Book excerpt: A prince seeking a true princess, an emperor in love with his wardrobe, a romantic tin soldier standing firmly at attention, and a bird whose song is so lovely even death cannot resist it: these are a characters whose stories have made Hans Christian Andersen one of the world's most enduring storytellers for children. This collection of Andersen's best short stories combines the world-famous translation of H.B. Paull with two sets of classic illustrations, the engravings of Vilhelm Pedersen from the original Danish edition and Helen Stratton's illustrations from "The Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen." Both sets provide a beautiful and dramatic visual compliment to these charming and memorable tales. Also included are notes with pronunciations and definitions of some words that may be unfamiliar to grade school readers.