Dato: 21. april 1868
Fra: H.C. Andersen   Til: Horace E. Scudder
Sprog: engelsk.

Copenhagen, April 21, 1868

HORACE E. SCUDDER, ESQ. New York.

Dear Sir:

I have received with much pleasure your esteemed favour of the 13th ult., it is to me a new proof that I have friends all over the world. I appreciate the sympathy shown me by offering a kind of remuneration for my tales. However nearly all my tales and stories have been translated into English already, and it only happens now and then that I am disposed to write new ones. In such case I shall be most happy to send you some new tales; and the last three tales, which have not been published in English, will be sent by Miss, Raaslöff (who has translated them) to her friend in America. On a cursory perusal of The Riverside Magazine I must confess that it is my impression that the greater part of it is written for very young people, and though I know that my tales are read by young and old, and that the former enjoy what I would call the exterior, the latter the inner part, I think that my stories are not entirely in their right place in the said Magazine. - I also must reserve to myself [the right] to publish the new stories and tales I might send, in Danish, but I shall do my best to prevent them from being translated in[to] English by others than yourself, by observing that I reserve the Right of translation. - But a matter that is of much greater interest to me, and to which you open a prospect, is to get a collection of my stories and tales (of which sure enough the greater part is published and spread in different English editions) published in America as a Complete Edition with my authorization. I have 136 tales and stories, which of course would make a large volume.

My biography - a true story of my life - is [i.e., has been], as I suppose you know, published in London and afterwards in Boston, but this is only a translation of a short biography accompanying the German edition of my complete works. In a later period-it is however 13 years ago- I have published a much more detailed biography (37 printed sheets) in Danish, of which there are several new editions. This I might be inclined also to publish in America and in order to give it the interest of novelty - I might add to the American edition the biography of the last 13 years of my life, and the work might close with an account of the festival prepared for me last year in my native town – Odense - where I was honoured by being nominated Citizen of honour of the town. You would oblige me by informing me what proposals Messrs. Hurd and Houghton would make me. I suppose that they can get the works translated in America.

In a few days I leave on a short trip to Amsterdam and Paris/ but letters forwarded to my address in Copenhagen are sure to meet me. With kind regards to you and to all sympathising friends in America,

believe me, Dear Sir,

yours truly,

H. C. ANDERSEN.

N.B. Not being able to address you in English, the above letter has been translated by a friend. [= Anna Raasløff]

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