Andersen's Fairy Tales

Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen (1835-1872)

The Ugly Duckling, The Little Mermaid, The Emperor's New Clothes, The Snow Queen, Thumbelina, The Little Match Girl — unlike the Grimms' collected folk tales, Andersen wrote original fairy tales of heartbreaking beauty and sadness.

Historical Significance:
The Danish author Hans Christian Andersen published his first fairy tales in 1835 and continued writing them until 1872. Unlike the Brothers Grimm, who collected existing folk tales, Andersen invented his stories from scratch — though he drew on folk motifs and his own painful life experiences. Born into poverty, rejected in love, and perpetually insecure about his appearance and social standing, Andersen channeled his suffering into stories of outsiders longing to belong — the Ugly Duckling, the Little Mermaid, the Steadfast Tin Soldier.

His stories have been translated into over 125 languages and adapted into Disney's The Little Mermaid (1989), Frozen (based on The Snow Queen), and countless other works. "The Emperor's New Clothes" has become a universal metaphor for collective denial.

This public domain classic was originally published from 1835-1872. Free to read and share.