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THE TIN SOLDIER

CHARACTERS:

NARRATOR

TINSMITH

STORE OWNER

FATHER

HEDGE

LILI

TIN SOLDIER

BALLERINA

JACK-IN-THE BOX

KID 1

KID 2

RAT

FISH (NO DIALOGUES)

COOK

MAID

SCRIPT:

NARRATOR: Once upon a time, a tinsmith made a set of toy soldiers out of some old tin. The soldiers stood very straight, each carrying a gun on his shoulder, and they wore smart red jackets, blue trousers, and tall black hats with gold badges on the front.

TINSMITH: They all look very nice!.   Except the last one, which only has one leg.  I wish I had enough tin to finish it.  Anyway, I will take them to the toyshop to sell them.

NARRATOR: The tinsmith went to the shop hoping to sell them all.

STORE OWNER: What can I do for you?.

TINSMITH: I am selling these little soldiers I made myself.

STORE OWNER: They look very nice.  But what about this one?.

TINSMITH: I didn´t have enough tin to finish it,  but if you buy them all, I´ll give it to you as a gift.

STORE OWNER: Very good.

NARRATOR: The owner paid  the tinsmith.  Soon a man entered the toyshop and bought it as a birthday present for his son.

FATHER: Happy Birthday Hedge!.  I brought you a birthday present.

HEDGE: What is it!.

FATHER: Open it, and you will see.

NARRATOR: The little boy opened the present and was surprised.  Lili her sister was also there.

LILI: What is it?.

HEDGE: A set of tin soldiers!.

FATHER: Do you like them?.

HEDGE: Oh yes, father, thank you!.  Look Lili!.

LILI: Let me see them!.

NARRATOR: Hedge´s sister took the tin soldiers.

LILI: There´s one with just one leg.

HEDGE: Let me see.   Do you want it, Lili?.

LILI: Yes, I´ll place it in my paper castle, now my princess will have her own guard!.

NARRATOR: Lili went to her room which was full of toys.  She placed the  tin soldier  inside the paper castle.  And there she was, the loveliest little paper ballerina with a pink muslin skirt, standing at the castle door.

TIN SOLDIER: Oh, what a beautiful ballerina!.  And she is just like me.  She only has one leg!.

NARRATOR: The tin soldier couldn´t see her other leg, which was behind her.

TIN SOLDIER: She would be a perfect wife for me.

NARRATOR: So he decided to ask her to marry him.

TIN SOLDIER: Would you…?.   Would you…?.

NARRATOR: At that moment the jack-in-the-box lid opened and he said.

JACK-IN-THE BOX: Ha, ha, ha, stop!.  What are you planning to do with this girl?.

NARRATOR: But the tin soldier did not answer. He only kept staring at the ballerina.

JACK-IN-THE BOX: I´ll teach you!.

NARRATOR: Then Jack-In-The Box jumped and jumped until the little tin soldier fell out of the window.

TIN SOLDIER: Oh No!.

NARRATOR: And he fell to the ground.

TIN SOLDIER: That hurt!.

NARRATOR: The Tin Soldier was very sad because he wasn’t going to see the little ballerina again.  He stayed there until it started raining and raining until night came. Next day two kids saw him, and picked him up.

KID 1: Hey, look at this.  It´s a tin soldier!.

KID 2: It´s very dirty!.

KID 1: And he only has one leg.

KID 2: Let’s make him a boat!.

NARRATOR: They made a boat out of newspaper and place the tin soldier inside. The street was so full of water that it was a real stream.

KID 2: I am going to let it go.

NARRATOR: The soldier stood erect, staring straight ahead as his boat rushed along.

TIN SOLDIER: I thought they were going to rescue me.  All because of that monster´s fault. But I have to find that girl!.

NARRATOR: Then the boat entered into a dark tunnel.

TIN SOLDIER: It´s so dark in here!.  I wonder where I am.

NARRATOR: Then he saw two big eyes looking at him.  It was a huge rat.

TIN SOLDIER: Oh!.

RAT: Stop!. Where do you think you´re going?.  I am the master here, and I won´t let you go!.

NARRATOR: But the boat rushed on, going faster and faster.  The rat was angry and started chasing the boat.

RAT: I think I am going to eat you!.

NARRATOR: Suddenly the boat was out of the tunnel.

RAT: Oh, it´s the end of the tunnel, and I can´t stand the sunlight!.

NARRATOR: And the rat went back to the tunnel.

TIN SOLDIER: I am safe!.

NARRATOR: But ahead of him there was a waterfall.

TIN SOLDIER: Oh no!.

NARRATOR: He felt into a canal and began to sink.  The boat finally fell apart, the tin soldier sank down, down, down,  and suddenly everything turned dark.   A big fish gobbled him up.

TIN SOLDIER: Where am I?.  It´s so dark in here.  I have to get out of here!.

NARRATOR: He tried to escape but the walls were soft and there was no way out.

TIN SOLDIER: This is over.  I wish I could see my ballerina once more, before I die. Oh, my dear ballerina.

NARRATOR: He fell asleep, and dreamed of the big room with the children, the toys, the paper castle, and the lovely ballerina.  Suddenly he woke up.  That place was shaking and shaking but he couldn´t do anything.  Then he fainted.

COOK: Oh, the little tin soldier that was lost, it´s  inside the fish.  I´ll tell Lili!.

NARRATOR: The fish ate the soldier, a man caught that fish and sold it in the market, then the woman that bought the fish was the cook at David´s House.  The tin soldier had returned home and back to the ballerina.

TIN SOLDIER: I´m so happy, that I want to cry!.

COOK: Lili, Lili!.  Look what I found!.

LILI: What is it?.

COOK: It´s the tin soldier!.

LILI: Oh, thank you!.  I´ll put it again inside the paper palace.

NARRATOR: When the tin soldier found himself again in the paper palace, he told the beautiful ballerina about his adventures.  He told her about the kids, the boat, the rat, the fish, and about his dream.  But suddenly…

JACK-IN-THE-BOX: Oh no, it´s you again!.  This time I won´t miss!.

NARRATOR: Jack-In-The-Box was furious and jumped, and jumped, and jumped, took the little soldier and threw him straight to the chimney.

TIN SOLDIER: Oh!. 

NARRATOR: And he fell into the fire.

SOLDIER: I am melting.  Good-bye my precious ballerina.

NARRATOR: The ballerina was so sad, she only could see the soldier melting.  Suddenly a puff of wind blew off the dancer to the chimney, and into the fire with him.  Finally they were both together.  Next morning the maid wen to to clean the chimney.

MAID: I have to clean the chimney. It´s strange, there´s a lump of tin shaped like a heart. I wonder why?.

NARRATOR: The heart meant the love between the tin soldier and the beautiful ballerina.

THE END

Author: Hans Christian Andersen

Adapted by: K I D S I N C O

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