THE ELDERBUSH

In “The Elderbush,” a tale from Andersen’s Fairy Tales, a young boy with wet feet is put to bed by his mother, who prepares Elderflower tea to warm him. At this moment, a merry old man, who lives alone upstairs and enjoys telling fairy tales, joins them. The mother suggests a fairy tale might follow the tea, sparking a conversation about storytelling and the origin of stories. The old man claims that genuine stories come spontaneously, knocking on his forehead demanding to be told. As they discuss, the elderflowers in the teapot transform into a magnificent Elderbush, blossoming splendidly and filling the room with its fragrance. From the bush emerges an old woman, called ‘old Granny’ by some, who possesses a connection to the boy’s and the elderly couple’s lives through the elder tree.

As Granny begins to tell her tale, we are led through the life of an old sailor and his wife, recounting their youth, love, and the growth of their family alongside the elder tree that symbolizes their enduring bond. The memories lead up to the celebration of the couple’s fiftieth anniversary, unnoticed by them but remembered by ‘old Granny.’

Throughout, Andersen interweaves themes of nature, the passage of time, and the magic of ordinary life. Granny eventually acknowledges the boy’s assessment that her story isn’t a traditional fairy tale by blending reality with fantastical elements, taking him on a flight through Denmark’s landscapes across the seasons, illustrating the beauty in every stage of life and the continuous cycle of growth and renewal mimicked by the elder tree.

The narrative closes with a timeless loop, where the boy, now an old man, sits under the elder tree with his wife, reminiscing about their lives. They are visited by the image of Granny, who blesses their fiftieth anniversary with a magical touch, merging the essence of fairy tales with the real world. Andersen’s story subtly suggests that the enchantment of fairy tales lies in their ability to draw out the extraordinary from the seemingly mundane, emphasizing that wonder and beauty reside in the everyday moments of life.