Great-Grandfather by Hans Christian Andersen. Short summary

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With the birth of the narrator’s nephew, his grandfather became Great Grandpa. This old softy had a lot to say about bygone eras. He argued with the narrator’s brother, but when he went to America, he worried.

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The narrator’s older brother Frederick became a father. As such, the grandfather of the family was promoted to the rank of Great-grandfather.

The great-grandfather and his eldest grandson did not agree on whether the old times were bad or good. The narrator and his grandfather believed that the bygone eras were grand and luxurious. Frederick was of a different opinion. Those were dark, barbaric times, he said. One day he told a story about a clock.

In one town, there was a clock on the burgomaster’s tower. It didn’t go exactly right. But the inhabitants did not care much about it.

But then a railroad was built through the town and a station was built. New clocks were installed there, which showed the correct time — like in other cities and countries. And the inhabitants were forced to reckon with them.

When Frederick was returning home from America, the ship ran into a reef. But the people were saved thanks to an innovation — a signal rocket. This fact reconciled Great-grandfather with the new times.