The Tinderbox
| "The Tinderbox" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Short story by Hans Christian Andersen | |||
The Tinderbox - Illustration by Elena Ringo | |||
| Original title | Fyrtøiet | ||
| Translator | Charles Boner | ||
| Country | Denmark | ||
| Language | Danish | ||
| Genre(s) | Literary fairy tale | ||
| Publication | |||
| Published in | Fairy Tales Told for Children. First Collection. First Booklet. 1835. | ||
| Publication type | Fairy tale collection | ||
| Publisher | C. A. Reitzel | ||
| Media type | |||
| Publication date | 8 May 1835 | ||
| Published in English | 1846 | ||
| Chronology | |||
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"The Tinderbox" (Danish: Fyrtøjet) is a literary fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen about a soldier who acquires a magic tinderbox capable of summoning three powerful dogs to do his bidding. When the soldier has one of the dogs transport a sleeping princess to his room, he is sentenced to death but cunningly summons the dogs to save his life.
In the Aarne-Thompson tale index, "The Tinderbox" is type 562: The Spirit in the Blue Light. Other tales of this type include The Three Dogs and The Blue Light.