Asbjørnsen, Peter Christen, << AHS byurn suhn, PAY tuhr KRIHS tuhn >> (1812-1885), was a collector of Norwegian folk tales and a naturalist. He won fame for his work with Jørgen Moe in immortalizing the tales told by the people of Norway. Their collection, Norwegian Folk Tales (1842-1844), became a classic of Norwegian and world literature. It includes such diverse stories as “The Three Billy Goats Gruff,” “Mastermaid,” and “Little Per and Big Per.”
Asbjørnsen was born on Jan. 15, 1812, in Christiania (now Oslo). He explored the coasts of Norway, and made important contributions to botany and zoology. He died on Jan. 5, 1885.
