章节正文
But as he was paying and giving money away every day, and none was coming in, he at last foun d that he had only two pennies left, and was obliged to leave the grand rooms where he had been living, and make the best of a little garret under the roof, where he had to clean his own boots, and even to mend them with a darning needle. And now not one of his friends came to see him-they did not like going up so many stairs. One very dark evening, he had not money enough even to buy himself a light, when it occurred to him that there might be th e fag end of a candle in the tinder box he had picked up in the hollow tree when the witch had helped him down. So he took out the tinder box and the candle stump, but no sooner had he struck a spark from the flint than the door flew o pen and the dog with eyes as big as teacups, whom he had seen down in the tree, stood before him and said, "What does my lord command?" "Well, I never!" said the soldier, "It will be a useful sort of tinder box if I can get whatever I want! Bring me some money," said he to the dog, and whisk! it was gone-whisk! and it was back again, holding in its mouth a large bag full of copper coins. And now the soldier understood what a very fine sort of tinder box it really was. If he struck the flint once, there came the dog who sat on the chest full of copper coins; if he struck twice, in came the dog who watched the silver money; and if he struc k thrice, there appeared the dog who minded the gold. | 不过他每天只是把钱花出去，却没有赚进来，最后只剩下两个便士！因此，他不得不从豪华的房间搬出来，而住到顶层的阁楼里去。在那里他自己擦皮鞋，用缝针补皮鞋。 朋友们也不来探望他了──他们不喜欢爬很多的阶梯。 一个很暗的晚上，他连一根蜡烛也买不起。这时他忽然想到自己还有一根蜡烛头装在那个火绒盒里──巫婆帮助他到空心树底下拿出来的火绒盒。 并把那个火绒盒和蜡烛头拿了出来，他在火石上碰擦了一下，火星一冒出来的时候，房门忽然自动地打开，而他在树底下所看到那只眼睛有茶杯大的狗儿就出现在他的面前。它说：「我的主人有什么吩咐？」 「啊！我从不知道，」士兵说：「这真是一个有用的火绒盒。如果我能由此得到我想要的东西就好！ 替我弄一些钱来吧！」他对狗儿说。于是「咻」的一声，狗儿不见了。一会儿，又是「咻」的一声，狗儿嘴里衔着一大袋的钱回来。 现在士兵终于明白这是一个多么美妙的火绒盒。 只要他把它擦一下，那只坐在装有铜钱箱上的狗儿就会来；若是他擦两下，则那只有银子的狗儿就会来；若是擦三下，那只有金子的狗儿就出现。 |
章节正文
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