H. C. Andersen Trivia

1. What exactly were "The Emperor's New Clothes" in the fairy tale?

From Quiz Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen

Answer: Nothing

"The Emperor's New Clothes" introduced a very vain Emperor. Two crooks came by the palace and promised they would sell a very fine set of new clothes for the Emperor, clothes made of so fine material that no stupid person could see them. After payment, the crooks set up a workplace to weave the clothes - using nothing at all. But of course, the Emperor and his staff would not say anything about it, for they would be marked as stupid. Then the Emperor went out on a public procession, dressed in his "new clothes". The citizens did not say anything for fear of being called stupid - until a young boy cried out the truth.

From Quiz Lesser Known Hans Christian Andersen Stories

Answer: He heard that people whose names ended in "sen" could never become anythin

Hearing one of the rich children say that people whose named ended in "sen" would never become anything made the little boy sad. He knew that his father's name, and therefore also his, ended in "sen". In a clever plot-twist at the end of the story, Hans Christian Andersen revealed that the little boy was none other than the famous sculptor Thorvaldsen.

From Quiz Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen

Answer: Matches

"The Little Match Girl" was a poor girl, trying to sell some matches in order to gain a few pennies. But no one wanted to buy anything. She did not dare go home without any revenue and crawled away in a corner. To keep warm, she lit her matches one by one, each giving a delicate vision: the warm stove, the finely decorated Christmas tree, the goose roasted for dinner, her dead grandmother...until she ran out of matches and froze to death, with a mysterious smile on her face.

From Quiz Lesser Known Hans Christian Andersen Stories

Answer: He was the boy

The Angel, picking up another child who has died, sees the discarded flower left behind by the sick boy who died earlier, and decides to bring it along. After he's told the story, the child asks him how he knows, and he reveals that he was the little boy.

From Quiz The Little Mermaid

Answer: 6

The Sea King had six daughters, but the youngest was by far the most beautiful.

From Quiz Hans Christian Andersen

Answer: swan

The ugly duckling is not liked because he doesn't look like the others. However he he grows up to become a beautiful swan.

From Quiz Lesser Known Hans Christian Andersen Stories

Answer: Charles

When he was little he couldn't pronounce his name properly so "Charles" became "Tuk". It was all well for those who knew him but not for strangers.

From Quiz The Little Mermaid

Answer: 15

The grandmother gave the young mermaids consent to visit the surface when they reached their fifteenth year. Because each sister was a year apart they would tell the others what they thought was the most beautiful thing they saw on their trip.

From Quiz Hans Christian Andersen

Answer: 9 feet tall

Thumbelina was only a few inches tall, but the story "Thumbelina" teaches us that if our heart is filled with love we're really much bigger inside and that's what matters.

From Quiz Lesser Known Hans Christian Andersen Stories

Answer: Sorrow

Sorrow comes at its own terms, in its own time, but it always comes!

From Quiz The Little Mermaid

Answer: Red flowers shaped like the sun

The little mermaid's sisters would shape their flowers to look like the creatures that live in the see. Perhaps to show her longing for the world above the sea, the youngest mermaid shaped hers as the sun.

From Quiz Hans Christian Andersen

Answer: Little Tiny

"Thumbelina" or "Little Tiny" was written in 1835.

From Quiz Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen

Answer: A pair of red shoes

"The Red Shoes" told the story of Karen, a spoiled girl. When she was shopping, she spotted a pair of red shoes. She wanted to go to church in these shoes but her adoptive mother told her one could only wear black shoes to church. When Karen put on the red shoes and started to dance, she could not stop anymore - up to the point where she asked someone to chop off her both feet. And the shoes danced on, getting in her way and keeping Karen from attending church. Finally she repented and died peacefully. The rabbit, the ring and the peach refer to stories by famous other authors: Lewis Carroll, JRR Tolkien and Roald Dahl.

From Quiz Lesser Known Hans Christian Andersen Stories

Answer: The bees

At first he tried to rally the flower-spirits but, thinking they didn't care, he flew to get the bees. However, the flower-spirits did indeed care and killed the wicked brother in his sleep.

From Quiz The Little Mermaid

Answer: 12

Mermaids of noble birth wore oysters on their tails. The ones of the highest rank wore 12 oysters. Any other merperson for high rank was only permitted to wear six.

From Quiz Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen

Answer: Because she too stood on one single leg

"The Steadfast Tin Soldier" was the last of a set of 25 tin soldiers cast out of one load of tin. Because there was just not enough tin, this very last soldier missed one of his legs. In the toy room where the soldier landed, there was also a ballerina making a pirouette (and thus standing on one leg, the other being hidden behind her skirt) and a devilish Jack-in-the-Box. The tin soldier fell in love with the ballerina, but the Jack-in-the-Box also had an eye upon her. So the Jack-in-the-Box caused the tin soldier to fall out of the window onto the street. A street orphan picked the soldier up, built a paper boat for it, and sent it through the sewers. The boat sank and a fish swallowed the soldier. Miraculously this fish was served in the toy room where the ballerina still stood, and the soldier reunited with the ballerina. The Jack-in-the-Box caused the soldier and the ballerina to be thrown into the fire. The next morning the maid found a tin heart, being the remnant of the tin soldier, and the ballerina's sash.

From Quiz Lesser Known Hans Christian Andersen Stories

Answer: The mayor

The mayor thought the poor washer-woman was a drunkard because she would frequently drink something (that's probably supposed to be brandy) in order to stay warm in the freezing cold water. However, the mayor himself would also drink strong wine but that wasn't the same kind of drinking, in his mind.

From Quiz The Little Mermaid

Answer: They turn into the foam of the sea

The grandmother mermaid explained that although mermaids live for hundreds of years they must die. Because they have no soul, they must become the foam of the sea, bobbing from wave to wave.

From Quiz Hans Christian Andersen

Answer: Ariel

In the original story, the mermaid doesn't have a name.

From Quiz Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen

Answer: Boots

Galoshes are indeed boots, especially designed for wearing outdoors in muddy streets and heavy rain. In the fairy tale "The Galoshes of Fortune" Judge Knap was presented with this pair of magical galoshes. He wished to be in medieval times, put on the galoshes and was taken back in time - but he didn't know he had travelled through time. When he got in a row with other visitors of a local inn, the others removed his galoshes, thus breaking the spell and sending him back home to his own time. The galoshes then went on from one owner to another, and each got into weird adventures. The last owner landed in Italy in very poor times, and wished to die - a wish immediately granted by the galoshes.

From Quiz Lesser Known Hans Christian Andersen Stories

Answer: They were going to have a name change

The "maidens" weren't actual human beings, rather were they a type of paving tool. In the story the two maidens have just heard that they were to be called 'hand-rammers' instead of 'maidens'.

From Quiz The Little Mermaid

Answer: Cuts off her tongue

The Sea Witch agreed to turn the little mermaid human, but she wanted to be paid, so she cut off her tongue. The little mermaid had to use her other qualities to win the prince's love.

From Quiz Hans Christian Andersen

Answer: There's a pea under the mattresses

The prince knew she was a real princess because she could feel the pea.

From Quiz Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen

Answer: A swan

"The Ugly Duckling" was mocked by mother duck and the other ducklings for being different. This different duck wandered off and got in trouble everywhere. Ducks, geese, a hen, and even a cat teased him while he was growing up. When fully mature, he decided to throw himself at the mercy of a flock of swans - who welcomed him heartily. And then he saw his reflection in the pool: he was no duck at all, but a beautiful swan.

From Quiz Lesser Known Hans Christian Andersen Stories

Answer: The invisible holy bell

The bell is simply described as "the invisible holy bell". A confectioner hung a bell in a tree, but that bell was far too small. A man came up with the story of the owl, and was made 'Bellringer to the World' (people didn't get much wiser). One of the confirmands wondered if it was the spring making the bell-sound.

From Quiz Hans Christian Andersen

Answer: Heaven

"The Leaf from Heaven" was written in 1855.

From Quiz Lesser Known Hans Christian Andersen Stories

Answer: Denmark

The first clue to the true nature of the swan's nest comes already in the first line where it's described as being 'between the Baltic and the North Sea'. The swans of the nest are those Danes, both individuals and groups, who came to fame throughout the world.

From Quiz The Little Mermaid

Answer: Kill the prince

The little mermaids sisters were saddened when the prince married another woman, because that meant their youngest sister would die. To prevent this they brought the little mermaid a knife and begged her to kill the prince to save her life. Because she loved the prince she did not kill him, and welcomed death.

From Quiz Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen

Answer: Hans

"Blockhead Hans" is the tale of a young princess, who declared that only the most eloquent suitor would marry her, and all others would be beheaded. Three sons of a nobleman went on their way. The first entered a hot room where the princess waited, along with some journalists eager to write down all what was told. Alas, he stammered and was beheaded. The second son came in, only to meet a similar fate. The youngest son, Hans, asked the princess why the fire was so hot. When she replied that she was cooking some roosters, Hans gave her the crow to cook it with the roosters. The princess then asked for a pot to put the crow in, and Hans gave her an old shoe. When the princess asked for some gravy, Hans poured some mud in the shoe. And when the princess introduced Hans to the journalists, he threw mud in their face with the words "I'll give the best to the editor". The humour convinced the princess to marry Hans and they lived long and happily ever after.

From Quiz Lesser Known Hans Christian Andersen Stories

Answer: The Queen's son

This fairytale tells the story of a queen who loves roses more than anything. When she is very sick, a wise man says that if she's brought the loveliest rose in the world then she shall never die. First people come with actual roses, but they're the wrong kind. Then people start bringing "poetic roses", those of tales and stories. In the end it's the Queen's own son who provides the answer and reveals that the rose is... you'll have to read the fairytale yourself to find out.

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Last Updated Apr 22 2024 11:00 AM

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