▁when ▁one ' s ▁sweet heart ▁has ▁been ▁so aking ▁in ▁a ▁g utter ▁for ▁five ▁years . ▁You ▁don ' t ▁even ▁recognize ▁her ▁when ▁you ▁meet ▁her ▁in ▁a ▁dust bin ." ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁" The ▁S weet he arts " ▁is ▁original ▁with ▁Anders en ▁and ▁ow es ▁no ▁deb t ▁to ▁traditional ▁folk ▁or ▁fair y ▁material . ▁The ▁tale ' s ▁insp iration ▁is ▁likely ▁found ▁in ▁Anders en ’ s ▁relationship ▁with ▁Rib org ▁Vo ight , ▁the ▁daughter ▁of ▁a ▁Dan ish ▁merchant ▁who ▁decl ined ▁his ▁marriage ▁proposal ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 0 . ▁Following ▁her ▁re jection , ▁Anders en ▁sli pped ▁into ▁a ▁deep ▁de pression . ▁ ▁He ▁question ed ▁both ▁his ▁art istic ▁ab ilities ▁and ▁his ▁sexual ity . ▁He ▁needed ▁to ▁get ▁away ▁from ▁Den mark ▁and ▁planned ▁a ▁trip ▁to ▁Germany ▁– ▁his ▁first ▁exc urs ion ▁abroad . ▁Anders en ▁met ▁Vo ight ▁again ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 3 ▁while ▁on ▁hol iday ▁on ▁Fun en ▁and ▁discovered ▁she ▁had ▁become ▁a ▁fr um py , ▁middle - aged ▁mat ron . ▁ ▁Public ation ▁history ▁▁ ▁" The ▁S weet he arts " ▁was ▁third ▁in ▁a ▁volume ▁of ▁four ▁tales ▁that ▁consisted ▁of ▁" The ▁Angel ", ▁" The ▁Night ing ale ", ▁and ▁" The ▁U gly ▁D uck ling " ▁as ▁the ▁final ▁tale . ▁The ▁volume ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁C open hagen ▁on ▁ 1 1   Nov ember