The statue of The Little Mermaid in Copenhagen, Denmark is one of the most disappointing tourist destinations in all of Europe. It is small, merely four feet tall atop a rock perch. It is on one edge of Copenhagen’s center, requiring actual effort to reach, and not really near anything else besides the Kastellet fort. And it is crowded, especially given the fact that it is small and therefore only really visible from a short area of waterfront, part of which requires climbing down steep and slick rocks. But for the second time in my life – once on each trip to the Danish capital – I find myself here looking at it.

Completed in 1913 by the artist Edvard Eriksen, the statue isn’t just a statue. It is what it represents that matters, and that draws me back on my first morning in Copenhagen. The Little Mermaid is one of Hans Christian Andersen’s most famous fairy tales, and Hans Christian Andersen is one of Copenhagen’s (and Denmark’s) most famous citizens.

Hans Christian Andersen was born in Odense, Denmark in 1805. The young child had an excellent soprano voice and participated in the Royal Danish Theatre, but once his voice changed, he put his artistic talents into writing. His first published story, “The Ghost at Palnatoke’s Grave,” was written at the age of only 17.

However, it wasn’t for another decade that Hans Christian Andersen really came into his own. After a few more stories and an attempt at a novel, his 1835 Fairy Tales for Children (First Collection) was initially not well received, though later publications of it along with its two follow ups would achieve more critical acclaim. This first effort included now-iconic tales like “The Princess and the Pea” and “The Tinderbox,” while subsequent installments added “Thumbelina,” “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” and yes, “The Little Mermaid.”

During this period, Andersen was living in Copenhagen’s Nyhavn. Today, Nyhavn marks the tourist center of the city with its colorful buildings, sailboats, and numerous cafes, but in the 1830s it was more residential. While Hans Christian Andersen lived at several addresses in the area, one red and white building is associated as being one of his homes.

After another failed attempt to get back into novel writing, Hans Christian Andersen returned to fairy tales, and his works in the 1840s added such classics as “The Ugly Duckling” and “The Snow Queen,” which would inspire the Disney hit Frozen. In later decades he would write a few more fairy tales, but none would achieve the level of success of his earlier works.

Copenhagen features frequently in his stories, and both Nyhavn and the Royal Gardens are obvious settings that inspired some of his work. Other locations are mentioned specifically, like the Round Tower (Rundetaarn), which is referenced in “The Tinderbox.” This iconic Copenhagen landmark was completed in 1642 and can be climbed for an observation deck at the top. In Hans Christian Andersen’s time, it would have been the tallest building around, so when he writes that the dog has eyes as large as the Round Tower, it means something to him – and to his audience at the time.

Hans Christian Andersen died in Copenhagen in 1875. He is buried here in the city in the Assistens Cemetery. His legacy, however, extends well beyond the city. With hundreds of millions of copies sold, dozens of screen adaptations, stage productions, and biographies, Andersen remains one of the most recognizable names in children’s literature. And his April 2 birthday is even celebrated as International Children’s Book Day.

As one of the most famous Danes, there are several statues to Hans Christian Andersen in Copenhagen. One is in the gardens at Rosenborg Castle, while another sits just outside of Copenhagen’s city hall. Both are places of obvious honor. One will also find stores named for the man, boats in Nyhavn, and more.

So I stand and I stare at the small statue. I fight my way past the Instagrammers and the bus loads of tourists angling for a better shot, and I take a moment at the water’s edge. I hum a few bars from Part of Your World, and I recall my own green book of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales I had when I was a child (next to a red book of those by the Brothers Grimm). Like so many others of all generations from all corners of the globe, these are stories I know. They have touched me.

For me, The Little Mermaid isn’t just a disappointingly small and crowded statue in a remote corner of Copenhagen’s center. It is an invitation to return to the days of fairy tales, and to honor a person who contributed to them.

Like it? Pin it!