The Pen and the Inkstand

The story opens with a conversation between an inkstand and a pen in a poet’s room. The inkstand believes that all the wonderful things said by the poet are because of it, as the poet dips his pen into the ink before writing. However, the pen claims that it is because of the pen that people can write words, while the inkstand only serves as a source of fluid. How accurate are the thoughts of the pen and the inkstand? What message is Hans Christian Andersen trying to convey through this story? Read it to find out how their conversation continues and what deeper meaning lies beneath.