Which Hans Christian Andersen tale features a toy soldier with one leg?

The one-legged toy soldier appears in Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Steadfast Tin Soldier.” The soldier is the last of a set of 25 tin soldiers and has only one leg because he was cast when there was not enough metal.

He falls in love with a paper ballerina whom he believes also has one leg, because she balances on one raised foot. After a series of accidents, including a fall from a window and a journey through water, the soldier returns to the house.

Andersen published the story in 1838. Unlike many tales involving magical creatures, this story centers on manufactured toys and household objects. The soldier’s persistence explains the adjective “steadfast,” while the ending emphasizes the tale’s bittersweet tone rather than offering a simple happy resolution.