In Hans Christian Andersen's "Little Claus and Big Claus," the clever but poor Little Claus faces the cruelty and envy of the wealthy Big Claus, who kills his only horse. Little Claus, however, uses his wits and a series of cunning tricks – first convincing a farmer his horsehide is a magical item to gain riches, then escaping Big Claus's murderous attempt to drown him by swapping places with an old drover, and finally deceiving the greedy Big Claus into believing cattle could be found at the bottom of the river – to turn his misfortunes around. The story culminates with Big Claus meeting his demise through his own avarice, tricked by Little Claus into being drowned, leaving the resourceful protagonist prosperous and victorious over his tormentor.

In Hans Christian Andersen's "Little Claus and Big Claus," the clever but poor Little Claus faces the cruelty and envy of the wealthy Big Claus, who kills his only horse. Little Claus, however, uses his wits and a series of cunning tricks – first...

Little Claus and Big Claus | Moral Stories