A well equipped soldier is returning from war. He encounters a witch that bids him to enter a hollow tree, inside are three chests full of treasure just waiting to be emptied, each guarded by a dog each bigger than the previous one. The witch explains how to get past these dogs - the only thing she asks for in return is a tinderbox which once belonged to her grandmother. The soldier accepts her quest and ventures forth, gathering treasure from each of the chests, and dealing with the dogs. Upon receiving the tinderbox, the soldier returns to the witch and enquires about her need for the tinderbox. The witch refuses to let up any information so the soldier dispatches of her by decapitating the poor old hag.
The soldier spends his wealth on luxurious items of clothing and food, and became known as a fine gentleman. Many stories were told to him about the land, in particular, whispers about the princess, the king's daughter caught his ear. It was said that the princess was locked away in a copper tower to which, only the king had access. It was also said that one day the princess would marry a common soldier. The soldier very much liked the sound of this princess and sought to see her, yet could obtain no such permission. This, however did not stop the soldier from enjoying himself and he eventually had spent the last reserves of his gold. Searching for a source of light, the soldier reaches for the tinderbox and strikes it once. Suddenly, the small dog appears - it's teacup eyes staring intently, waiting for orders. The soldier ordered the dog to bring him money, and so the dog did. It didn't take him long to work out that if he stuck the match box once, the teacup-eyed dog would appear, and bring him copper, two strikes and the water wheel-eyed dog would appear and bring him silver, three strikes and the largest, tower-eyed dog would appear, bringing him gold coins.
One night, at the strike of 12, the soldier's curiosity got the better of him, and he struck the tinderbox once. He commanded the dog to bring him the princess. The dog did his bidding, and the soldier was not disappointed. The princess was more beautiful than the whispers let on, so beautiful in fact - he could not help but kiss her. In the morning, the princess told her parents about how odd a dream she had. The queen set the lady in waiting to watch by her bedside to see where she went at night. True to the princess' word, at midnight, a dog appeared and stole the princess away. The lady followed the dog back to the soldier's residence, and marked the door with a chalk cross. When the dog was returning with the princess, he noticed the cross on the door and drew crosses on all the doors in the town.
The queen was a clever woman, and would not be out-witted easily. She filled a small pouch with flour and tied it around the princess' neck, cutting a hole in the corner so the flour might leak out. That night, when the dog came for the princess, the flour left a trail straight to the soldier's residence. The dog did not notice the flour, and in the morning the king and queen found the soldier and sentenced him to hang.
In prison, the soldier realised he had left the tinderbox behind, and paid a shoemaker's boy to go and fetch it for him. Tinderbox now in his possession and about to be hung on the gallows, the soldier made one last request to smoke, the request was not denied. The soldier struck the tinderbox once, twice, three times summoning all three dogs. He commanded the dogs to prevent his hanging, and so they killed the king and queen and all of their council. The townsfolk, scared of the soldier's power decided to make the soldier king, and he would marry the princess. Becoming queen pleased the princess greatly.
So, after having read Hans Christian Andersen's 'The Tinderbox' on Monday, I remember being very unsure what to think of any of the characters so I read it again just now, and I am still unsure. The character I feel most drawn to is the princess. This is partially because I find the way her character was portrayed interesting, and partially because I am very interested in working with female napoleonic fashion. In terms of her character, I am intrigued by her happiness at her parents death as it could possibly mean that she resented her parents. I'd suggest the reason for this is that she has been locked inside a copper castle he whole life, to avoid a prophecy, which turned out to be true. There is also the possibility that she is just stupid and shallow.
Anyways, that's all for now, will be posting some of my research next!
