Books from my Bookshelf - Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales

This week I'm sharing another treasure from my bookshelf. When I found this almost twenty years ago it was in a very sorry state which might explain how it ended up in a charity shop. Thankfully, none of the colour plates were missing but the covers had suffered dreadfully. Covered in grime, falling apart and completely unloved I doubted it could be restored, but I needn't have worried because the bookbinder did an excellent job, and the book has smiled down from my bookshelf ever since! It still shows some signs of its previous history, which is perfectly fine with me. 

Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales

First published in 1913

Publisher Constable, London
Illustrations W. Heath Robinson

The Peasant's wife at the door of her cottage reading her hymn book. 

(The Wild Swans)

Yes! I will go with thee, said Tommelise, and she seated herself on the bird's back. 

(Tommelise)

We will bring him two little ones, a brother and a sister.

(The Storks)

Father-Stork

The seventeen fairy tales are; The Marsh King’s Daughter, Tommelise, The Snow Queen, Elfin-Mount, The Little Mermaid, The Storks, The Nightingale, The Wild Swans, The Real Princess, The Red Shoes, The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Swineherd, The Fling Trunk, The Leaping Match, The Shepherdess and the Chimney-Sweeper, The Ugly Duckling and The Naughty Boy.

She stood at the door and begged for a piece of barley-corn

(Tommelise)

Then began the Nightingale to sing

(The Nightingale)

Round and round they went, such whirling and twirling 

(Elfin-Mount)

Suddenly a large Raven hopped upon the snow in front of her. 

(The Snow Queen)

"He did not come to woo her," he said "he had only come to hear the wisdom of the Princess"

(The Snow Queen)

The bud opened into a full-blown flower, in the middle of which was a beautiful child

(The Marsh King's Daughter)

She put the statue in her garden

(The Little Mermaid)

All the images shared here are from my copy of Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales. This is just a small selection from the seventeen colour plates and more than eighty black-and-white drawings.

The Book Reader below is via Archive.Org, clicking on the link will take you to a larger more detailed version. Source: Archive.org, Public Domain (Digitizing Sponsor: New York Public Library)

 Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales with illustrations by W. Heath Robinson:

Source: Archive.org,Public Domain (Digitizing Sponsor: New York Public Library)

I'm going to be taking a short blogging break in a day or two, but I hope to visit all your blogs before then. I will be back at the end of July.  Thank you to everyone who visits me here, if not for you there would be no March of Time Books.

Me off on my blogging break with Terry in hot pursuit!

I leave you with this tiny posy from my garden. I wish I could share the wonderful aromas of Lilly of the Valley, Thyme, Daisy, Saxifraga, Veronica and Forget-me-not.  I know some of you don’t like to see cut flowers, but I promise it did no harm to the plants, and they will come back bigger and better next year.

Much love, see you soon.