Hans Christian Andersen / God Can Never Die

 

GOD CAN NEVER DIE 

(The Old God is Still Alive)

A fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen

It was a Sunday morning. The bright, warm sun was shining into the room; the mild, refreshing air was streaming in through the open window and outside beneath God’s blue sky, where field and meadow stood green and in flower, all the small birds were rejoicing. While everything outside was joy and happiness, inside the house sorrow and misery resided. Even the wife, who was otherwise always of good heart, sat there at her breakfast and gazed down despondently, finally she got up and, without having tasted a bite, dried her eyes and went over towards the door.

And it really seemed as there was a curse upon this house. It was a time of scarcity in the land; trade was doing badly; taxes were becoming more and more oppressive; year by year housekeeping money grew less, and finally the only prospect left was poverty and misery. All of this had for some time depressed the man, who was otherwise an industrious and law-abiding citizen; now thinking of the future made him despair utterly, indeed, he even stated frequently that he would do himself a mischief and put an end to this miserable, hopeless life. Nothing helped, neither what his good-humoured wife said, nor the worldly and spiritual consolations of his friends – these only made him all the more taciturn and dismal. It is easy to grasp that his poor wife also ended up by losing heart. Although her despondency was of a completely different nature, as we shall soon hear.

When the man saw that his wife too was sorrowful and wanted to leave the room, he held her back and said: ‘I will not let you go out before you tell me what’s wrong with you!’

She remained silent a while longer, after which she gave a deep sigh and said: ‘Ah, dear husband, last night I dreamt that the old God was dead, and that all the angels followed him to the grave!’

‘How can you possibility believe or think such utter rubbish!’ the man replied. ‘Don’t you know that God can never die!’

Then the good woman’s face lit up with joy, and as she affectionately pressed both her husband’s hands, she exclaimed: ‘So the old God is still alive, then!’

‘Of course!’ the man answered, ‘Who could possibly doubt it!’

Then she embraced him, looked at him with gracious eyes that gleamed with trust, peace and happiness, while saying: ‘But oh, dead husband! if the old God is still alive, why do we not trust in him and rely on him! he has counted every single hair on our heads, not one strand falls out without his willing it, he clothes the lilies in the field, gives the sparrows their food and the ravens their prey!’

At these words the man felt as if scales had fallen from his eyes, and as if all the heavy bands around his heart had been loosened; for the first time in a long while he smiled and thanked his devout, dear wife for the ruse she had used to revive his dead belief in God and called back his trust. Then the sun shone in an even friendlier fashion into the room onto contented human faces, the air wafted even more refreshingly around the smiles on their cheeks, and the birds rejoiced even more loudly in their heartfelt gratitude to God.

1836

Andersen's Fairy Tales

001 The tinder-box
002 Little Claus and big Claus
003 The Princess and the Pea

004 Little Ida's flowers

005 Thumbelina

006 The Saucy Boy

007 The Travelling Companion

008 This Fable Is Intended for You

009 The Talisman

010 God Can Never Die

011 The Little Mermaid

012 The Emperor’s New Suite

013 The Goloshes of Fortune

014 The Daisy

015 The Brave Tin Soldier

016 The Wild Swan

017 The Garden of Paradise

034 The Snow Queen

044 The Little Match Girl

Hans Christian Andersen / The Talisman

 

THE 

TALISMAN

A fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen

A prince and a princess were still on their honeymoon. They felt so exceptionally happy; only one thought worried them, it was this: Will we always be as happy as we are now? For that reason, they wished to own a talisman, by means of which they could protect themselves against every source of discontent in their marriage. They had often heard people speak about a man who lived deep in the forest and who was respected by everyone for his wisdom; in every distressing or troublesome situation he was able to give good counsel. The prince and the princess went to him and told him what weighed so heavily on their minds. When the wise man had heard this, he answered: ‘Travel through all the countries of the world and wherever you meet a truly contented married couple, ask for a small piece of the linen they are wearing, and when you receive it, always carry it with you. That is an effective measure.’

Hans Christian Andersen / This Fable Is Intended for You

 

THIS 

FABLE IS INTENDED

FOR YOU 

(It’s You the Fable has in Mind!)

A fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen

The wise men of ancient times have cleverly discovered how, without being rude to their faces, one could tell people the truth. For they held up to them a mysterious mirror in which all kinds of animals and remarkable things came into view and produced a spectacle that was as amusing as it was edifying. This they called a fable, and whatever stupid or wise things the animals happened to perform there, humans could transfer these to themselves and thereby realise: It’s you the fable has in mind! In that way, no one could feel vexed. Let us take an example:

There were once two mountains, and on top of each stood a castle. Down in the valley a dog was running, it sniffed the ground in front of it as if, to allay its hunger, it was in search of a mouse or partridge. Suddenly, from one of the castles the sound of a trumpet rang out, announcing that dinner was ready. The dog immediately hurried up the mountain so as to get a little food too, but when it had got halfway, the trumpet stopped blowing, and a trumpet from the other castle began. Then the dog thought, they’ll have already finished eating by the time I arrive, but over there they are only getting ready to eat at the moment; so it ran down again and up the other mountain. But then the trumpet from the first place started up again, while the other one stopped. The dog ran down again, and up again, and kept on doing this until finally both trumpets fell silent, and the meal was over no matter which place the dog arrived at.

Just guess what the ancient wise men would want to say by means of this fable, and who the fool is that tires himself out running without ever winning anything, either here or there.

1836

Andersen's Fairy Tales

001 The tinder-box
002 Little Claus and big Claus
003 The Princess and the Pea

004 Little Ida's flowers

005 Thumbelina

006 The Saucy Boy

007 The Travelling Companion

008 This Fable Is Intended for You

009 The Talisman

010 God Can Never Die

011 The Little Mermaid

012 The Emperor’s New Suite

013 The Goloshes of Fortune

014 The Daisy

015 The Brave Tin Soldier

016 The Wild Swan

017 The Garden of Paradise

034 The Snow Queen

044 The Little Match Girl

Hans Christian Andersen / The Garden of Paradise

THE GARDEN OF PARADISE

A fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen

HERE was once a king’s son who had a larger and more beautiful collection of books than any one else in the world, and full of splendid copper-plate engravings. He could read and obtain information respecting every people of every land; but not a word could he find to explain the situation of the garden of paradise, and this was just what he most wished to know. His grandmother had told him when he was quite a little boy, just old enough to go to school, that each flower in the garden of paradise was a sweet cake, that the pistils were full of rich wine, that on one flower history was written, on another geography or tables; so those who wished to learn their lessons had only to eat some of the cakes, and the more they ate, the more history, geography, or tables they knew. He believed it all then; but as he grew older, and learnt more and more, he became wise enough to understand that the splendor of the garden of paradise must be very different to all this. “Oh, why did Eve pluck the fruit from the tree of knowledge? why did Adam eat the forbidden fruit?” thought the king’s son: “if I had been there it would never have happened, and there would have been no sin in the world.” The garden of paradise occupied all his thoughts till he reached his seventeenth year.

Hans Christian Andersen / The Emperor's New Clothes

THE 

EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES 

A fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen

Many years ago, there was an Emperor, who was so excessively fond of new clothes, that he spent all his money in dress. He did not trouble himself in the least about his soldiers; nor did he care to go either to the theatre or the chase, except for the opportunities then afforded him for displaying his new clothes. He had a different suit for each hour of the day; and as of any other king or emperor, one is accustomed to say, "he is sitting in council," it was always said of him, "The Emperor is sitting in his wardrobe."

Hans Christian Andersen / The travelling companion

THE 

TRAVELLING COMPANION 

A fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen

Poor John was very sad; for his father was so ill, he had no hope of his recovery. John sat alone with the sick man in the little room, and the lamp had nearly burnt out; for it was late in the night.

Hans Christian Andersen / The Brave Tin Soldier

THE 

BRAVE TIN SOLDIER 

A fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen

There were once five-and-twenty tin soldiers, who were all brothers, for they had been made out of the same old tin spoon. They shouldered arms and looked straight before them, and wore a splendid uniform, red and blue. The first thing in the world they ever heard were the words, "Tin soldiers!" uttered by a little boy, who clapped his hands with delight when the lid of the box, in which they lay, was taken off. They were given him for a birthday present, and he stood at the table to set them up. The soldiers were all exactly alike, excepting one, who had only one leg; he had been left to the last, and then there was not enough of the melted tin to finish him, so they made him to stand firmly on one leg, and this caused him to be very remarkable.1222

Hans Christian Andersen / The goloshes of fortune

THE 

GOLOSHES OF FORTUNE 

A fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen

A Beginning

In a house in Copenhagen, not far from the king's new market, a very large party had assembled, the host and his family expecting, no doubt, to receive invitations in return. One half of the company were already seated at the card-tables, the other half seemed to be waiting the result of their hostess's question, "Well, how shall we amuse ourselves?" 

Hans Christian Andersen / The Little Mermaid

THE 

LITTLE MERMAID 

A fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen

Far out in the ocean, where the water is as blue as the prettiest cornflower, and as clear as crystal, it is very, very deep; so deep, indeed, that no cable could fathom it: many church steeples, piled one upon another, would not reach from the ground beneath to the surface of the water above. There dwell the Sea King and his subjects. We must not imagine that there is nothing at the bottom of the sea but bare yellow sand. No, indeed; the most singular flowers and plants grow there; the leaves and stems of which are so pliant, that the slightest agitation of the water causes them to stir as if they had life. Fishes, both large and small, glide between the branches, as birds fly among the trees here upon land. In the deepest spot of all, stands the castle of the Sea King. Its walls are built of coral, and the long, gothic windows are of the clearest amber. The roof is formed of shells, that open and close as the water flows over them. Their appearance is very beautiful, for in each lies a glittering pearl, which would be fit for the diadem of a queen.

Hans Christian Andersen / The daisy

THE 

DAISY 

A fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen

Now listen! In the country, close by the high road, stood a farmhouse; perhaps you have passed by and seen it yourself. There was a little flower garden with painted wooden palings in front of it; close by was a ditch, on its fresh green bank grew a little daisy; the sun shone as warmly and brightly upon it as on the magnificent garden flowers, and therefore it thrived well. One morning it had quite opened, and its little snow-white petals stood round the yellow centre, like the rays of the sun. It did not mind that nobody saw it in the grass, and that it was a poor despised flower; on the contrary, it was quite happy, and turned towards the sun, looking upward and listening to the song of the lark high up in the air.

 

President Gustavo Petro of Colombia has harshly criticized President Trump.Credit...Nathalia Angarita for The New York Times

U.S. Prosecutors Are Investigating Colombia President Gustavo Petro

U.S. Prosecutors Investigate Colombia’s President, a Onetime Trump Foe

The Justice Department is examining whether President Gustavo Petro of Colombia has ties to drug traffickers.

Listen 

March 20, 2026Updated 4:07 p.m. ET

President Gustavo Petro of Colombia, who has had a volatile relationship with President Trump, is under criminal investigation by at least two U.S. federal prosecutors’ offices, according to three people with knowledge of the matter.

The investigations, which have not been previously reported, were being conducted by the U.S. attorney’s offices in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and they have involved prosecutors who focus on international narcotics trafficking as well as agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations, the people said.

The inquiries have been exploring, among other things, Mr. Petro’s possible meetings with drug traffickers and whether his presidential campaign solicited donations from traffickers, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss active investigations.

The investigations, which are separate, are in their early stages, and it is unclear if any of them will result in criminal charges. 

There was nothing to indicate that the White House had a role in initiating either investigation.

But Mr. Trump, who has frequently wielded criminal inquiries as a cudgel against his rivals and enemies, has harshly criticized Mr. Petro, calling him a “sick man.” And he could use the investigations as leverage in seeking more cooperation from Colombia, which is both the world’s top producer of cocaine and one of America’s most crucial allies in cracking down on narco-terrorism in the region.

Mr. Trump could also use the existence of the investigations to try to influence the outcome of Colombia’s presidential elections in May. Mr. Petro, his country’s first left-wing president, is limited to one term but has asked supporters to rally behind his handpicked successor. Over the past year, Mr. Trump has weighed in on several other elections in the region, helping fuel a right-wing wave.

THE NEW YORK TIMES

Chuck Norris, prolific action star and martial arts champion, dies aged 86

Actor who rose to fame after starring in Bruce Lee’s The Way of the Dragon also became a TV fixture with Walker, Texas Ranger

Andrew Pulver
Friday 20 March 2026

Chuck Norris, the former world karate champion who used his fight prowess to become the star of a string of low-budget but financially successful action movies, has died aged 86.

Jessie Buckley becomes first Irish winner of best actress Oscar for Hamnet

Jessie Buckley becomes first Irish winner of best actress Oscar for Hamnet

Buckley, who plays Shakespeare’s wife Agnes in adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel, was favourite to win after victories in all preceding ceremonies

Andrew Pulver and Catherine Shoard

Monday 16 March 2026

Jessie Buckley has won the best actress Oscar for Hamnet at the 98th Academy Awards.

This is Buckley’s first Oscar win, for which she triumphed over a strong field including Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Kate Hudson for Song Sung Blue and Renate Reinsve for Sentimental Value. With her victory, Buckley becomes the first Irish winner of the best actress Oscar, although previous nominees in the category include Saoirse Ronan (for Brooklyn, Lady Bird and Little Women) and Ruth Negga (for Loving).