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What the Old Man Does Is Always Right

A fairy tale retold from Hans Christian Andersen

This story is a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, the Danish author famous for 'The Little Mermaid' and 'The Ugly Duckling'. It was first published in the nineteenth century. The tale shows the power of trust and contentment: the old wife believes her husband always does what is right, and her joy in what they have—rather than disappointment over what they lost—turns every trade into a blessing. It is a gentle lesson for young listeners in seeing the good in what comes, and in the strength of a household built on mutual respect and cheerfulness. This text reflects its era.

Band

Purple · Pre-readers and first readersTypical starting range: ages 4–5

Length

short · about 393 words in 6 sections · 4 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 (6 questions) with answer key
• · Read-aloud script
• · Colouring page
• · 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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