Category: Hans Christian Andersen

"The Ice Maiden" by Hans Christian Andersen This is one of the longer works of Andersen and one of the longest fairy tales we've looked at.  It tells the story of Rudy, who we first meet as a little boy selling toy houses his grandfather makes. We learn that both his parents are dead, his mother killed when she fell into a glacial crevice. She had been holding the infant Rudy at the time but he was saved. This was the first "kiss" by the ice maiden who is determined to possess him. It is she whose mighty power can crush the traveller to death, and arrest the flowing river in its course. She is also a child of the air, and with the swiftness of the chamois she can reach the snow-covered mountain tops, where the boldest mountaineer has to cut footsteps in the ice to ascend. She will sail on a frail pine-twig over the raging torrents beneath, and spring...

"The Little Match Girl" by Hans Christian Andersen Earlier this year, I asked people to share what their favorite Christmas story is and several mentioned this tale by Hans Christian Andersen. It's one I've heard of but I'm not sure that I ever actually read it before. The Little March Girl is a poor child wandering the streets trying to sell her matches, since begging was illegal during Andersen's time. It's New Year's Eve and horribly cold; she has no shoes, no hat, and she's shivering, but she can't go home because she will surely be beat for not bringing any money back. The tired girl sits down in a corner formed by the walls of two houses. She finally takes out a single match and lights it to warms her hand by. Then she sees the first of three visions, a large warm iron stove. With the second match, she sees a roast goose, a traditional holiday meal that her family could...

"The Snowman" by Hans Christian Andersen This is such a sad story. It starts with a snowman enjoying the nice crisp winter air, and then a bitter old dog comes around and starts to taunt the snowman. The dog first tells the snowman that the sun will make him melt eventually and then directs the snowman's attention to the stove indoors. From there, it becomes a tale of unrequited love. During the whole day the Snow Man stood looking in through the window, and in the twilight hour the room became still more inviting, for from the stove came a gentle glow, not like the sun or the moon; no, only the bright light which gleams from a stove when it has been well fed. When the door of the stove was opened, the flames darted out of its mouth; this is customary with all stoves. The...