Could he lift him? Yes, he
took the immense animal in his arms, set him on the witch's apron, and
opened the third box.
Gold! It was full of gold. He would be able to buy the whole town,
and all the sugar-plums, and all the tin soldiers, and all the
rocking-horses and whips in the world.
The soldier was delighted. He threw away his silver money. Silver! He
did not want silver. Here was gold, gold!
He filled his pockets and his knapsack, but he could not bear to stop
there. No, he crammed his cap and his boots so full that he could
hardly walk. He was really rich at last. He shut the lid, placed the
dog again on the box, and went out of the room, along the passage.
Then he shouted up the tree, "Halloo, old witch! haul me up again."
"Have you got the tinder-box?" said the witch.
"Oh, that I had quite forgotten," answered the soldier, and back he
went to fetch it.
When he came back the witch took the rope and hauled and hauled, till
there was the soldier, once more, safe on the high road, just as he
was before, only now he was rich, so rich that he had become very
bold.
He had gold in his pockets, gold in his knapsack, gold in his cap,
gold in his boots.
"What are you going to do with the tinder-box, just tell me that?"
said the soldier.
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