The Steadfast Tin Soldier | Hans Christian Andersen, Cynthia Rylant

As in the original, the tin soldier's love for the beautiful ballerina is thwarted by a troll, he is separated from the other toys, washed down a storm drain, encounters a rat, gets swallowed by a fish, and manages to end up back home. Unlike in the original, however, the tin soldier is spit, white hot, out of the fire and into the arms of the dancer, thus melding the two together so they'll never be apart.