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Little Ida's flowers

My poor flowers are quite dead, said little Ida, they were so pretty yesterday evening, and now all the leaves are hanging down quite withered. What do they do that for, she asked, of the student who sat on the sofa; she liked him very much, he could tell the most amusing stories, and cut out the prettiest pictures; hearts, and ladies dancing, castles with doors that opened, as well as flowers; he was a delightful student. Why do the flowers look so faded ...

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The best fairytales

List of fairytales

Fairy tales and stories of H.C. Andersen

Translations in other languages are welcome

Please send them to info@andersenstories.com

Little Red Riding Hood
The brothers Grimm →

The seven ravens
The brothers Grimm →

The brother and sister
The brothers Grimm →

The most beautiful fairytales of Andersen

The little mermaid Far out in the ocean, where the water is as blue as the prettiest cornflower, and as clear as crystal, it is very, very deep; so deep, indeed, that no cable could fathom it: many church steeples, piled one upon another, would not reach from the ground beneath to the surface of the water above. There dwell the Sea King and his subjects. We must not imagine that there is nothing at the bottom of the sea but bare yellow sand.
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The red shoes There was once a little girl who was very pretty and delicate, but in summer she was forced to run about with bare feet, she was so poor, and in winter wear very large wooden shoes, which made her little insteps quite red, and that looked so dangerous! In the middle of the village lived old Dame Shoemaker; she sat and sewed together, as well as she could, a little pair of shoes out of old red strips of cloth; they were very clumsy, but it was a kind thought. They were meant for the little girl.
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The princess and the pea Once upon a time there was a prince who wanted to marry a princess; but she woul have to be a real princess. He travelled all over the world to find one, but nowhere could he get what he wanted. There were princesses enough, but it was difficult to find out whether they were real ones. There was always something about them that was not as it should be. So he came home again and was sad, for he would have liked very much to have a real princess.
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The darning-needle There was once a darning-needle who thought herself so fine that she fancied she must be fit for embroidery. Hold me tight, she would say to the fingers, when they took her up, don't let me fall; if you do I shall never be found again, I am so very fine. That is your opinion, is it? said the fingers, as they seized her round the body. See, I am coming with a train, said the darning-needle, drawing a long thread after her; but there was no knot in the thread.
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The tinder-box A soldier came marching along the high road: Left, right - left, right. He had his knapsack on his back, and a sword at his side; he had been to the wars, and was now returning home. As he walked on, he met a very frightful-looking old witch in the road. Her under-lip hung quite down on her breast, and she stopped and said, Good evening, soldier; you have a very fine sword, and a large knapsack, and you are a real soldier; so you shall have as much money as ever you like.
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The little match-seller It was terribly cold and nearly dark on the last evening of the old year, and the snow was falling fast. In the cold and the darkness, a poor little girl, with bare head and naked feet, roamed through the streets. It is true she had on a pair of slippers when she left home, but they were not of much use.
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Thumbelina There was once a woman who wished very much to have a little child, but she coul not obtain her wish. At last she went to a fairy, and said, I should so very much like t have a little child; can you tell me where I can find one? Oh, that can be easily managed, said the fairy. Here is a barleycorn of a different kind to those which grow in the farmer's fields, and which the chickens eat; put it into a flower-pot, and see what will happen.
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Clumsy Hans Out in the country there was an old mansion where an old squire lived with his two sons, who were so witty that they thought themselves too clever for words. They decided to go out and propose to the King's daughter, which they were at liberty to do, for she had announced publicly that she would take for a husband the man who had the most to say for himself. The two brothers made their preparations for eight days beforehand.
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The emperor's new suit Many, many years ago lived an emperor, who thought so much of new clothes that he spent all his money in order to obtain them; his only ambition was to be always well dressed. He did not care for his soldiers, and the theatre did not amuse him; the only thing, in fact, he thought anything of was to drive out and show a new suit of clothes. He had a coat for every hour of the day; and as one would say of a king He is in his cabinet, so one could say of him, The emperor is in his dressing-room.
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The snow queen First Story Which Treats of a Mirror and of the Splinters Now then, let us begin. When we are at the end of the story, we shall know more than we know now: but to begin. Once upon a time there was a wicked sprite, indeed he was the most mischievous of all sprites.
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The Jewish girl Among the other children in the charity school was a little Jewish girl, clever and good-in fact, the brightest of them all. But there was one class she could not attend, the one where religion was taught, for she was in a Christian school. During the hour of this class, she had her geography book before her to study, or did her arithmetic, but the lessons were quickly learned, and then, though the book might still be open before her, she did not read from it; she listened.
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The daisy Now listen! In the country, close by the high road, stood a farmhouse; perhaps you have passed by and seen it yourself. There was a little flower garden with painted wooden palings in front of it; close by was a ditch, on its fresh green bank grew a little daisy; the sun shone as warmly and brightly upon it as on the magnificent garden flowers, and therefore it thrived well. One morning it had quite opened, and its little snow-white petals stood round the yellow centre, like the rays of the sun.
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The Nightingale In China, you know, the emperor is a Chinese, and all those about him are Chinamen also. The story I am going t tell you happened a great many years ago, so it is well to hear it now before it is forgotten. The emperor's palac was the most beautiful in the world. It was built entirely of porcelain, and very costly, but so delicate and brittle tha whoever touched it was obliged to be careful.
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The bishop of Börglum and his men We are up in Jutland, near the wild marsh. We can hear the North Sea, hear it tossing about, for it is quite close by. Before us there rises a great sand dune; we have been looking at it for a long while, and we've been, and still are, driving toward it, very slowly, through the deep sand. On the top of this sand dune is an old, rambling building, the Börglum Monastery, the largest wing of which is the church.
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The beetle The Emperor's horse was shod with gold - a golden shoe on each of its feet. And why was he getting golden shoes? He was a magnificent-looking animal, with slender legs, intelligent eyes, and a mane that hung down his neck like a soft veil of silk.
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The brave tin soldier There were once five-and-twenty tin soldiers, who were all brothers, for they had been made out of the same ol tin spoon. They shouldered arms and looked straight before them, and wore a splendid uniform, red and blue. Th first thing in the world they ever heard were the words, Tin soldiers! uttered by a little boy, who clapped his hand with delight when the lid of the box, in which they lay, was taken off. They were given him for a birthday present and he stood at the table to set them up.
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The Phoenix bird In the Garden of Paradise, beneath the Tree of Knowledge, bloomed a rose bush. Here, in the first rose, a bird was born. His flight was like the flashing of light, his plumage was beauteous, and his song ravishing. But when Eve plucked the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, when she and Adam were driven from Paradise, there fell from the flaming sword of the cherub a spark into the nest of the bird, which blazed up forthwith.
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The travelling companion Poor John was very sad; for his father was so ill, he had no hope of his recovery. John sat alone with the sick man in the little room, and the lamp had nearly burnt out; for it was late in the night. You have been a good son, John, said the sick father, and God will help you on in the world. He looked at him, as he spoke, with mild, earnest eyes, drew a deep sigh, and died; yet it appeared as if he still slept. John wept bitterly.
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The storks
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The wicked prince There lived once upon a time a wicked prince whose heart and mind were set upon conquering all the countries of the world, and on frightening the people; he devastated their countries with fire and sword, and his soldiers trod down the crops in the fields and destroyed the peasants' huts by fire, so that the flames licked the green leaves off the branches, and the fruit hung dried up on the singed black trees.
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The ugly duckling It was lovely summer weather in the country, and the golden corn, the green oats, and the haystacks piled up i the meadows looked beautiful. The stork walking about on his long red legs chattered in the Egyptian language which he had learnt from his mother. The corn-fields and meadows were surrounded by large forests, in the mids of which were deep pools. It was, indeed, delightful to walk about in the country.
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Little Red Riding Hood
A fairy-tale of the Brothers Grimm →

Fairy tales and stories of H.C. Andersen
Complete list →