Hans Christian Andersen's Stories
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Thousands of Years From Now
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
"In thousands of years they will come on wings of steam, through the air, across the Atlantic! The young inhabitants of America will visit old Europe. They will see the monuments and the disappearing cities."
In this short story from 1853, Andersen gives us a vision of the future, not far from our present. He imagines airplanes flying over the oceans, a tunnel under the Channel and American tourists who want to see all of Europe in eight days.
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In The Uttermost Parts Of The Sea
by H.c. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
An expedition was taking place to the other side of the sea: many boats had been sent to the North Pole to explore the sea and the ice. It was winter and over there the days ran into each other in perpetual darkness. The sailors were far from their family, their country and even from dry land. But the youngest sailor knew that he was not alone and that he never would be.
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Kept Secret but Not Forgotten
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
Is the good deed worth it if it remains a secret? It is indeed meaningful and significant both for the one who reaches out a helping hand and for the one who takes it. "Kept Secret but not Forgotten" is an enlightening, positive short tale consisting of three separate stories which will remind us how important it is to be good to each other. It is even greater when the good deed is done not only outwardly before the wide world. So if you want to draw inspiration, this tale would be the right choice.
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The Penman
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
There once was a man who held an office that required good penmanship. While he filled the office ably otherwise, he was incapable of good penmanship, so he advertised in the newspaper for someone with a fine handwriting...
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The Naughty Boy
by H.c. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
One stormy evening, a kind old poet was resting quietly at home when he heard a knock at his door. When he opened it, he found a handsome young boy, soaking wet, and the good poet decided to invite him inside. However, he would quickly come to regret it as the cherub was called Amor and his bow and arrows would have dried quickly.
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Pen and Inkstand
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
The inkstand was so proud of himself! Someone who was visiting a poet praised it, saying that wonderful things could come out of an inkstand. But, are all the beautiful poems made by the inkstand alone? The quill did not agree...
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Vänö and Glänö
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
Once upon a time there were two large islands off the coast of Zealand in Denmark: Vänö and Glänö. But a very long time ago, during a stormy night, Vänö was swallowed by the waves. Since then, the inhabitants of Glänö fear the day their island will also disappear because the legendary Vänö waits impatiently for Glänö to join it...
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The Farmyard Cock and the Weathercock
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
There were two cockerels on the farm: one lived in the henhouse and the other was a weather vane. Both thought they were better than the other, but what was the truth?
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The Jewish Girl
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
Sara was the only Jewish child at her Catholic school. She was also the most intelligent. In religious lessons, she could not listen to the teacher: her mother's last wish was that she should not become a Catholic. However, she solved the sums she was given to do during religious lessons too quickly and, several times, the teacher surprised her listening to his words. Her father's only solution was, therefore, to remove her from the school...
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Ole, the Tower-Keeper
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
My friend Ole was an intelligent curious man with a great deal of knowledge. He had never obtained what he wanted from Men so he retired and lived as a hermit, alone at the top of a church tower. I will tell you about some of the visits I made to him and try to recall his words as best I can.
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The Garden of Paradise
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
"There was once the son of a king who had many books, no one had more and no one had more beautiful: everything that had happened in the world, he could learn of it and see it represented in amazing pictures. He could find out about any people and any country, but where was the Garden of Paradise? There was no word of it and so, of course, that was what he thought of most."
A prince wanted to know where the Garden of Paradise could be found and what it looked like because he well knew it was not as his grandmother described it. His search for an answer would lead him to meet the mother of winds and her four children, who had plenty to tell him.
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Something
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
Once upon a time there were five brothers who had arrived at the age where they asked themselves what they would become. Each of the brothers wanted to become "something" and each thought that their profession would be better than that of his brothers. However, whatever profession we choose, the important thing it to bring something good and useful to the world...
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The Bishop of Börglum and His Men
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
Now that we are in Jylland, we will go to the Börglum monastery, right at the top of the hill of sand. It is night, and on the upper floors of the monastery, the wind howls – the atmosphere is perfect for telling ancient stories, like that of the evil bishop of Börglum...
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What the Old Man Does Is Always Right
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
A peasant and his wife owned a horse that grazed in a ditch close to their house. But they thought that it would be better for them to sell it or exchange it for something more useful. The woman sent her husband to town to exchange the horse – she trusted him because "what the old man does Is always right"!
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Urbanus
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
Urbanus was a young and pious young man who was entrusted with the keys to the cloister's book collection. Urbanus spent his days reading the writings of the Apostle Paul. He was however unaware that one simple line would change his life forever. It would take him to the future where Urbanus was only a figure in a written chronicle which told the story of monk Urbanus who had disappeared without a trace three hundred years ago. What did happen and how could Urbanus travel through time? Was it a sorcery or a miracle? Read Hans Christian Andersen's "Urbanus" to find out.
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The Snow Man
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
The snowman had just been born under the eyes and joyful laughter of children. How he loved the cold! His only problem was the shiny ball in the sky that keep looking at him, without him understanding why... The young snowman still had a lot to learn!
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The New Century's Goddess
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
With the beginning of a new century, we wait for one thing, a new source of inspiration for our poetry that will set it apart from that of the previous centuries. But where is this muse and when will it arrive?
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The Steadfast Tin Soldier
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
"Once upon a time, there were twenty-five tin soldiers who were all brothers, as they were all born from an old tin spoon. They held their weapons on their arms, their heads were turned to the right and their uniform, red and blue, was rather smart."
One tin soldier, though he was exactly the same as his brothers, found himself, by accident, setting out alone on a series of adventures. But do not worry, this tin soldier was afraid of nothing.
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The Tinder Box
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
A soldier returning from war meets a wicked witch on his path. She promises him great riches if he will dive to the bottom of a hollow tree for her. In this tree, there are three chambers, each with a chest full of silver. All that the witch wants in return is for him to retrieve her old lighter as well...
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Under the Willow Tree
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
Johanne and Knud lived close to the town of Kjöge, where there are many gardens that extend as far as the river. There is not much else, but it is charming in summer! It was under the willow-tree in one of these gardens that Johanne and Knud spent a great deal of their time and theirs was a beautiful friendship. But everything would change when Johanne had to leave for Copenhagen with her father! Would they remain friends? Or even, as Knud hoped, could they become more than friends?
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Danish Popular Legends
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
"Denmark is rich in old legends of heroes, of churches and manor houses, of hills and fields, and of the bottomless moorland. These stories date from the days of the great plague, from times of war, and from times of peace. They live on in books or on the tongues of people. They fly far about like a flock of birds, but they are as different, one from another, as the thrush is from the owl, and the wood pigeon from the gull. Listen to me, and I will tell you some of these legends..."
Discover this little known story by Hans Christian Andersen.
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In the Children's Room
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
Anna's parents have gone to the theatre with all her brothers and sisters. She is the only one to stay at home with her godfather, but she will not be bored! They will themselves be putting on a play that will perhaps even be better than the play the others have gone to see.
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The Snow Queen
by H.c. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
One day, a diabolical troll made a mirror that showed everything beautiful as ugly and all that was good as evil. Delighted, the trolls decided to carry their mirror to heaven and mock the angels, but on the way the mirror shattered and pieces of the mirror spread across the world. This was how some became windows and others were made into spectacles, but the most unfortunate received tiny pieces in their eyes or in their heart, changing their life for ever. That is what happened to little Kay, to the great chagrin of his neighbour, Gerda, and this is how he crossed the path of the Snow Queen.
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The Little Mermaid
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
At the bottom of the ocean lived the sea king, his old mother and his six daughters. They lived in a beautiful castle, surrounded by a big garden, of which each daughter took care of a small corner. The little mermaid, the youngest and most beautiful of the princesses, liked nothing more than stories of men and in her garden she had a marble statue of a handsome youth, which had sunk below down after a shipwreck. On the day of their fifteenth birthday, the young mermaids had the right to swim to the surface to see the world above and the little mermaid listened with pleasure to the stories her sisters told when they came back from these visits. She waited impatiently for her turn to come.
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A Rose From Homer's Grave
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
The poet Homer, author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, is buried near Smyrna (Izmir in Turkey). In this forgotten corner of the world, a beautiful rose bush grows and one of its roses brings special dreams at night.
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The Snowdrop
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
The air is still cold outside, but already the rain and sun are tickling the snowdrop, who is still nice and warm in her bulb under the earth and snow. The snowdrop would like the sun to penetrate further into her bulb to warm her, but it is not yet summer and the sun's rays are not strong enough. So, the snowdrop decides to push through the earth before all the other flowers!
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The Porter's Son
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
The general's family lived on the first floor of the house. The concierge and his wife lived in the cellar. They had a son, Georg, who was allowed to play with Emily, the general's daughter. The general's wife required just one thing: that Georg never touch Emily. Despite this prohibition and their difference in status, over the years they spent in the same house they became firm friends.
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The Ice Maiden
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
Rudy lived close to the little town of Grindelwald in Switzerland. He lived with his uncle as his parents were both dead. Indeed, Rudy himself had almost died at the same time as his mother: while crossing a glacier, she had fallen into a crevasse while carrying Rudy, who was still a baby. When help arrived, it was too late to save the mother, but, to everyone's great joy, the baby was rescued. Or almost everyone... The only one who did not rejoice was the Ice Maiden...
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The Flying Trunk
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
On the death of his father, who was a rich merchant, the son inherited a vast fortune, which he quickly spent. He found himself alone with nothing except the dressing gown on his back and the slippers on his feet. A friend offered him a trunk and advised him to leave. But, this was a special trunk – it could fly! So, the young man decided to go to Turkey, where his dress would not be noticed, but that was just the beginning of his adventure.
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Little Ida's Flowers
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
Little Ida liked the student, who always had a tale to tell, a lot. So, one morning, when little Ida's flowers had all withered, she asked the student what could have happened to them.
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Luck May Lie in a Pin
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
To every child born, God offers a gift – this gift is not placed in their cradle, but in a secret place, where no one would dream of looking for it. So, this gift can be found in many different places, even in a simple stick...
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What Happened to the Thistle
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
Apart from the milkmaid's donkey, no one paid much attention to the mighty thistle that lived just behind the hedge, outside of the seigniorial garden. Until the day that a beautiful Scottish lady of noble birth asked the son of the house to pick her a flower – such an honour for the thistle! It certainly merited being transplanted into a pot, or at least inside the garden! At least, that is what he thought...
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The Old Church Bell
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
In a little house in Marbach, on the banks of the Necker river, lived a poor family. The day that their son was born, the church's bell was rung to celebrate the newborn's arrival. At the time, no one questioned the destiny of the child and still less that of the bell!
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Two Brothers
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
Two brothers lived on a small Danish island in a small house with a red-tiled roof. They were very different from one another and probably still knew little about what the future had in store for them...
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Heartache
by H.c. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
When an old man's dog died, his grandchildren buried the poor pet and set up a fine gravestone. It seemed respectful and nice of them. Until they started asking for admission fees from the other neighborhood kids who wanted to see the grave. Were they just joking around and how would their parents react? What happened when a poor girl wanted to see the dog's grave but could not afford to pay the fee? Find out the answers in Hans Christian Andersen's "Heartache".
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The Comet
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
One day, a day not predicted by the calculations of the astronomers, a comet appeared in the sky, drawing the gaze of all below. And when, many years later, it appeared again, it reminded an old man of his childhood memories...
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The Old Street Lamp
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
An old street lamp is at the end of its working life. It has had a long life and lots of people know it. So, friends come to visit on its last night on the job.
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The Dryad
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
Here we are in Paris, where we will visit the exhibition. On the square next to our hotel, we are planting a tree that will shelter a dryad. This dryad, when its tree lived in the forest, could only think of Paris, the city that lit up the clouds at night. With the arrival of the chestnut tree in Paris, its greatest dream came true. But will this dream lead to its downfall?
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The Ugly Duckling
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
The Ugly Duckling (1842) tells the story of a duckling who is rejected by everyone, including his family, because he looks different. Tired of being made fun of, he decides to go far, far away, but the characters he meets on the way are no more tolerant...
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Croak!
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
All the birds of the forest long for a new, good journal - a critical newspaper such as humans have so many of! The songbirds want an impartial music critic...
Discover this less known story by the beloved Hans Christian Andersen!
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The Old Tombstone
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
One evening, in a house, a family comes together. In the courtyard is an old gravestone, still in one piece, but whose epitaph is partially obscured. This is the subject of the family's discussions that night and its story is told here.
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The Rags
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
In front of a factory were piles and piles of rags and, among these rags, a Danish rag and a Norwegian rag found themselves side-by-side. They each extolled their country and their language while criticising the country and language of the other... Maybe they would have acted differently if they had known the destiny that awaited them!
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Grandmother
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
Grandmother is old, kind, and she knows many stories. Between the pages of her psalter can be found a pressed withered rose that she often regards with a smile on her lips. Do you know why?
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Holger Danske
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
In Denmark, there is an old castle called Kronborg. Situated on the coast, in summer boats come here from all over the world, but the reason for the castle's renown is hidden in its cellars. It is a statue of Holger Danske. Everyone in Denmark knows his history and the legend says that one day, the statue will come to life.
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Picturebook Without Pictures
by H. C. Andersen
Part of the Hans Christian Andersen's Stories series
The series of sketches of "What the Moon Saw" arose from the experiences of Andersen, when as a youth he went to seek his fortune in Copenhagen. Uniquely, the story is split into 33 short parts, each describing unrelated scenes witnessed by the Moon as it travels around the world, looking down at its inhabitants over the course of some fifty or so nights. Fittingly for a tale told entirely after sunset, the tone is dark...
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