Every Mans Life Is A Fairy

Widely attributed to Andersen and consistent with the theological undertone of his autobiographical writing. In The Story of My Life (1871 expanded edition), he wrote: "It was clear to me, as I glanced back over my earlier life, that a loving Providence watched over me, that all was directed for me by a higher power." No specific page citation to the original 1855 autobiography has been confirmed for this exact phrasing, but the sentiment is deeply embedded in his self-understanding.