The Wild Swans Stave 1 Far away across the water, Where swans migrate in winter, A king had eleven sons, Elisa was his only daughter, And they lived happily together Until he married an evil queen. During the wonderful wedding feast, She gave the royal children sand to eat And the very next day, She […]
Tag: Fairy Tale
The Fir Tree continues
Stave 3 By Christmas, The fir tree had grown Into such a dark green tree, It was first to be chopped down; The axe bit deep and keen And it toppled with a groan. On a horse-drawn sleigh, The tree was driven into town, To a house where servants in livery Carried it to […]
The next stave of The Fir Tree
Stave 2 In autumn The fir tree Trembled to see Woodcutters Chopping, The tallest trees Toppling To the ground With a groan And a crash. Stripped naked, They were loaded Onto wagons And driven away. In spring, the swallows returned And the stork appeared, Singing songs of oceans and ships With magnificent mast trees […]
The Fir Tree
Based on the story by Hans Christian Andersen Stave 1 In a forest, in a good spot With sunshine and plenty of air. Stood a little fir tree, So eager to grow up It didn’t think about warm sun or fresh air Or children chattering And berry gathering. The children exclaimed That the fir tree […]
Once upon a Time
There is a certain magic A spine-tingling moment When the tale begins You could be beside an open fire In an armchair or in bed The opening of a fairy tale Is the unlocking of your head To a densely populated forest With trails and trees, Witches and fairies, Princes and princesses, And all kinds […]
More of The Little Match Girl
Stave 2 The match girl struck Another stick of light; It glowed so bright It melted the wall of a house. Through its transparency She could clearly see A table with a dazzling white cloth Fine porcelain gleaming A roast goose steaming, Stuffed with apples and prunes. The little match girl reached out An […]
The Little Match Girl
Stave 1 Bareheaded and barefoot, Frozen to the bone, A little match girl walked In the wintry night alone; She had lost her slippers In the deepening snow. The pocket of her apron, Ragged, thin and wet, Held a bundle of matches Waiting to be lit. She feared a painful beating – She hadn’t […]
A new fairy tale
The Princess and the Pea He wanted a real princess So the prince rode far and wide There were so many But he never felt inside That they were real He returned to his palace The king and queen Could give him no solace One night thunder roared Lightning flashed The rain poured There was […]
The ending of the tale of the tin soldier
The Steadfast Tin Soldier Part 4 The paper boat span round Until it was full of rain But the tin soldier remained Steadfast With thoughts of the pretty dancer He hoped to see again. He plunged through the dissolving boat Into the mouth of a trout, But the steadfast tin soldier Stood erect, His rifle […]
A new tale from Hans Christian Andersen
The Steadfast Tin Soldier Part 1 Once upon a time There was a troop of soldiers, Born from an old tin spoon, Holding rifles at their shoulders, In uniforms of red and blue. Each looked exactly Like the next Except for one Who was last To be cast And stood firmly On one leg. When the […]
writing in north norfolk 