This beautiful statue depicts Hans Christian Andersen, the Danish novelist and playwright behind classics like "The Little Mermaid" and "The Little Match Girl". The statue was designed in 1956 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of his birth, and shows him reading his famous tale "The Ugly Duckling" to a duckling. I bet you loved that story as a child! In fact, the statue was built so that children could climb up and play with it, making it a favorite with families. Every summer, the statue becomes a popular gathering place, where people read some of Andersen's best-known stories to children, in this lovely spot near the lake.