The Goblin and the Grocer by Hans Christian Andersen. Short summary

5 seconds

The shopkeeper had a housekeeper who got a greasy porridge every Christmas Eve. The attic was rented by a student. The housekeeper would peep at him reciting poetry and admire him. And he would have moved in with the student, if not for the porridge.

1 minute

A shopkeeper was renting the loft to a poor student. One day the latter went in to buy candles and cheese. The shopkeeper wrapped his purchase in a piece of scribbled paper. It turned out to be a page of an ancient manuscript of poetry.

The student bought back the rest of the book. He said jokingly that the landlord understood as much poetry as his barrel.

The housekeeper was entirely on the shopkeeper’s side. After all, on Christmas Eve he received from the master a big bowl of porridge with a huge lump of butter! The Ghost took offense at the shopkeeper.

At night he sneaked to the mistress’ bed and borrowed her sharp tongue. The housekeeper put it to the barrel, and the barrel spoke at once. She said that because it stores newspapers, she knows poetry like no one else.

Then the Ghost climbed up into the attic and peered through the keyhole. What he saw shocked him. The student was reading a book of poetry, and all the images came alive and hovered around him. The ghost wanted to move in with the student, but he remembered the porridge.