Review of
The Galoshes of Fortune,
a Hans Christian Andersen animated classic
Five out of five stars
A classic tale with a universal moral
I have always
preferred the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen over those of the Brothers
Grimm because they are so much more upbeat and suitable for children. There is
always a happy ending with few hints or explicit mention of brutality.
In this story, an old matron and a young,
inexperienced fairy are practicing their craft when the young fairy creates a
pair of magic galoshes that will grant any wish that the wearer will make.
Wherever the wisher ends up, if the boots are removed, the wearer is returned to
his pre-wish condition.
A series of men
dissatisfied with their current condition put the boots on and are granted a
wish. In the first case, the man wishes he were back in the time of the Vikings.
Once there, he realizes that fighting a brutal battle in support of his clan is
not what he wants to do. Once he is returned to his normal life, he is grateful
for what he has.
Other men that
are police officers don the boots in turn and experience the same general result;
they discover that the life that they wish for is not as good as what they
have. The video ends with a man telling two children the moral of the tale, “Be
careful what you wish for, for it may come true.” A great lesson for us all, while
what we have can always be made better, a significant change of life will
generally have unanticipated and different difficulties.
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