"The Teapot" is a literary fairy tale

Fairy tale

A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...

 by Danish

Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

 poet

Poet

A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...

 and author

Author

An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...

 Hans Christian Andersen

Hans Christian Andersen

Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author, fairy tale writer, and poet noted for his children's stories. These include "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," "The Snow Queen," "The Little Mermaid," "Thumbelina," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Ugly Duckling."...

 about a teapot and her adventures. The tale was first published 1863 and demonstrates Andersen's talent for investing ordinary household objects with life, character, and personality.

Plot summary

A porcelain teapot rules the tea table. She is very proud of her handle and spout, but not quite so proud of her lid (which is cracked). She is very proud of holding the tea leaves and of being the one to pour forth her contents for thirsty humankind. One day, the teapot is dropped and the handle and spout are broken. She is given to a beggar woman who fills her with soil and plants a flowering bulb within her. The teapot then feels a happiness she has never known. At the last, the teapot is broken in two, the bulb removed to a bigger pot, and the teapot thrown away. She cherishes her memories.

Publication history

The tale was first published December 1863 in Folkekalender for Danmark. The work was republished 12 December 1871 in the fourth volume of Fairy Tales and Stories. 1871.

External links

• The Teapot English translation by Jean Hersholt
  Jean Hersholt
  Jean Pierre Hersholt was a Danish-born actor who lived in the United States, where he was a leading film and radio talent, best known for his 17 years starring on radio in Dr. Christian and for playing Shirley Temple's grandfather in Heidi...
  
  
• Theepotten Original Danish text