’Ineverheardthenamebefore；butiftheydoexistIshallfindthemout。Iammasterofallthebirdsintheworld，andhaveonlytoblowmywhistleandeveryonewillcometome。Ishallthenaskeachofthemtotellwhereitcamefrom，andifthereisanywayoffindingouttheBlueMountainsthatisit。’
　　Soheblewhiswhistle，andwhenheblewitthenallthebirdsoftheworldbegantogather。Theoldmanquestionedeachofthemastowheretheyhadcomefrom，buttherewasnotoneofthemthathadcomefromtheBlueMountains。Afterhehadrunoverthemall，however，hemissedabigEaglethatwaswanting，andwonderedthatithadnotcome。Soonafterwardshesawsomethingbigcomingtowardshim，darkeningthesky。Itkeptcomingnearerandgrowingbigger，andwhatwasthisafterallbuttheEagle？
　　Whenshearrivedtheoldmanscoldedher，andaskedwhathadkepthersolongbehind。
　　’Icouldn’thelpit，’shesaid；’Ihadmorethantwentytimesfurthertocomethananybirdthathascomehereto-day。’
　　’Wherehaveyoucomefrom，then？’saidtheoldman。
　　’FromtheBlueMountains，’saidshe。
　　’Indeed！’saidtheoldman；andwhataretheydoingthere？’
　　’Theyaremakingreadythisveryday，’saidtheEagle，’forthemarriageofthedaughteroftheKingoftheBlueMountains。Forthreeyearsnowshehasrefusedtomarryanyonewhatsoever，untilsheshouldgiveupallhopeofthecomingofthemanwhoreleasedherfromthespell。Nowshecanwaitnolonger，forthreeyearsisthetimethatsheagreedwithherfathertoremainwithoutmarrying。’
　　TheIrishmanknewthatitwasforhimselfshehadbeenwaitingsolong，buthewasunabletomakeanybetterofit，forhehadnohopeofreachingtheBlueMountainsallhislife。Theoldmannoticedhowsadhegrew，andaskedtheEaglewhatshewouldtakeforcarryingthismanonherbacktotheBlueMountains。
　　’Imusthavethreescorecattlekilled，’saidshe，’andcutupintoquarters，andeverytimeIlookovermyshoulderhemustthrowoneofthemintomymouth。’
　　AssoonastheIrishmanandtheoldmanheardherdemandtheywentouthunting，andbeforeeveningtheyhadkilledthree-scorecattle。Theymadequartersofthem，astheEagletoldthem，andthentheoldmanaskedhertoliedown，tilltheywouldgetitallheapeduponherback。Firstofall，though，theyhadtogetaladderoffourteensteps，toenablethemtogetontotheEagle’sback，andtheretheypiledupthemeataswellastheycould。ThentheoldmantoldtheIrishmantomount，andtoremembertothrowaquarterofbeeftohereverytimeshelookedround。Hewentup，andtheoldmangavetheEaglethewordtobeoff，whichsheinstantlyobeyed；andeverytimesheturnedherheadtheIrishmanthrewaquarterofbeefintohermouth。
　　AstheycamenearthebordersofthekingdomoftheBlueMountains，however，thebeefwasdone，and，whentheEaglelookedoverhershoulder，whatwastheIrishmanatbutthrowingthestonebetweenhertailandherneck！Atthissheturnedacompletesomersault，andthrewtheIrishmanoffintothesea，wherehefellintothebaythatwasrightinfrontoftheKing’sPalace。Fortunatelythepointsofhistoesjusttouchedthebottom，andhemanagedtogetashore。
　　Whenhewentupintothetownallthestreetsweregleamingwithlight，andtheweddingofthePrincesswasjustabouttobegin。
　　Hewentintothefirsthousehecameto，andthishappenedtobethehouseoftheKing’shen-wife。Heaskedtheoldwomanwhatwascausingallthenoiseandlightinthetown。
　　’ThePrincess，’saidshe，’isgoingtobemarriedto-nightagainstherwill，forshehasbeenexpectingeverydaythatthemanwhofreedherfromthespellwouldcome。’
　　’Thereisaguineaforyou，’saidhe；’goandbringherhere。’
　　Theoldwomanwent，andsoonreturnedalongwiththePrincess。
　　SheandtheIrishmanrecognisedeachother，andweremarried，andhadagreatweddingthatlastedforayearandaday。
　　THETINDER-BOX
　　Asoldiercamemarchingalongthehighroad——left，right！A
　　left，right！Hehadhisknapsackonhisbackandaswordbyhisside，forhehadbeentothewarsandwasnowreturninghome。
　　AnoldWitchmethimontheroad。Shewasveryuglytolookat:
　　herunder-liphungdowntoherbreast。
　　’Goodevening，Soldier！’shesaid。’Whatafineswordandknapsackyouhave！Youaresomethinglikeasoldier！Yououghttohaveasmuchmoneyasyouwouldliketocarry！’
　　’Thankyou，oldWitch，’saidtheSoldier。
　　’Doyouseethatgreattreethere？’saidtheWitch，pointingtoatreebesidethem。’Itishollowwithin。Youmustclimbuptothetop，andthenyouwillseeaholethroughwhichyoucanletyourselfdownintothetree。Iwilltiearoperoundyourwaist，sothatImaybeabletopullyouupagainwhenyoucall。’
　　’WhatshallIdodownthere？’askedtheSoldier。
　　’Getmoney！’answeredtheWitch。’Listen！Whenyoureachthebottomofthetreeyouwillfindyourselfinalargehall；itislightthere，fortherearemorethanthreehundredlampsburning。
　　Thenyouwillseethreedoors，whichyoucanopen——thekeysareinthelocks。Ifyougointothefirstroom，youwillseeagreatchestinthemiddleofthefloorwithadogsittinguponit；hehaseyesaslargeassaucers，butyouneedn’ttroubleabouthim。Iwillgiveyoumyblue-checkapron，whichyoumustspreadoutonthefloor，andthengobackquicklyandfetchthedogandsethimuponit；openthechestandtakeasmuchmoneyasyoulike。Itiscopperthere。Ifyouwouldratherhavesilver，youmustgointothenextroom，wherethereisadogwitheyesaslargeasmill-wheels。Butdon’ttakeanynoticeofhim；justsethimuponmyapron，andhelpyourselftothemoney。Ifyouprefergold，youcangetthattoo，ifyougointothethirdroom，andasmuchasyouliketocarry。ButthedogthatguardsthechesttherehaseyesaslargeastheRoundToweratCopenhagen！
　　Heisasavagedog，Icantellyou；butyouneedn’tbeafraidofhimeither。Only，puthimonmyapronandhewon’ttouchyou，andyoucantakeoutofthechestasmuchgoldasyoulike！’
　　’Come，thisisnotbad！’saidtheSoldier。’ButwhatamItogiveyou，oldWitch；forsurelyyouarenotgoingtodothisfornothing？’
　　’Yes，Iam！’repliedtheWitch。’NotasinglefarthingwillI
　　take！Formeyoushallbringnothingbutanoldtinder-boxwhichmygrandmotherforgotlasttimeshewasdownthere。’
　　’Well，tietheroperoundmywaist！’saidtheSoldier。
　　’Hereitis，’saidtheWitch，’andhereismyblue-checkapron。’
　　ThentheSoldierclimbedupthetree，lethimselfdownthroughthehole，andfoundhimselfstanding，astheWitchhadsaid，undergroundinthelargehall，wherethethreehundredlampswereburning。
　　Well，heopenedthefirstdoor。Ugh！theresatthedogwitheyesasbigassaucersglaringathim。
　　’Youareafinefellow！’saidtheSoldier，andputhimontheWitch’sapron，tookasmuchcopperashispocketscouldhold；
　　thenheshutthechest，putthedogonitagain，andwentintothesecondroom。Sureenoughtheresatthedogwitheyesaslargeasmill-wheels。
　　’Youhadbetternotlookatmesohard！’saidtheSoldier。’Youreyeswillcomeoutoftheirsockets！’
　　Andthenhesetthedogontheapron。Whenhesawallthesilverinthechest，hethrewawaythecopperhehadtaken，andfilledhispocketsandknapsackwithnothingbutsilver。
　　Thenhewentintothethirdroom。Horrors！thedogtherehadtwoeyes，eachaslargeastheRoundToweratCopenhagen，spinningroundinhisheadlikewheels。
　　’Goodevening！’saidtheSoldierandsaluted，forhehadneverseenadoglikethisbefore。Butwhenhehadexaminedhimmoreclosely，hethoughttohimself:’Nowthen，I’vehadenoughofthis！’andputhimdownonthefloor，andopenedthechest。
　　Heavens！whataheapofgoldtherewas！Withallthathecouldbuyupthewholetown，andallthesugarpigs，allthetinsoldiers，whipsandrocking-horsesinthewholeworld。Nowhethrewawayallthesilverwithwhichhehadfilledhispocketsandknapsack，andfilledthemwithgoldinstead——yes，allhispockets，hisknapsack，capandbootseven，sothathecouldhardlywalk。Nowhewasrichindeed。Heputthedogbackuponthechest，shutthedoor，andthencalledupthroughthetree:
　　’Nowpullmeupagain，oldWitch！’
　　’Haveyougotthetinder-boxalso？’askedtheWitch。
　　’Botheration！’saidtheSoldier，’Ihadcleanforgottenit！’Andthenhewentbackandfetchedit。
　　TheWitchpulledhimup，andtherehestoodagainonthehighroad，withpockets，knapsack，capandbootsfilledwithgold。
　　’Whatdoyouwanttodowiththetinder-box？’askedtheSoldier。
　　’Thatdoesn’tmattertoyou，’repliedtheWitch。’Youhavegotyourmoney，givememytinder-box。’
　　’We’llsee！’saidtheSoldier。’Tellmeatoncewhatyouwanttodowithit，orIwilldrawmysword，andcutoffyourhead！’
　　’No！’screamedtheWitch。
　　TheSoldierimmediatelycutoffherhead。Thatwastheendofher！Buthetiedupallhisgoldinherapron，slungitlikeabundleoverhisshoulder，putthetinder-boxinhispocket，andsetouttowardsthetown。
　　Itwasasplendidtown！Heturnedintothefinestinn，orderedthebestchamberandhisfavouritedinner；fornowthathehadsomuchmoneyhewasreallyrich。
　　Itcertainlyoccurredtotheservantwhohadtocleanhisbootsthattheywereastonishinglyoldbootsforsucharichlord。Butthatwasbecausehehadnotyetboughtnewones；nextdayheappearedinrespectablebootsandfineclothes。Now，insteadofacommonsoldierhehadbecomeanoblelord，andthepeopletoldhimaboutallthegranddoingsofthetownandtheKing，andwhatabeautifulPrincesshisdaughterwas。