The Red Shoes (fairy tale) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids "The Red Shoes"
Illustration by Vilhelm Pedersen
Author	Hans Christian Andersen
Original title	"De røde sko"
Country	Denmark
Language	Danish
Genre(s)	Literary fairy tale
Published in	New Fairy Tales. First Volume. Third Collection (Nye Eventyr. Første Bind. Tredie Samling)
Publication type	Fairy tale collection
Publisher	C. A. Reitzel
Media type	Print
Publication date	7 April 1845

The Red Shoes (in Danish: De røde sko) is a famous fairy tale written by the Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen. It was first published on April 7, 1845, in a collection called New Fairy Tales. First Volume. Third Collection. This collection also included other stories like "The Elf Mound" and "The Shepherdess and the Chimney Sweep."

The story was published again several times, showing how popular it was. It tells the tale of a girl who gets caught in a magical pair of red shoes that force her to dance non-stop. This classic story has been made into many different movies and shows over the years.

The Story of The Red Shoes

This section will tell you all about the exciting and a bit scary story of "The Red Shoes."

Karen's New Life and the Red Shoes

The story begins with a poor girl named Karen. After her mother passes away, a kind, rich old lady adopts her. Karen used to have some simple red shoes. But once she is adopted, she convinces her new foster mother to buy her a fancy new pair of red shoes, fit for a princess.

Karen loves her new red shoes so much. She even wears them to church, which her foster mother says is not proper. She tells Karen she should only wear black shoes to church. But the next Sunday, Karen just cannot resist. She puts on the red shoes again.

The Mysterious Soldier and the Dancing Shoes

As Karen is about to enter the church, she meets a strange old soldier. He has a red beard and notices her shoes. "Oh, what beautiful shoes for dancing!" he says. He then taps each shoe and tells them, "Never come off when you dance!"

After church, Karen tries a few dance steps. Suddenly, the shoes take over! She starts dancing as if the shoes are controlling her. After a few minutes, she finally manages to stop them.

The Endless Dance

Later, Karen's adoptive mother becomes very sick and passes away. Instead of going to the funeral, Karen chooses to go to a dance. Again, her red shoes take control. This time, she cannot stop dancing at all!

An angel appears to Karen, holding a sword. The angel tells her that she must dance forever, even after she dies. This is meant to be a warning to other children who are too focused on their looks. Karen begs for mercy. But the red shoes pull her away before she can hear the angel's full reply.

A Desperate Choice and a Peaceful End

Karen dances on and on, unable to stop. She finds an executioner and asks him to cut off her feet. He does this, but the red shoes keep dancing, even with Karen's cut-off feet still inside them! The executioner gives Karen new wooden feet and crutches.

Karen thinks she has suffered enough. She decides to go to church so people can see her. But her cut-off feet, still in the red shoes, dance in front of her. They block her way into the church. The next Sunday, she tries again, thinking she deserves to be there. But the dancing red shoes block her path once more.

When Sunday comes again, Karen is afraid to go to church. She stays home alone and prays to God for help. The angel appears again, this time holding a spray of roses. The angel gives Karen the mercy she asked for. Her heart fills with so much peace and joy that her soul flies up to Heaven. There, no one ever mentions the red shoes again.

Where the Story Came From

Hans Christian Andersen named the main character, Karen, after his own half-sister, Karen Marie Andersen, whom he did not like very much.

The idea for "The Red Shoes" came from something Andersen saw when he was a small child. His father was a shoemaker. A rich lady sent him some red silk to make dancing slippers for her daughter. His father used some red leather with the silk and made a beautiful pair of shoes. But the rich customer said they were terrible and that he had ruined her silk. Andersen's father famously replied, "In that case, I may as well spoil my leather too." He then cut up the shoes right in front of her. This event likely inspired the story of the powerful, and sometimes troublesome, red shoes.

Stories and Shows Inspired by The Red Shoes

"The Red Shoes" has been a popular story for a long time. Many artists have used it as inspiration for their own works. Here are some famous examples:

• The Red Shoes (1948 film) This is a British movie about ballet. It tells the story of a young ballerina who joins a ballet company. She becomes the main dancer in a new ballet called The Red Shoes, which is based on Andersen's fairy tale. The film shows how her love for dancing clashes with her desire for love.
• Tale Spinners for Children This was an audio drama that changed some parts of the story. In this version, Karen dances non-stop until she truly feels sorry for her actions.
• The Red Shoes (ballet) The famous choreographer Matthew Bourne created a ballet based on the story. It first showed in London in December 2016.
• The Red Shoes (album) This is the name of a music album by British singer-songwriter Kate Bush. She named it after the 1948 film and Andersen's fairy tale.
• The Red Shoes (2005 film) This is a horror movie from Korea made in 2005. It was inspired by the fairy tale.
• Barbie in the Pink Shoes This is a 2013 Barbie movie. It is loosely based on "The Red Shoes" fairy tale.
• "The Red Shoes" by IU South Korean singer IU has a song with the same title. It is from her third studio album, Modern Times.
• "The Wearing of the Grin" This 1951 Looney Tunes cartoon made fun of "The Red Shoes" story.

See also

In Spanish: Las zapatillas rojas (cuento) para niños