The Wicked Prince
The Wicked Prince is a short fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. It was first published in October 1840 in Denmark under the Danish title Den onde Fyrste.
The story is about a cruel prince who grows powerful by conquering other lands and dreams of overthrowing God. He builds a flying ship with many guns and sails toward Heaven. An angel stops him with a single drop of blood from the wings, and the ship falls to earth. The prince recovers and spends seven years building even bigger ships.
When he returns with a large army, God sends a swarm of gnats to attack him. He cannot hit the tiny insects with his sword and orders his servants to wrap him in silk to keep them away. But a single gnat gets through and stings his ear. Mad with pain, he abandons his robes and runs away, mocked by his soldiers for being defeated by a single gnat.
Scholars note the tale for its technology and as an early science fiction story. It is also read as a symbol of dictatorship, and some World War II editions even compare the prince to Adolf Hitler. The story was first printed in a magazine and later included in an 1868 anthology after a plan to publish it in Dansk Folkekalender was rejected.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 17:36 (CET).