the box, and gave it through the bars to the soldier, who now began to feel happy again.

They took him and led him out to the marketplace of the town. There sat the king and queen on a throne of gold.

12. A great crowd filled the market-place, to see the poor soldier hanged. Then he said, "Before I am hanged, there is one little thing I should like."