Thomas Gray in Copenhagen: In Which the Philosopher Cat Meets the Ghost of Hans Christian Andersen

195 Pages·1995·25.64 MB·English

by  Philip J. Davis (auth.)

2HOMAS
:fRAY
IN WoPENHAGEN
..JIi <ffldtc'/ t'/e qdt/t;d~'/er lrat
JIleetd t'/e y'/(Jdt ~
lr'/rtdt/a/Z Jlbulerde/Z
Jftz/M
PHILIP]. DAVIS
,y
.f&.ftrat-d
MARGUERITE DORIAN
c
SPRINGER SCIENCE+BUSINESS MEDIA LLC
©1995 Springer Science+Business Media New York
Originally published by Springer-Verlag New York, Inc. in 1995
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1s t edition 1995
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in
any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior
written permission of the publisher.
All characters except for historical personages are fictitious.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Davis, Philip j., 1923-
Thomas Gray in Copenhagen: in which the philosopher cat meets the
ghost of Hans Christian Andersen/by Philip J. Davis; illustrated
by Marguerite Dorian.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-4757-4368-5 ISBN 978-1-4757-4366-1 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4757-4366-1
1. Andersen, H.C. (Hans Christian), 1805-1875-Fiction.
2. Copenhagen (Denmark)-Fiction. 3. Cats-Fiction. 1. Title.
PS3554.A937653T46 1995
813' .54-dc20 95-13243
Manufactured in the United States of America.
Printed on acid-free paper.
Illustrated by Marguerite Dorian.
Designed by Irmgard Lochner.
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
ISBN 978-1-4757-4368-5
To David and Isabelle Pingree
EJ BLOT TIL LYST*
Not only for pleasure
'Inscription on the proscenium arch
of the Royal Theater in Copenhagen
2
rumor has spread in Copenhagen that the fa
mous Danish writer of fairy tales, Hans Christian
Andersen, did not have a high regard for cats. Thomas
Gray, the Philosopher Cat from Pembroke College, and
her colleague, the scholarly Lucas Fysst, determine to
rehabilitate Andersens reputation. This involves them
in adventures in Copenhagen that provide readers with
an enjoyable satire on academic thought as well as an
introduction both to Andersen and to Denmark.
A part of the material of this book was filmed by Danish National
Television for presentation on Troldspejlet (The Magic Mirror), a
program for young teenagers.
Foreword and Acknowledgments xi
1 The Soul of a Canary 1
2 Lessons in the Danish Language and Literature 11
3 The Conference 19
4 The Search Begins 29
5 Conversation with a Bouillabaisse 35
6 Thomas Gray Arrives on the Scene 41
7 The Collaboration Renewed 47
8 Found on Stroeget 55
9 The Glory of the Realm 63
10 Spectral Dialogue in Nyhavn 67
11 Lucas Fysst's Dream: The Wienerbroed
and the Cat 73
12 Instructions Are Received 81
13 The Plain Brown Envelope 91
x THOMAS GRAY IN COPENHAGEN
14 The Kongekat's Story 101
15 Lunch at Villa Fredenskjold 117
16 Diamonds Around Her Neck 123
17 Tea at Amalienborg 131
18 Advanced Procedures 139
19 More Pressure Is Applied 147
20 "Perhaps YOU Have" 151
21 Den Lille Havfrue 159
22 Bona Fides Established 165
23 Chaos Off Camera 169
24 The Magic Mirror 177
25 A Good Bit More Is Revealed 183
Nyhavn 18 is an eighteenth-century building situated centrally in a
most picturesque part of Copenhagen, just off the harbor. In 1968,
it was bought by Danmarks Nationalbank (which corresponds to
the Bank of England or the Federal Reserve Bank in Washington,
D.C.) and renovated for the purpose of providing flats for foreign
scholars, scientists, artists, and writers for periods of up to a year.
A few years ago, I was giving a course of lectures at the Roskilde
University Center, a half hour by train west of Copenhagen, and my
wife and I were fortunate enough to be accommodated in one of
these flats. Our pleasure was further enhanced when we learned
that from 1873 until his death in 1875, Hans Christian Andersen,
the famous writer of fairy tales, had occupied two of the rooms of
our flat. This information is widely available. Tourists can find the
address in the useful Copenhagen This Week pamphlet given out free
of charge at every hotel. Danmarks Nationalbank had underlined
this information for occupants of the flat by assembling and placing
on its walls some Andersen memorabilia. Although we were living
in a minimuseum, it was not open to the general public.
As I sat at a beautifully modern, carefully crafted desk of Dan
ish deSign, I would look out the window to the other side of the