Hans Christian Andersen stories to read. Fairy tales and stories

Hans Christian Andersen(1805-1875) - world famous Danish writer, author of popular fairy tales for children and adults.

G.H. Andersen is the author of numerous fairy tales, novels, essays, plays, and poems, but he gained popularity thanks to fairy tales and stories for children and adults. Without exaggeration, he is called the founder of the fairy tale as a literary genre. The unusually talented author knew how to light a fire in little eyes with some special magic. The author does everything wonderfully - from a random bottle shard to an ugly duckling that turns into a beautiful swan. Therefore, reading Andersen’s fairy tales means becoming an accomplice in a unique, diverse action.

Read Andersen's fairy tales online

Christian Andersen's fairy tales are a window into the whole world of human feelings. In them, mercy and kindness are inseparable from each other just as much as pity cannot be imagined without compassion. The different moods in them never get boring, because they are painted in real life tones - sadness and joy, laughter and sadness, meetings and disappointments. This is such a different, but such a pure taste of real life.

Read Andersen's fairy tales to gain faith in justice, harmony and the eternal victory of good.

1 - About the little bus who was afraid of the dark

Donald Bisset


A fairy tale about how mother bus taught her little bus not to be afraid of the dark... About the little bus who was afraid of the dark read Once upon a time there was a little bus in the world. He was bright red and lived with his dad and mom in the garage. Every morning …

2 - Three kittens

Suteev V.G.

A short fairy tale for the little ones about three fidgety kittens and their funny adventures. Little children love short stories with pictures, which is why Suteev’s fairy tales are so popular and loved! Three kittens read Three kittens - black, gray and...

3 - Hedgehog in the fog

Kozlov S.G.


A fairy tale about a Hedgehog, how he was walking at night and got lost in the fog. He fell into the river, but someone carried him to the shore. It was a magical night! Hedgehog in the fog read Thirty mosquitoes ran out into the clearing and began to play...

4 - About the mouse from the book

Gianni Rodari


A short story about a mouse who lived in a book and decided to jump out of it into the big world. Only he did not know how to speak the language of mice, but knew only a strange bookish language... Read about a mouse from a book...

5 - Apple

Suteev V.G.


A fairy tale about a hedgehog, a hare and a crow who could not divide the last apple among themselves. Everyone wanted to take it for themselves. But the fair bear judged their dispute, and each got a piece of the treat... Apple read It was late...

6 - Black Pool

Kozlov S.G.


A fairy tale about a cowardly Hare who was afraid of everyone in the forest. And he was so tired of his fear that he decided to drown himself in the Black Pool. But he taught the Hare to live and not be afraid! Black Whirlpool read Once upon a time there was a Hare...

7 - About the Hedgehog and the Rabbit A piece of winter

Stewart P. and Riddell K.


The story is about how the Hedgehog, before hibernation, asked the Rabbit to save him a piece of winter until spring. The rabbit rolled up a large ball of snow, wrapped it in leaves and hid it in his hole. About the Hedgehog and the Rabbit A piece...

8 - About the Hippopotamus, who was afraid of vaccinations

Suteev V.G.

A fairy tale about a cowardly hippopotamus who ran away from the clinic because he was afraid of vaccinations. And he fell ill with jaundice. Luckily, he was taken to the hospital and treated. And the hippopotamus became very ashamed of his behavior... About the Hippopotamus, who was afraid...

There are few people in the world who are not familiar with the name of the great writer Hans Christian Andersen. More than one generation has grown up with the works of this master of the pen, whose works have been translated into 150 languages ​​of the world. In almost every home, parents read fairy tales to their children before bed about the Princess and the Pea, the Spruce Tree and little Thumbelina, whom the field mouse tried to marry off to the greedy mole neighbor. Or children watch films and cartoons about the Little Mermaid or about the girl Gerda, who dreamed of rescuing Kai from the cold hands of the callous Snow Queen.

The world described by Andersen is amazing and beautiful. But along with magic and flights of fancy, there is a philosophical thought in his fairy tales, because the writer dedicated his creativity to both children and adults. Many critics agree that under the shell of Andersen’s naivety and simple narrative style lies a deep meaning, the task of which is to give the reader the necessary food for thought.

Childhood and youth

Hans Christian Andersen (common Russian spelling, Hans Christian would be more correct) was born on April 2, 1805 in the third largest city in Denmark - Odense. Some biographers claimed that Andersen was the illegitimate son of the Danish king Christian VIII, but in fact the future writer grew up and was brought up in a poor family. His father, also named Hans, worked as a shoemaker and barely made ends meet, and his mother Anna Marie Andersdatter worked as a laundress and was an illiterate woman.

The head of the family believed that his ancestry began from a noble dynasty: the paternal grandmother told her grandson that their family belonged to a privileged social class, but these speculations were not confirmed and were disputed over time. There are many rumors about Andersen’s relatives, which to this day excite the minds of readers. For example, they say that the writer’s grandfather, a carver by profession, was considered crazy in the town because he made strange figures of people with wings that looked like angels out of wood.

Hans Sr. introduced the child to literature. He read “1001 Nights” to his son – traditional Arabic tales. Therefore, every evening little Hans plunged into the magical stories of Scheherazade. Father and son also loved to take walks in the park in Odense and even visited the theater, which made an indelible impression on the boy. In 1816, the writer's father died.

The real world was a harsh test for Hans, he grew up as an emotional, nervous and sensitive child. The local bully, who simply handed out blows, and the teachers are to blame for Andersen’s state of mind, because in those troubled times, punishment with canings was commonplace, so the future writer considered school an unbearable torture.

When Andersen flatly refused to attend classes, his parents sent the young man to a charity school for poor children. After receiving his primary education, Hans became an apprentice weaver, then retrained as a tailor, and later worked in a cigarette factory.

Relations with Andersen’s colleagues in the shop, to put it mildly, did not work out. He was constantly embarrassed by the vulgar anecdotes and narrow-minded jokes of the workers, and once, amid general laughter, Hans's pants were pulled down to make sure whether he was a boy or a girl. And all because as a child the writer had a thin voice and often sang during his shifts. This event forced the future writer to completely withdraw into himself. The young man's only friends were wooden dolls once made by his father.

When Hans was 14 years old, in search of a better life, he moved to Copenhagen, which at that time was considered the “Scandinavian Paris”. Anna Marie thought that Andersen would go to the capital of Denmark for a short time, so she let her beloved son go with a light heart. Hans left his father's house because he dreamed of becoming famous, wanted to learn the craft of acting and play on the theater stage in classical productions. It is worth saying that Hans was a lanky young man with a long nose and limbs, for which he received the offensive nicknames “stork” and “lamppost”.

Andersen was also teased as a child as a “play writer,” because in the boy’s house there was a toy theater with rag “actors.” An industrious young man with a funny appearance gave the impression of an ugly duckling who was accepted into the Royal Theater out of pity, and not because he had an excellent soprano voice. On the stage of the theater, Hans played minor roles. But soon his voice began to break, so his classmates, who considered Andersen primarily a poet, advised the young man to concentrate on literature.

Jonas Collin, a Danish statesman who was in charge of finances during the reign of Frederick VI, was very fond of the unlikeable young man and convinced the king to pay for the education of the young writer.

Andersen studied at the prestigious schools of Slagelse and Elsinore (where he sat at the same desk with students 6 years younger than himself) at the expense of the treasury, although he was not a zealous student: Hans never mastered literacy and made numerous spelling and punctuation errors all his life in a letter. Later, the storyteller recalled that he had nightmares about his student years, because the rector constantly criticized the young man to smithereens, and, as you know, Andersen did not like this.

Literature

During his lifetime, Hans Christian Andersen wrote poems, stories, novels and ballads. But for all readers, his name is primarily associated with fairy tales - the master of the pen has 156 works on his record. However, Hans did not like to be called a children's writer, and stated that he wrote for both boys and girls, as well as for adults. It got to the point that Andersen ordered that there should not be a single child on his monument, although initially the monument should have been surrounded by children.

Hans gained recognition and fame in 1829 when he published the adventure story “A Journey on Foot from the Holmen Canal to the Eastern End of Amager.” Since then, the young writer did not leave his pen and inkwell and wrote literary works one after another, including the fairy tales that made him famous, into which he introduced a system of high genres. True, novels, short stories and vaudevilles were difficult for the author - at the moments of writing, as if out of spite, he suffered a creative crisis.

Andersen drew inspiration from everyday life. In his opinion, everything in this world is beautiful: a flower petal, a small bug, and a spool of thread. Indeed, if you remember the works of the creator, then even every galosh or pea from a pod has an amazing biography. Hans was based both on his own imagination and on the motifs of the folk epic, thanks to which he wrote “Flint”, “Wild Swans”, “The Swineherd” and other stories published in the collection “Fairy Tales Told to Children” (1837).

Andersen loved to make protagonists characters who are looking for a place in society. This includes Thumbelina, the Little Mermaid, and the Ugly Duckling. Such heroes evoke the author's sympathy. All Andersen's stories are imbued with philosophical meaning from cover to cover. It is worth remembering the fairy tale “The King’s New Clothes,” where the emperor asks two rogues to sew him an expensive robe. However, the outfit turned out to be complex and consisted entirely of “invisible threads.” The scammers assured the customer that only fools would not see the extremely thin fabric. Thus, the king flaunts around the palace in an indecent appearance.

He and his courtiers do not notice the intricate dress, but are afraid to make themselves look like fools if they admit that the ruler walks around in what his mother gave birth to. This tale began to be interpreted as a parable, and the phrase “And the king is naked!” included in the list of popular expressions. It is noteworthy that not all Andersen’s fairy tales are imbued with luck; not all of the writer’s manuscripts contain the “deusexmachina” technique, when a random coincidence of circumstances that saves the main character (for example, the prince kisses the poisoned Snow White), as if by God’s will, appears out of nowhere.

Hans is loved by adult readers because he does not paint a utopian world where everyone lives happily ever after, but, for example, without a twinge of conscience he sends a steadfast tin soldier into a burning fireplace, dooming a lonely man to death. In 1840, the master of the pen tried his hand at the genre of miniature novellas and published the collection “Picture Book without Pictures,” and in 1849 he wrote the novel “Two Baronesses.” Four years later, the book “To Be or Not to Be” was published, but all of Andersen’s attempts to establish himself as a novelist were in vain.

Personal life

The personal life of the failed actor, but eminent writer Andersen is a mystery shrouded in darkness. They say that throughout his existence, the great writer remained in the dark about intimacy with women or men. There is an assumption that the great storyteller was a latent homosexual (as evidenced by the epistolary legacy); he had close friendly relations with his friends Edward Collin, the hereditary Duke of Weimar, and with the dancer Harald Schraff. Although there were three women in Hans's life, things did not go beyond fleeting sympathy, not to mention marriage.

Andersen's first chosen one was the sister of his schoolmate Riborg Voigt. But the indecisive young man never dared to talk to the object of his desire. Louise Collin, the writer's next potential bride, suppressed any attempts at courtship and ignored the fiery stream of love letters. The 18-year-old girl chose a wealthy lawyer over Andersen.

In 1846, Hans fell in love with the opera singer Jenny Lind, who was nicknamed the “Swedish nightingale” because of her sonorous soprano. Andersen watched over Jenny behind the scenes and presented the beauty with poems and generous gifts. But the charming girl was in no hurry to reciprocate the storyteller’s sympathy, but treated him like a brother. When Andersen learned that the singer had married the British composer Otto Goldschmidt, Hans became depressed. Cold-hearted Jenny Lind became the prototype of the Snow Queen from the writer's fairy tale of the same name.

Andersen was unlucky in love. Therefore, it is not surprising that the storyteller visited the red light districts upon his arrival in Paris. True, instead of debauching the night away with frivolous young ladies, Hans talked with them, sharing the details of his unhappy life. When one of Andersen’s acquaintances hinted to him that he was visiting brothels for other purposes, the writer was surprised and looked at his interlocutor with obvious disgust.

It is also known that Andersen was a devoted fan; the talented writers met at a literary meeting hosted by Countess Blessington in her salon. After this meeting, Hans wrote in his diary:

“We went out onto the veranda, I was happy to talk with the living writer of England, whom I love best.”

Ten years later, the storyteller returned to England and came as an uninvited guest to Dickens's house, to the detriment of his family. Over time, Charles stopped corresponding with Andersen, and the Dane sincerely did not understand why all his letters remained unanswered.

Death

In the spring of 1872, Andersen fell out of bed, hitting the floor hard, as a result of which he received multiple injuries from which he never recovered.

Later, the writer was diagnosed with liver cancer. On August 4, 1875, Hans died. The great writer is buried in Assistance Cemetery in Copenhagen.

Bibliography

• 1829 – “Journey on foot from the Holmen canal to the eastern cape of the island of Amager”
• 1829 – “Love on the Nicholas Tower”
• 1834 – “Agnetha and Vodyanoy”
• 1835 – “Improviser” (Russian translation – in 1844)
• 1837 – “Only the violinist”
• 1835–1837 – “Fairy Tales Told for Children”
• 1838 – “The Steadfast Tin Soldier”
• 1840 – “Picture Book Without Pictures”
• 1843 – “The Nightingale”
• 1843 – “The Ugly Duckling”
• 1844 – “The Snow Queen”
• 1845 – “The Little Match Girl”
• 1847 – “Shadow”
• 1849 – “Two Baronesses”
• 1857 – “To be or not to be”

For almost two hundred years, the works of the famous Dane have spread all over the world and are loved by adults and children. In many families, it has long been a good tradition to read Andersen’s fairy tales to children in a close circle, enjoying the unique style, eternal relevance, and incredible plot twists. A genius in his genre, Hans Andersen wrote fairy tales not only for children's audiences, but also for adults, which he constantly reminded of when releasing his new creation.

All of Andersen's most famous fairy tales, which so attract children, can be found in our section. There was a place here for magical stories, wonderful adventures, incredible journeys. “The Princess and the Pea”, “The Snow Queen” and “The King’s New Dress” will be interesting to all children and will bring a lot of fun.

The Ugly Duckling, which has long been considered the hallmark of the storyteller, will not be left without children's attention. The wonderful story of the transformation of a homely, ugly duckling into a handsome swan fascinates with its simplicity and kindness, where cruelty and ill will go hand in hand. As in every Andersen creation, there is a wonderful ending, and kids will certainly love how the tear-inducing sad story ends.

Andersen's fairy tale "The Little Mermaid" partially made the storyteller's dream come true. For many years he tried to get on stage and become an actor, although all his attempts ended in failure. Now one of his best fairy tales has become the basis for films and cartoons, theatrical performances and even operas. Kids have the opportunity to learn about the new adventures of the Little Mermaid, who is so loved in the cartoon, because the original source is always much more interesting, especially if its beloved mother reads it.

Little admirers of the famous storyteller are often interested in details about Andersen’s life. There is nothing noteworthy here, because he was born into a poor family and could not even imagine that he would achieve fame just with the help of fairy tales. Be that as it may, one can only marvel at the skill with which the legendary Dane created his masterpieces, which will always remain favorite creations for children and their parents.

On the pages of the section, Andersen’s fairy-tale heroes will once again come to life, allowing you to plunge into the magical world. Adults, reading for their beloved child, will be able to remember the wonderful time of childhood, which passed hand in hand with their favorite stories, and kids will hear for the first time fascinating fairy tales that will accompany them throughout their lives.

H. C. Andersen (years of life - 1805-1875) was born in the city of Odense, located on the island of Fionia in Denmark. Since childhood, the future writer loved to compose and dream, and often organized home performances. When the boy was 11 years old, his father died, and the child had to work for food. Hans Andersen went to Copenhagen at the age of 14. Here he was an actor at the Royal Theater, and then, under the patronage of Frederick VI, the Danish king, he entered a school in Slagels, from where he was then transferred to another located in Elsinore.

Andersen's works

In 1829, his first science fiction story was published, which brought fame to the writer. And six years later Andersen’s “Fairy Tales” appeared, a list of the best of which is presented in this article. It was they who glorified their creator. The second edition of fairy tales was made in 1838, and the third was published in 1845. The storyteller Andersen was already known in Europe by that time. In subsequent years, he also published plays and novels, making unsuccessful attempts to become famous as a novelist and playwright, but at the same time he continued to write fairy tales. In 1872, on Christmas Day, the last one was written.

We present to you Andersen's fairy tales. We have compiled a list of his most famous works, but, of course, this is not all.

"The Snow Queen"

Hans Christian began writing this fairy tale when he was traveling around Europe - in the city of Maxen, located in Germany, not far from Dresden, and finished the work at home, in Denmark. He dedicated it to Jenny Lind, the Swedish singer, his lover, who never reciprocated the writer’s feelings, and this fairy tale was first published in a collection that appeared in 1844, on the eve of Christmas.

This work has a deep meaning, which is revealed gradually as each of the seven chapters is read. It tells about evil and good, the struggle between the devil and God, life and death, but the main one is the theme of true love, which is not afraid of any tests and obstacles.

"Mermaid"

We continue to describe Andersen's fairy tales. The list will be completed by the following work. This tale was first published in 1837, along with another tale, "The King's New Clothes", in Andersen's collection. The author initially wrote a short preface to it, and then said that this work touched him even during its creation, and it deserves to be written again.

The fairy tale has a deep meaning; it touches on the themes of self-sacrifice, love, and gaining the immortality of the soul. Hans Christian, as a deeply religious person, considered it necessary in his commentary to the work to note that the fate of the soul after death depends only on each of us, our actions.

"Ugly duck"

We continue to describe the most famous fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen. Our list will be complemented by “The Ugly Duckling,” one of the most beloved not only among children, but also among adults. This is not accidental, because the work contains a sacred meaning, the idea of ​​becoming through suffering and obstacles: the birth of a beautiful swan, causing universal delight, from a humiliated, downtrodden ugly duckling.

The plot of the fairy tale reveals the deep layers of social life. A duckling, having found itself in a well-fed, philistine poultry yard, becomes an object of humiliation and bullying from all its inhabitants. The verdict is given by the Spanish fat duck, who even has a special aristocratic sign - a scarlet silk flap tied on her leg, which she found in the trash heap. The little duckling becomes an outcast in this company. He goes in despair to a distant lake, where he lives and grows up in complete solitude. The fairy tale leaves after reading notes of triumph over anger, arrogance and pride. Human relationships are shown with the help of bird heroes.

"Princess on the Pea"

Our story continues about what kinds of fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen exist. The list of them includes "The Princess and the Pea". This work is aimed more at teenagers and older children. This tale is very short compared to other works by H. H. Andersen. Its meaning is a person’s search for a “soulmate,” shown through a romantic plot about how a young prince searches for her. The work places a gentle emphasis on the fact that no social prejudices can prevent a person from finding happiness.

"Thumbelina"

Psychologists believe that all existing fairy tales can be divided into two types: for boys and for girls. There is some truth in this, although works of this genre often contain deep meaning and are subconsciously intended for adults. However, “Thumbelina” can undoubtedly be classified as a girlish film. The fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen, the list of which consists of the most famous, certainly include this work. The story of a little girl is full of difficult twists and turns, described in many ways in the work. But the main character overcomes them with wonderful ease and patience, and therefore receives a great reward in the finale - happiness and mutual love. The sacred meaning of the fairy tale is that chance is very often God’s providence, leading a person along the path of his destiny.

"Swineherd"

In addition to a fascinating plot, Andersen's fairy tales always contain a deep meaning of existence and human essence. “The Swineherd,” which continues our list of Andersen’s fairy tales for children, in addition to the story about a kind, poor, proud prince who wanted to marry the frivolous and eccentric daughter of the emperor, also tells us that people sometimes cannot immediately recognize real human values ​​and therefore Sometimes they find themselves “at the bottom of nothing.”

"Ole-Lukoje"

G. H. Andersen, the great storyteller, never even thought about becoming a writer, much less creating fairy tales. He wanted to become an actor, recite prose and poetry from the stage, play roles, dance and sing songs. But when he realized that these dreams were not destined to come true, he began to write fairy tales that made him famous throughout the world. One of them, "Ole-Lukoje", is among the most famous works of this author. It has two main characters: Ole-Lukoje, the lord of dreams, a wizard, and Hjalmar, a boy. As Andersen writes in the prologue to his work, every evening Ole Lukoje sneaks unnoticed into the children's bedrooms in order to tell them fairy tales. He first sprinkles warm sweet milk on their eyelids and, inducing sleep, blows on the back of their heads. After all, this is a good wizard. He always has two umbrellas with him: with amazing pictures, bright, and a faceless and boring, gray one. He shows obedient, kind children who study well, beautiful dreams, but the bad ones don’t see a single one the whole night.

The tale is divided into seven chapters, according to the number of days of the week. Ole Lukoje comes to Hjalmar every evening from Monday to Sunday and takes him to a world of amazing adventures and sweet dreams. On Sunday, the last day, he shows the boy his brother - another Ole-Lukoje. He rides on a horse with his cloak fluttering in the wind and gathers adults and children. The wizard puts the good ones in front and the bad ones in the back. These two brothers symbolize Andersen's life and death - two interconnected things.

"Flint"

The fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen, the list of which we are compiling, include “Flint”. This fairy tale is perhaps one of the most “adult” by this author, although thanks to its colorful characters, children also love it. The moral and meaning of the work is that you need to pay for everything in this life, but at the same time, dignity and honor always remain the foundation of human existence. This tale also glorifies folk wisdom. The good soldier, the main character, buying into the benefits provided by the witch, thanks to his cunning and wisdom, emerges victorious from all the vicissitudes and receives in addition the kingdom and the love of the princess.

Andersen's famous fairy tales, the list of which we have compiled, includes other works. We have listed only the main ones. Each of them is interesting in its own way.