Description

A Great Grief is a short, tender tale by Hans Christian Andersen—a deceptively simple story that mixes irony, innocence, and emotional truth. At first glance, it recounts the death of a dog named Puggie and his burial by children in a town tannery yard. But viewed closely, it becomes a quietly profound reflection on how even small sorrows can feel monumental—especially for a child.

Through the eyes of one poor girl who couldn’t afford to see the grave because she lacked even a single trouser button, Andersen evokes themes of exclusion, empathy, and the strange value systems of childhood.

Touching and ironic, this lesser-known story reminds us that grief—great or small—is always real to the one who feels it.