A brand new box of toy soldiers arrived one sunny morning, just for a little boy named Leo. Inside, there were twenty-five shiny tin soldiers, all looking exactly the same, with smart red and blue uniforms. Well, almost all the same. One little soldier was a bit different. He only had one leg! You see, he was the very last one made, and there just wasn't enough tin to finish his other leg. But he stood just as straight and proud on his one leg as his brothers did on their two.

Leo set up all his new toys on a big table. Among them was a beautiful paper castle. And standing in the doorway of the castle was a tiny, graceful dancer. She was made of paper too, with a sparkly tinsel star on her dress. She was also standing on one leg, with her other leg stretched out high behind her. The tin soldier looked at her. "Wow," he thought. "She only has one leg, just like me! She would be the perfect friend."

He kept looking at her, and she seemed to look back, always smiling.

That night, when everyone was asleep, the toys came to life. A grumpy jack-in-the-box, who didn't like anyone else getting attention, popped out of his box. "Hey, tin soldier!" he grumbled. "Stop staring at the dancer!" The tin soldier pretended not to hear.

The next morning, Leo put the tin soldier on the windowsill. Maybe it was a puff of wind, or maybe that grumpy jack-in-the-box gave him a tiny push, but suddenly – WHOOSH! – the tin soldier fell. Down, down, down he tumbled, head over heels, from the third-story window and landed right in the street below, his bayonet sticking into the gap between two paving stones.

It started to rain. Soon, two boys came along. "Look!" said one. "A tin soldier! Let's make him a boat." They found an old newspaper, folded it into a little boat, put the tin soldier inside, and set him sailing down the gutter. The water rushed along, and the little boat bobbed and spun. The tin soldier stood firm, holding his musket tight, even though it was a bit scary. He thought of the little paper dancer and wished she was with him.

A big water rat who lived under the drainpipe popped its head out. "Hey! Show me your passport!" it squeaked. But the soldier said nothing, and the boat sailed on, faster and faster.

The gutter water flowed into a big, dark tunnel, and then into a wide canal. The paper boat got soggier and soggier, and then – SPLASH! – it filled with water and sank. The tin soldier sank down into the dark water. Just as he thought it was all over, a big fish swam by and – GULP! – swallowed him whole.

Oh, it was very dark inside the fish! Darker than the tunnel. But the tin soldier remained brave, lying there patiently.

Sometime later, there was a great flash of light and a lot of movement. The fish had been caught! It was taken to a market, sold, and brought to a kitchen – the very same kitchen in the house where Leo lived! The cook was cutting open the fish, and what did she find? "Goodness me!" she cried. "It's the little tin soldier!"

She washed him carefully and put him back on the table, right near the paper castle and the lovely dancer. The soldier looked at the dancer, and she looked at him. They hadn't forgotten each other. He was so happy to see her again, and he stood as straight and proud as ever on his one leg.

But then, one of the little boys (perhaps he was feeling a bit naughty, or perhaps that grumpy jack-in-the-box whispered something mean in his ear) picked up the tin soldier and, for no real reason at all, threw him straight into the hot, crackling fireplace!

The tin soldier felt himself getting terribly hot. The bright colors of his uniform began to melt away. He looked at the little dancer, and she looked at him. He felt he was melting, but he still stood steadfast.

Just then, a door opened, and a puff of wind blew through the room. The paper dancer, light as a feather, fluttered off the table, like a little butterfly, and floated right into the fire, next to the tin soldier. She blazed up in a bright flame and was gone in an instant. The tin soldier melted completely.

The next morning, when the maid cleaned out the fireplace, she found a little lump of tin, shaped like a tiny heart. And among the ashes, she also found the dancer's sparkly tinsel star, burnt black but still there. That was all that was left of the steadfast tin soldier and his beautiful paper dancer.

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