No one saw the Toy Soldier when the basket was emptied in the morning. He went with the scraps into a huge bag, and then into a wagon, and then into a factory where men sorted the cloth to make it into paper. One of these men found the Toy Soldier and took him home to his little boy, who was lame and had to stay alone all day.
“Has it been a good day, John?” his father asked.
“Oh, yes!” laughed John as he hugged the Toy Soldier.
“You have my supper ready just in time,” his father said, watching the soup bubbling in a shining pot on the stove.
“And I cleaned a little and set the table,” John said.
“Has your back hurt you very much to-day?” asked his father.
“A little, but I don’t mind that,” John said. “See how fine the Toy Soldier looks standing on the table!”
“Oho!” thought the Toy Soldier, “now I have found a place where I can stay. Here is another soldier, cheerful and willing to work, and brave!”