num_pages: 45
description: "The Marsh King's Daughter" ( "Dynd-Kongens Datter") is a short fantasy story for children with strong Christian overtones by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. It was first published in 1858. It is the second longest of Andersen's stories, after "The Snow Queen".The title character and protagonist of "The Marsh King's Daughter" is a young woman named Helga. She is the daughter of two supernatural beings, the wicked Marsh King and a fairy princess from Egypt who was captured by the Marsh King. Helga is raised by a Viking and his wife. The Viking's wife soon discovers that Helga is cursed to take two different forms. By day, she is human. By night, she looks like a toad. In her human form, Helga is badly behaved and cruel. In her toad form, she is good-natured. It is only when she begins to feel compassion for someone while in her human form that the spell on Helga is lifted and her mother is freed.
language: English
title: Hans Christian Andersen's the Marsh King's Daughter
titlecomplete: Hans Christian Andersen's the Marsh King's Daughter
genres: Classics, Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Childrens, Short Stories, Fiction
ratings_count: 191
publisher: Harbinger House