The Butterfly

A fairy tale from Hans Christian Andersen

Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875) was a Danish author famous for his fairy tales. "The Butterfly" was first published in 1861. This text reflects its era; a few period terms have been modernised. The tale gently teaches that being too fussy and taking too long to decide can mean you miss your chance. Andersen's stories are loved for their humour, their sadness, and the truths they tell about human nature.

Band

Yellow · Emerging readers, about 6 to 8

Length

medium · about 571 words in 6 sections · 4 pictures

Source

Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen, H. C. Andersen · Project Gutenberg

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 (8 questions) with answer key
• · Read-aloud script
• · Colouring page

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.