made him sail down the gutter. Both boys ran beside it, and clapped
their hands. Preserve us! What waves there were in the gutter, and what
a current! It must have rained torrents. The paper boat rocked up and
down, and sometimes it whirled around so that the tin soldier shivered.
But he remained steadfast, did not lose color, looked straight ahead and
held his musket firm.

All at once the boat plunged under a long gutter-bridge. It was as dark
there as it had been in his box.

"Where am I going now?" thought he. "Yes, yes, that is the Troll's
fault. Oh! if the little lady were only in the boat, I would not care if
it were twice as dark."

At that instant there came a great water-rat who lived under the
gutter-bridge.

"Have you a pass?" said the rat. "Show me your pass."

But the tin soldier kept still, and only held his musket the firmer. The
boat rushed on, and the rat behind. Oh! how he gnashed his teeth, and
called to the sticks and straws:--

"Stop him! Stop him! He has not paid toll. He has showed no pass."

But the current got stronger and stronger. Before he got to the end of
the bridge the tin soldier could see daylight, but he heard also a
rushing noise that might frighten a brave man's heart. Just think! at
the end of the bridge the gutter emptied into a great canal, which for
him was as dangerous as for us to sail down a great waterfall.