Hans Christian Andersen and his Fairy Tales

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Hans Christian Andersen was born in Odense, Denmark. He was born into a poor family, his mother took in laundry and his father was a cobbler. Anderson lived in Odense until he was fourteen and then moved to Copenhagen.

The boy had a vivid imagination, he was not a good pupil and at times did not attend school. When his father passed away, he spent his time playing with a toy theatre, creating stories in his mind. These stories were shared with the world in 1835, when some of his first fairy tales were published.

Photograph by Glynis Smy

The Ugly Duckling, Thumberlina, The Emperor's New Clothes and The Snow Queen are all names we recognise, the children of today have probably seen them on video or DVD.

Holger The Dane, The Girl Who Trod on a Loaf and The Bottle Neck, are not so well known but equally as enjoyable.

Holger The Dane is the story of an iron clad, strong man with a very long beard, he lives in a cellar in the castle Kronberg. In his dreams he sees all that goes on in Denmark.

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The Girl Who Trod on a Loaf is the story of Inger, described by Anderson as, poor, arrogant and proud. She was a cruel child but being pretty could escape the chastisement needed, her mother despaired of her and sent her to work in a large country home. She was so pretty, she was taken under the home owner's wing and brought up as their own. Her vanity and pride worsened. Her tale tells of how her pride was her downfall.

The Bottle Neck is a story where Anderson has used his imagination to its finest. The bottle neck is inside a bird cage and tells of it's life story.

The stories are short and descriptive, a delight to read quietly or to little ears at bedtime, the stories grow with age. A collection would be an ideal gift for maybe a first birthday or christening, of a a child whose parents you know love to read.