Source: Denmark

"The Steadfast Tin-Soldier.” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London, New York, Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 308-312.

Anonymous — Sun, 04 Aug 2024 01:06:32 +0000

"The Steadfast Tin-Soldier.” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London, New York, Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 308-312. Anonymous (not verified) Sat, 08/03/2024 - 19:06

Tale Summary

Once upon a time there were 25 tin soldiers, all brothers, made of the same old spoon, who were a birthday gift to a little boy. There was one who had only been made with one leg, but was sturdy all the same. He was set on the table by the children with other toys, including a pretty little cardboard castle with a little lady who was a dancer, posed with one leg so high in the air that it disappeared. When he saw the lady with one leg, the soldier resolved that she was the wife for him, but he thought her too fine to live in the little box he shared with his brothers. He hid behind a snuffbox and watched her, and when night fell all the toys were playing with each other (except for the tin-soldiers who had been put away and could not lift the lid from their box) and at midnight a little black imp came out of the snuffbox and teased the tin-soldier with one leg. The next morning he was placed by a window and fell from it, 3 storeys to the ground, maybe because of the imp. The boy looked for him but could not find him because the soldier did not think it fitting for him to cry for help while in uniform, and so he lay there when it began to rain. Two street boys found him and placed him in a little paper boat and he went down a dark tunnel where a rat asked for his passport, but he bravely sailed on while the creature chased him. Where the tunnel ended there was a little waterfall which he fell down, bold and always thinking of the little dancer, and was swallowed by a fish which was soon caught and brought to a market where it was bought by the family of the little boy. The cook found him and brought him back to the same table where he was before and he saw the dancer still on one leg, as steadfast as he was. The little boys, for no reason unless it was the imp who made them, threw him into the stove and he suffered there from heat and from love. A door opened and a draught caught the little dancer and she flew into the stove with him and died with him. The next morning, the maid found the soldier melted down into the shape of a heart, while nothing was left of the dancer but her burnt gilt rose.

Fairy Tale Title

The Steadfast Tin-Soldier

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

Andrew Lang

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

Henry Justice Ford

Common Tale Type

Tale Classification

Page Range of Tale

pp. 308-312

Full Citation of Tale

"The Steadfast Tin-Soldier.” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London, New York, Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 308-312.

Original Source of the Tale

Hans Christian Andersen

Tale Notes

AV��ʪ and Curation

Kaeli Waggener, 2024

Book Title

The Yellow Fairy Book

Book Author/Editor(s)

Andrew Lang

Illustrator(s)

Henry Justice Ford

Publisher

Longmans, Green, and Co.

Date Published

1906

Decade Published

1900-1909

Publisher City

London
New York
Bombay

Publisher Country

United Kingdom
United States
India

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Digital Copy

Available at the Internet Archive

Book Notes

Though this book is written in prose with more difficult language than other books of fairy tales in the collection, the Preface says this book is written for children.

Traditional

White

"Blockhead-Hans.” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London, New York, Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 313-318.

Anonymous — Sat, 03 Aug 2024 14:20:25 +0000

"Blockhead-Hans.” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London, New York, Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 313-318. Anonymous (not verified) Sat, 08/03/2024 - 08:20

Andrew Lang

Tale Summary

Once upon a time a King’s daughter proclaimed that she would marry whichever man who best chose his words, and two brothers resolved to win her hand. They were very intelligent, with one who had memorized the whole Latin dictionary as well as three year’s issues of the local paper, and the second knew everything about laws of corporations and states. Their father gave them a black one and a white one for each, respectively, and they set off for the castle. Just then, their younger brother, who was called Blockhead-Hans because he was very stupid, appeared and heard where they were going and decided he also would like to try his hand. Because his father would not give him a horse, he rode his goat up to his brothers and showed them a dead crow which he found on the way, saying that he would give it to the princess. A little ways on, he found an old wooden shoe without the top and was even more excited to give it to the King’s daughter. Even further on, he found a pile of mud and had the same jubilation and filled his pockets with it. When they arrived at the castle, huge numbers of suitors were being organized into tightly packed rows, six in each, and numbered according to their time of arrival. The princess welcomed man after man who did not please her, and the brothers saw all who she turned away. When the brother who knew the dictionary had his turn, he realized that he had quite forgotten it all. In her room, which was very hot, there were mirrors everywhere and in every window there were reporters and an editor who wrote down what he said to publish in the papers. He mentioned the heat, and she answered that she was grilling chickens that day, but he could think of no response and was taken away. The next brother had the same experience and was also rejected. Then it was Blockhead-Hans’s turn, and he rode in on his goat, exclaiming that it was very hot. When she said she was roasting chickens, he asked if he could roast his crow along with them. She gladly consented, but asked if he had something to cook it in. He proudly presented his old shoe, but she asked him where he would find soup. He poured some of the mud into the shoe, and the princess was delighted and proclaimed that she would marry him, but warned him that the reporters were writing down everything that was being said. Blockhead-Hans turned to the editor and flung mud from his pockets right into his face and he was soon married to the princess.

Fairy Tale Title

Blockhead-Hans

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

Andrew Lang

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

Henry Justice Ford

Common Tale Type

The Hero Catches the Princess with Her Own Words

Tale Classification

ATU 853

Page Range of Tale

pp. 313-318

Full Citation of Tale

"Blockhead-Hans.” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London, New York, Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 313-318.

Original Source of the Tale

Hans Christian Andersen

Tale Notes

AV��ʪ and Curation

Kaeli Waggener, 2024

Book Title

The Yellow Fairy Book

Book Author/Editor(s)

Andrew Lang

Illustrator(s)

Henry Justice Ford

Publisher

Longmans, Green, and Co.

Date Published

1906

Decade Published

1900-1909

Publisher City

London
New York
Bombay

Publisher Country

United Kingdom
United States
India

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Digital Copy

Available at the Internet Archive

Book Notes

Though this book is written in prose with more difficult language than other books of fairy tales in the collection, the Preface says this book is written for children.

Traditional

White

"The Nightingale.” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London, New York, Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 291-300.

Anonymous — Sat, 03 Aug 2024 13:42:12 +0000

"The Nightingale.” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London, New York, Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 291-300. Anonymous (not verified) Sat, 08/03/2024 - 07:42

Andrew Lang

Tale Summary

Once upon a time, the Emperor of China lived in a magnificent palace surrounded by a wonderful garden in front of the sea and the woods, and in those woods a nightingale with the sweetest voice lived. Travelers came from around the world to visit her, and many books praised her. The Emperor had not heard of the bird until he read one of these books given to him by the Emperor of Japan, and told his First Lord to find it, but it was to no avail. The Lord told him it was probably made-up, but the King threatened to trample the whole court underfoot that evening if it was not found. A poor little girl in the kitchen said she knew the bird well, and heard it while carrying scraps of food to her sick mother through the wood. The First Lord promised her a top spot in the kitchen and leave to see the Emperor at dinner if only she led the way to the nightingale and she agreed. On their way they heard a cow mooing and everyone was convinced it was the bird, and further along they mistook croaking frogs as well. When they finally found the bird they asked if she would sing for the Emperor and she agreed, and then sang a marvelous song, thinking that he was in front of her. They invited her to the palace and she consented, and everything was beautifully prepared. She sang for the Emperor so sweetly that tears came to his eyes, and she would accept no payment. Everyone in the court was pleased with her song and she was made to stay and had her own cage, and was given permission to walk twice in the day and once at night with a silken string keeping her near, which was no way to live. One day, the Emperor received a gift from the Emperor of Japan, a little mechanical nightingale made with precious stones, who could sing as well as the real one. The two birds were made to sing a duet, but they did not perform well together, and so the artificial nightingale sang the same song 33 times by itself. During this time, the real nightingale had flown out the window. Everyone thought that she was very ungrateful, and said that they still had the better bird anyway, and so the mechanical nightingale was highly praised and the real one was banished from the kingdom. One evening while the Emperor lay in bed listening to it, the bird suddenly stopped singing, and a clockmaker said it must only be played very seldomly as its parts were worn down and could not be replaced, and so it only sung once a year. Five years later, the Emperor fell ill and a new Emperor was chosen, as the old one was likely to die. His court abandoned him in his bed to instead pay their respects to their new lord, and so he laid in silence. He wished he had music to help him through, but because there was no one to wind up the mechanical bird, it could not sing. Suddenly, a beautiful song came from the window, and the Emperor saw that it was the real nightingale, and his life began to return to him. He asked how he could reward her, and she said that it still pleased her that he wept the first time he heard her song, and she sang him a lullaby. After the night passed he was strong and well again and asked the bird to stay with him. She said she could not do that, but would visit and sing for him, as she loved his heart better than his crown, but asked him never to tell anyone he had a little bird who told him everything. She left and his servants came to look at the dead Emperor, and he wished them a good morning.

Fairy Tale Title

The Nightingale

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

Andrew Lang

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

Henry Justice Ford

Common Tale Type

Tale Classification

Page Range of Tale

pp. 291-300

Full Citation of Tale

"The Nightingale.” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London, New York, Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 291-300.

Original Source of the Tale

Hans Christian Andersen

Tale Notes

AV��ʪ and Curation

Kaeli Waggener, 2024

Book Title

The Yellow Fairy Book

Book Author/Editor(s)

Andrew Lang

Illustrator(s)

Henry Justice Ford

Publisher

Longmans, Green, and Co.

Date Published

1906

Decade Published

1900-1909

Publisher City

London
New York
Bombay

Publisher Country

United Kingdom
United States
India

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Digital Copy

Available at the Internet Archive

Book Notes

Though this book is written in prose with more difficult language than other books of fairy tales in the collection, the Preface says this book is written for children.

Traditional

White

"The Tinder-Box .” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London, New York, Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 265-273.

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 17:26:50 +0000

"The Tinder-Box .” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London, New York, Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 265-273. Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 08/01/2024 - 11:26

Andrew Lang

Tale Summary

There was once a soldier who was returning home from war, who met an old witch on the road. She said he deserved riches, and pointed him to a hollow tree which he could let himself down into by climbing to the top, using a rope she would hold onto. At the bottom would be a large hall with three doors with their keys in the locks. She would give him her apron, because in the first room was a chest with a large-eyed dog on top, and he should place it on the apron so he could take all the copper money he would like. In the second room would be a dog with even rounder eyes, but he could take care of him in the same way and take silver. The third room had gold and a dog with even larger eyes, which would calm once on the apron. In return, the witch only asked him to bring an old tinder-box which her grandmother had forgotten there. He followed her instructions in each room, and came up laden with gold, but would not give her the tinder-box until she told him its value, and cut off her head when she would not speak. The soldier then went to a splendid town and got the finest clothes, and was told that the King had a beautiful daughter but that no one could see her, for she was in a great copper castle, kept there because of a prophecy that she would marry a common soldier. He became a great lord and took care of those in need, but at last he ran out of money and had to move into an attic where none of his friends visited. He could not even afford a light, so one night he tried kindling a light with the tinder-box, but as soon as it sparked the copper-guarding dog appeared and asked what his bidding was. He asked for money, and the dog soon reappeared with a purse, and soon the soldier was rich again. If he rubbed the tinder-box once, the copper-guarding dog came, if he rubbed twice, the silver-guarding dog would come, and three times meant the gold-guarding dog would appear. He had one of the dogs fetch the princess one night and kissed her while she was sleeping before she was returned to the castle. When she awoke, she told her parents about what a strange dream she had about the soldier, and so a lady-in-waiting was made to keep watch the next night, and sure enough the dog returned and took her to the soldier’s house. The lady followed and made a cross on his door to mark it, but the clever soldier drew the same cross on every other house so that the King and Queen were confused. The next night, the Queen tied a sack of buckwheat with a little hole to the princess’s neck, and on her way to the soldier it left a clear trail and the next day he was arrested and sentenced to a hanging. The soldier promised four shillings to a shoemaker’s apprentice to fetch his tinderbox, which he had left at home, and before he was to be hanged he earnestly asked if he could smoke one last pipe of tobacco, which the King could not refuse. The soldier rubbed the box once, twice, and three times so that all three dogs appeared, and he asked them to help him not be hanged. The dogs fell upon the council and the King and Queen, throwing them high in the air so that they were smashed to pieces when they came back down. The soldiers, afraid, said he would be King and marry the Princess, and so the two were happy and had a wonderful wedding feast.

Fairy Tale Title

The Tinder-Box

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

Andrew Lang

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

Henry Justice Ford

Common Tale Type

The Spirit in the Blue Light

Tale Classification

ATU 562

Page Range of Tale

pp. 265-273

Full Citation of Tale

"The Tinder-Box .” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London, New York, Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 265-273.

Original Source of the Tale

Hans Christian Andersen

Tale Notes

AV��ʪ and Curation

Kaeli Waggener, 2024

Book Title

The Yellow Fairy Book

Book Author/Editor(s)

Andrew Lang

Illustrator(s)

Henry Justice Ford

Publisher

Longmans, Green, and Co.

Date Published

1906

Decade Published

1900-1909

Publisher City

London
New York
Bombay

Publisher Country

United Kingdom
United States
India

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Digital Copy

Available at the Internet Archive

Book Notes

Though this book is written in prose with more difficult language than other books of fairy tales in the collection, the Preface says this book is written for children.

Traditional

White

“The Story of the Emperor's New Clothes.” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London, New York, Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 21-25.

Anonymous — Sun, 14 Jul 2024 16:38:11 +0000

“The Story of the Emperor's New Clothes.” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London, New York, Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 21-25. Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 07/14/2024 - 10:38

Andrew Lang

Tale Summary

There was once an Emperor who did not care for anything but clothes. One day, two impostors arrived in the city and pretended to be great weavers and said that they knew how to make the most beautiful cloth imaginable, which was so wonderful that it would appear invisible to anyone who was stupid or not fit for his office. Everyone in the kingdom heard of the incredible powers of the fabric and they were all very curious about who amongst them were smart or stupid. The Emperor heard of this and was fascinated with the idea, thinking that if he wore such clothes he would be able to see who in his kingdom were too stupid to hold their positions. He paid the two impostors well, along with the finest silk and the best gold for them to do their work. They pocketed all of this and set up their empty looms and pretended to weave invisible fabric. The Emperor wanted to hear of the progress they were making, and so he sent his honored minister to take a look, thinking that because he was intelligent and noble the fabric would not appear invisible to him. When the minister visited the two impostors he was horrified because he could not see the fabric, and wondered if he was stupid, but acted as if he thought the fabric was very splendid and listened well to the weavers' explanation of the colors and patterns and relayed the information to the Emperor. The two were given more money, silk, and gold, and soon the Emperor sent another worthy statesman to check on their work. Just like the minister, he wondered if he was fit for office, but pretended to see the cloth so that he would not lose his position and told the Emperor that it was very beautiful. He soon went to see the fabric himself, bringing along a great crowd of curious people including the two statesmen who had already visited the weavers. They talked about how marvelous the weaving was and how splendid the colors were, but the Emperor was embarrassed that he could see nothing. He masked this by giving his approval, and soon the whole court was praising the fabric as if they could see it, encouraging him to wear the clothes to a procession that was happening soon, and the imposters were made Court weavers to the Emperor. The weavers were up the whole night before the event, pretending to cut and sew until they declared the clothes completed and showed them proudly to the Emperor, saying that they were so light and comfortable he would feel as though he were wearing nothing at all. He undressed, and the impostors pretended to adorn him with his new clothes. Everyone spoke of how well they fit and how beautiful they were. He entered the procession with his chamberlains behind him, who acted as though they were carrying his train. The whole crowd declared that the clothes were marvelous, not wanting anyone to think that they were stupid for not seeing them. At last, a child yelled that he had nothing on, and soon the entire crowd began to echo him. The Emperor thought that they might be right, but carried on with the procession anyway.

Fairy Tale Title

The Story of the Emperor's New Clothes

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

Andrew Lang

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

Henry Justice Ford

Common Tale Type

The Emperor’s New Clothes

Tale Classification

ATU 1620

Page Range of Tale

pp. 21-25

Full Citation of Tale

“The Story of the Emperor's New Clothes.” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London, New York, Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 21-25.

Original Source of the Tale

Hans Christian Anderson

Tale Notes

AV��ʪ and Curation

Kaeli Waggener, 2024

Book Title

The Yellow Fairy Book

Book Author/Editor(s)

Andrew Lang

Illustrator(s)

Henry Justice Ford

Publisher

Longmans, Green, and Co.

Date Published

1906

Decade Published

1900-1909

Publisher City

London
New York
Bombay

Publisher Country

United Kingdom
United States
India

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Digital Copy

Available at the Internet Archive

Book Notes

Though this book is written in prose with more difficult language than other books of fairy tales in the collection, the Preface says this book is written for children.

Traditional

White

“The Story of Big Klaus and Little Klaus.” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London, New York, Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 225-236.

Anonymous — Mon, 17 Jun 2024 18:49:34 +0000

“The Story of Big Klaus and Little Klaus.” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London, New York, Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 225-236. Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 06/17/2024 - 12:49

Andrew Lang

Tale Summary

Once upon a time, there were two people named Klaus in the same village. One had four horses and was called Big Klaus, and the one called Little Klaus had only one. Through the week, Little Kalus had to plough for Big Klaus and lend him his horse, but on Sundays he got all five. He called them “my five horses” which offended Big Klaus, who killed the other’s horse. Little Klaus went to town to sell the skin, but while traveling through a forest a storm came on and he was trapped until nightfall. He sought refuge at a large farm-house, but the woman who answered said her husband was not at home and she did not take in strangers, and so he set himself up in the outhouse for the night. He could see through the window that the woman and the sexton were having a feast, which he greatly wanted, and then saw the farmer coming home. The sexton had visited the woman while her husband was out because the man hated sextons, which is also why there was such great food, because she rarely saw him. She hid the sexton in a chest and hid the food in the oven and the wine nearby, and in the meantime the farmer saw Little Klaus and invited him in for the night. The woman brought them both porridge, and Little Klaus squeaked his bag of horse skin and said it was a wizard who had conjured up a feast in the oven. The woman could do nothing but bring the good food, and then again Little Klaus squeaked his bag and said the wizard conjured up wine next to the oven. The farmer was very happy with this and asked Little Klaus to summon the devil with the wizard. He told the farmer to look inside his chest, and when he saw the sexton, he was convinced and bought the bag of skin for a bushel of money and threw in the chest as well. Little Klaus pushed the chest in a wheelbarrow until he came to a river, and said aloud that he was going to throw it in, when the sexton offered a bushel of money to spare his life. Little Klaus arrived home and informed Big Klaus of how much money he had gotten from a single skin, and so the latter killed all four of his and tried to sell their skins but was beaten for the high prices he asked. In the meantime, Little Klaus’s grandmother died and he laid her body in his bed for a while, and that night Big Klaus struck her with an ax, intending to get revenge on Little Klaus. The next morning he dressed his grandmother in her Sunday best and went to an inn, where he kept her outside and asked the host to bring her some mead. She would not answer when he spoke to her, so the host became mad and hit her with the glass. Thinking he had killed her, he gave Little Klaus a bushel of money and buried the woman. Big Klaus was surprised when he arrived back, and even more so when he heard how much money he got for his dead grandmother, so he killed his own granny and tried to sell her body but was admonished. He put Little Klaus in a sack and intended to drown him in the river, but stopped at a church on the way and left the bag outside, which was pushed against by an old shepherd and his cattle. The man bemoaned that he was so old and still would not die, so Little Klaus convinced him to get in the bag instead and he himself went home with the cattle while Big Klaus threw the wrong man in the river. Surprised to see him still alive when he got home, Big Klaus asked what had happened. Little Klaus told a story, and said that after he had been thrown in the river he met many rich sea-people who gave him cattle. Big Klaus wanted some also, and so had Little Klaus tie him in a sack with a weight, and so he was thrown in the river.

Fairy Tale Title

The Story of Big Klaus and Little Klaus

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

Andrew Lang

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

Henry Justice Ford

Common Tale Type

Tale Classification

Page Range of Tale

pp. 225-236

Full Citation of Tale

“The Story of Big Klaus and Little Klaus.” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London, New York, Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 225-236.

Original Source of the Tale

Hans Christian Andersen

Tale Notes

AV��ʪ and Curation

Kaeli Waggener, 2024

Book Title

The Yellow Fairy Book

Book Author/Editor(s)

Andrew Lang

Illustrator(s)

Henry Justice Ford

Publisher

Longmans, Green, and Co.

Date Published

1906

Decade Published

1900-1909

Publisher City

London
New York
Bombay

Publisher Country

United Kingdom
United States
India

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Digital Copy

Available at the Internet Archive

Book Notes

Though this book is written in prose with more difficult language than other books of fairy tales in the collection, the Preface says this book is written for children.

Traditional

White

“Thumbkinetta .” Fairy Tales, Hans Christian Andersen, translated by Harry Leigh Justice Ward, London: Sampson Low, Marston, Low, and Searle, 1872, pp. 51-58.

Anonymous — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 21:47:47 +0000

“Thumbkinetta .” Fairy Tales, Hans Christian Andersen, translated by Harry Leigh Justice Ward, London: Sampson Low, Marston, Low, and Searle, 1872, pp. 51-58. Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 03/14/2024 - 15:47

Hans Christian Anderson

Tale Summary

There was once a good-wife who longed for a child, and so went to visit an old Witch, who gave her a barleycorn to plant in a flower-pot, promising that something would come of it. As soon as the woman placed it in the soil, a tulip popped up. She kissed its petals and it opened to reveal a tiny young maiden, no bigger than a thumb, whom she named Thumbkinetta. One night, when the little girl was asleep in a walnut-shell, a toad thought she would make a lovely bride for her son, and stole her away. The toad placed her on a lily pad in a stream so that she could not run away as she and her son made wedding preparations. When she awoke, the two toads swam to retrieve her walnut-shell bed to place in the bridal suite. Thumbkinetta wept when they went away again, as she did not want to marry an ugly toad. A group of fish learned what was to happen to her and felt very sorry, so together they chewed the lily-pad stem so that she floated downriver away from the toads. She was very pleased, as she saw many pretty sights on her journey, and befriended a butterfly which she tied to the leaf in order to move along faster. A cockchafer saw her gliding along and snatched her up to be his bride, but when all the other beetles saw her they thought she was very ugly and convinced him to let her go. Thumbkinetta spent the summer and autumn quite alright living alone in the forest, but was cold and hungry when winter came. She traveled through the forest and into a nearby cornfield, where she begged at a field-mouse's door. The Field-mouse was kind and offered Thumbkinetta a place to stay, and so she did and kept the house in order. Neighboring her was Mr. Mole, who was very well-off and fell in love with the girl when he visited. He dug a tunnel between the two residences and took Thumbkinetta and the Field-mouse along the passage, where they found a bird which had died of the cold. The girl was sad at this, and even sadder to hear the other two making fun of how it had frozen. That night, she wove a blanket for the bird and snuck out of bed and into the tunnel to place it on its feathers. She laid her head against the bird’s breast, and it awoke because she had warmed it. The rest of the winter, Thumbkinetta nursed the bird back to health, and it flew away when spring came after offering her a ride. The girl did not want to upset the Field-mouse and so stayed in the cornfield, and spent until autumn preparing her wedding outfit, as she was to be married to Mr. Mole. This was terrible for her, as she would have to live deep underground with her soon-to-be husband, never to see the world again. On the day of the wedding, the bird returned and again offered Thumbkinetta a ride, as he was flying off to warmer lands. They reached the bird’s homeland, which was splendid and fantastical with all sorts of natural beauties, and made their way to his nest, which was situated on a shining white marble palace. He told her to pick any flower she liked and he would place her there, and so she found a patch of white flowers to live in. When the bird placed her in the petals, she was surprised to meet a handsome man her own size. He was a spirit of the flower, and king of all the nearby flower spirits. He asked her to marry him, and she said yes, and so he placed his golden crown on her head. Out of all the flowers came lords and ladies, each bringing her a gift, the best of all being a pair of wings for her to use. They gave her a more beautiful name, too, and called her Maia.

Fairy Tale Title

The Wild Swans

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

Hans Christian Andersen, Harry Leigh Justice Ward, Augusta Plesner

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

Eleanor Vere Boyle

Common Tale Type

Tale Classification

Page Range of Tale

pp. 51-58

Full Citation of Tale

“Thumbkinetta .” Fairy Tales, Hans Christian Andersen, translated by Harry Leigh Justice Ward, London: Sampson Low, Marston, Low, and Searle, 1872, pp. 51-58.

Original Source of the Tale

Hans Christian Andersen

Tale Notes

Readers are told that this story is known because the bird shared it with a storyteller when he flew back to Denmark for the warmer months.

AV��ʪ and Curation

Kaeli Waggener, 2024

Book Title

Fairy Tales

Book Author/Editor(s)

Hans Christian Andersen, Harry Leigh Justice Ward, Augusta Plesner

Illustrator(s)

Eleanor Vere Boyle

Publisher

Sampson Low, Marston, Low, and Searle

Date Published

1872

Decade Published

1870-1879

Publisher City

New York

Publisher Country

United States

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Digital Copy

Available at the Internet Archive

Book Notes

Illustrated by 12 large designs in colour after original drawings by Eleanor Vere Boyle; newly translated by Harry Leigh Justice Ward and Augusta Plesner.

Traditional

White

“The Wild Swans.” Fairy Tales, Hans Christian Andersen, translated by Harry Leigh Justice Ward, London: Sampson Low, Marston, Low, and Searle, 1872, pp. 1-12.

Anonymous — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 18:45:29 +0000

“The Wild Swans.” Fairy Tales, Hans Christian Andersen, translated by Harry Leigh Justice Ward, London: Sampson Low, Marston, Low, and Searle, 1872, pp. 1-12. Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 03/14/2024 - 12:45

Hans Christian Anderson

Tale Summary

There was once a king who had eleven sons, and a daughter named Elisa. The boys were very well educated princes, and their sister had what she wanted to entertain her, no matter the cost. Their father married a wicked queen, who had no liking for the children at all, and made it well-known. She sent Elisa to live with some peasants in the country, and filled the king's head with evil thoughts that turned him against his sons. She told them to fly, forcing them to the world to look after themselves, but because she could not say it quite right, they became eleven beautiful, swans that flew off away from the palace. Early in the morning, they passed where Elisa slept in the peasants cottage, but flew further away, as no one could hear, or see them. Elisa grew up with the peasants, with only a leaf for a toy, but became very beautiful. When she was 15, she returned home, but the queen was jealous of her beauty. She gathered three toads, and ordered them to settle in her head, her brow, and her heart to make her ugly, and have wicked thoughts that would end in pain and sorrow. Elisa was too innocent for this magic to work, and the toads turned into three red poppies. The wicked queen then rubbed her skin with a stinking ointment and matted her hair to make her unrecognizable. The king no longer recognized her, and Elisa left the palace, weeping, wandering into the forest, thinking of her brothers. After a few days, she met an old woman with a basket of berries, who told her that the previous day she had seen eleven swans with gold crowns swimming in a nearby brook. As the sun was setting that night, Elisa saw eleven swans there, and hid behind a bush to wash them. When the sun sank, suddenly the skin of the swan skins fell off and revealed eleven beautiful princes. She ran to them happily, and they had a glad reunion. The eldest brother explained that they fly as swans during the day, but become men again at night, and must take care that they have ground below their feet during this transformation or else they would plummet from the sky. He told her that they lived in another land beyond the sea, and could only visit thanks to a large rock in the midway point, and could only make this journey on the two longest days of the year. At sundown the next day, the brothers said that they must fly away in the morning, and could not return for another year. They offered to take Elisa with them, and she agreed, and they spent the night weaving a net for her to lay in. They spent the entire next day flying over the ocean, but were slowed by carrying their sister with her, and only barely made it to the midway point in time. The next day they flew over land, and Elisa saw a beautiful kingdom on a mountain, which the swans told her belonged to Fata Morgana and no man dared to enter. They made it at last to their land, and Elisa wondered how she could start her brothers free. She had a dream that she was in the forbidden castle and the fairy came to meet her, and looked strangely like the old woman in the forest. She told Elisa that her brothers could be released, if only she made eleven long sleeve tunics for her brothers out of stinging nettles. As well as being grueling and painful work, she would not be allowed to speak until her work was complete, as it would kill her brothers. The next day, Elisa set to work, and the brothers knew that she must be doing it for their sake. She had made a good amount of yarn from the nettles, when a nearby king found her and brought her home with them to be his queen, thinking her to be the most beautiful maiden he had ever seen. The Archbishop was convinced that the girl was a witch, but the king did not hit him and married the girl anyway. She wept and wept until the king showed her that they had brought the nettle yarn with them and it was housed in a special room. Every night the new queen worked hard on knitting the eleven tunics, but just when she began the seventh, she found she had no yarn left. She knew that nettles grew in the church yard, and in the moonlight she ventured there. She saw a pack of witches feasting on corpses, but she was able to pass them and gather her nettles in peace because of her prayers. The Archbishop saw this, and thought that it proved that the girl was a witch, and he relayed all that he saw to the king. He was distraught, and noticed how throughout the night she came and went, and disappeared into her little room. In the meantime, Elisa finished every tunic, but one, and had run out of nettles. Once again, she went to the church yard, and the king and Archbishop followed, and watched from a distance, and was convinced that she was one of the witches. She was judged, and condemned to burn at the stake. Elisa had one more night to work on the tunics in the prison, where small mice on the floor helped her. The next day Elisa was being led to her death, and all the way she continued to work on the last tunic. The people who had gathered to watch thought it was witches’ work, and tried to tear away from her, but just in time, the eleven swans descended and protected her. She was seized by the headsman, and quickly she threw the tunics necks over the swans, and immediately they turned into princes. The youngest still had a swan swing instead of a second arm, for she had no time to finish the sleeve. She cried that she was innocent, and sank into her brother's arms. The eldest brother explained what had happened, and as he spoke, red roses teamed all about, with one dazzling white flower that the king placed on Elisa’s heart. She awoke in peace, and a wedding procession went back to the palace.

Fairy Tale Title

The Wild Swans

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

Hans Christian Andersen, Harry Leigh Justice Ward, Augusta Plesner

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

Eleanor Vere Boyle

Common Tale Type

Tale Classification

Page Range of Tale

pp. 1-12

Full Citation of Tale

“The Wild Swans.” Fairy Tales, Hans Christian Andersen, translated by Harry Leigh Justice Ward, London: Sampson Low, Marston, Low, and Searle, 1872, pp. 1-12.

Original Source of the Tale

Hans Christian Andersen

Tale Notes

AV��ʪ and Curation

Kaeli Waggener, 2024

Book Title

Fairy Tales

Book Author/Editor(s)

Hans Christian Andersen, Harry Leigh Justice Ward, Augusta Plesner

Illustrator(s)

Eleanor Vere Boyle

Publisher

Sampson Low, Marston, Low, and Searle

Date Published

1872

Decade Published

1870-1879

Publisher City

New York

Publisher Country

United States

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Digital Copy

Available at the Internet Archive

Book Notes

Illustrated by 12 large designs in colour after original drawings by Eleanor Vere Boyle; newly translated by Harry Leigh Justice Ward and Augusta Plesner.

Traditional

White

“The Rose Elf.” Fairy tales from Hans Christian Andersen, Hans Christian Andersen, London: Dent, New York: Dutton, 1904, pp. 44-51.

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 18:14:45 +0000

“The Rose Elf.” Fairy tales from Hans Christian Andersen, Hans Christian Andersen, London: Dent, New York: Dutton, 1904, pp. 44-51. Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 09/26/2023 - 12:14

Hans Christian Anderson

Tale Summary

There once lived a tiny elf, so small that human eyes could not see him, in the middle of a garden in the petals of a rose bush. One night, the sprite was out exploring too late, and by the time he arrived home the rose petals had closed. He flew across the garden, intending to find refuge in a honeysuckle bush, but on the way found a young couple. He learns that the man had to leave her because of her wicked brother, and saw the woman pass him a beautiful rose which opened under her kisses. The little elf dove in and hid among the petals while the man walked away in sorrow. During this walk, the girl's evil brother appeared and stabbed the man in the back and cut off his head. He buried him on the spot. The little elf landed on a linden tree leaf, which floated down to be atop the evil man's head, and rode upon him back to a palace where him and his sister lived.The elf went into her room, and whispered in her ear what had happened to her love, and as proof, laid the leaf on her sheets. She was devastated when she awoke, and when darkness again fell, she stole away from the house and found his body. She took with her his head and a little spray of a jasmine tree that was flowering nearby. She planted them both in a pot, and as time went on, the jasmine grew and bloomed. One night, after the girl had been growing paler and paler with grief, the elf crept into her ear and whispered to her about that night in the arbor, giving her sweet dreams. She passed away in her sleep and her wicked brother took the beautiful plant for himself. The little elf went with it and found that there were little sprites living in each of the flowers. He told them about what the man had done, although they already knew. He then flew to the bees outside and told them the same tale, and the queen decided that they would kill him for his crimes. That night, every flower opened and out came the tiny sprites with poison spears. Some sat by his ear and gave him terrible dreams, and others flew over his mouth and pierced his tongue with poison darts. When morning came and the bees swarmed in, the man was already dead. People stood around his body and proclaimed that the sweet smell of the jasmine must have killed him. The bees swarmed around the flower pot, and stung the hand of a man who had picked it up. The pot fell and broke, and all saw the white skull inside, and knew the man must have been a murderer.

Fairy Tale Title

The Rose Elf

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

Hans Christian Anderson

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

Common Tale Type

Tale Classification

Page Range of Tale

pp. 44-51

Full Citation of Tale

“The Rose Elf.” Fairy tales from Hans Christian Andersen, Hans Christian Andersen, London: Dent, New York: Dutton, 1904, pp. 44-51.

Original Source of the Tale

Very similar to the tale "Isabella and the Pot of Basil" by Boccaccio, found in The Decameron (1353)

Tale Notes

AV��ʪ and Curation

Kaeli Waggener, 2023

Book Title

Fairy tales from Hans Christian Andersen

Book Author/Editor(s)

Hans Christian Andersen

Illustrator(s)

Publisher

Dent, Dutton

Date Published

1904

Decade Published

1900-1909

Publisher City

London, New York

Publisher Country

United Kingdom, United States

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Digital Copy

Available at the Internet Archive

Book Notes

Traditional

White

“The Real Princess.” Fairy tales from Hans Christian Andersen, Hans Christian Andersen, London: Dent, New York: Dutton, 1904, pp. 84-86.

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 17:58:00 +0000

“The Real Princess.” Fairy tales from Hans Christian Andersen, Hans Christian Andersen, London: Dent, New York: Dutton, 1904, pp. 84-86. Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 09/26/2023 - 11:58

Hans Christian Anderson

Tale Summary

There was once a prince who wanted a princess, and only a real princess would please him. He traveled the world to find one, but was unable to, and came back home discouraged. One evening there was a terrible storm, and a knocking was heard at the gate, which the king himself answered. He met a princess there, who claimed that she was a real princess. The queen wanted to test this, so she laid a pea on the bedstead that the princess would use, piled 20 mattresses on top, and then 20 other beds on top of that. The next morning the princess said that she had slept horribly and felt that she had slept on something hard. They saw at once that she was a real princess because of her delicate skin, and so the prince took her for a wife.

Fairy Tale Title

The Real Princess

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

Hans Christian Anderson

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

Common Tale Type

The Princess and the Pea

Tale Classification

ATU 704

Page Range of Tale

pp. 84-86

Full Citation of Tale

“The Real Princess.” Fairy tales from Hans Christian Andersen, Hans Christian Andersen, London: Dent, New York: Dutton, 1904, pp. 84-86.

Original Source of the Tale

Hans Christian Anderson

Tale Notes

AV��ʪ and Curation

Kaeli Waggener, 2023

Book Title

Fairy tales from Hans Christian Andersen

Book Author/Editor(s)

Hans Christian Andersen

Illustrator(s)

Publisher

Dent, Dutton

Date Published

1904

Decade Published

1900-1909

Publisher City

London, New York

Publisher Country

United Kingdom, United States

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Digital Copy

Available at the Internet Archive

Book Notes

Traditional

White