The Fir-Tree
by Hans Christian Andersen
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Description
Originally published in 1844 in one of C. A. Reitzel's New Fairy Tales collections, The Fir Tree is a moralistic tale that reveals the importance of appreciating what you have. In it, a young fir tree is so fixated on growing up that he does not value his life in the forest. But when Christmas comes, he discovers that what he thought he wanted wasn't what he expected it to be. This recording of The Fir Tree was recorded as part of Dreamscape's Classic Christmas Stories: A Collection of show more Timeless Holiday Tales. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
This is a good example of a fairy tale even though it has a sad ending you learn a lesson when reading it that you should be happy with what you have at the time because one day it will be gone. Don’t be to egger to grow up.
Characterization: the fir tree is a dynamic character because he changes from what to be old tree and to be a Christmas tree to wishing he had spent more time enjoying his time as a young tree in the forest because know that it was gone and nobody appreciated him he missed being in the forest.
Characterization: the fir tree is a dynamic character because he changes from what to be old tree and to be a Christmas tree to wishing he had spent more time enjoying his time as a young tree in the forest because know that it was gone and nobody appreciated him he missed being in the forest.
A beautiful little book, with exquisite illustrations by Nancy Ekholm Burkert.
This is the tale of a little fir tree that longed to grow and see the world and couldn’t appreciate the wind and the sun and the rain and snow in the forest, until one day near Christmas it was cut down and taken into town …
Jul 25, 2025 (Edited)English (UK)
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christmas tree perspective in Name that Book (February 2012)
Author Information
3,941+ Works 53,727 Members
Hans Christian Andersen, one of the best known figures in literature, is best know for combining traditional folk tales with his own great imagination to produce fairy tales known to most children today. The Danish writer was born in the slums of Odense. Although he was raised in poverty, he eventually attended Copenhagen University. Although show more Andersen wrote poems, plays and books, he is best known for his Fairy Tales and Other Stories, written between 1835 and 1872. This work includes such famous tales as The Emperor's New Clothes, Little Ugly Duckling, The Tinderbox, Little Claus and Big Claus, Princess and the Pea, The Snow Queen, The Little Mermaid, The Nightingale, The Story of a Mother and The Swineherd. Andersen's greatest work is still influential today, helping mold some of the works of writers ranging from Charles Dickens to Oscar Wilde and inspiring many of the works of Disney and other motion pictures. Andersen, who traveled greatly during his life, died in his home in Rolighed on August 4, 1875. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Fir-Tree
- Original title
- Grantræet
- Alternate titles*
- Der Tannenbaum
- Original publication date
- 1844
- Important events
- Christmas
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
Classifications
- Genres
- Children's Books, Fiction and Literature
- DDC/MDS
- 839.813 — Literature & rhetoric German & related literatures Other Germanic literatures Danish and Norwegian literatures Danish Danish fiction
- LCC
- PZ8 .A542 .F — Language and Literature Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Juvenile belles lettres
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 111
- Popularity
- 291,346
- Reviews
- 3
- Rating
- (4.11)
- Languages
- 7 — Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Russian, Swedish
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 39
- ASINs
- 8
