Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) was the most famous writer in Denmark. His stories have attracted many young readers around the world.
Andersen's father was a poor shoe-maker. As he was very young, Hans was spoilt by his parents and his grandmother. But when he was 11 years old, his father died and the boy had to leave school. His mother made a living by washing clothes, while Hans spent a great deal of time making theatre toys and puppets. He reads as many books as he could.
Andersen published his first tale in 1835, and continued writing until he died. Andersen's words are simple and humor. The stories became popular in the early 1840's, and made Andersen famous more and more. Among the best known of his fairy tales are The Ugly Duckling, The Emperor's New Clothes, A Little Match Girl and so on.
