European Fairy Tales

This new English translation of Icelandic Fairy Tales marks the first time these stories have been translated from German to English, bringing Josef Calasanz Poestion’s celebrated 1884 collection to a new audience. Poestion’s dedication to capturing Iceland’s rugged beauty and mystical heritage shines in each tale, offering a window into a land shaped by glaciers, volcanic peaks, and an enduring love for storytelling. Within this collection, readers will meet a captivating range of characters central to Iceland’s folklore. Giants and giantesses stride through these pages, as noble ...

When Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published their Children's and Household Tales in 1812, followed by a second volume in 1815, they had no idea that such stories as "Rapunzel", "Hansel and Gretel", and "Cinderella" would become the most celebrated in the world. Yet few people today are familiar with the majority of tales from the two early volumes, since in the next four decades the Grimms would publish six other editions, each extensively revised in content and style.

Quote from Albert Einstein: 'If you want your children to be smart, read them Fairy Tales. If you want them to be smarter, read them more Fairy Tales. Once upon a time... hundred's of years ago... many fairy tales were published throughout Germany and Europe... most notably by the Brother's Grimm, whose stories like Snow White, and Cinderella, are well known all over the world. However, many other authors also published their fascinating Fairy Tales during that time, with many of their stories never reaching the USA...they have remained buried on book shelves in old castles amid the fog of ...

In this audio story based on Tinker Bell: Secret of the Wings, Tinker Bell meets a winter fairy named Periwinkle and together they explore the mysterious winter woods! Listen along as they discover a secret about why their wings sparkle and glow!

Quote from Albert Einstein: 'If you want your children to be smart, read them Fairy Tales. If you want them to be smarter, read them more Fairy Tales. Once upon a time... hundred's of years ago... many fairy tales were published throughout Germany and Europe... most notably by the Brother's Grimm, whose stories like Snow White, and Cinderella, are well known all over the world. However, many other authors also published their fascinating Fairy Tales during that time with many of their stories never reaching the USA...they have remained buried on book shelves, in old castles, amid the fog of...

George MacDonald, described by W.H. Auden as "one of the most remarkable writers of the 19th century", was valued in his own time as an original thinker and spiritual guide. Of all his writing, it is the fairy tales that have retained their fascination, and this collection includes all 11 stories. The fairy tales feature the stock characters of traditional tales—fairies both good and bad, and children undertaking precarious journeys. Often adopting paradox and nonsense as Lewis Carroll did, the stories invite adults to deploy the same open-mindedness as children.

Fearless optimist Anna sets off on an epic journey—teaming up with rugged mountain man Kristoff and his loyal reindeer Sven—to find her sister Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. Encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls, and a hilarious snowman named Olaf, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom.

Vampirina is excited to run for Class President! She has all kinds of event ideas like a Haunted House fundraiser and a Poltergeist Pizza night. But can she scare up enough votes to win?

While fairy tales were not originally intended for children, they have become a staple of children's literature since the early 19th century. Here is a collection of English fairy tales, including many stories you will remember from childhood.

Mickey and friends star in this adaptation of Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper. During a chance encounter, a prince discovers he looks just like someone else—a poor and hungry subject named Mickey. When the prince asks Mickey to switch places with him for the day, each learns what it is like to walk in the other’s shoes.

Cinderella shows a young schoolgirl that there is much more to being a princess than parties and fancy clothes. Listen along as Cinderella teaches a young girl what it truly means to be a princess.

Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author and poet. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, Andersen is best remembered for his fairy tales, a literary genre he so mastered that he himself has become as mythical as the tales he wrote. Andersen's popularity is not limited to children; his stories — called eventyrs, or "fantastic tales" — express themes that transcend age and nationality.

When a selfish prince is cursed to live as a hideous beast, he begins to lose hope for himself and his enchanted staff. That is until Belle, a smart, brave young woman with a caring heart, enters their lives. Listen along as a different sort of enchantment sparks and beauty is found within.

One night, Geppetto the wood carver made a wish. He wished his puppet Pinocchio were a real boy! When the Blue Fairy brings Pinocchio to life, she tells the puppet he can become a real boy if he proves himself brave, truthful, and unselfish. Listen along as Pinocchio embarks on a journey of a lifetime!

Arthur Ransome (1884-1967) wrote Old Peter's Russian Tales while he was in Russia during the First World War, prior to becoming a war correspondent for The Manchester Guardian. There are 22 stories in all and are told by Old Peter at the behest of his grandchildren, Ivan and Maroosia, in a cozy log cabin in the middle of the forest. These are delightful re-tellings in Ransome's own words of Russian folk tales, and include stories such as "The Little Snow Girl", "Baba Yaga", "Frost", and "Salt".

Magic and myth inhabit these chapters in figures both familiar and strange. Giant trolls and talking animals are everywhere. The winds take human form. A one-eyed old woman might seem reminiscent of the Norse god Odin. We meet sly aunts, resourceful princesses, and devious robbers. These stories, set in Norway's majestic landscape of towering mountains and dense forests, are filled with humor, mischief, and sometimes surprisingly cruel twists of fate. All are rendered in the deceptively simple narrative style perfected by Asbjørnsen and Moe.

Alexander Sergeyevich was a Russian poet, playwright, and novelist of the Romantic era. He is considered by many to be the greatest Russian poet, as well as the founder of modern Russian literature.

Grimms' Fairy Tales (Volume 3) is a German collection of fairy tales by the Grimm brothers or "Brothers Grimm", Jacob and Wilhelm, first published on 20 December 1812. Contents: Mother Holle / Little Red-Cap / The Robber Bridegroom / Tom Thumb / Rumpelstiltskin / Clever Gretel / The Old Man and His Grandson / The Little Peasant / Frederick and Catherine / Sweetheart Roland

Celtic mythology, Arthurian romance, and an intriguing interpretation of British history - these are just some of the themes embraced by the anonymous authors of the eleven tales that make up the Welsh medieval masterpiece known as The Mabinogion. They tell of Gwydion the shape-shifter, who can create a woman out of flowers; of Math the magician whose feet must lie in the lap of a virgin; of hanging a pregnant mouse and hunting a magical boar.

Hans Christian Andersen was the profoundly imaginative writer and storyteller who revolutionized literature for children. He gave us the now standard versions of some traditional fairy tales—with an anarchic twist—but many of his most famous tales sprang directly from his imagination. The 30 stories here range from exuberant early works such as "The Tinderbox" and "The Emperor's New Clothes" through poignant masterpieces such as "The Little Mermaid" and "The Ugly Duckling", to more subversive later tales such as "The Ice Maiden" and "The Wood Nymph".