Passage31<br/>HansChristianAndersenwasDenmark’smostfamousnativeson.Yetevenafterhisfairytaleswonhimfameandfortune,hefearedhewouldbeforgotten.Heneednothaveworried.Thisweekend,Denmarkbeganeightmonthsofcelebrationstocoincidewiththebicentenaryofhisbirth,andDenmarkiseagerthattheworldtakenoteasitsetsouttodefinethepigeon-holedwriterinitsownway.<br/>ThefestivitiesbeganinCopenhagenonSaturday,Andersen’sactualbirthday,withalivelyshowofmusic,dance,lightsandcomedyinspiredbyhisfairytalesbeforeacrowdof40,000people—includingQueenMargretheIIandherfamily—attheParkenNationalStadium.Theopening,calledOnceUponaTime,willbefollowedbyaslewofconcerts,musicals,ballets,exhibitions,paradesandeducationprogramscostingoverUS$40million.<br/>Somorethaninrecentmemory,Danes—and,theyhope,foreigners—willberelivingthehumor,painandlessonstobefoundinevergreenstorieslike<em>TheLittleMermaid</em>,<em>TheEmperor’sNewClothes,</em><em>TheUglyDuckling</em>,<em>TheLittleMatch-Seller</em>,<em>TheSteadfastTinSoldier</em>,<em>TheShadow</em>,<em>ThePrincessandthePea</em>andothersofAndersen’s150orsofairytales.<br/>Inorganizingthisextravaganza,ofcourse,Denmarkisalsocelebratingitself.Afterall,Andersenisstillthiscountry’smostfamousnativeson.TrumpetinghisnameandachievementsnotonlydrawsattentiontoDenmark’scontributiontoworldculture,butcouldalsowoomoreforeigntouriststovisithisbirthplaceinthetownofOdenseandtobephotographedbesidethefamousbronzestatueoftheLittleMermaidinCopenhagen’sharbor.<br/>AndDenmarkhasevenmoreinmind.LocalguardiansoftheAndersenlegacyevidentlyfeelhisstorieshavelostgroundinrecentyearstothelikesofJ.R.R.Tolkien’sLordoftheRingsandJ.K.Rowling’sHarryPotter.Andersen’sfairytalesmayremaincentraltotheDanishidentity,servingashomespunguidestothevagariesofhumanbehavior,butwhatabouttherestoftheworld?<br/>“WhatwereallyneedisarebirthofAndersen,”notedLarsSeeberg,secretarygeneraloftheHansChristianAndersen2005Foundation.“Twocenturiesafterhisbirth,hestillfailstobeuniversallyacknowledgedastheworld-classauthorhenodoubtwas.”