Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tale, ‘The Traveling Companion’

A young man gives away all the money he has in an act of kindness and finds an equal share in a mysterious fellow traveler.

“Two Guides,” 1877, by Winslow Homer. Oil on canvas. A young man is helped in many ways by a kind fellow traveler in this fairy tale. Clark Art Institute

Everyone’s actions, whether positive or negative, influence the world around them. In his fairy tale, “The Traveling Companion,” Hans Christian Andersen tells how good deeds can impact the world in wonderful ways.

As his father is buried, John remembered how kind his father was and wanted to be like him. He says, “I'll always be good. ... Then I shall go to join my father in heaven.” With this promise in his heart, John takes his meager inheritance and sets out into the world.

One night, John takes shelter from a storm in an old church. In the middle of the night, he wakes to find two men beside an open coffin.  Inside the coffin is a dead man. In revenge, two wicked men are preparing to desecrate his body. 

John rebukes them and prevents them from exacting their wicked deed by giving them all his money. After they leave, John respectfully arranges the body in the coffin, and journeys on.

Along the way, John meets another traveler who suggests that they travel together. John discovers his kindly traveling companion possesses many strange powers. As they travel, the two become fast friends, relishing each other’s goodness.

The two make their way to a large city, ruled by a king and his beautiful daughter. But the locals warn them that the beautiful princess is cursed as a wicked witch who kills her suitors. Any man may court her, but he can only win her by answering three questions; otherwise, he must die.

Upon seeing the princess, John falls in love with her and presents himself as a suitor. The kingdom grieves, expecting the death of another suitor. Yet, John remains hopeful.

Swan Wings

The night before he is to answer the princess’s first question, John sleeps soundly. Yet his fellow traveler stays awake. He puts on a pair of swan’s wings, makes himself invisible, and flies towards the castle. There, he sees the wicked princess fly out of her window with black wings.  

The traveler follows the princess to an evil sorcerer’s palace in a mountainside, where he hears the sorcerer advise her how to stump John: “Think of one of your shoes.”

The next morning John is asked the first question and answers it correctly with the help of his fellow traveler. Shaken, the princess returns to the sorcerer, who advises her to think of her glove. Just as before, the fellow traveler hears the sorcerer’s counsel and helps John guess rightly.

With John’s second success, the nervous princess returns to the sorcerer. The fellow traveler again follows her and hears the sorcerer whisper: “Think of my head.”

The next morning, when the princess asks John what she’s thinking of, John unravels a handkerchief and produces the sorcerer’s head. Seeing the head, the princess sullenly says, “You are my master now.”

The fellow traveler then teaches John how to release the princess from the curse that binds her. John saves the princess, revives her good nature, enhances her beauty and graces, and becomes a king.

Overwhelmed with gratitude, John attempts to thank his friend, but the fellow traveler told John he was simply repaying a debt. John is amazed at what he heard.

Through Andersen’s tale, children can see the true power and impact of a good and kindly heart. They can see how John remains good, even when others rebuke, doubt, or laugh at him.

By persevering in goodness, John brings kindness to others and helps free them from their burdens. While wickedness binds individuals in shackles, goodness can break those shackles and set people free.

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