Then he flew to the water, and swam towards the beautiful swans. The moment they espied the stranger, they rushed to meet him with outstretched wings. Kill me," said the poor bird; and he bent his head down to the surface of the water, and awaited death.

Then he flew to the water and swam towards the beautiful swans. The moment they espied the stranger they rushed to meet him with outstretched wings. Kill me,” said the poor bird and he bent his head down to the surface of the water and awaited death. Then they threw more bread and cake into the water and said, “The new one is the most beautiful of all, he is so young and pretty.” And the old swans bowed their heads before him.This little story, which is beautiful illustrated by Jerry, is such a roadmap and a reminder for those people born in the family that rejects them, that there is a place out in the world with people like them where they can belong. There is a place of acceptance and a place to gracefully fly. I have seen it so many times.

What an absurd idea," said the hen. "You have nothing else to do, therefore you have foolish fancies. If you could purr or lay eggs, they would pass away." The book is selling like hot cakes. All the papers are praising it, everyone is reading it! No books of mine are appreciated in the way these fairy tales are!” He even read it aloud at social gatherings. Then they threw more bread and cake into the water, and said, "The new one is the most beautiful of all; he is so young and pretty." And the old swans bowed their heads before him. Gosh, I feel strong,” said the young bird, flapping his wings. “Why, I never felt as strong as I do right now!” Andersen started writing short stories and his debut book, The Ghost at Palnatoke's Grave, was published in 1822. His first fairy tales were published in 1835, in a Danish book called Eventyr, or Fairy Tale. This was the start of his life-long love of fairy tales.

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By the age of 14, he had moved to Copenhagen to find work as an actor in the Royal Danish Theatre. He began writing poetry in his spare time. The theatre director, Jonas Collin, was so impressed by Andersen's talents that he sent him to a Slagelse grammar school to complete his education. In the entire book, the word ‘ugly’ appeared rather strongly for me. The definitive nature of ‘ugly’ changes when it is used as a ‘Label’. Once labeled, a person is persecuted, detested and constantly reminded of one’s deficits in such a way that the identity of a person solidifies as one of ‘handicap’; becoming a ‘self’ ruptured beyond repair. I would recommend that if you read this story to your little ones, do not just focus on imparting the above mentions lessons from the book, but also impart sensitivity to and appreciation of ‘the differences’ that exist in this world. Delightful, indeed! it must be a queer sort of pleasure,” said the hen. “Why, you must be crazy! Ask the cat—he is the cleverest animal I know; ask him how he would like to swim about on the water, or to dive under it, for I will not speak of my own opinion. Ask our mistress, the old woman; there is no one in the world more clever than she is. Do you think she would relish swimming and letting the water close over her head?”

See," cried the youngest, "there is a new one;" and the rest were delighted, and ran to their father and mother, dancing and clapping their hands, and shouting joyously, "There is another swan come; a new one has arrived." And the end of the story is just perfect, making this one of the world's most uplifting and heartwarming tales. In my opinion it is Hans Christian Andersen's masterpiece. It has been translated into many languages and published around the world. It has become his most famous story.

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What an absurd idea!” said the hen. “You have nothing else to do; therefore you have foolish fancies. If you could purr or lay eggs, they would pass away.” The message conveyed by the much-loved story is simple: you shouldn't judge a person by their outer appearance. Even though someone may grow up feeling worthless, they can still grow up to blossom, like a beautiful swan. It's more about discovering what's inside, rather than simply by someone's appearance. See,” cried the youngest, “there is a new one;” and the rest were delighted, and ran to their father and mother, dancing and clapping their hands and shouting joyously, “There is another swan come; a new one has arrived.”

What a great world it is, to be sure,” said the little ones, when they found how much more room they had than when they were in the eggshell. Andersen's stories have inspired plays, ballets and live-action films. In Denmark, one of Copenhagen's busiest boulevards (circling Copenhagen City Hall Square) is called HC Andersen's Boulevard and features a larger-than-life bronze statue of the author. But what did he see in the clear stream below? His own image—no longer a dark-gray bird, ugly and disagreeable to look at, but a graceful and beautiful swan.Brrr!” he said with both wings held close to his chest. “If only there was a place I could get dry.” It's no wonder you don't feel at home in the farmyard, if you've been hatched from a swan's egg ... The three great swans swam round him stroking him with their beaks ... Some little children came running into the garden..."Look - there's a new swan! They shouted with delight ... The new one is the most beautiful of all—so young and handsome! ... He was almost too happy but not proud, for a good heart is never vain. He thought of how he had been persecuted and depised, and now everyone said he was the most beautiful of these beautiful birds.” The story has been told and retold countless times, and is often one of the first stories children learn in childhood, but what does not always transfer to the different versions is Hans Christian Andersen's delightfully droll humour. The positive life-affirming message is always there, that it is important to be yourself, and this is why the story perpetuates, but there are additional nuances in the original which make it one of his most enjoyable stories. According to Carole Rosen, the story was inspired in part by Andersen's friend Jenny Lind. [3] Adaptations [ edit ] Disney's 1931 version Disney's 1939 version