Fairy Tales and Stories collects the tales of the Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen, who published about a hundred and fifty-six stories from 1835 onwards. The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling, The Snow Queen and The Emperor's New Clothes are among the most famous stories ever written for children, translated into well over a hundred languages.
Original tales
Unlike the Brothers Grimm, who collected folk tales, Andersen invented most of his stories, sometimes drawing on tales he had heard in his childhood.
His first booklet, Fairy Tales Told for Children, appeared in Copenhagen in 1835.
Magic and melancholy
In Andersen's tales, toys, objects and animals speak: a tin soldier, a fir tree, a darning needle. Wonder is mixed with sadness.
Several stories end unhappily, like The Little Mermaid and The Little Match Girl, which sets them apart from traditional fairy tales.
The Emperor's New Clothes
Two swindlers sell an emperor a suit that, they claim, is invisible to anyone stupid or unfit for office. No one dares to admit seeing nothing.
Only a child in the crowd finally says aloud what everyone sees, and the story has become a byword for collective self-deception.
Anecdotes
The Copenhagen statue
The statue of the Little Mermaid, unveiled in 1913 in Copenhagen harbour, has become a symbol of the city.
A long visit
In 1857 Andersen stayed for five weeks with Charles Dickens in England. After he left, Dickens is said to have pinned a note on the mirror complaining how long the visit had seemed.
Frequently asked questions
How many stories did Andersen write?
About a hundred and fifty-six.
Where was Andersen from?
Odense, in Denmark.
Who reveals the truth in The Emperor's New Clothes?
A small child in the crowd.