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The Butterfly

A fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen

This fairy tale is from Hans Christian Andersen, the celebrated Danish author whose stories have been read for generations. First published in the nineteenth century, Andersen's tales often carry a sting beneath their charm. Here, a vain butterfly searches for the perfect bride among the flowers but finds fault with each one. By the time he is ready to settle, it is too late—and he ends his days alone, stuck on a pin. The story is a wry lesson about vanity, delay and the cost of impossible standards, told with Andersen's characteristic wit. This text reflects its era.

Band

Green · Independent readers, earlyTypical starting range: ages 9–11

Length

medium · about 833 words in 5 sections · 3 pictures

Source

Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen, H. C. Andersen

First published

see the About page in the reader

Regions

Canada · United States

Included formats

• · Web reader and PDF
• · EPUB for e-readers
• · Home-print sheet
• · Folded booklet
• · Binder edition (8.5 × 11)
• · Worksheet
• · Quick Check (10 questions) with answer key
• · Read-aloud script
• · Teacher’s Edition (members)

Readers are engineered from the original public-domain text with AI under HummingRead’s published canon and Content Philosophy, checked by automated audit and sampled by a person. Pictures are made with AI to HummingRead’s brief for each story. How a reader is made.

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