Stories and fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen - Page 4

Stories and fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen

The red shoesH.C. Andersen →

ThumbelinaH.C. Andersen →

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The complete fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm

The goose girlThe brothers Grimm →

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Fairy tales and stories by H.C. Andersen

List of fairy tales (Page 4)

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Everything in its proper place

Everything in its proper place

It was over a hundred years ago. By the great lake behind the wood there stood an old mansion. Round about it circled a deep ditch, with bulrushes, reeds, and grasses growing in it. Close by the bridge, near the entrance gate, an old willow tree bent over the reeds. From the narrow lane came the sound of horns and the trampling of horses, and therefore the little girl who tended the geese hastened to drive her charges away from the bridge before the hunting party came galloping up. They approachRead the story →

The goblin and the huckster

The goblin and the huckster

There was once a regular student, who lived in a garret, and had no possessions. And there was also a regular huckster, to whom the house belonged, and who occupied the ground floor. A goblin lived with the huckster, because at Christmas he always had a large dish full of jam, with a great piece of butter in the middle. The huckster could afford this; and therefore the goblin remained with the huckster, which was very cunning of him. One evening the student came into the shop through the back doRead the story →

Under the willow tree

Under the willow tree

The country around the town of Kjöge is very bare. The town itself lies by the seashore, which is always beautiful, although it might be more beautiful than it is, because all around are flat fields, and a forest a long way off. But one always finds something beautiful in the spot that is one's own home, something for which one longs, even when one is in the most wonderful spot in the world. And we must admit that the outer edge of Kjöge, where small, humble gardens line the little stream that fRead the story →

Five peas from a pod

Five peas from a pod

There were five peas in one pod; the peas were green and the pod was green, and so they believed that the whole world was green-and that was absolutely right! The pod grew and the peas grew; they adjusted themselves to their surroundings, sitting straight in a row. The sun shone outside and warmed the pod; the rain made it clear and clean. It was nice and cozy inside, bright in the daytime and dark at night, just as it should be; and the peas became larger, and more and more thoughtful, as theyRead the story →

She was good for nothing

She was good for nothing

The mayor was standing at his open window; he was wearing a dress shirt with a dainty breastpin in its frill. He was very well shaven, self-done, though he had cut himself slightly and had stuck a small bit of newspaper over the cut. Listen, youngster! he boomed. The youngster was none other than the washerwoman's son, who respectfully took off his cap as he passed. This cap was broken at the rim, so that he could put it into his pocket. In his poor but clean and very neatly mended clothes, andRead the story →

Two maidens

Two maidens

Have you ever seen a maiden? I am referring to what road pavers call a maiden, a thing used for ramming down the paving stones. She is made entirely of wood, broad at the bottom, with iron hoops around it, and a stick run through it at the upper, narrower end, which gives the maiden arms. Two maidens like this were once standing in the yard shed, among shovels, measuring tapes, and wheelbarrows. Now, there was a rumor going around that they were no longer to be called maidens, but stamps or handRead the story →

The last pearl

The last pearl

There was a rich and happy house. All those in it-the owners, and servants, and friends, too-were happy and cheerful, for on this day a son and heir had been born, and mother and child were doing well. The lamp in the cozy bedroom had been partly covered, and heavy curtains of costly silken material had been drawn tightly together before the windows. The carpet was as thick and soft as moss. Everything here invited rest and sleep; it was a delightful place for repose. And the nurse found it so,Read the story →

At the uttermost parts of the sea

At the uttermost parts of the sea

A couple of large ships were sent up toward the North Pole, to discover the boundaries of land and sea and how far it would be possible for the human race to penetrate in that direction. A year and a day had already passed, and with great difficulty they had traveled high up amid mist and ice. Now winter had set in again; the sun was gone, and one long night would last for many, many weeks. All around them was a vast, unbroken plain of ice, and ships were moored fast to the ice itself. The snowRead the story →

The moneybox

The moneybox

In a nursery where a number of toys lay scattered about, a money-box stood on the top of a very high wardrobe. It was made of clay in the shape of a pig, and had been bought of the potter. In the back of the pig was a slit, and this slit had been enlarged with a knife, so that dollars, or crown pieces, might slip through; and, indeed there were two in the box, besides a number of pence. The money-pig was stuffed so full that it could no longer rattle, which is the highest state of perfection toRead the story →

A leaf from heaven

A leaf from heaven

High up in the thin, clear air there flew an angel bearing a flower from the garden of heaven. As he kissed it, a tiny leaf drifted down into the muddy soil in the middle of the wood; it very soon took root there, and sprouted, and sent up shoots among the other plants. That's a funny kind of slip, said the plants. And neither the thistle nor the stinging nettle would have anything to do with the stranger. It must be some low kind of garden plant, they said, grinning and making fun at it. But itRead the story →

Clumsy Hans

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. That was all the time they had, but it was enough, for they had many acRead the story →

Ib and little Christina

Ib and little Christina

In the forest that extends from the banks of the Gudenau, in North Jutland, a long way into the country, and not far from the clear stream, rises a great ridge of land, which stretches through the wood like a wall. Westward of this ridge, and not far from the river, stands a farmhouse, surrounded by such poor land that the sandy soil shows itself between the scanty ears of rye and wheat which grow in it. Some years have passed since the people who lived here cultivated these fields; they kept thRead the story →

The thorny road of honor

The thorny road of honor

There is an old fairy tale: The Thorny Road of Honor was trodden by a marksman named Bryde, to whom came great honor and dignity, but not until after manifold adversities and peril of life. More than one of us had heard that tale in childhood, and perhaps read it in later years, and thought of his own unsung thorny road and manifold adversities. Romance and reality are very nearly alike, but romance has its harmonious ending here on earth, while reality more often delays it and leads us to timeRead the story →

The Jewish girl

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. And the teacher soonRead the story →

A string of pearls

A string of pearls

The railroad in Denmark still extends only from Copenhagen to Korsör; it is a string of pearls. Europe has a wealth of these pearls; its most costly are named Paris, London, Vienna, Naples. And yet many a man will point out as his favorite pearl not one of these great cities but rather some little country town that is still the home of homes to him, the home of those dearest to him. Yes, often it is not a town at all, but a single homestead, a little house, hidden among green hedges, a place harRead the story →

The bell deep

The bell deep

Ding-dong! Ding-dong! rings out from the Bell Deep in the Odense River. And what sort of river is that? Why, every child in Odense Town knows it well. It flows around the foot of the gardens, from the locks to the water mill, under the wooden bridges. Yellow water lilies grow in the river, and brown, featherlike reeds, and the black, velvety bulrushes, so high and so thick. Decayed old willow trees, bent and gnarled, hang far over the water beside the monks' marsh and the pale meadows; but a litRead the story →

The bottle neck

The bottle neck

Close to the corner of a street, among other abodes of poverty, stood an exceedingly tall, narrow house, which had been so knocked about by time that it seemed out of joint in every direction. This house was inhabited by poor people, but the deepest poverty was apparent in the garret lodging in the gable. In front of the little window, an old bent bird-cage hung in the sunshine, which had not even a proper water-glass, but instead of it the broken neck of a bottle, turned upside down, and a corkRead the story →

Soup from a sausage skewer

Soup from a sausage skewer

We had such an excellent dinner yesterday, said an old mouse of the female sex to another who had not been present at the feast. I sat number twenty-one below the mouse-king, which was not a bad place. Shall I tell you what we had? Everything was first rate. Mouldy bread, tallow candle, and sausage. And then, when we had finished that course, the same came on all over again; it was as good as two feasts. We were very sociable, and there was as much joking and fun as if we had been all of one famRead the story →

The old bachelor's nightcap

The old bachelor's nightcap

There is a street in Copenhagen with a very strange name. It is called Hysken street. Where the name came from, and what it means is very uncertain. It is said to be German, but that is unjust to the Germans, for it would then be called Hauschen, not Hysken. Hauschen, means a little house; and for many years it consisted only of a few small houses, which were scarcely larger than the wooden booths we see in the market-places at fair time. They were perhaps a little higher, and had windows; but tRead the story →

"Something"

Something

I mean to be somebody, and do something useful in the world, said the eldest of five brothers. I don't care how humble my position is, so that I can only do some good, which will be something. I intend to be a brickmaker; bricks are always wanted, and I shall be really doing something. Your 'something' is not enough for me, said the second brother; what you talk of doing is nothing at all, it is journeyman's work, or might even be done by a machine. No! I should prefer to be a builder at once, tRead the story →

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The most beautiful stories of AndersenThe best fairy tales →

The spirit in the glass bottleA fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm →

Little Red Riding HoodA fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm →

CinderellaA fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm →