Which Hans Christian Andersen tale is also known as “The Story of a Mother”?

Hans Christian Andersen’s tale about a mother confronting Death is known as “The Story of a Mother.”

The story follows a mother whose child dies. She pursues Death and encounters difficult trials while trying to recover the child. Along the way, she must confront the limits of human love and the possibility that surrendering the child may be an act of mercy.

Andersen published the tale in 1848. Its stark imagery, including a garden associated with human lives, gives it a darker and more philosophical tone than many of his lighter fairy tales.

The work is sometimes confused with “The Little Match Girl” because both are tragic stories involving death and strong emotion. They are separate tales: “The Story of a Mother” focuses on grief, sacrifice, and Death as a character.