Continued from last week
Alittle while later, two boys came along and spotted the tin soldier. “Here is a tin soldier. Let’s send him sailing”, said one boy. They crafted a boat from a news paper and put the tin soldier in it and set the boat afloat down the gutter.
The waves and the current were very strong and the tin soldier was afraid. But, inspite of his fear, the tin soldier stood to attention.
A dark drain
Suddenly, the boat was swept into a pitch dark long drain. The tin soldier could not see anything and wondered what was happening to him. “This is the wizard’s fault. If only my pretty ballerina was with me I would be ten times braver” said the tin soldier to himself.
An enormous water rat
An enormous water rat appeared and ordered the tin soldier to show his pass but the soldier did not reply and the paper boat rushed along. “Stop him, he has no pass “shrieked the water rat but the boat floated along.
The current became swifter and the tin soldier saw light ahead and knew he was coming to the end of the tunnel.
But where the tunnel ended the water fell in to a huge canal and to the tiny tin soldier it seemed like an enormous waterfall.But he still he stood at attention and then, whoosh, he went over the cascade of water.
The frail paper boat went into a spin and water came up to the tin soldier’s neck but he still stood at attention. As the water closed over his head the tin soldier thought of his beloved ballerina. The boat fell apart and the tin soldier fell to the muddy canal bottom.
Back home
A large fish promptly swallowed him.It was so dark inside the stomach of the fish that the tin soldier could not see.
The fish was caught and sold but the tin soldier was unaware of it. Suddenly, he saw a flash of light and heard a voice cry “the tin soldier”. It was the cook of his former home and he was back there as the fish had been bought By the cook for the family and she had just cut it open.
The cook cleaned the tin soldier and took it upstairs to show the little boy and his family. They all admired his bravery but he had eyes only for the ballerina. She was very happy to see him.
Into the fire
Suddenly, for no reason the little boy threw the tin soldier in to the fire. The tin soldier felt the unbearable heat of the flames but would not take his eyes off the ballerina. Soon, he began to melt. Suddenly, the door flew open and a sudden gust of wind blew the ballerina into the fire too. The flames rose high and the tin soldier and the ballerina were no more.
The next day, when the cook was cleaning the fire place she found the blackened sequin from the ballerina’s sash and a little lump of tin shaped like a heart. It was all that remained of the tin soldier.