Once upon a time, sitting on the topmost shelf of a century old toy shop, was a clockwork toy soldier. He was made of the finest wood and his velvet blue uniform had been carefully painted by hand; each medal took hours- as did his kind, silvery eyes and courteously smiling, thin red mouth. He was a work of art. But alas, he did not possess the one quality that would render him truly beautiful- humility. 

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Many boys came and went but the little wooden soldier found not one a match- good enough for him nor his greatness. So, the little wooden soldier decided to take matters into his own tiny hands and set out to find the perfect little boy.

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One day, and many children later, the soldier marched into the toy room of a little boy who painted the prettiest of paintings. A sensitive young artist in the making. Our little friend thought, “Hmm...This boy seems perfect! Oh imagine what fun it will be to sit by his side day in and day out watching him paint ! I would not have to march about a single day!”. And so the soldier asked the boy if he could be his toy. As was expected the boy took our tiny friend in with open arms. At first, the soldier loved his new life. But alas! This joy was short lived as the boy wanted to paint the soldier’s perfect blue uniform RED! The soldier took pride in his perfect uniform and wasn't willing to change a thing about himself even for the little boy he thought he loved. So,once again the little soldier set out to find the perfect boy.

This time around the tiny soldier was a little careful. A few days later he came across a boy with beautiful eyes and rosy cheeks; an angel of a child! A little older than he had hoped, but this boy made even his heartless wooden soul feel love. The child liked him too but not enough. Not enough to stop the boat when the wind blew the little soldier off into the stream. He just watched the toy soldier flow by with his pretty eyes. The soldier was broken and had a broken heart. He thought himself not good enough and that he had nothing left in him to offer; He was prepared to die.

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One day, the soldier was just drifting on the stream waiting for his end to come when the cute hands of a child caught him.This child thought the soldier looked a little stupid but to the soldiers amaze he still liked him! This kind hearted child poked the soldier on his stomach and smiled a wide smile with his braced up teeth. The soldier immediately took to liking the kid. He really loved the child. The child brought the little soldier home and showed him to his mother. But his mother wasn't pleased. “But he is broken!” said she.“I will fix him with my own hands’’ said the boy. “Don't you remember what happened  to your last toy soldier? You broke it more trying to fix it!” .This was enough to dishearten the sensitive child. 

 Disheartened , the child took the soldier and dumped the little soldier into the waste paper basket and went to bed in tears. This child didn't want to get hurt as he had been the last time.He didn't want to make a mess of the soldier. The soldier understood, and forgave. In the waste paper basket the soldier made friends with some scraps of paper. They said that he could live the life of a piece of paper! Short and sweet and get recycled into pulp live “The Life” again and again. Seven times around the pulp could be recycled and then become an egg tray! What fun!

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However, our little friend didn't want to live this vain meaningless life. He wanted to be loved by the boy. He didn't care;he was going to fix himself and come back for him.

So, the toy soldier left his favourite medal for the child and set out to the dump to get spare parts and fix himself up. He slowly, slowly, one day at a time, fixed himself. 

By this time, because of his hardwork and dedication the soldier had gained great  fame and money. But his heart yearned only for a child. Though the soldier had fixed himself beautifully he didn't dare go back to Rudolph, for he would be a grown man now. What use would a grown man have for a wooden soldier?

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Days passed, then weeks and months and soon years. One day the soldier heard a baby crying. A baby! In the dump? What heartless creature did such a thing? So, our soldier went and rescued the little baby girl. He swore to protect her at any cost. So, he fed and clothed her . Baby Iris was the sweetest little thing! He loved her more than anything in the whole wide world! He filled her up with stories of the adventures he had experienced in his life; taught her science and history and drawing and painting and music and dance! Oh! How they loved to dance! He was proud of his little girl. Years passed and Iris went off to university. She studied art with  talented little yellow irises like our own. One day, she came across a little scribble on a sketchbook of a toy soldier who looked exactly like her father. She asked the author of the painting where he had met the soldier. Rudolph chuckled and said that the soldier was an old friend of his who he wished to meet someday, “Do you know he is famous now? I wish he remembers me.” he said in a melancholy tone. “But of course!” said Iris and she told the professor all about her father. The very next day the duo set out to the dump to meet our dear old soldier. 

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 On reaching, Iris was puzzled to find her home all cold and quiet. Then she found her father in bed- all weak and tired. The little soldier looked up at the two figures who had appeared in front of him. He recognised the six foot tall man in a pink shirt and denims. He smiled from his soul that day. We don't know where he is now, but we know he will always have us in his heart; for now his soul had earned a heart of its own.