Family Folktales

A young prince on a quest and finds an unusual friend and true love — but will his brothers be happy for him?

Not that Snow White! Two sisters and their mother befriend a bear — or is it a bear?

A precursor to Frosty, this Slavic story is short and sweet.

Princes, ogres, and adventure — with just a touch of Rumpelstiltzkin!

After a king’s new queen changes her six stepsons into swans, their sister must endure arduous trials to restore them to their human forms. But when her own life is at risk due to the workings of her evil mother-in-law, will she be able to complete her quest?

In this classic tale from the Arabian Nights, a poor woodcutter discovers the hidden treasures of a band of robbers, survives great danger, and brings riches to his whole family — with some help from a clever servant.

A Finnish Tale from Andrew Lang’s Crimson Fairy Book.

A German tale from Andrew Lang's Green Fairy Book.

A man and his extraordinary companions work together to outwit a devious king in How Six Men Traveled Through the Wide World.

The Crow, an old tale from Poland, is quite similar to the French classic, Beauty and the Beast. This heroine, though, faces fear and isolation that her French counterpart never imagined!

Jealousy leads to magical transformations and transportations in The Story of the Queen of the Flowery Isles.

A prince finds his princess by mystical means in The Lovely Ilonka — but how will Ilonka clear up a case of mistaken identity?

A king loves his daughters too much in The Whirlwind, and it is up to three brothers to do what the king’s armies cannot.

The Goblin Pony is a cautionary tale from France. Would a story like this keep you inside on a windy night?

The Sunchild is based on a Greek tale about a woman who longs for a child. The Sun sends her a child, but what will happen when it is time for the girl to return to the Sun?

The Cunning Hare is a Native American story. A young hare surprises his grandmother by catching fish, but how can grandmother cook the fish with no fire?

What Came of Picking Flowers comes to us from Portugal. It’s a story of magic, transformation, deception, and family.

How the Wicked Tanuki was Punished is a Japanese tale about a wicked and selfish animal outsmarted by his own son.

The Husband of the Rat’s Daughter is a Japanese tale; it will be familiar to fans of Stonecutter, though the ending is not so harsh.

The Three Snake Leaves is another tale that comes to us from the Brothers Grimm. Surprising to many, this is a tale of revenge and death.

Spindle, Shuttle, and Needle is much like Cinderella – minus the evil stepmother and stepsisters! In this story collected by the Brothers Grimm, magic helps a girl win the love of a prince.