he thought ; ` but she is so grand , and lives in a castle , whilst I have only a box with four-and-twenty others . This is no place for her ! But I must make her acquaintance . ' Then he stretched himself out behind a snuff-box that lay on the table ; from thence he could watch the dainty little lady , who continued to stand on one leg without losing her balance . When the night came all the other tin-soldiers went into their box , and the people of the house went to bed . Then the toys began to play at visiting , dancing , and fighting . The tin-soldiers rattled in their box , for they wanted to be out too , but they could not raise the lid . The nut-crackers played at leap-frog , and the slate-pencil ran about the slate ; there was such a noise that the canary woke up and began to talk to them , in poetry too ! The only two who did not stir from their places were the Tin-soldier and the little Dancer . She remained on tip-toe , with both arms outstretched ; he stood steadfastly on his one leg , never moving his eyes from her face . The clock struck twelve , and crack ! off flew the lid of the snuff-box ; but there was no snuff inside , only a little black imp -- that was the beauty of it . ` Hullo , Tin-soldier ! ' said the imp . ` Do n't look at things that are n't intended for the likes of you ! ' But the Tin-soldier took no notice , and seemed not to hear . ` Very well , wait till to-morrow ! ' said the imp . When it was morning , and the children had got up , the Tin-soldier was put in the window ; and whether it was the wind or the little black imp , I do n't know , but all at once the window flew open and out fell the little Tin-soldier , head over heels , from the third-storey window ! That was a terrible fall , I can tell you !
He landed on his head XXXXX his leg in the air , his gun being wedged between two paving-stones .
from into of off on out that whether whilst with