Prose essay on Andersen's hometown

In Northern Europe, although Denmark is the smallest country, its per capita GDP ranks among the highest in the world. In fact, for foreign tourists, it is more because Denmark is the hometown of fairy tale writer Andersen. Andersen's literary works are precious treasures of world literature and have made Denmark famous as the "Fairy Tale Kingdom".

Many cities in the world use very majestic buildings as their symbols, but the symbol of Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, is a small mermaid statue. When driving to the entrance of Langerini Port and looking at the beauty of the mermaid sitting alone in the harbor, an almost trembling joy filled my heart. I really don’t know why, when a dream from my childhood came true many years later, in addition to joy, there was also a trace of inexplicable melancholy.

I know that this feeling of confusion comes from the story itself. Andersen's "The Daughter of the Sea" tells a story: In order to pursue love and happiness, the "mermaid" used her tongue to exchange for a potion from the witch and turned into a human form. She fell in love with a prince, but the prince eventually married a human woman. The witch told her that as long as she killed the prince and let his blood flow to her legs, she could return to her fish shape, return to the bottom of the sea, and live the life of a carefree daughter of the sea again. But the "mermaid" did not do this for the prince she loved. On the contrary, on the prince's wedding day, she threw herself into the sea and turned into foam. Danes admire the noble sentiments of the "mermaid" and regard it as a symbol of the Danish spirit.

As I approached the "Mermaid", I realized that the bronze statue was 1.61 meters high and the same size as a real person. The elegant "Mermaid" sits alone on a brown rock by the sea. She has a fish-tailed body, shy and peaceful, looking at the sea with a thoughtful expression, revealing the innocent beauty of the girl. Since the completion of the bronze statue, the image of the "Mermaid" has won the love not only of Danes, but also of people all over the world. Visitors to Denmark must come here to see the moving grace of the "Mermaid". According to a Danish friend, because of its great fame, the bronze statue of "Mermaid" was "disintegrated" three times. Fortunately, the sculptor's mold was still preserved, allowing the statue to be restored.

With reverence for the "Mermaid" and nostalgia for Andersen, we visited Andersen's former residence again. The former residence is located on a quiet street. The simple-shaped townhouse looks unassuming. The furnishings in the house seemed to be more simple, just a bed, a table, and a chair. On the table was a set of "Andersen's Fairy Tales" neatly placed. In a house like this, Andersen lived for decades and wrote more than 160 fairy tales in his life. Smelling the fragrance of books, I seemed to see Andersen sitting upright and writing fairy tales, so I concentrated on holding my breath and being careful, lest my inadvertent expression or movement would disturb the master's writing.

Andersen experienced ups and downs, fell into poverty in his later years, and remained unmarried throughout his life. He suffered too much satire, criticism, and blows. However, he was deeply remembered by children because he created many innocent and lovely fairy tale characters. Lived. When it comes to Andersen, Danes always look proud. In the hearts of Danes, Andersen is not only a writer, but more like a milestone. There are statues of Andersen everywhere on the south side of Copenhagen City Hall, the King's back garden, and the small river where Andersen's mother once washed clothes. However, the one that impressed me deeply was the approximately 3-meter-high Andersen statue on the south side of Copenhagen City Hall. Bronze statue. He wears a gentleman's top hat popular in the 18th century. He holds a cane in his left hand and a book in his right hand. He separates the pages with his index finger and raises his head slightly to the left, looking up ahead. Behind him is the famous "Andersen Street". Because people often take photos here and can't help but touch his hands, knees and even trousers and shoes, these areas look a bit white. I think tourists always want to "get" a little bit of the master's aura.

As the "Paris of Northern Europe", "Garden City" and "Hometown of Mermaids", although you come from a foreign country, you clearly feel at home in Denmark.

In Copenhagen, tourists can choose bicycles as a means of transportation. Find bicycle stations on the roadside or next to hotels, insert a 20 kronor coin to open the chain and lend out a brand new bicycle. There is a picture of Copenhagen traffic on the basket in front of the vehicle. Travel map, you don’t have to worry about getting lost wherever you go. For Danes, the distance between the most powerful and the least powerful is very small. This is a very egalitarian society. On weekends, the Queen often quietly walks into the church to pray with only two attendants. In Denmark, a boss would never ask his secretary to pour water; if he did, the secretary would probably pour it in his face. It seems that Denmark attaches great importance to respect between people. However, mutual respect is not unconditional. The famous writer Chen Shixu wrote in his travel notes: "Danish people like to 'meddle in other people's own business.' When you are fishing, some unrelated people will come over. You think they are here to entertain you, but in fact they are here to see you pretending to fish. bucket. If the fish you catch do not meet the legal standards, he will ask you to put the fish back into the water, and he will not just talk about it, but will keep monitoring until you are completely satisfied. Their request. It is forbidden to raise birds in Denmark, but the bird food market is large and prosperous. People buy bird food and hang it in their yards for the natural birds to eat. "... Is it okay? What do you mean? This is an educated country, and education gives birth to a relaxed, peaceful and harmonious society.