Andersen interesting facts from life for children. Six unknown facts from the life of Hans Christian Andersen

1. The son of the king. Andersen explained the meaning of his "Ugly Duckling" differently than we do.

“You can grow up in a poultry house, the main thing is that you hatched from a swan egg. If you turned out to be the son of a drake, then from an ugly duckling you turned into just a ugly duck no matter how good!" Here is the unexpected moral of the story. The writer was sure that his father was King Christian the Eighth, who, being a prince, allowed himself numerous novels.

From a relationship with a noble girl, Eliza Ahlefeld-Laurvig, a boy was allegedly born, who was given to the family of a shoemaker and a laundress. During a trip to Rome, the Danish princess Charlotte-Frederika did indeed tell Andersen that he was illegitimate son king. Apparently, she just laughed at the poor dreamer. However, when a penniless writer unexpectedly received an annual royal stipend at the age of 33, he was even more convinced that "his father does not forget him."

2. magic rose- the emblem of sadness. As a child, Hans Christian was "chased" by everyone - from the teacher, who hit his hands with a ruler for inattention and terrible illiteracy, to classmates, whom he "filled" in black. Only one and only girl Sarah once gave white rose. The long-nosed awkward little boy was so amazed that he remembered the miracle all his life. The magic rose is in many of his fairy tales.

3. "To live is to travel." This phrase of Andersen in our time has been adopted by thousands of travel agencies. The storyteller was obsessed with movement, in total he made 29 great journeys, which at that time seemed almost unbelievable. On trips, he showed himself to be a brave and hardy person, rode horseback and swam well.

4. Great coward. It is difficult to say what Andersen was not afraid of and what he did not suffer from. He was a terrible alarmist. The slightest scratch brought him to a fit of horror, and the names of diseases caused shivers. He shied away from dogs, feared strangers. Robbery seemed to him at every turn, and the habit of saving made him constantly tormented by the question of whether he overpaid for the purchase.

He dined only "on the side", for years keeping a list of "eaten" to come to them in turn.

In his nightmares, he imagined that he would be buried alive, and every evening he put a note by the bed: "I'm alive!"

Andersen's eternal suffering was pain. Losing another tooth, he was upset, and saying goodbye to the last one at the age of 68, he said that now he would not be able to write fairy tales.

5. Platonic lover.“I am still innocent, but my blood burns,” Andersen wrote at the age of 29. It seems that Hans Christian did not bother to extinguish this fire.

He promised to marry his first girlfriend when he started earning fifteen hundred riksdaler a year. At the age of 35 he annual income was already taller, but he never married. Although by the end of his life his fortune had grown to half a million dollars (by today's standards), and the apartment in Copenhagen cost no less than 300 thousand.

All " big love» Andersen remained platonic. For two years he went to Sweden to the singer Jenny Lindt (she was nicknamed the nightingale for her beautiful voice), showered flowers and poems, but was rejected. But the readers got a fairy tale about a wonderful songbird.

The second half of Andersen's life was accompanied by young friends on his travels, but there is no open evidence of the close relationship of friends.

6. Children and death. Andersen had no children of his own. He willingly told stories to strangers, but he did not tolerate them sitting on his lap. Shortly before his death - and he lived for 70 years - Hans Christian asked the composer Hartmann to compose a march to his funeral. And adjust the rhythm to the children's step, as the children will participate in the ceremony.

He was not afraid to injure the child's psyche, hating a happy ending and leaving us sad and sometimes gloomy tales. The only work that, as he admitted, touched him himself, was The Little Mermaid.

A brief biography of Andersen would be incomplete without a description of him. early years. The boy was born on April 2 (April 15), 1805. He lived in a fairly poor family. His father worked as a shoemaker, and his mother worked as a laundress.

Young Hans was quite a vulnerable child. In educational institutions of that time, physical punishment was often used, so the fear of studying did not leave Andersen. Because of this, his mother sent him to a charity school where the teachers were more loyal. The head of this educational institution was Fedder Carstens.

Already in his teens, Hans moved to Copenhagen. The young man did not hide from his parents that he was going to a big city for fame. Some time later, he ended up at the Royal Theatre. There he played supporting roles. Surrounding, paying tribute to the zeal of the guy, allowed him to study at school for free. Subsequently, Andersen recalled this time as one of the most terrible in his biography. The reason for this was the strict rector of the school. Hans completed his studies only in 1827.

The beginning of the literary path

A huge influence on the biography of Hans Christian Andersen had his work. In 1829 his first work was published. it incredible story titled "Hiking from the Holmen Canal to the Eastern End of Amager". This story was a success and brought Hans considerable popularity.

Until the mid-1830s, Andersen practically did not write. It was during these years that he received an allowance that allowed him to travel for the first time. At this time, the writer seemed to have a second wind. In 1835, "Tales" appear, which bring the author's fame to a new level. In the future, it is works for children that become calling card Andersen.

The heyday of creativity

In the 1840s, Hans Christian was completely absorbed in writing the Picture Book without Pictures. This work only confirms the talent of the writer. At the same time, "Tales" are gaining more and more popularity. He returns to them again and again. He began work on the second volume in 1838. He started the third in 1845. During this period of his life, Andersen had already become a popular author.

Towards the end of the 1840s and beyond, he sought self-development and tried himself as a novelist. Summary his works arouse the curiosity of readers. However, for the general public, Hans Christian Andersen will forever remain a storyteller. To this day, his works inspire a considerable number of people. BUT individual works study in 5th grade. In our time, one cannot fail to note the accessibility of Andersen's creations. Now his work can be simply downloaded.

Last years

In 1871 the writer attended the premiere of a ballet based on his works. Despite the failure, Andersen contributed to the fact that his friend, choreographer Augustin Bournonville, was awarded the prize. My latest story he wrote in Christmas 1872.

In the same year, the writer fell out of bed at night and was injured. This injury became decisive in his fate. Hans held out for another 3 years, but could not recover from this incident. August 4 (August 17), 1875 - was the last day of the life of the famous storyteller. Andersen was buried in Copenhagen.

Other biography options

• The writer did not like being referred to as children's authors. He assured that his stories are dedicated to both young and adult readers. Hans Christian even abandoned the original layout of his monument, where children were present.
• Even in later years The author made many spelling mistakes.
• The writer had a personal autograph

Boring, empty and unpretentious life without fairy tales. Hans Christian Andersen understood this perfectly. Even if his character was not easy, but opening the door to another magic story, people did not pay attention to this, but with pleasure plunged into a new, previously unheard story.

A family

Hans Christian Andersen is a world famous Danish poet and novelist. He has more than 400 fairy tales on his account, which even today do not lose their popularity. famous storyteller was born in Odnes (Danish-Norwegian Union, Funen Island) on April 2, 1805. He comes from poor family. His father was a simple shoemaker, and his mother was a laundress. All her childhood she lived in poverty and begged on the street, and when she died, she was buried in a cemetery for the poor.

Hans' grandfather was a woodcarver, but in the city where he lived, he was considered slightly out of his mind. Being a creative person by nature, he carved figures of half-humans, half-animals with wings from wood, and such art was completely incomprehensible to many. Christian Andersen did not study well at school and wrote with errors until the end of his life, but from childhood he was attracted to writing.

Fantasy world

There is a legend in Denmark that Andersen came from a royal family. These rumors are related to the fact that the storyteller himself wrote in an early autobiography that he played as a child with Prince Frits, who years later became King Frederick VII. And among the yard boys he had no friends. But since Christian Andersen loved to compose, it is likely that this friendship was a figment of his imagination. Based on the storyteller's fantasies, his friendship with the prince continued even when they became adults. In addition to relatives, Hans was the only person from outside who was allowed to visit the coffin of the late monarch.

The source of these fantasies were the stories of Father Andersen, that he distant relative royal family. FROM early childhood future writer was a great dreamer, and his imagination was truly violent. More than once or twice, he staged impromptu performances at home, played various skits and made adults laugh. His peers openly disliked him and often mocked him.

Difficulties

When Christian Andersen was 11 years old, his father died (1816). The boy had to earn his own living. He began to work as an apprentice at a weaver, and later worked as a tailor's assistant. Then it labor activity continued in a cigarette factory.

The boy had amazing big blue eyes and an introverted personality. He liked to sit alone somewhere in the corner and play puppet show- your favorite game. This love for puppet shows he did not lose it even in adulthood, carrying it in his soul until the end of his days.

Christian Andersen was different from his peers. Sometimes it seemed as if in the body little boy there lives a quick-tempered "uncle" who does not put a finger in his mouth - he will bite off his elbow. He was too emotional and took everything too personally, because of which he was often subjected to physical punishment in schools. For these reasons, the mother had to send her son to a Jewish school, where various executions were not practiced on students. Thanks to this act, the writer was well aware of the traditions of the Jewish people and forever kept in touch with him. He even wrote several stories on Jewish topics, unfortunately, they were never translated into Russian.

Youth years

When Christian Andersen was 14 years old, he went to Copenhagen. The mother assumed that the son would soon return. In fact, he was still a child, and in such big city he had little chance of "hooking". But, leaving his father's house, the future writer confidently declared that he would become famous. Above all, he wanted to find a job that would please him. For example, in the theater, which he loved so much. He received money for the trip from a man in whose house he often staged impromptu performances.

The first year of life in the capital did not bring the storyteller one step closer to fulfilling his dream. Once he came to the house of a famous singer and began to beg her to help him with work in the theater. To get rid of a strange teenager, the lady made a promise that she would help him, but she did not keep her word. Only many years later, she confesses to him that, when she first saw him, she thought that he was devoid of reason.

At that time, the writer was a lanky, thin and stooped teenager, with an anxious and bad temper. He was afraid of everything: a possible robbery, dogs, fire, losing his passport. All his life he suffered from toothache and for some reason believed that the number of teeth affects his writing activity. He was also scared to death of being poisoned. When Scandinavian children sent sweets to their favorite storyteller, he sent a gift to his nieces in horror.

We can say that in adolescence, Hans Christian Andersen himself was an analogue ugly duckling. But he had a surprisingly pleasant voice, and whether thanks to him, or out of pity, he still got a place at the Royal Theater. True, he never achieved success. He constantly got supporting roles, and when the age-related breakdown of his voice began, he was completely kicked out of the troupe.

First works

But in short, Hans Christian Andersen was not very upset by the dismissal. At that time, he was already writing a play for five acts and sent a letter to the king asking for financial assistance in the publication of his work. In addition to the play, Hans Christian Andersen's book includes poetry. The writer did everything to sell his work. But neither the announcements nor the promotions in the newspapers led to the expected level of sales. The storyteller did not give up. He took the book to the theater in the hope that a performance would be staged based on his play. But here, too, disappointment awaited him.

Studies

The theater said that the writer had no professional experience, and offered him to study. People who sympathized with the unfortunate teenager sent a request to the King of Denmark himself, so that he would allow him to fill in the gaps in knowledge. His Majesty listened to the requests and provided the storyteller with the opportunity to get an education at the expense of the state treasury. As the biography of Hans Christian Andersen says, a sharp turn took place in his life: he got a place as a student at a school in the city of Slagels, later in Elsinore. Now the talented teenager did not have to think about how to earn a living. True, school science was given to him hard. He was criticized all the time by the rector educational institution Plus, Hans felt uncomfortable about being older than his classmates. The study ended in 1827, but the writer was never able to master the grammar, so he wrote with errors until the end of his life.

Creation

Considering a brief biography of Christian Andersen, it is worth paying attention to his work. The first ray of fame brought the writer a fantastic story "Hiking from the Holmen canal to the eastern tip of Amager". This work was published in 1833, and for it the writer received an award from the king himself. The cash reward enabled Andersen to make the trip abroad he had always dreamed of.

This was the start, the runway, the beginning of a new life stage. Hans Christian realized that he could prove himself in another field, and not just in the theater. He began to write, and wrote a lot. Various literary works, including the famous "Tales" by Hans Christian Andersen flew out from under his pen like hot cakes. In 1840 he tried again to conquer theater stage, but the second attempt, like the first, did not bring the desired result. But in the writing craft, he was successful.

success and hate

The collection “A Book with Pictures without Pictures” is published in the world, 1838 was marked by the release of the second issue of “Fairy Tales”, and in 1845 the world saw the bestseller “Fairy Tales-3”. Step by step, Andersen became famous writer, it was talked about not only in Denmark, but also in Europe. In the summer of 1847 he visits England, where he is met with honors and triumph.

The writer continues to write novels and plays. He wants to become famous as a novelist and playwright, only fairy tales, which he quietly begins to hate, brought him true fame. Andersen no longer wants to write in this genre, but fairy tales appear from under his pen again and again. In 1872, on Christmas Eve, Andersen wrote his last story. In the same year, he inadvertently fell out of bed and was seriously injured. He never recovered from his injuries, although he lived for another three years after the fall. The writer died on August 4, 1875 in Copenhagen.

The very first fairy tale

Not so long ago, researchers in Denmark discovered a fairy tale “The Tallow Candle” by Hans Christian Andersen, unknown until that time. The summary of this find is simple: the tallow candle cannot find its place in this world and will become discouraged. But one day she meets a tinderbox that kindles a fire in her, to the delight of others.

In terms of its literary merits, this work is significantly inferior to the fairy tales of the late period of creativity. It was written when Andersen was still at school. He dedicated the work to the priest's widow, Mrs. Bunkeflod. Thus, the young man tried to appease her and thank her for the fact that she paid for his unlucky science. The researchers agree that this work is filled with too much moralizing, there is no that gentle humor, but only morality and "spiritual experiences of the candle."

Personal life

Hans Christian Andersen never married and had no children. In general, he was not successful with women, and did not strive for this. However, he still had love. In 1840, in Copenhagen, he met a girl named Jenny Lind. Three years later, he will write in his diary the cherished words: “I love!” For her, he wrote fairy tales and dedicated poems to her. But Jenny, addressing him, said "brother" or "child." Although he was almost 40 years old, and she was only 26. In 1852, Lind married a young and promising pianist.

In his later years, Andersen became even more extravagant: he often visited brothels and stayed there for a long time, but never touched the girls who worked there, but only talked to them.

As is known, in Soviet time foreign writers often released in an abridged or revised version. This did not bypass the works of the Danish storyteller: instead of thick collections, thin collections were published in the USSR. Soviet writers any mention of God or religion should have been removed (if not, softened). Andersen does not have non-religious works, it's just that in some works it is immediately noticeable, while in others the theological overtones are hidden between the lines. For example, in one of his works there is a phrase:

Everything was in this house: both prosperity and swaggering gentlemen, but there was no owner in the house.

But in the original it is written that in the house there is not a master, but the Lord.

Or take Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen" for comparison: the Soviet reader does not even suspect that when Gerda is scared, she begins to pray. It’s a little annoying that the words of the great writer were twisted, or even thrown out altogether. After all real value and the depth of the work can be understood by studying it from the first word to the last point set by the author. And in the retelling, something fake, unspiritual and unreal is already felt.

A few facts

Finally, I would like to mention a few little known facts from the life of the author. The storyteller had Pushkin's autograph. "Elegy", signed by a Russian poet, is now in the Danish Royal Library. Andersen did not part with this work until the end of his days.

Every year on April 2, Children's Book Day is celebrated all over the world. In 1956 International Council according to the children's book awarded to the storyteller gold medal- the highest international award that can be received in modern literature.

Even during his lifetime, a monument was erected to Andersen, the project of which he personally approved. At first, the project depicted the writer sitting surrounded by children, but the storyteller was outraged: "I would not have been able to say a word in such an environment." Therefore, the children had to be removed. Now on the square in Copenhagen sits a storyteller with a book in his hand, all alone. Which, however, is not so far from the truth.

Andersen cannot be called the soul of the company, he could be alone for a long time, reluctantly converged with people and seemed to live in a world that existed only in his head. No matter how cynical it may sound, but his soul was like a coffin - designed for only one person, for him. Studying the storyteller's biography, only one conclusion can be drawn: writing is a lonely profession. If you open this world to someone else, then the fairy tale will turn into an ordinary, dry and emotional story.

"The Ugly Duckling", "The Little Mermaid", "The Snow Queen", "Thumbelina", "The King's New Dress", "The Princess and the Pea" and more than a dozen fairy tales gave the world the author's pen. But in each of them there is a lone hero (main or secondary - it does not matter), in which Andersen can be recognized. And this is right, because only a storyteller can open the door to that reality where the impossible becomes possible. If he had cut himself out of the story, it would have become a mere story with no right to exist.

Hans Christian Andersen is an outstanding Danish writer and poet, as well as an author of the world famous fairy tales for children and adults.

He is the author of such brilliant works as " Ugly duck”,“ The King’s New Dress ”,“ Thumbelina ”,“ The Steadfast Tin Soldier ”,“ The Princess and the Pea ”,“ Ole Lukoye ”,“ The Snow Queen" and many others.

Many animated and feature films have been shot based on Andersen's works.

In this we have collected the most interesting facts from the life of the great storyteller.

So in front of you short biography Hans Andersen.

Biography of Andersen

Hans Christian Andersen was born on April 2, 1805 in the Danish city of Odense. Hans was named after his father, who was a shoemaker.

His mother, Anna Marie Andersdatter, was a poorly educated girl who worked all her life as a laundress. The family lived very poorly and barely made ends meet.

An interesting fact is that Andersen's father sincerely believed that he belonged to a noble family, since his mother told him about this. In fact, everything was quite the opposite.

To date, biographers have established for sure that the Andersen family came from the lower class.

However, this social status did not prevent Hans Andersen from becoming a great writer. Love for the boy was instilled in his father, who often read him fairy tales from different authors.

In addition, he periodically went to the theater with his son, accustoming him to high art.

Childhood and youth

When the young man was 11 years old, trouble happened in his biography: his father died. Andersen took his loss very hard, and for a long time was in a depressed state.

Studying at school also became a real test for him. He, as well as other students, was often beaten with rods by teachers for the slightest violations. For this reason, he became a very nervous and vulnerable child.

Hans soon persuaded his mother to drop out of school. After that, he began attending a charity school attended by children from poor families.

Having received basic knowledge, the young man got a job as an apprentice at a weaver. After that, Hans Andersen sewed clothes, and later worked in a tobacco factory.

An interesting fact is that while working at the factory, he had practically no friends. His colleagues mocked him in every possible way, releasing sarcastic jokes in his direction.

Once, Andersen's pants were lowered in front of everyone in order to allegedly find out what gender he was. And all because he had a high and sonorous voice, similar to a woman's.

After this incident, hard days came in Andersen's biography: he finally withdrew into himself and stopped communicating with anyone. At that point in time, Hans' only friends were wooden dolls, which his father had made for him a long time ago.

At the age of 14, the young man went to Copenhagen, because he dreamed of fame and recognition. It is worth noting that he did not have an attractive appearance.

Hans Andersen was a thin teenager with long limbs and the same long nose. However, despite this, he was accepted into the Royal Theater, in which he played supporting roles. Interestingly, in given period he began to write his first works.

When the financier Jonas Collin saw his play on stage, he fell in love with Andersen.

As a result, Collin convinced King Frederik VI of Denmark to pay for the education. promising actor and writer at the expense of the state treasury. After that, Hans was able to study at elite schools Slagels and Elsinore.

It is curious that Andersen's fellow students were students who were 6 years younger than him in age. The most difficult subject for the future writer was grammar.

Andersen made a lot of spelling mistakes, for which he constantly heard reproaches from teachers.

Andersen's creative biography

Hans Christian Andersen is best known as children's writer. More than 150 fairy tales came out from his pen, many of which have become classics of world significance. In addition to fairy tales, Andersen wrote poetry, plays, short stories and even novels.

He didn't like being called a children's writer. Andersen has repeatedly stated that he writes not only for kids, but also for adults. He even ordered that there should not be a single child on his monument, although initially he was supposed to be surrounded by children.

It is worth noting that serious works, like novels and plays, were quite difficult for Andersen, but fairy tales were written surprisingly easily and simply. At the same time, he was inspired by any objects that were around him.

Andersen's works

Over the years of his biography, Andersen wrote many fairy tales in which one can trace. Among such fairy tales, one can single out "Flint", "Swineherd", "Wild Swans" and others.

In 1837 (when he was assassinated), Andersen published the collection Tales Told to Children. The collection immediately gained great popularity in society.

It is interesting that, despite the simplicity of Andersen's fairy tales, each of them contains deep meaning with philosophical overtones. After reading them, the child can independently understand morality and draw the right conclusions.

Andersen soon wrote the fairy tales "Thumbelina", "The Little Mermaid" and "The Ugly Duckling", which are still loved by children all over the world.

Later, Hans wrote the novels "Two Baronesses" and "To Be or Not to Be", designed for an adult audience. However, these works went unnoticed, since Andersen was perceived primarily as a children's writer.

by the most popular fairy tales Andersen are considered "The King's New Dress", "The Ugly Duckling", "The Steadfast Tin Soldier", "Thumbelina", "The Princess and the Pea", "Ole Lukoye" and "The Snow Queen".

Personal life

Some biographers of Andersen suggest that the great storyteller was not indifferent to the male sex. Such conclusions are drawn on the basis of the surviving romantic letters that he wrote to men.

It is worth noting that officially he was never married and had no children. In his diaries, he later admitted that he had decided to abandon intimate relationships with women, because they did not reciprocate his feelings.

In the biography of Hans Andersen, there were at least 3 girls for whom he felt sympathy. Also in young age he fell in love with Riborg Voigt, but never dared to confess his feelings to her.

The next beloved of the writer was Louise Collin. She turned down Andersen's proposal and married a wealthy lawyer.

In 1846, there was another passion in Andersen's biography: he fell in love opera singer Jenny Lind, who charmed him with her voice.

After her speeches, Hans gave her flowers and recited poetry, trying to achieve reciprocity. However, this time he failed to win a woman's heart.

Soon the singer married a British composer, as a result of which the unfortunate Andersen fell into depression. An interesting fact is that later Jenny Lind will become the prototype of the famous Snow Queen.

Death

At the age of 67, Andersen fell out of bed and received many serious bruises. Over the next 3 years, he suffered from his injuries, but was never able to recover from them.

Hans Christian Andersen died on August 4, 1875 at the age of 70. The great storyteller was buried at the Assistance Cemetery in Copenhagen.

Andersen's photo

At the end you can see the most famous Andersen. I must say that Hans Christian was not distinguished by an attractive appearance. However, under his clumsy and even ridiculous appearance was an incredibly refined, deep, wise and loving person.

Hans Christian Andersen, during his lifetime, deservedly enjoyed the fame of a poet who was known and loved by the people: children fell asleep to his lullabies, and theater stage the plays he created were successful. But tales and stories, of which he has more than 170, made him truly immortal. The first volume - "Tales told for children" - was published on December 1, 1835. sad and cautionary tales about the Little Mermaid, Flint, the Princess and the Pea fell in love with readers.

Thin books were read to holes, publications with pictures were sold out in five minutes, poems and songs from these fairy tales were memorized by children. And the critics laughed. In this case, it's completely useless. The fact is that the writer wrote with errors until the end of his life. As a teenager, he did not feel the slightest zeal for the sciences. And the birth of a child in the family of a shoemaker and a laundress in the town of Odense (on the island of Funen, Denmark) did not promise anything surprising.

A long time ago, in a certain kingdom, in a certain state, there lived and there was a little boy ... He was born on a fine spring day on April 2, 1805 in Odnes, which is located on the island of Funen. Andersen's parents were poor. His father was a shoemaker, and his mother worked as a washerwoman. And yet, in Denmark, there is a legend that Andersen was of royal origin, because in his early biography he repeatedly mentioned that as a child he had to play with the Danish prince Frits himself, who eventually became King Federick VII ...

One day he told his mother: "I will definitely become famous, you'll see!" Mom didn't answer him. She only looked at her clumsy son in surprise and smiled sadly. Glory? Fame? Success? This is so far from the reality of their family, which extremely rarely received gifts from life. Why are there gifts, trifling joys, and those fell infrequently!
The clumsy boy's name was Hans Christian, and his last name was Andersen. The most common, common Danish surname.

What does it take to become famous? It would be nice to be born into a rich (or at least wealthy) family, moreover, preferably in the capital, to get an excellent education, to have an attractive (and even better beautiful) appearance. Little Hans had none of this. Even close. He was lucky in one thing: he, in his naivete, had no idea about the ideal starting conditions that are necessary, simply necessary in order to achieve success in life.

All his "assets" consisted of faith in himself and a great desire to conquer this world. With this simple baggage, he went to conquer the capital of the Danish Kingdom. He was then fourteen years old.

Copenhagen met Andersen very unfriendly. Without acquaintances, without relatives and without money (on the very first day most he gave his savings for a ticket to the theater), the young man felt lonely. Hunger and despair became his constant companions, thoughts of death appeared. Saved by faith in God. Consoling himself, Hans often repeated: “When it’s going to be very tough, then He will send down His help. You have to suffer a lot, but then something will come out of you!”
He was mocked, he was neglected, he was taught and tried to remake. “You want to be smarter than the Cat and the Mistress! Don't be stupid! They sheltered you, warmed you, you are surrounded by such a society in which you can learn something, but you are an empty head, and it’s not worth talking to you! There was plenty of suffering, but Hans did not think to give up - he only needed a victory.
The management of the theater returned his first play with a note: "To return in view of the complete illiteracy of the author." This did not stop Andersen. The firm conviction that he must write gave him the strength to fight. Plays, poems, stories, opera librettos and vaudevilles - Hans wrote easily and quickly. Critics ruthlessly analyzed his every word, found fault with too simple a syllable, looked for grammatical errors, mocked his habits and origins. Andersen was upset to tears, but the thirst to create was always stronger.
Despite all the suffering, he did not stop loving Copenhagen and still believed in the nobility of its inhabitants. And a miracle happened - Hans found friends in the city. And thanks to their care, he was able to get an education, publish his essays and began to travel.

On trips, new works were born.
After the release of "The Improviser" - a novel about his beloved Italy - Andersen started talking all over Europe. Only Denmark remained contemptuously silent. And he, with surprising perseverance, tried to win her cold heart.
Every time he got tired of “floating again in various nonsense, from which you can’t get away anywhere, except in a fairy tale,” he wrote a little story in his diary, not yet realizing that these stories would soon become the main ones in his work, turn into fairy tales. And when this happened ... “From that time on, I actually had nothing to complain about, from that time on, in my own country, I began to gradually acquire such favor and such recognition as I could ever deserve, and perhaps even more". Lady Denmark, this beautiful, beloved and prickly rose, has been conquered. Melted the ice of her heart fairy tales poet.

Inviting Andersen to stage fairy tales, the parents of the future King of Bavaria, Ludwig II, did not even know how pleasant his society would be. little son. In Andersen he found soul mate- the same as he, a dreamer and an idealist. Andersen's acquaintance with Wagner, the romantic composer, was no accident. Like attracts like. They met, corresponded, exchanged ideas.
Andersen was alone in his native Denmark, but in different corners Europe, he had wonderful friends. Not a single trip passed without a new acquaintance: Heinrich Heine, Victor Hugo, Charles Dickens, Alexander Dumas and Honore de Balzac, Liszt and Mendelssohn. Andersen knew how to be a true friend. And he was happy that he had friends. Even kings different countries As soon as they learned about Andersen's arrival, they hurried to invite him to dinner: they liked his company and his fairy tales.

From the fairies of fate, Andersen received a wonderful treasure - the ability to see the magical in everything. Images of many fairy tales came to him from childhood. After all, there were so many interesting things on the streets of his native Odense! The city lived ancient customs and legends of heroes and fairy creatures- mermaids, sirens, elves and gnomes. They settled in it folk holidays, skillful craftsmen lived. Childhood was a cloudless time when he learned to understand the voices of birds, listen to the wind singing in the green foliage, watch sunshine entangled in every puddle, moonlight see the most beautiful elves. He was friends with dewdrops and flowers and wrote them down amazing stories in the book of your heart.
Once - he was still a student - a swallow flew into his room and told him her story. A few years later, "Thumbelina" was recognized and loved by both adults and children.
Tale about tin soldier largely autobiographical. Love to famous singer, dazzling Yenny Lind, burst into his life with a stream of sunlight, the world began to play bright colors, the air was filled with the enchanting melody of her voice. “She is a great artist, but she stands even higher as a person! .. I was happy that I had to know such an ideal soul.” But they were not destined to be together. Jenny devoted herself to art. Andersen respected her decision and kept the most tender memories of her until the end of his life. And of course, he could not help but write fairy tales dedicated to Yenny. Nightingale is one of them.
Love gave Andersen many happy days, but left him lonely.
One day, walking through the streets of Copenhagen, he met a little boy. He looked into his eyes and saw how lonely his beloved storyteller was... Wanting to console Andersen, the kid gave him his tin soldier. And he, in gratitude, told his little friend a new magical story - " old house».
In the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen there are no edifications and teachings. They have only a dream - a dream of people who can see the beauty of the world. And if some sad events happen, it is only because they are needed for our own development and good. After all, life is the most beautiful fairy tale.
If at that time, when I, a poor, helpless child, set off across the wide world, a powerful fairy met me on the way and said to me: “Choose your path and the goal of life, and I, in accordance with your talents and to the best of my ability, will protect and guide you! - and then my life would not have turned out better, happier, more reasonable.