Original: Hans Christian Andersen ( } ) ( April 2 , 1805 -- August 4 , 1875 ) was a Danish author and poet was noted for his children 's stories , including '' The Steadfast Tin Soldier '' , '' The Snow Queen '' , '' The Little Mermaid '' , '' Thumbelina '' , '' The Little Match Girl '' , '' The Ugly Duckling '' and '' The Red Shoes '' .
Simplified: Hans Christian Andersen or simply HC Andersen , ( April 2 1805 -- August 4 1875 ) was a Danish author and poet most famous for his fairy tales .