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    Andersen's Fairy Tales
    Andersen's Fairy Tales
    Andersen's Fairy Tales
    Ebook219 pages3 hours

    Andersen's Fairy Tales

    By Hans Christian Andersen

    4.5/5

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    About this ebook

    Andersen's fairy tales, which have been translated into more than 125 languages, have become culturally embedded in the West's collective consciousness, readily accessible to children, but presenting lessons of virtue and resilience in the face of adversity for mature readers as well. They have inspired plays, ballets, and both live-action and animated films. This e-book contains 18 of his most famous fairy tales.
    (Excerpt from Wikipedia)
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOtbebookpublishing
    Release dateDec 27, 2015
    ISBN9783956761485
    Author

    Hans Christian Andersen

    Hans Christian Andersen was born in Odense, Denmark, in 1805. He endured a lonely, impoverished childhood consoled by little more than his own imagination. He escaped to a theatre life in Copenhagen aged 14 where the support of a powerful patron enabled him to complete his scant education, and to write. His poetry, novels and travel books became hugely popular. But it was his Fairy Tales, the first children's stories of their kind, published in instalments from 1835 until the time of his death in 1875, that have immortalised him. Translated into more than 100 languages and adapted to every kind of media, they have made Andersen the most important children's writer in history.

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    Reviews for Andersen's Fairy Tales

    4.5/5

    166 ratings18 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Note: The version I read is on DailyLit.com, so this review is for that edition.This is a classic set of short stories by Hans Christian Andersen. While I was vaguely familiar with some of the tales in this set, most were entirely new to me. Thanks to Disney, we tend to think of fairy tales as having “happily ever after” endings, and that is most definitely not the case with Andersen’s stories. A few do, but plenty also end with death or loss. While most are short stories, “The Shoes of Fortune” and “The Snow Queen” are both longer pieces. “Shoes” involves a pair of boots that transports the wearer to wherever and whenever they want to be, including whomever they wish to be. One character visits the moon, another becomes a bird, and another goes back to the Middle Ages. This was easily my favorite story of the whole set.Andersen keeps a playful tone in most of the stories, even the darker ones. In one story, he mentions people reading “a new poem by H. C. Andersen.” I love when authors unabashedly insert themselves into a story. If you’re interested in fairy tales, you should check out this book.
    • 5/5
      Six-word review, nth reread of 1923 edition:Beloved childhood treasure still enchants me.
    • 4/5
      Children's fairy tales but not what has been watered down and added with cutesy animals. Not as graphic as some versions of the old tales, but a good collection of the tales from this master storyteller.
    • 4/5
      Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales are world renowned. Endlessly inventive and quirky, they've sparked countless adaptations and retellings, from Disney animated films to stage plays to choral works to short stories. Some of the tales are better known than others, like "The Little Mermaid," "The Emperor's New Clothes," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Steadfast Tin Soldier." Others are less well known (and some understandably so!), like "The Marsh King's Daughter," "The Wood Nymph," "The Red Shoes," and "The Shadow," to name a few.I was struck by the harshness of some of the stories. I knew going in that Andersen's imagination was informed by a culture very different from our sanitized, politically correct world, back when children knew all about life's grimmer realities. But it's still a bit of a shock. Most of the stories don't end on an entirely happy note. Beyond "Thumbelina" I'm hard pressed to remember any that do, actually.Many of the stories deal with the theme of not being content with your position in life, like the pine tree that wasn't happy in the forest and then had one night of splendor as a Christmas tree before being tossed away to die, or the nymph who traded her natural lifespan for a day as a human. Mortality lurks everywhere in these stories, bittersweet around the edges. The china shepherdess and her china chimney-sweep lover are faithful to one another "until they break." In one story, a man's shadow eventually breaks free of him and arranges his execution... chilling. Always death is peering around the corner; always the good things are tinged with a sense of impermanence.But despite the dark themes, there is a pervasive humor throughout the stories that I found entirely engaging. Much of it comes from personifying household items, like a kitchen pot or gentleman's necktie and poking fun at the absurdity of human vanity. Relationships come in for their fair share of gentle mockery, too — Stork Father and Stork Mother have some amusing insights on one another, and Andersen isn't above wry observations in the narrative.As a Christian, I found the theological aspect of the stories fascinating. Sometimes Andersen gets it right and it's biblical and beautiful — and other times (well, most of the time) his conception of a works-based salvation ruins everything. "The Little Mermaid" was particularly bad in this regard; she's told she can gain an immortal soul if she does good deeds for three hundred years. The three hundred years' span just seemed so arbitrary, I laughed out loud. Maybe this conception of earned salvation is another reason why most of the stories end so sadly...I listened to this on audiobook from Listening Library and was familiar with the readers, Kate Reading and Robert Whitfield, from other audio productions. Both performed these stories admirably (even the tedious ones), alternating back and forth between tales. Though some of the stories dragged out, others were delightful, and I found the unpredictability an enjoyable listening experience. I've read that Tina Nunnally's translation from the Danish is the most accurate to date, and though I can't speak to that, the stories certainly do possess a distinctive tone that one hopes is Andersen's. I'm glad I picked this up, even if just to know these iconic stories as they were originally imagined.
    • 4/5
      Rated: B+Wonderful tales told with a child-like perspective. Many of Disney's classics owe a debt to Andersen.
    • 4/5
      I love fairy tales and these are some of the best and are great classics.
    • 4/5
      The Ugly Duckling is a very common folktale story that has been told for many years now. It starts off with a little duck who looks a little different from the rest of the pack. None of the other ducks talk with him and made fun of him which made the little duckling feel very sad. The little duck had enough of being made fun of so he ran away which made the little duck feel depressed and alone. The ugly duckling grew up by him self but when he was finally all grown up he realized he was a swan and not a duck at all. He was a beautiful swan and found other swans that excepted him.
    • 5/5
      An "ugly duckling" is hatched and is constantly made fun of because he looks nothing like his siblings. Eventually, he runs away to find a place where he belongs. Through this journey, he discovers his true identity.
    • 4/5
      decent telling of a well-known story
    • 5/5
      The main moral of this old tale has always been, not to judge a book by the cover. This story has been told over and over. One day a ugly duckling hatches, everyone makes fun of him because he is different. He relocates himself over and over trying to figure out where he is suppose to be. It isn't until the end when he grows up and sees his own reflection that he realizes that he has grown into a beautiful swan. Now everyone envies his looks and he does fit in after all. This book could be read to students for many reasons. It teaches children that what is on the inside is more important than how someone looks. Also, it could be ready when teaching folklore.
    • 4/5
      This book is a wonderful translation of the classic Ugly Duckling tale. The story follows the life of a young "duck" from his birth to the moment of his self-realization. All the other animals throughout this book laugh and make fun of him because he looks ugly and different from everyone else. He goes through many hardships because of his ugliness, but it all pays off when he becomes a beautiful swan. Personal Reflection: The moral of this story is very influential. Children may find it hard to understand at first, but they need to know that no matter what they may look or act like now does not allude to their future. I personally really enjoyed reading this book and looking at the realistic illustrations. They really brought this book to life.Extensions: 1. Have children do "Spot the Difference" puzzles. See who finds the most. Explain that being different isn't a bad thing. 2. Invite a guest speaker who overcame adversity to speak to the children. Examples could be a local buisness owner, senator, principal, anyone who rose to the top from the very bottom.
    • 2/5
      I did not like this book because of its language and plot, but I did enjoy the main character’s determination. Before I read this tale, I thought back to the times when I listened to this story as a child. I remembered the main idea, which was the ugly duckling turned into a swan and finally found happiness and acceptance in the world. The current version however, was extremely long and drawn out, and included unnecessary details. For instance, in the beginning paragraph it said, “The stork walking about on his long red legs chattered in the Egyptian language which he had learnt from his mother.” I felt that this detail was not necessary because it had nothing to do with the story, and only confused me as a reader. Even though the language is written as though it is telling a story, I still did not find the plot to be well paced and organized. The ugly duckling traveled to different places, and met so many different characters that it was soon hard to keep up with the story line. I did enjoy the duckling’s character because he was determined and always believed in himself. For example, the ugly duckling chose to leave his family on the farm in order to find a place that would be more accepting of him. I feel that this takes a lot of bravery especially from a young duckling; he was not kicked out of his home, but instead chose to leave on his own. I feel that the overall message of this tale is to always believe in yourself, no matter how others perceive you. Once the ugly duckling gained the courage to use his wings to fly, he began to transform into a beautiful swan. I really liked that the swan knew that he deserved to find happiness and that he worked hard for it, “He now felt glad at having suffered sorrow and trouble, because it enabled him to enjoy so much better all the pleasure and happiness around him.” Working hard will always pay off in the end.
    • 5/5
      Do not judge a book by its cover, for one day that book may surprise you. This classic, and still endearing story was brought to life through Andersen. The characters were very believable, and easy to form a bond with. From the moment the duckling hatched and was described as terribly big, and ugly, I felt sympathetic. Through the strong language, and vivid imagery, I immediately felt a connection to the ugly duckling. While everyone around him teased him for his appearance, the audience could see that there was more to this duckling. The storyline followed the typical traditional literature pattern, which was easy to follow. The tale even ended with a lesson that “it doesn’t matter if you are born in a duck yard as long as you are hatched from a swan’s egg.” This valuable lesson was accomplished through a simple story, but this story proves time and time again to be effective. The book does push the reader to think about tough issues, and look at social problems deeper than before.
    • 4/5
      The Ugly Duckling is a great children’s book. It tells about self-confidence, and persistence. The main two reasons why I liked this book was because of the writing style and characters. The writing was very clear and flowed very well, the way this was written kept the reader focused on what was to come next. Also the author used some word to compare what is “beautiful” to what is “ugly.” The characters on the other hand were very realistic. Even though they were portrayed as ducks, people in their every day life go through this feeling of being “unwanted.” This story shows how everyone can feel that way and how to overcome it. The ugly duckling was left out of a lot of things, but at the end of the story the ugly duckling turned out to be a swan which he’s now considered “King of the Swans.” He swam around with confidence now that he felt he was beautiful. The message is to always love yourself, and someone will help you find your confidence.
    • 5/5
      Summary:A duckling hatches from his egg only to find out that he looks completely different from his siblings. The duckling is bullied from his siblings and peers so he decides to leave the farm and live with wild geese. Unfortunately, the wild geese are killed off during hunting season. The duckling continues to look for a place to belong but is constantly rejected until he comes across a pond full of swans. As he looks at his reflection in the water, he realizes that he looks just like the other swans. Even some children claim that he is the most beautiful of all the swans. Personal Reaction:This is always a good story to tell children, especially at a young age. It helps explain that just because someone looks different, it’s still not right to judge them or make fun of them. It’s also a good story for those children that are different in that it tells them it’s ok to be yourself and just because someone is picking on you doesn’t mean you won’t be successful later in life. The retelling of this story was also very nice in that it went into more detail about the ducklings feelings. Classroom Extension:1) Have an open discussion about bullying. Explain why it’s wrong, what to do when you see someone being bullied and the different types of bullying. 2) Talk about the differences between ducks and swans.
    • 5/5
      This version of The Ugly Duckling is a great retelling of the classic story, with an enriched exploration of the Ugly Duckling's feelings and experiences. The illustrations are stunning. My three children, ages 3-5, are enthralled. And because of the nuance and complexity of the story, this will continue to be a family favorite for years to come.
    • 4/5
      Black and white watercolors with splashes of yellow in this 1969 version of "The Ugly Duckling" translated by Lillian Moore. Seems to have the complete story. Suffering is purifying.
    • 5/5
      This book is a classic. We all know the story. The Duckling was odd from the very beginning. He grows up and has a variety of adventures only to realize at the end that he is not a duck at all...but a beautiful swan.

      This Golden book really is meant more for the parent to read to the young child. The illustrations are classic and stylish. But the print is small...And with use of words like "Fluttered" and "cackled" by the time the young reader can acknowledge what these words mean in context they wouldn't be interested in reading a story like this one.

      Still, it's a classic. I enjoy it and is why I am keeping it as one of my favorites.

    Book preview

    Andersen's Fairy Tales - Hans Christian Andersen

    Andersen's Fairy Tales

    By Hans Christian Andersen

    CONTENTS

    THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES

    THE SWINEHERD

    THE REAL PRINCESS

    THE SHOES OF FORTUNE

    THE FIR TREE

    THE SNOW QUEEN

    THE LEAP-FROG

    THE ELDERBUSH

    THE BELL

    THE OLD HOUSE

    THE HAPPY FAMILY

    THE STORY OF A MOTHER

    THE FALSE COLLAR

    THE SHADOW

    THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL

    THE DREAM OF LITTLE TUK

    THE NAUGHTY BOY

    THE RED SHOES

    THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES

    Many years ago, there was an Emperor, who was so excessively fond of new clothes, that he spent all his money in dress. He did not trouble himself in the least about his soldiers; nor did he care to go either to the theatre or the chase, except for the opportunities then afforded him for displaying his new clothes. He had a different suit for each hour of the day; and as of any other king or emperor, one is accustomed to say, he is sitting in council, it was always said of him, The Emperor is sitting in his wardrobe.

    Time passed merrily in the large town which was his capital; strangers arrived every day at the court. One day, two rogues, calling themselves weavers, made their appearance. They gave out that they knew how to weave stuffs of the most beautiful colors and elaborate patterns, the clothes manufactured from which should have the wonderful property of remaining invisible to everyone who was unfit for the office he held, or who was extraordinarily simple in character.

    These must, indeed, be splendid clothes! thought the Emperor. Had I such a suit, I might at once find out what men in my realms are unfit for their office, and also be able to distinguish the wise from the foolish! This stuff must be woven for me immediately. And he caused large sums of money to be given to both the weavers in order that they might begin their work directly.

    So the two pretended weavers set up two looms, and affected to work very busily, though in reality they did nothing at all. They asked for the most delicate silk and the purest gold thread; put both into their own knapsacks; and then continued their pretended work at the empty looms until late at night.

    I should like to know how the weavers are getting on with my cloth, said the Emperor to himself, after some little time had elapsed; he was, however, rather embarrassed, when he remembered that a simpleton, or one unfit for his office, would be unable to see the manufacture. To be sure, he thought he had nothing to risk in his own person; but yet, he would prefer sending somebody else, to bring him intelligence about the weavers, and their work, before he troubled himself in the affair. All the people throughout the city had heard of the wonderful property the cloth was to possess; and all were anxious to learn how wise, or how ignorant, their neighbors might prove to be.

    I will send my faithful old minister to the weavers, said the Emperor at last, after some deliberation, he will be best able to see how the cloth looks; for he is a man of sense, and no one can be more suitable for his office than he is.

    So the faithful old minister went into the hall, where the knaves were working with all their might, at their empty looms. What can be the meaning of this? thought the old man, opening his eyes very wide. I cannot discover the least bit of thread on the looms. However, he did not express his thoughts aloud.

    The impostors requested him very courteously to be so good as to come nearer their looms; and then asked him whether the design pleased him, and whether the colors were not very beautiful; at the same time pointing to the empty frames. The poor old minister looked and looked, he could not discover anything on the looms, for a very good reason, viz: there was nothing there. What! thought he again. Is it possible that I am a simpleton? I have never thought so myself; and no one must know it now if I am so. Can it be, that I am unfit for my office? No, that must not be said either. I will never confess that I could not see the stuff.

    Well, Sir Minister! said one of the knaves, still pretending to work. You do not say whether the stuff pleases you.

    Oh, it is excellent! replied the old minister, looking at the loom through his spectacles. This pattern, and the colors, yes, I will tell the Emperor without delay, how very beautiful I think them.

    We shall be much obliged to you, said the impostors, and then they named the different colors and described the pattern of the pretended stuff. The old minister listened attentively to their words, in order that he might repeat them to the Emperor; and then the knaves asked for more silk and gold, saying that it was necessary to complete what they had begun. However, they put all that was given them into their knapsacks; and continued to work with as much apparent diligence as before at their empty looms.

    The Emperor now sent another officer of his court to see how the men were getting on, and to ascertain whether the cloth would soon be ready. It was just the same with this gentleman as with the minister; he surveyed the looms on all sides, but could see nothing at all but the empty frames.

    Does not the stuff appear as beautiful to you, as it did to my lord the minister? asked the impostors of the Emperor's second ambassador; at the same time making the same gestures as before, and talking of the design and colors which were not there.

    I certainly am not stupid! thought the messenger. It must be, that I am not fit for my good, profitable office! That is very odd; however, no one shall know anything about it. And accordingly he praised the stuff he could not see, and declared that he was delighted with both colors and patterns. Indeed, please your Imperial Majesty, said he to his sovereign when he returned, the cloth which the weavers are preparing is extraordinarily magnificent.

    The whole city was talking of the splendid cloth which the Emperor had ordered to be woven at his own expense.

    And now the Emperor himself wished to see the costly manufacture, while it was still in the loom. Accompanied by a select number of officers of the court, among whom were the two honest men who had already admired the cloth, he went to the crafty impostors, who, as soon as they were aware of the Emperor's approach, went on working more diligently than ever; although they still did not pass a single thread through the looms.

    Is not the work absolutely magnificent? said the two officers of the crown, already mentioned. If your Majesty will only be pleased to look at it! What a splendid design! What glorious colors! and at the same time they pointed to the empty frames; for they imagined that everyone else could see this exquisite piece of workmanship.

    How is this? said the Emperor to himself. I can see nothing! This is indeed a terrible affair! Am I a simpleton, or am I unfit to be an Emperor? That would be the worst thing that could happen—Oh! the cloth is charming, said he, aloud. It has my complete approbation. And he smiled most graciously, and looked closely at the empty looms; for on no account would he say that he could not see what two of the officers of his court had praised so much. All his retinue now strained their eyes, hoping to discover something on the looms, but they could see no more than the others; nevertheless, they all exclaimed, Oh, how beautiful! and advised his majesty to have some new clothes made from this splendid material, for the approaching procession. Magnificent! Charming! Excellent! resounded on all sides; and everyone was uncommonly gay. The Emperor shared in the general satisfaction; and presented the impostors with the riband of an order of knighthood, to be worn in their button-holes, and the title of Gentlemen Weavers.

    The rogues sat up the whole of the night before the day on which the procession was to take place, and had sixteen lights burning, so that everyone might see how anxious they were to finish the Emperor's new suit. They pretended to roll the cloth off the looms; cut the air with their scissors; and sewed with needles without any thread in them. See! cried they, at last. The Emperor's new clothes are ready!

    And now the Emperor, with all the grandees of his court, came to the weavers; and the rogues raised their arms, as if in the act of holding something up, saying, Here are your Majesty's trousers! Here is the scarf! Here is the mantle! The whole suit is as light as a cobweb; one might fancy one has nothing at all on, when dressed in it; that, however, is the great virtue of this delicate cloth.

    Yes indeed! said all the courtiers, although not one of them could see anything of this exquisite manufacture.

    If your Imperial Majesty will be graciously pleased to take off your clothes, we will fit on the new suit, in front of the looking glass.

    The Emperor was accordingly undressed, and the rogues pretended to array him in his new suit; the Emperor turning round, from side to side, before the looking glass.

    How splendid his Majesty looks in his new clothes, and how well they fit! everyone cried out. What a design! What colors! These are indeed royal robes!

    The canopy which is to be borne over your Majesty, in the procession, is waiting, announced the chief master of the ceremonies.

    I am quite ready, answered the Emperor. Do my new clothes fit well? asked he, turning himself round again before the looking glass, in order that he might appear to be examining his handsome suit.

    The lords of the bedchamber, who were to carry his Majesty's train felt about on the ground, as if they were lifting up the ends of the mantle; and pretended to be carrying something; for they would by no means betray anything like simplicity, or unfitness for their office.

    So now the Emperor walked under his high canopy in the midst of the procession, through the streets of his capital; and all the people standing by, and those at the windows, cried out, Oh! How beautiful are our Emperor's new clothes! What a magnificent train there is to the mantle; and how gracefully the scarf hangs! in short, no one would allow that he could not see these much-admired clothes; because, in doing so, he would have declared himself either a simpleton or unfit for his office. Certainly, none of the Emperor's various suits, had ever made so great an impression, as these invisible ones.

    But the Emperor has nothing at all on! said a little child.

    Listen to the voice of innocence! exclaimed his father; and what the child had said was whispered from one to another.

    But he has nothing at all on! at last cried out all the people. The Emperor was vexed, for he knew that the people were right; but he thought the procession must go on now! And the lords of the bedchamber took greater pains than ever, to appear holding up a train, although, in reality, there was no train to hold.

    THE SWINEHERD

    There was once a poor Prince, who had a kingdom. His kingdom was very small, but still quite large enough to marry upon; and he wished to marry.

    It was certainly rather cool of him to say to the Emperor's daughter, Will you have me? But so he did; for his name was renowned far and wide; and there were a hundred princesses who would have answered, Yes! and Thank you kindly. We shall see what this princess said.

    Listen!

    It happened that where the Prince's father lay buried, there grew a rose tree—a most beautiful rose tree, which blossomed only once in every five years, and even then bore only one flower, but that was a rose! It smelt so sweet that all cares and sorrows were forgotten by him who inhaled its fragrance.

    And furthermore, the Prince had a nightingale, who could sing in such a manner that it seemed as though all sweet melodies dwelt in her little throat. So the Princess was to have the rose, and the nightingale; and they were accordingly put into large silver caskets, and sent to her.

    The Emperor had them brought into a large hall, where the Princess was playing at Visiting, with the ladies of the court; and when she saw the caskets with the presents, she clapped her hands for joy.

    Ah, if it were but a little pussy-cat! said she; but the rose tree, with its beautiful rose came to view.

    Oh, how prettily it is made! said all the court ladies.

    It is more than pretty, said the Emperor, it is charming!

    But the Princess touched it, and was almost ready to cry.

    Fie, papa! said she. It is not made at all, it is natural!

    Let us see what is in the other casket, before we get into a bad humor, said the Emperor. So the nightingale came forth and sang so delightfully that at first no one could say anything ill-humored of her.

    Superbe! Charmant! exclaimed the ladies; for they all used to chatter French, each one worse than her neighbor.

    How much the bird reminds me of the musical box that belonged to our blessed Empress, said an old knight. Oh yes! These are the same tones, the same execution.

    Yes! yes! said the Emperor, and he wept like a child at the remembrance.

    I will still hope that it is not a real bird, said the Princess.

    Yes, it is a real bird, said those who had brought it. Well then let the bird fly, said the Princess; and she positively refused to see the Prince.

    However, he was not to be discouraged; he daubed his face over brown and black; pulled his cap over his ears, and knocked at the door.

    Good day to my lord, the Emperor! said he. Can I have employment at the palace?

    Why, yes, said the Emperor. I want some one to take care of the pigs, for we have a great many of them.

    So the Prince was appointed Imperial Swineherd. He had a dirty little room close by the pigsty; and there he sat the whole day, and worked. By the evening he had made a pretty little kitchen-pot. Little bells were hung all round it; and when the pot was boiling, these bells tinkled in the most charming manner, and played the old melody,

        "Ach! du lieber Augustin,

        Alles ist weg, weg, weg!"*

        * "Ah! dear Augustine!

        All is gone, gone, gone!"

    But what was still more curious, whoever held his finger in the smoke of the kitchen-pot, immediately smelt all the dishes that were cooking on every hearth in the city—this, you see, was something quite different from the rose.

    Now the Princess happened to walk that way; and when she heard the tune, she stood quite still, and seemed pleased; for she could play Lieber Augustine; it was the only piece she knew; and she played it with one finger.

    Why there is my piece, said the Princess. That swineherd must certainly have been well educated! Go in and ask him the price of the instrument.

    So one of the court-ladies must run in; however, she drew on wooden slippers first.

    What will you take for the kitchen-pot? said the lady.

    I will have ten kisses from the Princess, said the swineherd.

    Yes, indeed! said the lady.

    I cannot sell it for less, rejoined the swineherd.

    He is an impudent fellow! said the Princess, and she walked on; but when she had gone a little way, the bells tinkled so prettily

        "Ach! du lieber Augustin,

        Alles ist weg, weg, weg!"

    Stay, said the Princess. Ask him if he will have ten kisses from the ladies of my court.

    No, thank you! said the swineherd. Ten kisses from the Princess, or I keep the kitchen-pot myself.

    That must not be, either! said the Princess. "But do you

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