The New Student's Reference Work/Andersen, Hans Christian
An'dersen, Hans Christian, a Danish poet, novelist and writer of children's stories. He was born in Odense in 1805, the son of a shoemaker, who died when his son was nine years old. After a scanty education and various attempts at work, his mother wished to make a tailor of him, but Hans, having a fair voice, preferred to go to Copenhagen for training. There he tried to get work at a theater, but was laughed at for his ignorance and awkwardness. A struggle of a few years, during which he wrote several tragedies, ended by his admission, through the influence of a benevolent man, into one of the government schools. This was the turning point in his life. He soon entered the Royal College of Copenhagen, and while there produced his first work in print, A Journey on Foot to Amak, a humorous work, which gained him much favor. Having received a gift of money from the king, he traveled through the south of Europe, describing its beautiful scenery in his great novel, The Improvisatore. After his return to Denmark, he was given an annuity by the government, until his death, which occurred Aug. 4, 1875. Among his works are Only a Fiddler, A Poet's Bazar, Fairy Tales, Wonder Stories and Picture Books Without Pictures. His books have been translated into all the languages of Europe, and also into Chinese and Japanese. Hans Andersen was tall and thin and wore old-fashioned clothes, but as he walked the streets of Copenhagen the children flocked around him and the boys and girls saluted him. When he died, flowers were sent from many countries, and, later on, all were glad by their subscriptions to help to erect a monument to his memory.
