Many years ago there lived an Emperor who was so terribly fond of beautiful new clothes that he spent all his money on dressing elegantly...

Jewels in storytelling, these magical fairytales by Hans Christian Andersen were inspired by his own life as an outsider. From 'The Little Mermaid' to 'The Red Shoes', his fables show the ugliest of humanity - its power, greed, vanity - but also how suffering can lead to beauty.