The Tinder Box

Quick Answer

Why This Story Works for Bedtime

A big, vivid fairy tale for older kids. Best as chapters: each section has a clear beat, and you can end on calm pauses rather than the most intense moments.

Story Synopsis

A soldier marches home from war and meets an odd old witch who offers him a deal. If he climbs down into a hollow tree and retrieves a tinderbox, he can keep all the treasure he finds. The task sounds simple, but the place below is filled with mystery. Inside the underground chambers, the soldier discovers three enormous dogs, each guarding a different treasure chest. Their eyes are astonishing—huge and shining—and each dog is stronger than the last. With the witch’s directions, the soldier takes the tinderbox and escapes with riches. But when he returns to the city, wealth alone doesn’t satisfy him. He hears of a princess so carefully guarded that no one may see her. With the magical tinderbox, he can summon the dogs, and their power makes the impossible possible. He finally meets the princess, and the two are drawn to each other. The witch is not finished, and the city’s leaders grow suspicious. The soldier is arrested and sentenced, but the tinderbox returns to his hands at the last moment. The dogs come—fast, fierce, and loyal—turning the execution into a dramatic reversal. In the end, the soldier is celebrated, the princess becomes his queen, and the strange dogs sit at the wedding feast like watchful guardians. It’s a tale of luck, courage, and the consequences of using power—best for ages 10–11, read with gentle pacing.

Story Excerpt

A soldier came marching along the high road. “ Left, right — left, right, ” went his boots on the hard ground. He had his knapsack on his back and a sword at his side. He had been away at war, and now he was walking home with the steady step of someone who had seen many places. As he walked, he met an old witch standing by the roadside. She looked very strange and very fierce, and her mouth pulled down in an unpleasant way. Still, she spoke as if she were being friendly. “ Good evening, soldier, ” she said. “ You have a very fine sword and a large knapsack, and you are a real soldier. So you shall have as much money as ever you like. ” “ Thank you, ” said the soldier, watching her carefully. The witch pointed to a great tree nearby. “ Do you see that large tree? It is hollow inside. Climb to the top, and you will find a hole. You can let yourself down into the tree, deep, deep down. I will tie a rope around you, so I can pull you up again when you call. ” “ But what am I to do down there? ” asked the soldier. “ Get money, ” she replied, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. “ When you reach the bottom, you will be in a large hall lit by hundreds of lamps. There are three doors, and the keys are in the locks. “ In the first room you will see a chest, and on it sits a dog with eyes as big…

In One Glance