New ‘rule of three’ otherwise ‘development away from three’ motif is normal across fairy stories – three desires, around three carries, about three brains about well, and the like – and ‘The fresh new Tinder Box’ provides even more ‘threes’ than you could shake a keen oversize dog’s paw from the. You will find three chambers towards the bottom of your own forest, and you can about three pet guarding the new treasure; the fresh new soldier comes with the puppy abduct brand new princess for a few nights in advance of he could be trapped. But of course, the brand new soldier has over around three desires, and will label through to this new pet from the tinder container an excellent seemingly unlimited level of minutes. The story takes the very thought of want to-fulfilment and really operates involved – perhaps even overdoing it slightly.
The newest character isn’t entirely likeable. So it does generate your a whole lot more fascinating, which is a thing that really helps to differentiate Andersen’s tales regarding of many earlier fairy tales, new Perrault of them or even soulmates bezoekers the brand new Grimm reports. However, he’s ethically suspicious. The guy incisions the new witch’s lead out-of just because she won’t divulge this new secrets of tinder box to help you your; the guy wishes it to own themselves whenever the guy suspects it is value something.
By same token, the guy provides out some of the currency the guy got on forest, and reveals signs and symptoms of becoming an altruistic fellow.