Hans Christian Andersen or simply H. C. Andersen as he is known in Denmark was born on 2 April 1805 in Odense, Denmark. Andersen was a poetry and fairy tale writer in the 19th century. He is best known for his fairy tales ‘The Little Mermaid’ (Den Lille Havfrue), ’The Ugly Duckling’ (Den Grimme Ælling), The Steadfast Tin Soldier (Den Standhaftige Tinsoldat) and The Emperor's New Clothes (Kejserens Nye Klæder). There is a Little Mermaid Statue in Copenhagen Harbour (København’s Havn), and it is the most visited site in all of Denmark. Hans Christian Andersen is nothing short of a literary legend, and his fairy tales are known throughout most of the world. His stories have been translated into more than 150 languages. In recent years several of his stories have been adapted to the movie screen by the likes of Disney (The Little Mermaid). It is no surprise then that Hans Christian Andersen is so highly glorified in Denmark. There are statues of some of his most famous fairy tale characters in many towns in Denmark. In actual fact you would be hard pressed to find a town in Denmark which did not have a school, a street or a square which was named after him. His hometown of Odense makes particular strives towards acknowledging their hometown hero.It is also not surprising that most Danes have a very good knowledge of H. C. Andersen and his stories. This is no doubt due to the fact that they learn a lot about him in school as well as in their homes. It is not uncommon for a Dane to meet a foreigner’s lack of knowledge about Hans Christian Andersen with utter disgust. This is obviously due to the great pride that they can call H. C. Andersen their own.