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By the Almshouse Window

From Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen, by Hans Christian Andersen

Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875) was a Danish author best known for his literary fairy tales, which include 'The Little Mermaid', 'The Ugly Duckling' and 'The Snow Queen'. 'By the Almshouse Window' was first published in the mid-nineteenth century as part of his collected tales. Unlike his more fantastical works, this story is a quiet, realistic portrait of an old woman looking back on her life from a position of poverty and solitude. It is worth a reader's time because it presents, in compressed and unsentimental form, one of literature's enduring questions: whether a life can be understood as a coherent whole, and what it means to watch that life repeated, unknowingly, by the next generation. This text reflects its era.

Band

Silver · First-year university levelTypical starting range: adult

Length

long · about 1389 words in 4 sections · 1 picture

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)

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