Available Variants
The Little Mermaid
Annotations Enabled
Far out in the ocean, where the water is as blue as the prettiest cornflower, and as clear as crystal, it is very, very deep...
Field Notes
My Folklore Journal
Record your thoughts, motifs you noticed, or personal connections to this tale.
Cross-Cultural Sister Tales
The Ugly Duckling
The Snow Queen
Den standhaftige Tinsoldat
Nattergalen
De rode Sko
The Boy Who Cried Wolf
The Lion and the Mouse
The Tortoise and the Hare
The Ant and the Grasshopper
The Fox and the Grapes
The Crow and the Pitcher
The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse
The Lion's Share
The Monkey and the Crocodile
The Foolish Tortoise
Thor's Journey to Utgard
The Legend of Quetzalcoatl
The Monkey King
The Epic of Gilgamesh
The Popol Vuh
The Legend of El Dorado
The Ramayana: Rama and Sita
Amaterasu and the Cave
Isis and Osiris
The Children of Lir
Maui and the Fish
The White Buffalo Calf Woman
The Story of Dangun
Shango and the Thunderbolts
Anansi the Spider
The Rainbow Serpent
La Llorona
Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
Momotaro
Baba Yaga
Maui and the Fish
Paul Bunyan
The Vanishing Hitchhiker
Cultural Note
The story is a masterpiece of literary fairy tales, exploring themes of longing and the immortal soul.
Frequently Asked Questions
Editorial Review
E-E-A-T
Reviewed by
Dr. Eleanor Vance, Folklore Studies
Last updated
April 1, 2026
Sources & References
- 1.Brix, J. — Hans Christian Andersen: A New Life (2005)
- 2.Andersen, H.C. — Andersen's Fairy Tales: A Dual-Language Book (1843)
- 3.Tatar, M. — The Art of the Literary Fairy Tale (2019)
Community Discussion
F
FolkloreFan2 days ago
I love how this variant emphasizes the role of the magical helper. It's so different from the version I grew up with!
S
Scholar_Jane5 hours ago
The ATU 510A classification really helps in seeing the structural similarities with Ye Xian. Fascinating stuff.
