All I remember was it came from a huge book of fairy tales, and I lost it a while ago. It had something to do with a man who went underground, and there was a 3 headed dog. There was a choice between gold, silver and bronze, and each did something. Thats all I know, and it is not Harry Potter! If anyone vaguely recognizes this story, anything would be helpful because I would like to read it again. Hopefully I got the details right and didnt confuse two stories. Thanks so much!!
2006-10-08 17:49:09 · 5 answers · asked by kasey 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
That's definately Hans Christian Anderson's "The Tinderbox." One of my favorites.
A soldier returning home met a witch. She told him that if he went down in a hollow tree, he could have as much money as he wished. There would be three rooms, one with a dog with eyes as large as saucers guarding copper, one with a dog with eyes as large as millstones guarding silver, and one with a dog with eyes as large as the Round Tower at Copenhagen guarding gold, but if he put the dogs on her apron, they would be harmless. She would pull him back up when he had as much money as he wished, and all she asked was that he bring her a tinder-box from the rooms. He came back with the gold and, after a second venture, with the tinder-box. When the witch asked for it, he demanded to know why, and when she would not tell him, he cut off her head.
He came to a town where the princess was hidden, because there was a prophecy that she would marry a common soldier, and the king wished to prevent it. He spent all the gold and became poor again, losing all the friends he had made by spending it. He used the tinder box to light a candle end, and the dog with eyes as large as saucers appeared. He had it fetch him money, and soon lived well again. Then, out of curiosity, he had the dog bring him the princess while she slept, and kissed her before he sent her back.
The princess remembered it as a dream, and told her parents. They set an old woman to watch her, and when the soldier sent the dog again, the old woman ran after and marked the house the dog went in. The soldier noticed it and marked all the houses about, so they could not find it. The next night, the queen tied a bag with a hole in it about the princess's neck, and filled it with flour. When the dog took the princess, the flour left a trail, and they caught the soldier.
He was to be hanged, but he bribed a shoemaker's boy to bring him the tinder box and just before he was to be hanged, struck it. The three dogs overwhelmed the soldiers and court, and the soldier married the princess and became king.
2006-10-09 03:09:45 · answer #1 · answered by BlueManticore 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
This may be a Greek mythology book, not a fairy tale book.
Cerberus, the 3-headed dog appears in Greek myth, which is the guardian of Hades.
One of Hercules' twelve tasks was to capture Cerberus.
2006-10-08 17:55:47 · answer #2 · answered by errant_hero 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yep that is definitely 'The Tinder Box' by Hans Christian Andersen.
Don't think it is a three headed dog, but three different dogs and the eyes gets bigger as he goes form bronze to gold.
2006-10-08 23:42:03 · answer #3 · answered by Rosalind 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I know that! The Tinderbox. I've read it in the Reader's Digest collection of Fairy tales.
Hope I've helped.(^_^)
2006-10-08 19:52:43 · answer #4 · answered by chad 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
There's a book, I don't recall the name of, too. Do you remember, any thing at all, about it? I don't recognize your descripton of it, but what comes to mind is that it might've been, The Magic Unicorn.
2006-10-08 17:59:04 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋