The Metal Pig

"The Metal Pig" (Chinese: The Bronze Pig; original Danish title "Metalsvinet") is a short fairy tale by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, first published in 1842 and included in his fairy tale collections. It has appeared in several English translations, the best known being those by H. P. Paull and Jean Hersholt. The story is set in Florence, Italy: on a small street not far from the Grand Duke's Square stands an elegant metal pig, green with age, its snout polished bright by the hands of countless poor children, clear spring water flowing from its mouth. One winter night a ragged, hungry, freezing boy is driven out by the garden keeper, comes to the bronze pig, holds tight to it and drinks his fill, makes a supper of a few cabbage leaves and two chestnuts, then falls asleep on the pig's back. At midnight the pig comes to life and carries him at a run through Florence's squares, galleries and museums, where among statues such as Michelangelo's and Perseus and countless famous paintings he witnesses the glory of art. This adventure plants in the boy's heart a longing for beauty and prompts Andersen's reflections on poverty, dignity and the call of art. Short in length, poetic in language with a touch of cool detachment, it is one of Andersen's representative tales set in Italy and is often included in Andersen anthologies and English graded readers.