“Oho!” thought the Toy Soldier, and as the two little boys played he dropped out from under Harold’s coat and into the gutter. When Harold reached school, late, the Toy Soldier was gone.
Joe found the Toy Soldier in the gutter and ran home with him to his mother.
“I have a Toy Soldier!” he said.
“How brave he looks,” said Joe’s mother.
All the rest of the day the Toy Soldier went about with Joe and listened to what he said and watched what he did.
“I can’t go to the grocer’s; I’m afraid of his dog.”
“I can’t put in that nail. I am afraid that the hammer will slip and hit my finger.” This was what the Toy Soldier heard.
Then it was Joe’s bedtime, and the Toy Soldier went upstairs with him to bed, but Joe cried all the way.
“I’m afraid of the dark!” he said.
When Joe was asleep the Toy Soldier slipped out of his hand and fell into a scrap basket. He knew very well that he couldn’t stay with a child who was a coward.