Fairy Tales Read Online

Fairy Tales

Table of Contents

From the Pages of Fairy Tales

Title Page

Copyright Page

Hans Christian Andersen

The World of Hans Christian Andersen and His Fairy Tales

The Hans Christian Andersen We Never Knew

Translator’s Preface

THE ARTIST AND SOCIETY

THE NIGHTINGALE

THE GARDENER AND THE GENTRY

THE FLYING TRUNK

THE WILL-O’-THE-WISPS ARE IN TOWN

THE PIXIE AND THE GARDENER’S WIFE

THE PUPPETEER

“SOMETHING”

WHAT ONE CAN THINK UP

THE MOST INCREDIBLE THING

AUNTIE TOOTHACHE

I.

II.

III.

IV.

THE CRIPPLE

FOLK TALES

THE TINDERBOX

LITTLE CLAUS AND BIG CLAUS

THE PRINCESS ON THE PEA

THE TRAVELING COMPANION

THE WILD SWANS

THE SWINEHERD

MOTHER ELDERBERRY

THE HILL OF THE ELVES

CLOD-HANS AN OLD STORY RETOLD

WHAT FATHER DOES IS ALWAYS RIGHT

ORIGINAL FAIRY TALES

THE SHADOW

THE LITTLE MERMAID

THE EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES

THUMBELINA

THE NAUGHTY BOY

THE GALOSHES OF FORTUNE

1. A BEGINNING

2. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE COUNCILMAN

3. THE WATCHMAN’S ADVENTURE

4. A HEADY MOMENT. A RECITAL. A MOST UNUSUAL TRIP.

5. THE CLERK’S TRANSFORMATION

6. THE BEST THING THE GALOSHES BROUGHT

THE GARDEN OF EDEN

THE BRONZE PIG

THE ROSE ELF

THE PIXIE AT THE GROCER’S

IB AND LITTLE CHRISTINE

THE ICE MAIDEN

1. LITTLE RUDY

2. JOURNEY TO A NEW HOME

3. RUDY’S UNCLE

4. BABETTE

5. ON THE WAY HOME

6. A VISIT TO THE MILL

7. THE EAGLE’S NEST

8. THE HOUSECAT HAS NEWS

9. THE ICE MAIDEN

10. GODMOTHER

11. THE COUSIN

12. EVIL POWERS

13. IN THE MILLER’S HOUSE

14. VISIONS IN THE NIGHT

15. THE END

EVANGELICAL AND RELIGIOUS TALES

THE SNOW QUEEN AN ADVENTURE IN SEVEN STORIES

THE FIRST STORY - WHICH IS ABOUT THE MIRROR AND THE FRAGMENTS

SECOND STORY - A LITTLE BOY AND A LITTLE GIRL

THIRD STORY - THE FLOWER GARDEN OF THE WOMAN WHO KNEW MAGIC

FOURTH STORY - APRINCE AND PRINCESS

FIFTH STORY - THE LITTLE ROBBER GIRL

SIXTH STORY - THE SAMI WOMAN AND THE FINN WOMAN

SEVENTH STORY - WHAT HAPPENED IN THE SNOW QUEEN’S CASTLE AND WHAT HAPPENED LATER

THE RED SHOES

THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL

THE BOG KING’S DAUGHTER

THE GIRL WHO STEPPED ON BREAD

THE BELL

THE THORNY PATH TO GLORY

THE JEWISH MAID

THE STORY OLD JOHANNA TOLD

SHE WAS NO GOOD

THE ANTHROPOMORPHIZING OF ANIMALS AND NATURE

THE UGLY DUCKLING

IN THE DUCKYARD

THE STORKS

THE SPRUCE TREE

IT’S PERFECTLY TRUE!

THE DUNG BEETLE

THE BUTTERFLY

THE SNOWDROP

THE SUNSHINE’S STORIES

THE DROP OF WATER

THE FLEA AND THE PROFESSOR

THE SNOWMAN

THE HUMANIZATION OF TOYS AND OBJECTS

THE STEADFAST TIN SOLDIER

THE SHEPHERDESS AND THE CHIMNEY SWEEP

THE DARNING NEEDLE

THE OLD HOUSE

THE RAGS

LEGENDS

HOLGER THE DANE

BIRD PHOENIX

THE FAMILY OF HEN-GRETHE

EVERYTHING IN ITS PROPER PLACE

Commentaries on the Tales

Inspired by Andersen’s

Comments

For Further Reading

Alphabetical Index of the Tales

From the Pages of Fairy Tales

“You see, ladies and gentlemen, Your Royal Majesty! You can never know what to expect from the real nightingale, but everything is determined in the artificial bird. It will be so-and-so, and no different! You can explain it; you can open it up and show the human thought—how the cylinders are placed, how they work, and how one follows the other!”

(from “The Nightingale,” page 10)

It’s an old innate law and privilege that when the moon is in the precise position it was last night, and the wind blows as it blew yesterday, then all will-o‘-the-wisps born at that hour and minute can become human beings.

(from “The Will-o’-the-Wisps Are in Town,” page 37)

“This is certainly an interesting tinderbox if it will give me what I want like this!”

(from “The Tinderbox,” page 90)

“I almost didn’t close my eyes the whole night! God knows what could have been in the bed? I was lying on something hard, so I am completely black and blue all over my body. It’s quite dreadful!”

(from “The Princess on the Pea,” page 107)

Way out at sea the water is as blue as the petals on the loveliest corn-flower, and as clear as the purest glass, but it’s very deep, deeper than any anchor rope can reach. Many church steeples would have to be placed end to end to reach from the bottom up to the surface and beyond. Down there the sea people live.

(from “The Little Mermaid,” page 188)

The emperor came to them with his most distinguished cavaliers. Both swindlers lifted one arm in the air as if they were holding something and said, “See, here are the pants. Here’s the jacket, and here’s the cape!” They continued on and on.