Grab Bag Trivia Question 3

What famous 19th-century storyteller often left a note at his bedside stating "I only seem dead," for fear he'd be buried alive after being prematurely pronounced dead?

a. Fyodor Dostoyevsky
b. Charles Dickens
c. Hans Christian Andersen
d. Edgar Allen Poe

The answer is C, Hans Christian Andersen!

The Danish fairy-tale writer who brought us such classics as "The Little Mermaid", "Thumbelina", "The Ugly Duckling", "The Emperor's New Clothes", and "The Princess and the Pea". Andersen lived until August 4, 1875, dying of insidious causes in the home of his close friends Moritz Melchior and his wife. Shortly before his death, he had consulted a composer about the music for his funeral, saying: "Most of the people who will walk after me will be children, so make the beat keep time with little steps." Before his death, steps were already underway to erect the large statue in his honor, which was completed and is prominently placed at the town hall square in Copenhagen. At the time of his death, he was an internationally renowned and treasured artist.

Stay curious,

Team ARC