The Tinderbox

The Tinderbox

A soldier was walking along a road, homeward after a long service. He stepped cheerfully, although he carried only a pack and had very few coins in his pocket. “Left, right, left, right,” he hummed. Ahead, beside an ancient tree, stood a woman in a dark cloak. “Good evening, soldier. You look brave. Would you like to earn as much money as you can carry?” He stopped. “That sounds too good to be true.” She pointed to a great hollow in the tree. “Below is an underground hall with three rooms and three chests. One holds copper coins, one silver, and one gold. Take as much as you like.” “What do you want?” “Only an old tinderbox lying down there. To you, it will be an ordinary thing.” The soldier scratched his head. “That's all?” “All.” She tied a strong rope around him, and he climbed down. Below was a great hall lit by hundreds of small lamps. The first room stood open. Beside a chest sat a dog with eyes as big as teacups. The soldier froze. The dog watched him. He watched the dog. “Good evening,” he said at last. “I won't be long.” An old apron lay nearby, just as the woman had mentioned. He spread it out, the dog obediently sat on it, and the chest opened. It was full of copper coins. “Not bad,” said the soldier, taking a few handfuls. In the second room sat a dog with eyes as big as cartwheels. Behind him was a chest of silver. The third room held the largest dog. His eyes shone like round tower windows. His chest was full of gold. The soldier filled his pockets, pack, and even his boots. “Enough,” he said. “Any more and I won't get out.” An old tinderbox lay in a corner. It looked unremarkable: worn and dark, as though it had been used for years. He picked it up and shouted: “Pull!” The woman hauled him to the surface. “Give me the tinderbox,” she said at once. He grew suspicious. “First tell me why you want it.” “That is none of your business.” “Then I'm not in a hurry to hand it over.” They argued for a long time. At last she angrily snatched up the rope. “Keep it! We'll see whether it brings you happiness.” She walked away and soon vanished among the trees. The soldier shrugged, pocketed the tinderbox, and continued to town. The town was large and bustling. He rented the finest room at an inn, bought new clothes, and lived for several days as though his gold would never run out. He entertained new acquaintances, helped anyone who asked, bought whatever pleased him, and hardly counted his money. But gold has a curious habit: if you only spend it, it disappears. Soon he moved from his fine room to a little attic. One evening it was completely dark. “Not even a candle left,” he muttered. Then he remembered the tinderbox. “At least it's useful for this.” He struck it once. The door opened, and in came the dog with eyes as big as teacups. “What is your command?” The soldier nearly dropped the box. “You can talk?” The dog nodded politely. “Since you ask, bring me a little money.” The dog disappeared and returned with a bag of copper coins. The soldier struck twice. The second dog brought silver. He struck a third time. The largest dog arrived with gold. “So that's the tinderbox's secret!” After that, he lived more carefully. He spent some money, saved some, and gave some to people who needed help. He often heard about a princess who lived in a high copper castle. Her parents allowed almost no one to visit, because an old prophecy supposedly said she would choose a husband who was not royal. What a strange rule, the soldier thought. It's like keeping her in a beautiful cage. One night curiosity overcame him. He struck once, and the smallest dog appeared. “I'd like to see the princess, but without frightening her.” Soon the dog returned. “She's asleep in her room. I can take you to the balcony.” The soldier agreed. They quietly reached the copper castle. Through an open window he could see the sleeping princess, with a book beside her. He looked once and said: “That's enough. We won't disturb her.” But she woke at a slight noise and saw a great dog and a stranger near her balcony. “Who are you?” “Someone who has behaved foolishly and let curiosity take him too far,” the soldier answered honestly. “I'm sorry. I'll leave.” She looked surprised. “Wait. You're the first visitor who hasn't come to ask for my hand or boast of a title.” They talked for only a few minutes. Then he went away. In the morning she told her parents about the visitor. The king was furious. “No one has the right to enter the castle!” He ordered the guards to find the stranger. The following night, the soldier was secretly followed, seized, and locked in a tower. “There will be a trial tomorrow,” said the captain. “The king is very angry.” The soldier sat beside a little window. His tinderbox was still at the inn. So this is where curiosity leads, he thought. I should have respected someone else's boundaries. In the morning a shoemaker's apprentice ran past below. “Hey!” the soldier called. “Would you like to earn four coins?” “Of course!” “There's an old tinderbox in my room at the inn. Bring it to me.” The boy raced off and returned just in time. The king, queen, counselors, and townspeople had gathered in the square. The soldier was brought before them. “You broke the law by entering the castle,” said the king. “Yes,” he replied. “I don't deny it. But I did the princess no harm.” The king was about to have him taken away when the soldier asked: “Allow me to strike my tinderbox. That is my last request before you give your judgment.” The king waved his hand. The soldier struck once, twice, three times. All three dogs appeared in the square. The crowd gasped. The guards stepped back. “Hurt no one,” the soldier told the dogs quickly. “Just protect me until we can settle this fairly.” The largest dog sat between him and the guards. The second gently took the nearest guards' swords and laid them in a pile. The third jumped onto the counselors' table, sending papers fluttering everywhere. Laughter swept through the square. Even the princess smiled. “Father, I have something to say too. He did come without permission, but he left when I asked. And now, with all this power, he has told his creatures not to harm anyone.” The king looked at the three extraordinary dogs, then his daughter, then the soldier. “What do you want?” The soldier thought. Once he might have answered: gold, a palace, a title. Now he said: “Freedom for myself. And a little more freedom for the princess to choose whom she talks to and how she lives.” The square grew quiet. The king was silent for a long time. “That is harder than giving orders to guards,” he said at last. “But perhaps it is time to change some old rules.” The soldier was released. The princess began visiting the town more often and making decisions for herself. Soon she was known for her intelligence and fairness, rather than her copper castle. The soldier remained her friend. In time their friendship deepened, but no one hurried or compelled either of them. He kept the magical tinderbox in a plain wooden chest. Now he seldom struck it. He had learned that having power did not mean using it whenever he could. And that was what the three magical dogs respected most about him.

May this story leave a little light in your heart ✨