“The Tinderbox” is the Hans Christian Andersen tale featuring a soldier, a goblin, magical dogs, and a princess.
A soldier receives a tinderbox from a witch after returning from war. The box summons three extraordinary dogs, each with eyes of a different size and supernatural strength. The soldier uses the dogs to obtain wealth and influence, eventually becoming king and marrying the princess.
The story was first published in 1835 and was among the tales that helped establish Andersen’s reputation. Its plot draws on older European folklore, but Andersen shaped the material into a brisk, literary fairy tale with a striking magical object.
Readers sometimes confuse the tinderbox with The Flying Trunk, another Andersen story involving a magical object and travel. The tinderbox summons dogs and changes the soldier’s fortunes; the flying trunk carries its owner through the air.