Kids Bedtime Fairy Tales and Stories

Lazy Heinz is a humorous Grimm fairy tale about a boy so lazy that he avoids even the simplest tasks. His parents grow frustrated with his idleness and try to motivate him, but Heinz always finds a way to do less. When he's sent to work, he either misunderstands instructions or takes shortcuts that lead to absurd results—like carrying milk in his pocket or dragging a goat on a leash over his shoul...

Rumpelstiltskin is a fairy tale about a poor miller who boasts to the king that his daughter can spin straw into gold. The greedy king locks her in a room and demands she do so—or be executed. A strange little man appears and offers to help in exchange for her belongings. On the third night, she has nothing left, so he makes her promise to give him her firstborn child. Years later, when the queen...

The Goose-Girl at the Well is a lesser-known Grimm fairy tale about a kind and beautiful girl with magical golden hair, who works for an old woman herding geese. Though she lives humbly, the girl has a noble presence and often weeps beside a well. A curious young king notices her and becomes intrigued by her sadness and grace. He eventually learns that she is a true princess, hiding from sorrow an...

Thumbling (also known as Tom Thumb) is a fairy tale about a tiny boy no bigger than a thumb, born to a poor peasant couple who had long wished for a child. Though small, Thumbling is clever and brave. He dreams of seeing the world and proves that size doesn't determine strength or courage. He has many adventures—riding in a horse’s ear, being swallowed by a cow, then by a wolf, and outwitting thie...

The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs is a fairy tale about a boy born with a lucky mark, destined to marry the king’s daughter. The jealous king tries to stop this fate by sending the boy on dangerous missions. First, he puts the boy in a box and sends him downriver, but he’s rescued and raised by a kind couple. When the boy grows up and the prophecy is revealed again, the king sends him to fetch...

The Singing, Springing Lark is a fairy tale about a merchant who asks his three daughters what gifts they’d like. The youngest asks for a singing, springing lark. On his journey, the merchant finds one, but it belongs to a fierce lion. The lion agrees to give the bird if the merchant sends him the first thing that greets him at home—unfortunately, it’s his youngest daughter. Brave and loving, the...

The Shoemaker and the Elves is a heartwarming fairy tale about a poor but kind shoemaker who has just enough leather to make one last pair of shoes. He cuts the pieces and leaves them overnight. In the morning, he finds a beautifully finished pair of shoes, which quickly sell for a high price. Each night, he leaves out more leather, and each morning, perfect shoes appear. Curious, he and his wife...

The Twelve Dancing Princesses is a fairy tale about a king who is puzzled by his twelve daughters’ worn-out shoes every morning, though they are locked in their room each night. He offers a reward to anyone who can uncover their secret. Many fail until a clever soldier, aided by an invisibility cloak and advice from an old woman, takes the challenge. He follows the princesses secretly and discover...

The Crystal Ball is a fairy tale about three brothers. The eldest two are turned to stone by an evil enchantress after setting out to find a cure for a cursed princess. The youngest brother, kind and clever, sets off to rescue them. On his journey, he helps animals in need—a raven, a fish, and a wolf—who later repay him. He reaches the enchanted castle where the princess lies asleep and learns he...

Sweet Porridge is a short fairy tale about a poor but kind girl who lives with her mother. One day, she meets an old woman who gives her a magical pot that cooks sweet porridge when told, “Cook, little pot, cook,” and stops when told, “Stop, little pot.” The girl and her mother are no longer hungry. One day, while the girl is away, her mother uses the pot but forgets the words to stop it. The porr...

The Bremen Town Musicians is a fairy tale about four aging animals—a donkey, a dog, a cat, and a rooster—who are no longer useful to their masters. They decide to run away and become musicians in the town of Bremen. On their journey, they find a cottage occupied by robbers. To scare them off, the animals stack themselves up and make a loud, frightening noise. The robbers flee, thinking a monster h...

The Brave Little Tailor is a fairy tale about a clever tailor who kills seven flies with one blow and proudly stitches "Seven at one blow" on his belt. People mistake this for seven men, and the tailor uses the misunderstanding to his advantage. He sets off to seek fortune, outwitting giants, capturing dangerous beasts, and completing impossible tasks through clever tricks rather than brute streng...

The Fisherman and His Wife is a fairy tale about a poor fisherman who catches a magical talking fish. The fish begs to be released, and the kind fisherman lets it go. When he tells his wife, she demands he ask the fish for a wish—to live in a nicer house. The fish grants it. But the wife’s greed grows. She demands to be queen, then empress, and finally wants to be God. Each time, the fish grants t...

Little Red Riding Hood is a classic fairy tale about a sweet girl who wears a red cloak. One day, she sets out to visit her sick grandmother, carrying a basket of food. Her mother warns her not to talk to strangers, but on the way, she meets a cunning wolf. The wolf tricks her into revealing where she’s going, then races ahead, eats the grandmother, and disguises himself in her bed. When Little Re...

Mother Hulda is a fairy tale about a kind, hardworking girl who falls into a well while trying to retrieve her spindle. She wakes in a magical land and begins working for Mother Hulda, a wise old woman. The girl is diligent and caring, shaking out Hulda’s feather bed so snow falls on Earth. When she wishes to return home, Mother Hulda rewards her with a shower of gold. Later, the girl’s lazy steps...

The Three Spinners is a fairy tale about a lazy girl who hates spinning. Her mother, embarrassed by her idleness, lies to the queen, claiming the girl is a tireless spinner. Impressed, the queen takes the girl to the castle, promising marriage to her son if she spins three rooms full of flax. The girl despairs, but three strange women with deformed features—caused by years of spinning—appear and o...

The Three Little Men in the Woods is a fairy tale about a kind, hardworking girl mistreated by her cruel stepmother and stepsister. One winter day, the stepmother sends her into the forest to gather strawberries, hoping she will freeze. The girl shares her meager food with three little men living in a cottage and sweeps their home. Grateful, they bless her with beauty, the ability to drop gold coi...

The Twelve Brothers is a fairy tale about a king who has twelve sons. When his wife becomes pregnant again, the king declares that if the child is a girl, the twelve boys must die so she can inherit the kingdom alone. Hearing this, the queen warns her sons, and they flee to the forest. Years later, their sister, who had been born after they left, discovers the truth and goes to find them. Reunited...

The Wolf and the Seven Young Kids is a classic fairy tale about a mother goat and her seven children. Before leaving home, she warns them not to open the door to strangers, especially the wicked wolf. The cunning wolf tries to trick them by disguising his voice and appearance. After several failed attempts, he finally deceives the kids and enters the house, swallowing six of them whole. The younge...

The Frog King, also known as The Frog Prince, is a fairy tale about a young princess who loses her golden ball in a well. A talking frog offers to retrieve it if she promises to be his friend. She agrees but breaks her promise once she has the ball. Later, the frog comes to the palace, reminding her of her vow. Reluctantly, she lets him eat with her and sleep beside her. When she finally shows kin...

Hercules, a demigod son of Zeus, is forced to complete twelve heroic labors as punishment after being driven mad by Hera and harming his family. These labors include slaying the Nemean Lion, killing the Hydra, capturing the Golden Hind and Erymanthian Boar, cleaning the Augean Stables, defeating the Stymphalian Birds, capturing the Cretan Bull, stealing the Mares of Diomedes and Hippolyta’s girdle...

The Wizard of Oz is a magical story about Dorothy, a young girl swept away from Kansas by a tornado to the land of Oz. To return home, she must find the Wizard in the Emerald City. Along the way, she befriends a Scarecrow who wants a brain, a Tin Man who desires a heart, and a Cowardly Lion seeking courage. Together, they face challenges and defeat the Wicked Witch. When they meet the Wizard, they...

Hansel and Gretel is a dark fairy tale about a brother and sister abandoned in a forest by their poor parents. Clever Hansel leaves a trail of breadcrumbs, but birds eat them, and the siblings become lost. They find a house made of candy and begin eating it, unaware it's a trap set by a wicked witch who lures children to eat them. She captures them, planning to fatten Hansel and cook him. Gretel o...

Jack and the Beanstalk is a classic fairy tale about a poor boy named Jack who trades his family’s cow for magic beans. His mother angrily throws them out, but overnight they grow into a giant beanstalk reaching the sky. Jack climbs it and discovers a castle owned by a fearsome giant. Inside, he finds treasures like a magic harp and a hen that lays golden eggs. Each time Jack visits, he steals som...

Rapunzel is a fairy tale about a girl with long, magical golden hair, locked in a tower by a wicked enchantress. Taken from her parents as a baby, Rapunzel grows up isolated, with only the enchantress visiting by climbing her hair. One day, a prince hears her singing and climbs the tower. They fall in love and plan to escape. When the enchantress finds out, she banishes Rapunzel and blinds the pri...