From the Hans Christian Andersen biography "The Life of Hans Christian Andersen. Day By Day", written by DPhil Johan de Mylius:
1861
4 January
Returns to Copenhagen.
27 January
After dinner with "Father Collin", HCA is:
"At 8 pm at the king's, reading the new fairy-tales. The king himself served me sugar and water [presumably for a rum toddy], shook my hand three times, and I kissed his; he was so familiar and cordial. "How ever do you think of all this!" he said, "where ever does it come from! Do you really have all this inside this head". When out and about I have nothing, but within the confines of home it all streams forth"
(the diary). In an unpublished letter to Mrs Scavenius dated 8th February, HCA says that these are "all those stories and fairy-tales I finished at Basnæs".
20 February
Reads aloud for 800 people at the Workers' Association, "which now has approximately 25,000 members" (unpublished letter dated 8th February to Mrs Scavenius).
2 March
Release of Nye Eventyr og Historier. Anden Række (New Tales and Stories. Second Series).The booklet includes "Tolv med Posten" (Twelve by the Mail), "Skarnbassen" (The Beetle), "Hvad Fatter gjør, det er altid det Rigtige" (What the Old Man Does is Always Right), "De Vises Sten" (The Stone of The Wise Man), "Sneemanden" (The Snowman), "I Andegaarden" (In the Duck Yard), "Det nye Aarhundredes Musa" (The New Century's Goddess). Reads the new fairy-tales at the Students' Association on this day.
7 March
Reads aloud during a visit one evening with Monrad, the Minister for Ecclesiastical Affairs and Public Instruction.
9 March
Reads aloud for the Workers' Association ("thundering applause", the almanac).
20 March
Reads aloud once more for the Workers' Association and receives the same response.
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