touching story can be imagined than the "Little Mermaid," or more charming than "Thumbeline"? In the "Little Mermaid," and that thrilling "Story of the Traveling Companion," we seem to see the author's great belief in good, in love, and self-sacrifice; yet he never points a moral or annoys by preaching. That was the last thing he could be; he was much too aware of his own failings to think of lecturing other people about theirs, even in a story. Some of his heroes play the most shocking pranks, such as the soldier in "The Tinder Box," who kills an old woman; and Little Claus' behavior is rather odd; yet they never seem to meet with any retribution. On the contrary, they thrive exceedingly.
Andersen had a great gift of satire, which in some cases may be rather bitter and unkind, but in Andersen's it could not possibly offend people. He laughs at the world, and at people's foibles in such an amused, kindly spirit, though he does show up most clearly the absurdity and emptiness of such things as riches and power, which believe that everything is within their grasp. "The Little Nightingale" and "The Emperor's New Clothes," are examples of this sort of story.
In the world that Andersen writes about—a world of children, birds, flowers, supernatural beings, and friendly kings—ugly, sordid, unsatisfactory things have no place. Andersen himself could never really face the ugly and cruel, he could not even write or
