’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。
