The Snail and the Rose-tree

A fairy tale retold from Hans Christian Andersen

Hans Christian Andersen, the Danish storyteller, wrote this tale in the nineteenth century. It is a conversation between a busy, generous rose-tree and a self-absorbed snail who promises much but gives nothing. The story asks: is a life worth living if it offers nothing to others? Andersen's fables are known for their wit, their sadness, and their honesty about human nature. This text reflects its era; a few period terms have been modernised.

Band

Yellow · Emerging readers, about 6 to 8

Length

medium · about 518 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.