Once upon a time...

...and they lived happily ever after.
Isn't that the start and the finish line of any decent fairy tale?
I'm from Denmark.
Do you know any well known fairy tale writers from Denmark?
Think of "The Ugly Duckling".
Yes, Hans Christian Andersen of course.
He was born in the City of Odense on the 2nd of April 1805.
1805!?
Yes, on the 2nd of April 2005, the most well known Dane in the world, author Hans Christian Andersen, would have been 200 years old.
The anniversary is being celebrated with a huge cultural year devoted to Andersen, both in Denmark and worldwide.

Once upon a time...
An Artist had an idea.
Odense City, where Hans Christian Andersen was born, celebrated 1000 year anniversary.
Odense City had chosen a Swan as logo for this 1000 year anniversary.
The Artist contacted the City Director of Odense City.
The Artist showed his Ugly Duckling to the City Director.
The city had to warm up in year 999, using the Ugly Duckling on posters, post cards, stickers and shopping bags.
That was what the Artist said.

What!!!!? the City Director shouted. What !!!!?
And the Artist, that lived near by, went home.
Wondering what the City Director meant about the Ugly Duckling and the whole idea.
One month later the City Director called the Artist and told him that Odense would like to use the Ugly Duckling on thousands and thousands of posters, post cards, stickers and shopping bags.
The Artist was happy, very happy.
He became so happy that he instantly made 8 more motifs inspired by Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales for the City Director.
The Artist read Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales.
He listened to the fairy tales read aloud.
He studied old illustrations from the fairy tales.
He picked out 8 fairy tales.
And.
He created motifs inspired by The Tinder-Box, The Princess on the Pea, The Steadfast Tin Soldier,
The Emperor's New Clothes, Simple-Simon, Willie Winkie, The Swineherd and Thumbelina.
Then the Artist went to the City Hall of Odense.
The City Director, the Minister of Tourism and the Director of the Hans Christian Andersen Festival Plays waited for him.
You would like to show us something, Artist - the City Director said a little impatient.
Yes, here you are...............................................

.......

........

.. .. ..

"the fairy tale of my life"

"Kitty and Peter"
logo, poster and program cover

...and the Artist created these suggestions to wing design and set design

a Tinder-Box graffiti
on the back yard fence

a Simple-Simon graffiti
on the back yard wall

an Emperor graffiti
on the back yard house

and a Tombelina graffiti
on the back yard shanty

I know the names of the City Director, the Minister of Tourism and the Director of the Hans Christian Andersen Festival Plays.
But.
I do not know the name of the Artist.
Oh, now I remember - Asbjorn or something like that.
...and they all lived happily ever after.

To celebrate Hans Christian Andersen's bicentennial in 2005, the Hans Christian Andersen Center at University of Southern Denmark at Institute of Literature, Media and Cultural Studies has helped me to guide you to: All Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales in English by Jean Hersholt: The Complete Andersen is a rather extensive collection of Andersen's tales and this is the most comprehensive edition of Andersen's fairy tales in English (American) on the internet.
You have to notice, however, that Simple-Simon is called Clumsy Hans and Willie Winkie is called Ole Lukoie in this collection.