Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales
Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales were written by the Danish author and published between 1835 and 1872; every story here is our own bedtime retelling, in English and Chinese, with narration in both languages, free to read and listen to.
Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales (8 stories)
- Ages 5-93 min
The Little Match Girl卖火柴的小女孩
On New Year's Eve, a barefoot girl lights her unsold matches to keep warm and sees a stove, a goose and her grandma. By Andersen. With native English narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
- Ages 5-93 min
The Little Mermaid海的女儿
Andersen's original, not the Disney film: the little mermaid trades her voice for legs and becomes a daughter of the air. With native English narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
- Ages 3-72 min
The Princess and the Pea豌豆公主
Andersen's short tale: a rain-soaked girl says she is a real princess, so the queen hides a pea under twenty mattresses. With native English narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
- Ages 4-83 min
The Emperor's New Clothes皇帝的新装
In Andersen's tale, two tricksters sell an emperor cloth that fools can't see, and only a child dares to say he has nothing on. With native English narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
- Ages 3-73 min
Thumbelina拇指姑娘
A girl no bigger than a thumb saves a frozen swallow, and it carries her to a land of flowers. By Andersen. With native English narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
- Ages 5-93 min
The Steadfast Tin Soldier坚定的锡兵
Andersen's one-legged tin soldier loves a paper dancer and stands straight through a fall, a paper-boat voyage and a fish. With native English narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
- Ages 3-73 min
The Ugly Duckling丑小鸭
Andersen's tale of a big gray duckling who is teased everywhere, survives a hard winter, and finds in spring that he is a swan. With native English narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
- Ages 5-93 min
The Wild Swans野天鹅
In Andersen's tale, Elisa frees her eleven brothers from a swan spell by making them nettle shirts without saying a word. With native English narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
About Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales
Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875) wrote more than 150 fairy tales in his lifetime. Unlike the Brothers Grimm, who collected folk tales, Andersen made up most of his stories himself, and many of them carry a gentle sadness. We don't use existing translations; we retell each story from the plot of the original, in plain language that is easy to read to a child.
Read this story to your child in your own voice
- Record your voice and confirm it's really you
- Pick any story, in English or Chinese
- A few minutes later, hear it in your voice; you can also download the MP3
From about $1.05 a story, or $1.99 for a first-order taster. Reading and listening are always free, and failed generations are refunded.
Questions about Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales
- How many fairy tales did Hans Christian Andersen write?
- More than 150, published between 1835 and 1872. Most of them he made up himself, rather than collecting folk tales as the Brothers Grimm did.
- What are Hans Christian Andersen's most famous fairy tales?
- The best known include The Ugly Duckling, The Little Match Girl, The Emperor's New Clothes, The Princess and the Pea, Thumbelina and The Little Mermaid.
- Are Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales good for kids?
- Our retellings suit children aged 4 to 9. Some of Andersen's stories end sadly, such as The Little Match Girl, so it helps to listen together and talk about the story with your child afterward.
- Who translated the Andersen stories on this site?
- They are not translations. We retold each story ourselves from the plot of the original, in English and in Chinese. Some classic translations are still under copyright, and we don't use them.
- Can I listen to Andersen's fairy tales for free?
- Yes. Every story has an English version with a native-English narration and a Chinese version with a Chinese narration, with read-along highlighting. Reading and listening are free, with no sign-up.