1. Consider how Anne Marie's decision to let Hans leave home at age fourteen may have been either wise or foolish.

What would you do if you were in her position? Why?

2. Hans Andersen has often been compared to the ugly duckling in his tale by the same name. Why is this comparison appropriate?

3. Andersen claimed that he did not write his tales just for children. What qualities of his works make them so well known and beloved by people of all ages?

4. Hans is a lonely child. Why? How might this childhood isolation have fueled his desire for fame?

5. The Collin family is described as "smug" and more limited in vision than Hans. Why do they adopt him if they believe he deludes himself with visions of grandeur?