Marusia and the Fiend – A Russian Tale
Why, it was a treat to look at him! Marusia struck his fancy more than anyone else; so he stuck close to her. The fiend was ready to pounce.
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Old Fairy Tales
Hidesato, the Dragon King and the Giant Centipede
The Hidesato adventure begins at the Seta Bridge at Lake Biwa. There is a Shinto shrine there today where people worship the saviour of the Dragon King.
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Zhu and Liang – The Lovers Who Become Butterflies
The story of Zhu and Liang is one of China’s four great folktales. It is more a love story than a traditional fairy tale with no witches or step-parents.
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The Prince – The Wonderful Birch Part 2
Included in Andrew Lang’s The Red Fairy Book which was published in 1890 is a variant of the Cinderella story. The Wonderful
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The Wonderful Birch – Part 1
The Wonderful Birch is included in Andrew Lang’s The Red Fairy Book, which was published in 1890. It is a charming variant of the Cinderella story.
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Death’s Messengers – Waiting for Death to come
The Brothers Grimm collected and published some great fairy tales in their time. Some are less common. Here’s one about Death paying a visit.
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The Storks by Hans Christian Andersen
Sometimes you’d have to wonder about authors of children’s stories. The moral of Andersen’s “The Storks” is if you get bullied, deliver a dead baby!
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The Hobyahs – an Australian fairy tale
The Hobyahs is an Australian fairy tale collected by Mrs S V Proudfit in Perth, WA. It was included in More English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs.
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Curdken – The Goose Girl (Part 2)
In Part 1 of The Goose Girl, the princess’s faithful horse Falada is killed, but it appears he still has a role and so does her new friend, Curdken.
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Falada – The Goose Girl (Part 1)
The Goose Girl is the story is of a princess betrayed by her maid while she is on the journey to marry her prince, and the loyalty of her horse Falada.
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Porziella, the Flea and the Ogre – Giambattista Basile
When Porziella heard this her eyes grew dim, her face turned pale, her lips fell, her knees shook; in tears, she said, “What crime have I committed.”
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Nella and Her Sisters – Giambattista Basile
Nella was born to good luck, and I verily believe that at her birth all things conspired to bestow on her the best and choicest gifts in their power.
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The Princess – (The Shadow Part 3)
The shadow travels to a watering-place as planned. Deceit follows when they meet the princess, the princess the shadow wishes to marry.
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Return to the Learned Man (The Shadow Part 2)
After fleeing his owner, The Shadow returns to visit the learned man. He relates his travels and his wealth, and discloses his intention to marry.
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The Shadow by Hans Christian Andersen (Part 1)
The Shadow is one of Andersen’s darker fairy tales. The man in the tale is a good guy, but this is a tale without the usual “good guys always win” moral.
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