A young Hans Christian Andersen goes in search of knowledge in the Garden of Paradise in order to make his studies easier. Each time he falls asleep, he experiences in his dreams the different characters he would later write about in fairy tales including The Little Mermaid, Thumbelina, and The Emperor's New Clothes.
Paul O'Keefe
as Chris
Jack Gilford
as Papa Andersen
Margaret Hamilton
as Mrs. Klopplebobbler
Ray Bolger
as The Pieman
Robert Harter
as Big Claus
Tallulah Bankhead
as The Sea Witch (voice)
Victor Borge
as Zenith, the Second Tailor (voice)
Patty Duke
as Thumbelina (voice)
Sessue Hayakawa
as The Mole (voice)
Burl Ives
as Father Neptune (voice)
Boris Karloff
as The Rat (voice)
Hayley Mills
as The Little Mermaid (voice)
