On this date in 1805, arguably my favorite fairy tale writer, Hans Christian Andersen was born. Danish by birth, he is sometimes referred to as the “Father of the Modern Fairy Tale.” He worked as a weaver and tailor until the age of 14 when he went to Copenhagen to become an actor. Some of his best-known works include The Ugly Duckling, The Little Mermaid, and Thumbelina. I like his stories The Little Match Girl and The Red Shoes. I guess I like his fairy tales because they often don’t end happily. Kind of morbid, isn’t it? I also like the 1952 Danny Kaye movie (that really doesn’t follow his life story) called Hans Christian Andersen.
For more info:
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Hans_Christian_Andersen
http://www.endicott-studio.com/jMA03Summer/hans.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Christian_Andersen
http://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/hans-christian-andersen.html
