The Steadfast Tin Soldier
A little boy receives a set of tin soldiers for his birthday, but one soldier stands out because he has only one leg. Despite this difference, he stands as firmly as his brothers and soon falls in love with a graceful paper dancer near a toy castle. The soldier watches her constantly, hoping to become acquainted with her, while the other toys play around them. Their peaceful observation is interrupted by a mischievous goblin who warns him to stop staring. Ignoring the warning, the soldier remains fixed on his admiration for the dancer. Later, he falls from a window onto the street below and is found by two boys who place him in a paper boat. He sails down a gutter, enduring rough waves and darkness as he enters a drain. A water rat demands his passport, but the soldier stays silent and brave. The current grows stronger, sweeping the boat toward a terrifying sewer drop. The boat breaks apart, and the soldier is swallowed by a fish instead of sinking. Inside the dark belly, he remains steadfast until the fish is caught and brought to a kitchen. He is returned to the same room where his beloved dancer still waits for him. However, a boy throws both the soldier and the dancer into a stove out of spite. The heat melts the soldier while the dancer burns away in the flames. In the end, only a small tin heart remains from the steadfast soldier.
