"The Shadow" (Danish: Skyggen) is a fairy tale by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen. The tale was first published in 1847. Once a learned man from the northern regions of Europe went on a voyage south. One night, he sat on his terrace, while the fire behind him cast his shadow on the opposite balcony. As he was sitting there, resting, the man was amused to observe how the shadow follo...