The Steadfast Tin Soldier" is a literary fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen about a tin soldier and his love for a paper ballerina. After several adventures, the tin soldier perishes in a fire with the ballerina. The tale was first published in Copenhagen, Denmark by C. A. Reitzel on 2 October 1838 in the first booklet of Fairy Tales Told for Children. New Collection. with Andersen's "The Daisy" and "The Wild Swans". The tale was Andersen's first not based upon a folk tale or a literary model. "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" has been adapted to various media including ballet and animated film.