222-223 / 256
222
Saffronart | Evening Sale
Amrita Sher-Gil, 1939
Saffronart, Mumbai, 14 December 2015, lot 45
223
O
nce upon a time, a soldier returning home from war, met a
frightful-looking old witch on the road, who asked him to climb
into a hollow tree to retrieve a magic tinderbox. The witch gave
the soldier permission to take anything he found inside the chambers, but
he had to return the tinderbox. In the tree, the soldier found three chambers
filled with precious coins guarded by three monstrous dogs, “one with eyes
the size of teacups,” who guarded a chest filled with copper pennies, one
with “eyes the size of mill wheels,” who guarded a chest filled with silver,
and one with eyes “as big as a tower,” who guarded a chest filled with gold.
He filled his pockets with money, found the tinderbox, and returned to the
witch. When she demanded the tinderbox without offering much in return,
the soldier lopped off her head with his sword.
Then, the soldier wandered off to a
large town and lived in luxury off his
money. Soon, he learned of a princess
imprisoned in a tower because a
prophecy foretold her marriage to a
common soldier. He went to see her
but realised his fancy could not be
satisfied. Eventually, the soldier ran
out of money and was forced to live
in a dark attic. He remembered the
tinderbox and struck it to illuminate
the room. One of the monstrous
dogs from the tree appeared before
him. The soldier realized that he could
summon all three dogs and order them to bring him money from their
subterranean dwelling. Once again, he lived splendidly.
One night, he desired to see the princess in the tower. He struck the
tinderbox and called upon the dog with eyes the size of teacups to bring
her to him. Overwhelmed by her beauty, the soldier kissed her and ordered
the dog to return her to her tower. The next morning, the princess told
her parents about a strange dream she had and narrated the events from
the night before. Suspicious, the king and queen kept a close watch on her.
When the princess was carried away again, they tried to find where she spent
her nights. Eventually, the lovers were found, and the soldier was sentenced
to death.
On the day of execution, the soldier sent a boy for his tinderbox, and, at
the scaffold, asked to have a last smoke. He then struck the tinderbox and
the three monstrous dogs appeared. They tossed the judge, the councillors,
the King and Queen into the air. All were dashed to pieces when they fell
to earth. The soldier and the princess were united and wed, with the dogs
attending the wedding feast.
The Tinderbox
by Hans Christian Anderson
Reproduced from stephenmitchellbooks.com