There was a small boy named Peter living with his mother, father, and nanny in a large house that had a beautiful garden and was surrounded by wide streets. Peter was the only child in this family, so they all cared about him greatly and brought him all the toys and things he requested.
On his birthday, they held a big celebration for him, and his father brought him a toy box containing twenty-five men made of metal, wearing soldier uniforms. Among them was only one soldier who had one leg that he stood on, and yet he always stood firmly without shaking or falling.
Peter would take the soldiers out of the toy box every day, pick up the soldier with one leg and put him on the shelf, then play with the rest of the soldiers all day. Therefore, the tin soldier was always lonely and sad. While he was standing on the shelf, he would look around the room, searching for a friend for himself among the dolls and the many toys, until his gaze fell on a beautiful tattered dancer who made wonderful and graceful movements and was standing on one leg. The tin soldier said to himself: She is the most beautiful thing I have seen in my life. If only I could approach her and talk to her!
But the soldier could not move, so he remained standing in his place all day looking at her, until evening came and he found himself moving, he and the rest of the dolls. The soldier thought about going to her and playing with her, but he was shy.
On the second day, Peter brought the toys from his small box, took out all the soldiers, and put the tin soldier with one leg among them. He played with them, but in the evening he forgot the soldier as usual outside, and this time he left him on the window.
A strong wind came and knocked the soldier into the street. He fell under the heavy rains and was very sad at being left by Peter’s house, and because he would not see the tattered dancer again. His falling coincided with two children passing by. When they saw him, they said: What is this? It is a soldier with one leg. We must make him a boat so he can sail across the street because he cannot walk. The children brought some papers and made a boat for the little tin soldier.
After a while, the soldier found that he had reached the river, but with the strength of the wind, his boat broke, and he fell into the depths of the sea. A large fish approached him and swallowed him. The soldier was very sad at being lost and far from Peter’s toy box. But suddenly, he found the fish that had swallowed him moving upward, for a skilled fisherman had caught it. When he saw it was large and beautiful, he said: I will sell it to Peter’s family, for they will pay me a large amount for it.
Indeed, the fisherman went to Peter’s house and met his father and sold him the fish for a high price. Peter’s father gave the fish to his wife to clean it. When she opened it, she found the little tin soldier inside it and was very surprised. She said to him: What brought you here? My son Peter was very sad at your loss. When the soldier heard this speech, he rejoiced and praised Allah that he had returned to his friend Peter’s house, for he had thought that he did not love him.
After that, the mother took the tin soldier with one leg, washed him well, and put him next to the tattered dancer so Peter would see him when he returned from school and rejoice. But while she was arranging the room, she left the window open.
The winds intensified after a short time and knocked the soldier and the tattered dancer into the fireplace. This coincided with Peter entering the room, so he quickly pulled them out so that the fire would not devour them. But he found that the soldier and the dancer had melted together due to the heat in the shape of a heart.
He said: By Allah, they have become much more beautiful. I will leave them like this. He put them together on the table and left the room. The tin soldier with one leg rejoiced greatly, for his wish had finally come true and he had gathered with the beautiful tattered dancer, and they would never be separated again.