Apr 02 2009
Hans Christian Andersen and his Fairy Tales
~Hans Christian Andersen, 1869~
Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), Danish author of many fairy tales, is born on April 2, in Odense, Denmark. Coming from a poor family, the young Hans has to seek work as a tailor and weaver to fend for himself. He is especially famous for “The Ugly Duckling.” Other notable fairy tales include “The Little Mermaid,” “Thumbelina,” “The Emperor’s New Clothes, “The Little Match Girl” and “The Constant Tin Soldier.”
Originally written in Danish, his books were translated into English published as Wonderful Stories for Children by Mary Howitt in 1846. It is mainly due to his fairy tales that Hans Christian Andersen is popular to this day. His stories form a part of children’s introduction and stimulation to reading. They are published all over the world and have been translated into over 150 languages.
Andersen traveled throughout Europe and from this extensive travels, he produced a volume of travelogues; he also wrote poetry. In 1835, his first novel, The Impovisatore, was published and it claimed success. From here on, he began to write his famous “Fairy Tales” that include sketches.
