Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) was born in Odense,the son of a shoemaker.His early life was wretched,but he was adopted by a patron and became a short-story writer,novelist and playwright,though he remains best-known for his magical fairy tales which were published between 1835 and 1872. For 150 years his stories have been delighting both adults and children.Packed with a light-hearted whimsy combined with a mature wisdom they are as entrancing as ever.here are all of Andersen`s 168 tales,and among the favourites are"The Red Shoes","The Mermaid","The Real Princess","The Emperor`s New Clothes","The Tinder-Box"and of course,"The Ugly Duckling".