Showing results by author "Jean Hans" in All Categories

Rudy lived close to the little town of Grindelwald in Switzerland. He lived with his uncle as his parents were both dead. Indeed, Rudy himself had almost died at the same time as his mother: while crossing a glacier, she had fallen into a crevasse while carrying Rudy, who was still a baby. When help arrived, it was too late to save the mother, but, to everyone’s great joy, the baby was rescued. Or almost everyone... The only one who did not rejoice was the Ice Maiden...

"Far from here, in the land the swallows flee to in winter, lived a king who had eleven sons and one daughter, Elisa." So begins the story of Elisa and her brothers. At the beginning, everything was well, they lived peacefully in the castle and were loved and indulged by their father, the king. But, one day the king decided to remarry and their stepmother did not want them. None of them. Elisa was sent to the country and the eleven boys were turned into swans.

On the death of his father, who was a rich merchant, the son inherited a vast fortune, which he quickly spent. He found himself alone with nothing except the dressing gown on his back and the slippers on his feet. A friend offered him a trunk and advised him to leave. But, this was a special trunk - it could fly! So, the young man decided to go to Turkey, where his dress would not be noticed, but that was just the beginning of his adventure. - Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) was a Danish author, poet and artist.

In every peasant dwelling, lives a goblin, a small invisible creature, who plays all kinds of tricks on the inhabitants. At least, that is what the peasants believe, but one woman, the gardener’s wife, did not believe this. Yet, they really do exist, and the little goblin who lived in the gardener’s house was very angry that the woman did not believe in him! - Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) was a Danish author, poet and artist.

A family of toads lived in a very deep well: it was so deep that, from the top, you could not even see the surface of the water.

One sunny day, when a little sea fish was swimming joyfully with his eighteen thousand brothers and sisters, the water was darkened by an enormous eel who came from above and was heading deeper into the sea. It disappeared very quickly and as soon as the calm had returned, the cutest little fish, who was also the most curious, went looking for information to find out who this newcomer to the Ocean was.

In the city of Florence is a bronze statue of a boar, from who’s mouth runs the water that is collected by the people of Florence. One evening, a poor boy came to drink and found a little lettuce and a few chestnuts on the ground, which became his supper. He then fell asleep on the animal’s back, but when midnight sounded, the animal came to life. And so their adventure began! - Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) was a Danish author, poet and artist.

At the bottom of the ocean lived the sea king, his old mother and his six daughters. They lived in a beautiful castle, surrounded by a big garden, of which each daughter took care of a small corner. The little mermaid, the youngest and most beautiful of the princesses, liked nothing more than stories of men and in her garden she had a marble statue of a handsome youth, which had sunk below down after a shipwreck.

One day, a diabolical troll made a mirror that showed everything beautiful as ugly and all that was good as evil. Delighted, the trolls decided to carry their mirror to heaven and mock the angels, but on the way the mirror shattered and pieces of the mirror spread across the world. This was how some became windows and others were made into spectacles, but the most unfortunate received tiny pieces in their eyes or in their heart, changing their life for ever.

What is courage? What does it take to be brave? How does courage show? Follow Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved characters on their adventures and discover what courage means to them. A collection of for the curious and empathetic young and adult readers. Contains the following fairy tales: - The Steadfast Tin Soldier - Little Ida's Flowers - The Shepherdess and the Chimney Sweep - Thumbelina - Ole Lukoie - Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) was a Danish author, poet and artist.

Larsen was a very good gardener, but the noble family he served always found fault with the fruit and vegetables he produced in the garden and the vegetable patch or with the flowers chosen to adorn the castle interior. However, proof of his excellence was everywhere and Larsen never abandoned his work.

One day a Portuguese duck arrived at the duck house. Some said she came from Spain, but from then on all her descendants were called ‘Portuguese’. Today, there is only one Portuguese duck at the duck house - and it is she who takes care of the song bird who fell from the roof while the cat was chasing it...

Bring in the New Year with the whimsical fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen! This collection of wonderful stories are centred around New Year’s Eve and will enchant children and adults alike. The collection contains the following fairy tales: - The Little Match Girl - The Story of the Year - Ole, the Tower Keeper - The Porter's Son - The Gardener and the Noble Family - Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) was a Danish author, poet and artist.

In the tallest and poorest house in a very narrow winding street, was an attic with a single window. Behind this window, was a bird in a cage; the state of the house and the cage were so miserable that the bird did not even have a cup for drinking: he had to make do with the neck of a bottle closed with a stopper. The bird had no problem with this and sang joyfully - as for the bottle neck, he remembered the good old days when he was still a bottle...

My friend Ole was an intelligent curious man with a great deal of knowledge. He had never obtained what he wanted from Men so he retired and lived as a hermit, alone at the top of a church tower. I will tell you about some of the visits I made to him and try to recall his words as best I can. - Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) was a Danish author, poet and artist.

A woman wanted to have a child, but not knowing how to go about it, asked a witch for help. The witch gave her a barley seed and told her to plant it. No sooner had she done so than a large tulip grew. When it opened, the woman discovered a tiny girl, no bigger than her thumb. She called her Thumbelina. - Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) was a Danish author, poet and artist.

Once upon a time, a china shepherdess and a chimney sweep who were placed close to each other decided to marry. However, another doll, who said he was the shepherdess’s grandfather, wanted her to marry the major general engraved on the dresser... - Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) was a Danish author, poet and artist.

A child is gravely ill and his mother has already spent three nights at his bedside. Then, a strange man knocks on the door and she bids him enter to shelter from the cold. But, it was death himself at the door and he made the most of the mother falling asleep to steal her son. So, she decided to go after him. - Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) was a Danish author, poet and artist.

A long time ago, the Emperor of China lived in a magnificent palace made of fine china and surrounded by a splendid garden that was so big that even the gardener did not know it all. One day, the Emperor read a book that told him that most marvellous bird was the nightingale and so he asked his court to find him one because he wanted to hear it sing that very evening. But, where could one be found? - Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) was a Danish author, poet and artist.

A selection of wonderful Christmas fairy tales by the beloved author Hans Christian Andersen to enjoy in the cozy winter evenings. Let one of the best-known children’s authors of all time carry you away into a magical world with his masterful storytelling. Nearly two centuries after they were first published, Andersen's stories remain as tales of good and evil, love and loss, and loyalty in the face of great hardships.