The Fir Tree

"The Fir-Tree" is a literary fairy tale by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875).  The tale is about a fir tree so anxious to grow up, so anxious for greater things, that he cannot appreciate living in the moment.   This short story was first published in 1844. It is a heartwarming tale about appreciating the good around you rather than always looking forward to "better times."

Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his fairy tales. Andersen's fairy tales, consisting of 156 stories across nine volumes, have been translated into more than 125 languages. They have become embedded in Western collective consciousness, accessible to children as well as presenting lessons of virtue and resilience in the face of adversity for mature readers.