Now the story goes back to the King 's hall , where strange things had happened in the meantime . The Queen and her daughter had disappeared , but a rat and a mouse were always fighting with each other there . Ever so many people had tried to drive them away , but no one could manage it . Thus some time went on , while the King was almost beside himself with sorrow and care for the loss of his Queen , and because these monsters destroyed all mirth in the hall . One evening , however , while they all sat dull and down-hearted , in came Hermod with a sword by his side , and saluted the King , who received him with the greatest joy , as if he had come back from the dead . Before Hermod sat down , however , he went to where the rat and the mouse were fighting , and cut them in two with his sword . All were astonished then by seeing two witches lying dead on the floor of the hall . Hermod now told the whole story to the King , who was very glad to be rid of such vile creatures . Next he asked for the hand of Hadvor , which the King readily gave him , and being now an old man , gave the kingdom to him as well ; and so Hermod became King . Olof married a good-looking nobleman , and that is the end of the story . THE STEADFAST TIN-SOLDIER There were once upon a time five-and twenty tin-soldiers -- all brothers , as they were made out of the same old tin spoon . Their uniform was red and blue , and they shouldered their guns and looked straight in front of them . The first words that they heard in this world , when the lid of the box in which they lay was taken off , were : ` Hurrah , tin-soldiers ! ' This was exclaimed by a little boy , clapping his hands ; they had been given to him because it was his birthday , and now he began setting them out on the table . Each soldier was exactly like the other in shape , except just one , who had been made last when the tin had run short ; but there he stood as firmly on his one leg as the others did on two , and he is the one that became famous . There were many other playthings on the table on which they were being set out , but the nicest of all was a pretty little castle made of cardboard , with windows through which you could see into the rooms . In front of the castle stood some little trees surrounding a tiny mirror which looked like a lake . Wax swans were floating about and reflecting themselves in it . That was all very pretty ; but the most beautiful thing was a little lady , who stood in the open doorway . She was cut out of paper , but she had on a dress of the finest muslin , with a scarf of narrow blue ribbon round her shoulders , fastened in the middle with a glittering rose made of gold paper , which was as large as her head .
The little lady was stretching out both her arms , XXXXX she was a Dancer , and was lifting up one leg so high in the air that the Tin-soldier could n't find it anywhere , and thought that she , too , had only one leg .
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