The Tinder Box (8)

The Tinder Box (8)

But as he was always spending money and never made any more, at last the day came when he had nothing left but two shillings, and he had to leave the beautiful room in which he had been living.
He had to go into a little attic, under the roof, and clean his own boots, and mend them with a darning needle.

None of his friends came to visit him there, for there were too many stairs to climb.

It was a dark evening, and he could not even buy a light.
But all at once it flashed across him that there was a little end of tinder in the tinder box, which he had taken from the hollow tree into which the Witch had helped him down.

He found the box with the tinder in it; but just as he was kindling a light, and had struck a spark out of the tinder box, the door burst open, and the dog with eyes as large as saucers, which he had seen down in the tree, stood before him and said: " What does my lord command ? "

(8/15)