Reading time: 20-30 minutes

23 stories

Ball-Carrier and the Bad One

The witch's plan was a very simple one, and had never yet failed. When she wanted a child she just flung her ball in the direction of the child's home, and however far off it might be, the ball was sure to reach it. Then the ball would begin rolling slowly back to the witch, so that the kid always thought that he could catch it the next minute.

North AmericaNative American Tribes

Donkey-Skin

By

The young Princess threw herself at the feet of the King her father and conjured him not to constrain her to consent to his unnatural desire.

EuropeFrance

East o’ the Sun and West o’ the Moon

By and

The lassie set out on her way, and walked many, many days, till she came to a lofty rock. Under it sat an old hag, and played with a gold apple which she tossed about.

EuropeNorway

Filagranata

By

‘I know nothing about forgiveness,’ replied the witch. ‘You have eaten my parsley, and must take the consequences; and the consequences are these: I must be godmother to your first child; be it boy or girl, it must belong to me.’

EuropeItaly

Goody Two‑Shoes

Her father was a very respectable farmer but misfortunes and persecutions ruined this worthy man, and was the source of all poor Margery’s troubles.

EuropeEngland

Ivan Tsarevich, the Fire‑Bird, and the Gray Wolf

By

Tsar Vwislav had one favorite apple-tree, and on that tree grew apples all golden. The Fire-bird used to sit on the favorite apple-tree, pluck from it golden apples, and then fly away.

EuropeRussia

Jack the Giant-Killer

He went up boldly, and knocked loudly at the gate; when, to his great terror and surprise, there came forth a monstrous giant with two heads.

EuropeEngland

Little Thumb

By

There came a very bad year, and the famine was so great that these poor people resolved to rid themselves of their children.

EuropeFrance

The Gallant Tailor

By

There sat some giants by the fire, and each had a roasted sheep in his hand. The little tailor looked round and thought, ‘There is more elbow-room here than in my workshop.’

EuropeGermany

The Happy Prince

By

‘Far away,’ continued the statue, ‘far away in a little street there is a poor house. In a bed in the corner of the room a little boy is lying ill.’

EuropeIreland

The Hind in the Wood

By

The Hind instantly fled, but as she was crossing a path, Prince Guerrier lodged an arrow in her leg, when her strength failed her, and she fell.

EuropeEngland

The Juniper Tree

By

The woman felt great terror, and wondered how she could escape the blame. So that nothing should be seen, she set the boy on a chair before the door with the apple in his hand.

EuropeGermany

The Mad Pranks of Robin Goodfellow

By

When Robin was grown to six years of age, he was so knavish that all the neighbours did complain of him; for no sooner was his mother’s back turned, but he was in one knavish action or another.

EuropeCeltic Peoples

The Maiden Without Hands

By

The wizard flew into a rage, and said, ‘Chop her hands off, otherwise I cannot touch her.’ The miller was terrified, and exclaimed, ‘How can I cut off the hands of my own child?’

EuropeGermany

The Nightingale

By

Travellers came to the City of the Emperor and admired it, and the Palace and the Garden, but when they heard the song of the Nightingale, they said: ‘That is the best of all!’

EuropeDenmark

The Peony Lantern

By

Hagiwara faltered not at all. He looked neither to the right nor to the left. Straight forward he went, for he said to himself, ‘All roads lead past my love's house.’

East AsiaJapan

The Prince and the Eagle

By

The young Prince continued to fall and fall for ever so long until instead of descending with a bump at the bottom, he stepped gently onto dry land, and found himself in what the Macedonians call the Nether World.

EuropeGreece

The Sea King and the Magic Jewels

By

Prince Fire Fade spoke to his elder brother, Prince Fire Flash, and said, ‘Brother, I am aweary of the green hills. Therefore let us now exchange our luck.’

East AsiaJapan

The Seven Sheepfolds

By

Then, as Bebeck rounded the crag, he beheld a dark opening, within which he could hear a dreadful snarling and barking going on.

EuropeHungary

The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods

By

The Princess had no sooner taken the spindle than it ran into her hand, and she fell down in a swoon.

EuropeFrance

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