Hans Christian Andersen was born in Odense, Denmark in 1805 and died in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1875. He wrote plays, novels, poems, autobiographies and travel stories but what he is most remembered for are his stories for children.

Andersen was born into poverty and had dreams of becoming an actor. The first story he wrote was self-published and was an immediate success.

His fairy tales are popular with adults and children because he writes about feelings that an adult can sympathize with while never forgetting the child’s perspective. Often his stories have a sad or even tragic ending. This may have been because he felt like an outsider due to his humble origins.

The Fir Tree is about a little tree who can’t wait to grow up and live his life wherever that may take him. Instead of living for the day, he is always dreaming about what lies ahead. He is finally chopped down in order to be used as a Christmas Tree. His time in the sun is brief and he comes to regret leaving his quiet corner of the forest where all his friends lived.