for, of course, you do not mean to tell meall this for nothing."
  "No," said the witch; "but I do not ask for a single penny. Onlypromise to bring me an old tinder-box, which my grandmother leftbehind the last time she went down there."
  "Very well; I promise. Now tie the rope round my body."
  "Here it is," replied the witch; "and here is my blue checkedapron."
  As soon as the rope was tied, the soldier climbed up the tree, andlet himself down through the hollow to the ground beneath; and here hefound, as the witch had told him, a large hall, in which manyhundred lamps were all burning. Then he opened the first door. "Ah!"there sat the dog, with the eyes as large as teacups, staring at him.
  "You're a pretty fellow," said the soldier, seizing him, andplacing him on the witch's apron, while he filled his pockets from thechest with as many pieces as they would hold. Then he closed thelid, seated the dog upon it again, and walked into another chamber,And, sure enough, there sat the dog with eyes as big as mill-wheels.
  "You had better not look at me in that way," said the soldier;"you will make your eyes water;" and then he seated him also uponthe apron, and opened the chest. But when he saw what a quantity ofsilver money it contained, he very quickly threw away all thecoppers he had taken, and filled his pockets and his knapsack withnothing but silver.
  Then he went into the third room, and there the dog was reallyhideous; his eyes were, truly, as big as towers, and they turned roundand round in his head like wheels.
  "Good morning," said the soldier, touching his cap, for he hadnever seen such a dog in his life. But after looking at him moreclosely, he thought he had been civil enough, so he placed him onthe floor, and opened the chest. Good gracious, what a quantity ofgold there was! enough to buy all the sugar-sticks of thesweet-stuff women; all the tin soldiers, whips, and rocking-horsesin the world, or even the whole town itself There was, indeed, animmense quantity. So the soldier now threw away all the silver moneyhe had taken, and filled his pockets and his knapsack with goldinstead; and not only his pockets and his knapsack, but even his capand boots, so that he could scarcely walk.
  He was really rich now; so he replaced the dog on the chest,closed the door, and called up through the tree, "Now pull me out, youold witch."
  "Have you got the tinder-box?" asked the witch.
  "No; I declare I quite forgot it." So he went back and fetched thetinderbox, and then the witch drew him up out of the tree, and hestood again in the high road, with his pockets, his knapsack, his cap,and his boots full of gold.
  "What are you going to do with the tinder-box?" asked the soldier.
  "That is nothing to you," replied the witch; "you have themoney, now give me the tinder-box."
  "I tell you what," said the soldier, "if you don't tell me whatyou are going to do with it, I will draw my sword and cut off yourhead."
  "No," said the witch.
  The soldier immediately cut off her head, and there she lay on theground. Then he tied up all his money in her apron. and slung it onhis back like a bundle, put the tinderbox in his pocket, and walkedoff to the nearest town. It was a very nice town, and he put up at thebest inn, and ordered a dinner of all his favorite dishes, for nowhe was rich and had plenty of money.
  The servant, who cleaned his boots, thought they certainly werea shabby pair to be worn by such a rich gentleman, for he had notyet bought any new ones. The next day, however, he procured somegood clothes and proper boots, so that our soldier soon became knownas a fine gentleman, and the people visited him, and told him allthe wonders that were to be seen in the town, and of the king'sbeautiful daughter, the princess.
  "Where can I see her?"