Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf (Russian Fairy Tale Explained)

Ivan Tsarevich, the Firebird and the Gray Wolf is the most famous of all the Russian fairy tales. It’s as beloved as Jack and the Beanstalk, Sleeping Beauty, and the Little Mermaid are here in the West.

Ivan is the classic name for a Russian protagonist. Tsarevich translates to “tsar’s son,” so this particular Ivan is a prince. I’ll explain what the story means at the end.

This is based on the classic version of the fairy tale published by Alexander Afanasyev between 1855 and 1863. He wrote it in Russian. I’ve translated it into English.

The Fairy Tale

Chapter 1: The Thief

Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, there was a Tsar named Vyslav Andronovich. He had three sons: the first was Prince Dmitry, the second was Prince Vasily, and the third was Prince Ivan.

This Tsar Vyslav Andronovich had a garden far richer than any garden in any kingdom. In that garden grew various precious trees, some bearing fruit and others not. The Tsar had one favourite apple tree, and on that apple tree grew golden apples.

But a thief started coming to Tsar Vyslav’s garden. Every night, there was one fewer golden apple on the tree.

Tsar Vyslav Andronovich was greatly distressed about his apple tree. If the thief continued plucking apples, there would soon be none left. So he called his three sons and said to them, “My dear children! Which of you can catch the thief in my garden? Whoever catches him alive, I will give half of my kingdom while I am still alive, and the entire kingdom after my death.”

His sons unanimously exclaimed, “Merciful father, your royal majesty! We will be most joyful to try to catch the thief!”

On the first night, Prince Dmitry went to guard the garden. He sat under the golden apple tree, but he fell asleep and did not hear when the thief came and stole an apple.

In the morning, Tsar Vyslav Andronovich called his son Prince Dmitry and asked, “Well, my dear son, did you see the thief or not?”

He replied to his father, “No, merciful father! He did not come tonight.” But the Tsar could see there was an apple missing from the tree.

On the second night, Prince Vasily went to guard the golden apple tree, but after sitting for one hour and then two, he fell into a deep sleep and did not hear the thief come.

In the morning, Tsar Vyslav called him and asked, “Well, my dear son, did you see the thief or not?”

“Merciful father! He did not come tonight,” Prince Vasily replied. But the Tsar could see there was another apple missing from the tree.

On the third night, Prince Ivan went to guard the garden and sat under the same apple tree. He sat for one hour, then two, and then three—then suddenly, the entire garden lit up as if illuminated by a great torch. It was a great Firebird with golden feathers that shone like fire and eyes as clear as the purest crystal. It sat on the apple tree and began plucking an apple.

Prince Ivan sneaked up to it so skillfully that he managed to grab its tail. But he could not hold it. The Firebird broke free and flew away, never to return. It left only one feather in Ivan Tsarevich’s hand, which he held onto very tightly.

Chapter 2: The Quest

In the morning, as soon as Tsar Vyslav awoke, Ivan Tsarevich went to him and handed him the Firebird’s feather.

This feather was so wondrous and bright that if it was brought into a dark room, it shone as if the room were filled with a great number of candles. Tsar Vyslav was transfixed by its wondrous beauty.

Tsar Vyslav again summoned his children and said to them, “My dear children! Go, I give you my blessing. Find the Firebird and bring it to me alive. And what I promised before, of course, the one who brings me the Firebird will receive.”

Envy had been festering in Prince Dmitry and Prince Vasily of their younger brother Ivan Tsarevich, who had managed to pluck a feather from the Firebird’s tail. They were eager for a chance to succeed in this quest. They took their father’s blessing and went off to search for the Firebird.

Ivan Tsarevich also asked his father for his blessing to go, but Tsar Vyslav said to him, “My dear son, my beloved child! You are still young and not accustomed to such a long and difficult journey. Why should you leave me? Your brothers have already gone. What if all three of you do not return for a long time? I am old and live under God’s watch. If during your absence, the Lord takes my life, who will rule my kingdom in my place? A rebellion or discord could arise among our people, and there would be no one to quell it. Or an enemy might attack our lands, and there would be no one to lead our troops.”

However, no matter how much Tsar Vyslav tried to keep him, Ivan Tsarevich would not stop with his requests, and soon the Tsar could not find the strength to refuse him. Ivan Tsarevich took his father’s blessing, chose a horse, and set off on his journey, not knowing where he was going.

Chapter 3: The Gray Wolf

He travelled along the road, going a great long way. Tales are told quickly, but deeds are done slowly. After a very long time, Ivan Tsarevich arrived in an open field in green meadows. In the open field stood a pillar, and on the pillar were written these words: “Whoever travels straight from this pillar will be hungry and cold. Whoever travels to the right will be safe and sound, but his horse will die. And whoever travels to the left will be killed, but his horse will remain alive and well.”

Ivan Tsarevich read this inscription and travelled to the right, thinking to himself, “Although my horse will be killed, at least I will remain alive and can eventually find another horse.”

He travelled for one day, then another, and then a third, until—suddenly—a huge gray wolf appeared before him and said, “Oh, young man, Ivan Tsarevich! Didn’t you read the inscription on the pillar that your horse would die? So why did you come this way?”

As the wolf spoke these words, he tore Ivan Tsarevich’s horse in half.

Ivan Tsarevich was greatly distressed over his horse. He wept bitterly, but he did not stop. He continued his quest on foot.

He walked for an entire day, and his legs grew heavy, and his feet blistered, and soon he grew too tired to continue on. Just as he was about to sit down to rest, the gray wolf caught up with him and said, “I feel sorry for you, Ivan Tsarevich, that you have worn yourself out on foot. I also regret that I killed your good horse. Fine! Climb onto my back, little gray wolf, and tell me where to take you and why.”

Chapter 4: The Firebird

Ivan Tsarevich told the gray wolf that he was searching for the Firebird. The gray wolf ran with him faster than any horse and soon brought Ivan Tsarevich to a high stone wall. The wolf stopped and said, “Well, Ivan Tsarevich, get off my back, and climb over this stone wall. Behind the wall is a tower, and in that tower there is a window, in that window there is a golden cage, and in that cage, you will find your Firebird. Take it, but do not touch the golden cage. If you touch the cage, you will be caught.”

Ivan Tsarevich climbed over the stone wall and crept in through the tower door and up the stairs until he saw the Firebird in the golden cage. It was a beautiful cage made of solid gold. He took the bird out of the cage and started to leave, but then thought to himself, “What will I do with the Firebird without its cage? Where will I put it?”

He returned, but as soon as he took the golden cage, it pulled a string, and the string rang a bell, and a loud noise rang out through the kingdom. The guards woke up with a start, ran into the garden, caught Ivan Tsarevich with the Firebird, and brought him to their Tsar, who was named Dolmat.

Tsar Dolmat was furious. He screamed at Ivan Tsarevich, “How shameful it is for you, young man, to steal! Who are you, from which land, and whose son are you, and what is your name?”

Ivan Tsarevich replied, “I am from the kingdom of Vyslav, son of Tsar Vyslav Andronovich, and my name is Ivan Tsarevich. Your Firebird has been flying to our garden every night, plucking the golden apples from my father’s favourite apple tree, and has nearly destroyed the whole tree. That’s why my father sent me to find the Firebird and bring it to him.”

“Oh, young man, Ivan Tsarevich,” said Tsar Dolmat, “was it right to do what you did? You could have come to me, and I would have given you the Firebird with honour, but you came to me as a thief. Now, shall I send word to all the kingdoms about how you behaved dishonestly in my land? Would you like that? No? Well, listen Ivan Tsarevich. If you perform a service for me, I will forgive your wrongdoing and give you the Firebird with great honour. Here is what I ask of you: go beyond the thrice-nine lands, to the Great Desert, and bring me the golden-maned horse from Sultan Kusman. If you do not perform this service, I will let all the kingdoms know that you are a dishonest thief.”

Ivan Tsarevich promised Tsar Dolmat he would get the golden-maned horse and left in great sorrow.

Chapter 5: The Golden-Maned Horse

Ivan Tsarevich went to the gray wolf and told him everything that Tsar Dolmat had said.

“Oh, young man!” said the gray wolf. “Why did you not listen to me and take the golden cage?”

“I am guilty before you,” Ivan Tsarevich replied to the wolf.

“Well, let it be so!” said the gray wolf. “Climb onto my back, little gray wolf. I will take you where you need to go.”

Ivan Tsarevich climbed onto the gray wolf’s back, and the wolf bounded through the trees and mountains, flying as fast as an arrow. He ran for a long time or a short time and finally arrived in Sultan Kusman’s sultanate at night.

Coming to the white-stone royal stables, the gray wolf said to Ivan Tsarevich, “Go, Ivan Tsarevich, into these white-stone stables. All the guards are sound asleep! Take the golden-maned horse. But there is a golden bridle hanging on the wall. Do not take it, or you will be in trouble.”

Ivan Tsarevich crept into the white-stone stables, took the horse, and was about to leave. But he saw the golden bridle on the wall and was so tempted by it that he took it in his hands—just to look at it for a moment. As soon as he took it off the hook, a string pulled taut, and there was a thunderous noise throughout the stables. The guards woke up, ran in, caught Ivan Tsarevich, and brought him to Sultan Kusman.

Sultan Kusman began questioning him, “Oh, young man! Tell me, from which kingdom are you, and whose son are you, and what is your name?”

To which Ivan Tsarevich replied, “I am from the kingdom of Vyslav, son of Tsar Vyslav Andronovich, and my name is Ivan Tsarevich.”

“Oh, young man, Ivan Tsarevich!” said Sultan Kusman. “Is it the act of an honourable knight, what you have done? You could have come to me, and I would have given you the golden-maned horse with honour. But now, would it be good for you if I sent word to all the kingdoms about how you behaved dishonestly in my land? However, listen, Ivan Tsarevich! If you perform a service for me and go beyond the thrice-nine lands, to the thirtieth kingdom and bring me Princess Elena the Fair, whom I have long loved with all my heart and soul but cannot obtain, then I will forgive your wrongdoing and give you the golden-maned horse with the golden bridle with honour. But if you do not perform this service, I will let all the kingdoms know that you are a dishonest thief.”

Ivan Tsarevich promised to bring Princess Elena the Fair to Sultan Kusman and left the palace in bitter tears.

Chapter 6: Princess Elena the Fair

Ivan Tsarevich went to the gray wolf and told him everything that had happened to him.

“Oh, young man, Ivan Tsarevich!” said the gray wolf. “Why did you not listen to me? Why did you take the golden bridle?”

“I am guilty before you,” said Ivan Tsarevich to the wolf.

“Well, let it be so!” continued the gray wolf. “Climb onto my back, little gray wolf. I will take you where you need to go.”

Ivan Tsarevich climbed onto the gray wolf’s back, and the wolf loped across rivers and through meadows. He ran for a short time or a long time and finally arrived in the kingdom of Princess Elena the Fair.

Coming to the golden fence that surrounded the magical garden, the wolf said to Ivan Tsarevich, “Well, Ivan Tsarevich, get off my back and go back along the same road we came, and wait for me in the open field under the green oak tree.”

Ivan Tsarevich went where he was told. The gray wolf sat near the golden fence and waited for Princess Elena the Fair to come out for a walk in the garden.

In the evening, when the sun had sunk lower to the west and the air was not so hot, Princess Elena the Fair went out for a walk in the garden with her nannies and court ladies. When she entered the garden and approached the spot where the gray wolf was sitting behind the fence, the gray wolf suddenly jumped over the fence into the garden, grabbed Princess Elena the Fair, jumped back over, and ran away with all his might.

He ran to the open field under the green oak, where Ivan Tsarevich was waiting for him, and said to him, “Ivan Tsarevich, quickly climb onto my back!”

Ivan Tsarevich climbed on, and the gray wolf carried both of them to the sultanate of Sultan Kusman.

The nannies, wet nurses, and all the court ladies who were walking in the garden with the beautiful Princess Elena ran immediately to the palace and sent out pursuers to catch the gray wolf. But no matter how fast the pursuers chased, they could not catch him.

Chapter 7: The Thief Returns

Ivan Tsarevich, sitting on the gray wolf with the beautiful Princess Elena, fell in love with her with all his heart, and she with him. When the gray wolf finally arrived in the sultanate of Sultan Kusman, Ivan Tsarevich was deeply saddened at the thought of handing over Princess Elena to the Tsar in exchange for the golden-maned horse. He began to weep bitterly.

The gray wolf asked him, “Why are you crying, Ivan Tsarevich?”

To which Ivan Tsarevich replied, “My friend, gray wolf! How can I, a good fellow, not cry and grieve? I have fallen in love with the beautiful Princess Elena, and now I must give her to Sultan Kusman in exchange for the golden-maned horse. If I do not hand her over, Sultan Kusman will disgrace me in all the kingdoms!”

“I have served you much, Ivan Tsarevich,” said the gray wolf, “and I will serve you this time as well. Listen, Ivan Tsarevich. I will transform into the beautiful Princess Elena, and you will take me to Sultan Kusman and receive the golden-maned horse. He will take me for the real princess. And when you have ridden far away on the golden-maned horse, I will ask Sultan Kusman to let me go out into the open field for a walk. And when he lets me go with the nannies, the wet nurses, and all the court ladies, and I am with them in the open field, then think of me, and I will return to you.”

The gray wolf said these words, struck the damp earth, and became the beautiful Princess Elena, so much so that it was impossible to tell it was not her.

Ivan Tsarevich took the gray wolf and went to Sultan Kusman’s palace, leaving the real Princess Elena outside the city.

When Ivan Tsarevich came to Sultan Kusman with the false Elena the Fair, the Tsar was overjoyed in his heart to receive this treasure he had desired for so long. He accepted the false princess and handed over the golden-maned horse to Ivan Tsarevich.

Ivan Tsarevich climbed onto the horse and rode out of the city. He placed Princess Elena the Fair with him and set off to the kingdom of Tsar Dolmat.

The gray wolf lived with Sultan Kusman for one day, then another, and a third, in place of the beautiful Princess Elena, and on the fourth day, he asked Sultan Kusman to let him go out into the open field for a walk to relieve his heavy sorrow and melancholy. Sultan Kusman said, “Ah, my beautiful Princess Elena! I will do anything for you! I will let you go out into the open field for a walk.”

He immediately ordered the nannies, the wet nurses, and all the court ladies to go with the beautiful Princess Elena into the open field for a walk.

Ivan Tsarevich was travelling along the road with Elena the Fair, talking with her, and had forgotten about the gray wolf. Then he suddenly remembered, “Ah, where is my gray wolf?”

And then, out of nowhere, the gray wolf appeared before Ivan Tsarevich and said to him, “Climb onto my back, Ivan Tsarevich, and let Princess Elena the Fair ride the golden-maned horse.”

Ivan Tsarevich climbed onto the gray wolf, and they set off for Tsar Dolmat’s kingdom. They travelled for a long time or a short time, and when they reached the kingdom, they stopped three miles from the city. Ivan Tsarevich began to ask the gray wolf, “Listen, my dear friend! You have served me well. Serve me this last time, will you? Can you turn into the golden-maned horse instead of this one? I don’t want to part with this golden-maned horse.”

Suddenly, the gray wolf struck the damp earth and became the golden-maned horse.

Ivan Tsarevich left the beautiful Princess Elena in the green meadow, climbed onto the gray wolf, and rode to the palace of Tsar Dolmat.

As soon as he arrived there, Tsar Dolmat saw Ivan Tsarevich riding the golden-maned horse and was very pleased. He immediately came out of his palace, met the prince in the wide courtyard, kissed him on his forehead, took him by the right hand, and led him into the white-stone palace.

Tsar Dolmat, in such joy, ordered a feast to be held, and they sat at the oak tables on the embroidered tablecloths. They drank, ate, entertained themselves, and rejoiced for two days straight. On the third day, Tsar Dolmat handed over the Firebird with the golden cage to Ivan Tsarevich.

The prince took the Firebird, left the city, climbed onto the golden-maned horse with the beautiful Princess Elena, and set off for his homeland, the kingdom of Tsar Vyslav Andronovich.

The next day, Tsar Dolmat decided to ride his golden-maned horse in the open field; he ordered it to be saddled, then climbed onto it and rode out into the open field. And as soon as he spurred the horse, it threw him off and, turning back into the gray wolf, ran and caught up with Ivan Tsarevich.

“Ivan Tsarevich!” he said. “Climb onto my back and let Princess Elena the Fair ride the golden-maned horse.”

Ivan Tsarevich climbed onto the gray wolf, and they set off on their journey. As soon as the gray wolf had brought Ivan Tsarevich to the place where he had torn apart his horse, he stopped and said, “Well, Ivan Tsarevich, I have served you faithfully and truthfully. Here, at this place, I tore your horse in two, and to this place, I have brought you. Get off my back, little gray wolf. Now you have the golden-maned horse, so ride it wherever you need to go. I will no longer be your servant.”

The gray wolf said these words and ran off. Ivan Tsarevich wept bitterly for the gray wolf and continued on his journey with the beautiful princess.

Chapter 8: The Betrayal

Ivan Tsarevich travelled for a long time with the beautiful Princess Elena on the golden-maned horse, and when he was twenty miles from his homeland, he stopped, got off the horse, and lay down with the beautiful princess to rest from the heat under a tree. He tied the golden-maned horse to the same tree and placed the cage with the Firebird beside him.

Lying on the soft grass and having a loving conversation, they fell soundly asleep.

At that very moment, Ivan Tsarevich’s brothers, Prince Dmitry and Prince Vasily, who had been travelling through various kingdoms without finding the Firebird, were returning home empty-handed. By chance, they stumbled upon their sleeping brother Ivan Tsarevich with the beautiful Princess Elena.

Seeing the golden-maned horse and the Firebird in the golden cage on the grass, they were greatly tempted by them and decided to kill their brother Ivan Tsarevich.

Prince Dmitry drew his sword from its sheath, stabbed Ivan Tsarevich to death, and cut him into small pieces. Then he woke the beautiful Princess Elena and began to question her, “Beautiful maiden! From which kingdom are you, and whose daughter are you, and what is your name?”

The beautiful Princess Elena, seeing Ivan Tsarevich dead, was greatly frightened, began to cry bitterly, and through her tears said, “I am Princess Elena the Fair, and I was betrothed to Ivan Tsarevich, whom you have killed with evil intent. You would have been honourable knights if you had fought him in the open field and defeated him while he was alive, but instead, you killed him while he was asleep. What praise will you receive for that? You are both cowards!”

Then Prince Dmitry put his sword to Princess Elena’s heart and said to her, “Listen, Elena the Fair! You are now in our hands. We will take you to our father, Tsar Vyslav Andronovich, and you will tell him that we were the ones who took you, the Firebird, and the golden-maned horse. If you do not say this, I will press the sword a little deeper so that you can lie with your betrothed.”

The beautiful Princess Elena, fearing for her life, promised and swore by all that was holy that she would say whatever they told her to.

Then Prince Dmitry and Prince Vasily began to cast lots to decide who would get the beautiful Princess Elena and who would get the golden-maned horse. They threw knucklebones, and the lot fell that the beautiful princess would go to Prince Vasily and the golden-maned horse to Prince Dmitry.

Then Prince Vasily took the beautiful Princess Elena and placed her on his good horse, and Prince Dmitry climbed onto the golden-maned horse and took the Firebird to present it to their father, Tsar Vyslav Andronovich, and they set off on their way.

Chapter 9: The Water of Life & Death

Ivan Tsarevich lay dead on that spot for exactly thirty days when the gray wolf happened upon him and recognized him by his scent. The wolf wanted to help him, to bring him back to life, but did not know how to do it.

At that moment, the gray wolf saw a raven with two young ravens flying over the body, intending to descend and feast on Ivan Tsarevich’s flesh. The gray wolf hid behind a bush, and as soon as the young ravens descended to the ground and began to eat Ivan Tsarevich’s body, the wolf jumped out from behind the bush, grabbed one of the young ravens, and was about to tear it in half. Then the raven descended to the ground, sat a little distance from the gray wolf, and said to him, “Oh, gray wolf! Do not touch my young child! It has done nothing to you!”

“Listen, raven,” said the gray wolf. “I will not release your child unharmed if you do me a service. Fly beyond the thrice-nine lands to the thirtieth kingdom, and bring me the water of life and death.”

To this, the raven said to the gray wolf, “I will do this service for you, just do not harm my son.”

Saying these words, the raven flew off and soon disappeared from sight.

On the third day, the raven returned, bringing with it two flasks. In one, the water of life. In the other, the water of death. She gave both flasks to the gray wolf.

The gray wolf took the flasks, tore the young raven in half, and sprinkled it with the water of death. The raven’s body mended itself. Then, he sprinkled it with the water of life, and the young raven stirred and flew away.

The gray wolf sprinkled Ivan Tsarevich with the water of death. His body mended itself. Then he sprinkled him with the water of life, and Ivan Tsarevich stood up and said, “Ah, how long I have slept!”

To this, the gray wolf replied, “Yes, Ivan Tsarevich, you would have slept forever if not for me. Your brothers killed you, and they have taken the beautiful Princess Elena, the golden-maned horse, and the Firebird. Now hurry as fast as you can to your homeland. Your brother, Prince Vasily, is marrying your betrothed, the beautiful Princess Elena today. And to get there as quickly as possible, it’s better if you climb onto my back, little gray wolf. I will carry you.”

Chapter 10: The End

Ivan Tsarevich climbed onto the gray wolf’s back, and the wolf ran with him to the kingdom of Tsar Vyslav Andronovich. After a long time or a short time, they arrived at the city.

Ivan Tsarevich got off the gray wolf, went into the city, and upon entering the palace, found that his brother Prince Vasily had married the beautiful Princess Elena. They had just returned from the wedding and were sitting at the table.

Ivan Tsarevich entered the palace, and as soon as Elena the Fair saw him, she immediately jumped up from the table, began to kiss his plum-sweet lips, and cried out, “This my beloved fiancé, Ivan Tsarevich, not the villain who sits at the table!”

Then Tsar Vyslav Andronovich stood up and began to ask the beautiful Princess Elena what she meant. Elena the Fair told him the whole truth: how Ivan Tsarevich had obtained her, the golden-maned horse, and the Firebird. How the elder brothers had killed him while he was asleep, and how they had threatened her to say that they had succeeded at their quests.

Tsar Vyslav was livid with Prince Dmitry and Prince Vasily. He threw them into prison where they could rot for all time. Ivan Tsarevich married the beautiful Princess Elena, and they fell so deeply in love that they could not be without each other for even a single moment.

Moral & Interpretation

Fairy tales aren’t like fables and parables. It’s rare for them to have clear moral lessons. When they do, the moral is often dubious, as is the case in Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf.

Ivan Tsarevich is a scoundrel and a thief. He doesn’t listen to words of warning. He’s impetuous. But he also never gives up, so his many failures never stop him. This is how fairy tale heroes often are. Jack is the same way in Jack and the Beanstalk. They’re like gamblers who keep betting double or nothing until they win a great pile of gold. Such a reckless approach often leads to ruin, but not here.

If you want to find a moral here, perhaps it’s to go after what you want, expect setbacks, overcome them, and keep going until you’ve accomplished your goal. It’s the mantra of the athlete, the CEO, and the date rapist. It’s dangerous advice, but it can work, in a way, sometimes.

Another way to look at the story is that we all make mistakes, and when we do, we need to own up to them and then find a way to make them right.

Most of all, though, Ivan Tsarevich isn’t supposed to be a role model. You aren’t supposed to follow in his footsteps. The story isn’t trying to teach you a lesson.

You might be tempted to imbue symbolism into the story:

• The Firebird, golden and glowing, represents illumination. Seeing its feather makes the tsar greedy. He must possess it. So he sends others off in search of it. But the firebird is a spirit, and it disappears into the spirit world.
• The death of Ivan’s horse represents the end of his dependence on the natural world, and the wolf shows Ivan turning towards faith and magic to guide him through the spirit world. Or perhaps the wolf is Ivan’s own subconscious intuition.
• Elena is bereft of personality. She says not a single word. That’s because she isn’t a woman; she’s Beauty itself.

I’m not sure any of that is true. It might be. But something about this story resonated so deeply with people that it became the most popular Russian fairy tale of all time.

Similar Fairy Tales

If you liked Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf, I suspect you’d like similar fairy tales from other parts of the world. Try these:

• Jack and the Beanstalk is an English fairy tale with roots that date 5,000 years. It’s extremely similar to Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf.
• Sleeping Beauty is a classic French fairy tale originally written by Charles Perrault in 1697. You might know the Disney version. This one isn’t quite the same.
• Puss in Boots is a classic Italian fairy tale written by Giovanni Francesco Straparola in 1550. Again, it isn’t quite the same as the Disney adaptation.
• The Little Mermaid is a Danish fairy tale originally written by Hans Christian Andersen in 1837. Unlike the Disney version, it’s dark, sad, and hauntingly beautiful.