Little Claus and Big Claus

H.C. Andersen

Little Claus and Big Claus

«“Hallo! what have you got in your sack!” asked the farmer.

“Oh, it is a conjuror,” said Little Claus; “and he says we need not eat porridge, for he has conjured the oven full of roast meat, fish, and pie.”

“Wonderful!” cried the farmer, starting up and opening the oven door; and there lay all the nice things hidden by the farmer’s wife, but which he supposed had been conjured there by the wizard under the table.»

Poor Little Claus’ only horse is beaten to death by his wealthier namesake, Big Claus. But with a little cunning, and trick by trick, Little Claus turns his dead horse into a fortune by exploiting the villagers’ superstitious beliefs. In this Andersen classic, fortune favours the clever.

Biography 

Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), the great storyteller of Denmark, moved from Odense to Copenhagen at age 14 with one goal in mind – to become famous. Trying – and failing – as a ballet dancer, dramatist and singer, Andersen eventually gained success with his fairy tales, among them The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling and The Red Shoes being some of his most famous.

His fairy tales are of international renown, translated into almost 150 languages and with countless adaptations. His taste for irony has kept his stories fresh, and they are still widely read today.