Красные башмачки

I've always loved the story of The Red Shoes since I first heard the story when I was about four or five years old. I loved ballet as a child and I learned of the story in a ballerina book about the story. I read it and came to love the more abridged and less darker version of the story. It wasn't until earlier today that I was watching The Red Shoes (1948) with my mom did I remember this beautiful little story. I immediately searched for a copy online and ordered my own before finding an online upload of this small story. I'm not usually a fan of such religious stories, stories that focus heavily on religion, but I definitely didn't mind it in this at all. The moral of the story is quite simple - be careful what you wish for - and that is something that has stuck with me since the first time I heard this story. However, Andersen manages to write this message in such a dark storybook that it's hard to imagine doing anything other than being careful what you wish for. Karen herself seems quite developed in just 34 pages, a small wonder indeed, and the story honestly keeps me gripped every time I read it, no matter how many times I know the story - so much I could retell it to someone without needing a prompt at all. This is a small classical masterpiece and I would recommend this to anyone who likes a small, dark tale.