Stories For 8 Year Olds | Ririro | Imagination over knowledge

Welcome to the Top 89 Stories for 8-Year-Olds, an amazing online collection of the best bedtime stories catered especially for children who love to read. This fantastic resource offers a wide variety of free, downloadable, printable PDF stories designed to provide hours of fun, learning and entertainment. These educational tales range from short stories and classic fairy tales, to longer, more engaging narratives that capture the attention of both girls and boys. These stories for kids are accompanied by beautiful pictures and easy-to-understand language perfect for early years, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary students, as well as toddlers and those in the EYFS curriculum.

The Top 89 Stories for 8-Year-Olds make storytime an engaging and memorable experience for children. By providing a fun way for kids to improve their English reading and comprehension skills, each story encourages a love for reading that can last a lifetime. Our diverse collection includes famous read-aloud tales, good moral stories, and exciting adventures that are perfect for night-time or any time of day. We even offer audio versions, so children can listen and enjoy the stories even when they’re not yet ready to read on their own. No matter where your child may be in their learning journey, these captivating stories make an ideal resource for any child looking to take a break, be entertained, or fall asleep soundly at bedtime.

Top 89 Stories For 8 Year Olds for kids to read online:

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves: The story is about two brothers, Kassim and Ali Baba. Ali Baba sees a group of robbers hiding treasure in a cave, and discovers the password to open the cave. He takes some of the treasure home, but his secret is eventually revealed to his jealous brother Kassim. Kassim goes to the cave alone and is killed by the robbers. The robbers try to find Ali Baba and kill him, but Morgiana, a maid, cleverly kills the robbers instead. Ali Baba is grateful and allows her to marry his son. The family lives happily ever after and the secret of the cave is passed down from generation to generation.
Brother and Sister: In this story, a brother and sister run away from their cruel stepmother and end up in a forest where the brother drinks from enchanted springs and turns into an animal. The sister ties a golden ribbon around his neck and takes care of him, and they find an empty house to live in. The king of the country discovers the brother and falls in love with the sister, and they all live happily in the castle until the evil stepmother tries to kill the sister. The witch is burned at the stake, and the brother turns back into a human.
King Trushbeard: The story is about a beautiful princess who is also arrogant and ridicules every man who wants to marry her. As punishment, her father marries her off to a beggar musician who takes her to a tiny house in poverty. The princess learns to live without servants, sell pots and pans, and work as a kitchen maid. Later, she attends a ball at the king’s castle where she meets King Thrushbeard, the musician who married her. He reveals himself to be the one who broke her pots and punished her for her arrogance. He comforts her, gives her beautiful clothes, and they have a real wedding. The princess learns to be humble and never makes fun of anyone again.
One Eye, Two Eyes and Three Eyes: The story is about a girl named Two Eyes, who was mistreated by her mother and sisters because she looked like everyone else, unlike her sisters. A wise woman gave her a goat that magically provided her with food, but her jealous sisters found out and had the goat killed. Two Eyes buried the goat and a beautiful tree grew from its burial spot. The tree had magical golden apples that only Two Eyes could pick, and a knight took notice of her and took her to his castle where they got married. The tree followed Two Eyes to the castle, and she forgave her sisters and shared her riches with them.
Rumpelstiltskin: The story is about a poor miller’s daughter who is tasked by the king to spin straw into gold. She cannot do it, but with the help of a magical little man, she spins it into gold in exchange for the necklace, the ring and a promise to give the little man her first child. When the queen gives birth to a baby, the little man returns to claim the child, but the queen must guess his name within three days to keep the baby. She eventually discovers his name is Rumpelstiltskin, and he disappears in anger when she correctly guesses.
The Queen Bee: The story is about three brothers who find themselves in a castle where they must complete three tasks in order to save the princess and break a curse. The tasks include finding all of the princess’s pearls, retrieving a key from the lake, and identifying the correct sleeping princess to wake up. Despite being ridiculed by his brothers for being too simple-minded, the youngest brother’s kindness towards ants, ducks, and bees helps him in completing the tasks and winning the princess’s hand in marriage.
The Town Musicians of Bremen: The story is about an old donkey tired of working for a miller who meets an old dog, cat, and rooster on his way to Bremen to make music. After scaring off robbers, they decide to stay in a cottage and not go to Bremen. The animals lived happily together ever after. An ebook version of the story is available for download.
Riquet with the Tuft: This story is about a young prince named Riquet with the Tuft who is born very ugly, but has a good personality and is intelligent. He is given a gift by a fairy that allows him to make the person he loves the most as smart as him. In a neighbouring kingdom, a queen has twins: the first-born is beautiful but dumb, while the other is ugly but highly intelligent. With the help of Riquet and his gift, the intelligent princess becomes clever by marrying him. The story’s theme revolves around inner beauty, gift-giving, and the idea that physical appearance is not everything.
Bluebeard: A wealthy man with a blue beard desperately wants to marry one of his neighbours, despite being previously married and having a reputation for his wives disappearing under mysterious circumstances. He invites his neighbours to stay in one of his mansions for a week, and they have a great time. The youngest neighbour agrees to marry him, but then he has to go away on business for six weeks. He gives her the keys to everything but forbids her from entering one specific room. Curiosity gets the best of her, and she finds the bodies of his previous wives. When Bluebeard returns and finds out, he almost kills her, but her brothers arrive and kill him first. She inherits everything and marries a nice man who helps her forget her past.
Cinderella: This is the story of Cinderella, a kind and beautiful girl who was mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters after her mother died. With the help of a magic hazel tree and a little white bird, she was able to attend the prince’s ball and dance with him on three consecutive nights. She had to run away quickly each time, but on the last night, she left behind a glass slipper. The prince searched for her with the slipper and eventually found Cinderella. They got married and lived happily ever after. An ebook version of the story is available for download.
Pippo: An old beggar with two sons gave his eldest a sieve and his youngest a cat before he was sent to prison for debt. The eldest made money with the sieve while the youngest was initially unimpressed with the cat. However, the cat stole fish and brought it to the king, claiming it was a gift from the youngest son. The king wanted to meet the son and invited him to the palace, but the son had no clothes, so the cat got the king to send clothes and food to the son. The king then sent servants with the cat to find out how much wealth the son had, and the cat told everyone they met that everything belonged to the son. The king then promised the cat a big reward if it could arrange a wedding between his daughter and the son, and the cat succeeded. The king paid for the wedding and gave the son a big dowry, which he used to buy land in Lombardy. However, he soon forgot about the cat’s role in his success, and when the cat departed, the son was left alone.
Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp: A poor boy named Aladdin is tricked by a wizard who claims to be his uncle and is given a special ring to protect him. The wizard uses Aladdin to retrieve a magical lamp, but when the boy realizes the wizard’s true intentions and refuses to give up the lamp, he is trapped in a cave. Aladdin discovers the lamp contains a powerful genie who helps him escape. With his newfound riches and power, Aladdin falls in love with the daughter of the sultan, but a jealous minister attempts to ruin their relationship. Aladdin uses the genie to protect his love and build a palace, but an evil wizard steals the lamp and the palace. Aladdin and his wife manage to get the lamp back and defeat the wizard, living happily ever after.
Rapunzel: The story is about a man and a woman who live next door to a wicked witch. The woman craves the witch’s delicious rapunzels during her pregnancy, and the man secretly goes to pick some. But the witch catches him and demands their firstborn child as payment. When their daughter is born, the witch takes her to live in a high tower and uses Rapunzel’s hair to climb up to visit her. Years later, a prince hears Rapunzel singing and visits her every night, until the witch discovers their secret and cuts Rapunzel’s hair. The prince is blinded by the witch’s spell and wanders the woods until he hears Rapunzel’s voice again. They reunite, break the spell, and live happily ever after with their twins. The story is available for download as an ebook (PDF).
The Three Princes And The Princess Nouronnihar: In this story, a sultan has three sons and a niece who is the most beautiful and sweetest of all the princesses. When the princess reaches the age of marriage, all three princes want to marry her. The sultan sends them to a faraway country and whoever comes back with the most special thing, shall marry the princess. Each prince acquires a different unique item – a flying rug, an ivory tube, and a plastic apple with healing powers. They use their items to save the princess’s life, but the sultan still needs to choose which son will marry her. He decides to hold a competition where each son must shoot an arrow the furthest distance, and the winner will marry the princess. The son who shot the furthest is chosen, and the wedding is celebrated with much splendor.
Little Claus and Big Claus: In this story, two men with the same name, Big Claus and Little Claus, lived in a village. Big Claus had four horses, and Little Claus had only one, which he pretended was four horses to impress others. Jealous, Big Claus beat Little Claus’s horse to death. Little Claus sold the horse’s skin in the town and stayed in a barn where he tricked the farmer into thinking a bag with the horsehide in it was a magician, and a coffin with the sexton in it was the devil. The farmer gave him a lot of money for it. On the way back, Little Claus passed by Big Claus’s house, who, after finding out what had happened, tried to kill Little Claus. Big Claus ended up in the river as Little Claus tricked him into thinking the bag would bring him water cattle instead of drowning. Finally, Little Claus was happy and rich with his new possessions.
The Little Match Girl: The story is about a little girl who tries to sell matches on a freezing cold New Year’s Eve, but doesn’t succeed. To keep warm, she lights matches and sees visions of a warm stove, a delicious meal, a Christmas tree, and her deceased grandmother. However, when she lights all the matches she sees her grandmother who takes her with her to heaven. The next morning, the girl is found frozen to death, but unknown to anyone, she and her grandmother started the new year in heaven.
The Little Mermaid: This is the story of a mermaid who dreams of the world above the water and falls in love with a prince. When his ship sinks during a storm, she rescues him and takes care of him on the shore. Desperate to be with the prince and become human, she makes a deal with a sea witch to trade her voice for legs, but every step she takes will feel like stepping on a knife. She wins the prince’s affection, but he falls in love with another and the mermaid must face the consequences. In the end, she becomes a daughter of the air and tries to win an immortal soul by doing good deeds for 300 years.
The Loveliest Rose in the World: A powerful queen is on her deathbed, and a wise man claims that the only way she can be saved is by receiving the loveliest rose in the world. People from all over the country bring their roses, but none are the right one. A young mother says that the loveliest rose blooms on the cheeks of her baby girl, but that it’s still not the right one. A woman says that the loveliest rose she’s seen was the sad expression on the queen’s face as she carried her sick child while praying for her. An old bishop claims to have seen the most beautiful rose before God’s altar, while another person talks about the rose of sorrow, and another about the rose of true love. Suddenly, the queen’s young son enters the room with a big book and reads a story of someone who was nailed to the cross, and who redeemed people of their mishaps, an act of true love. After hearing the story, the queen sees the most beautiful rose in the world and her cheeks turn the color of roses, and her eyes begin to shine.
The Nightingale: The story is about an Emperor in China who discovers a nightingale in his garden with a beautiful singing voice. The Emperor becomes so enamored by the nightingale’s music that he demands it sing for him every evening. Later, the Emperor receives a golden bird which he prefers over the nightingale until it breaks down and can no longer produce music. The nightingale returns, singing to heal the Emperor, and they form a secret bond. Through the nightingale’s singing, the Emperor learns about his country and strives to become a better ruler. There is an ebook available for download.
The Red Shoes: The story is about a poor girl named Karen who, after her mother’s death, is given a beautiful pair of red shoes by Mrs. Shoemaker. She is later adopted by an old rich lady and given new clothes, but the red shoes are thrown away. Karen sees beautiful red shoes on a princess and, as an adult, buys similar ones against her adopted mother’s wishes. Karen is overcome with the desire to dance and cannot stop, even kicking the old lady. She runs away and the shoes force her to dance until she begs for help from the executioner. He chops the shoes off and makes wooden feet for her. Karen returns to a good and quiet life, never again seeking pretty clothes.
The Snow Queen: Once upon a time, an evil troll created a magic mirror that made everything appear ugly and bad. When the mirror broke, its shards caused anyone who got a splinter in their eyes to see the bad things and their heart to turn into ice. The story follows Kay and Gerda – two children who played together every day. One day Kay gets a shard in his eye, and heart and disappears. Gerda goes on a journey to find him, but he is trapped in the castle of the Snow Queen. Gerda rescues Kay and thaws his frozen heart, and they return home as grown-ups.
The Thorny Road of Honour: This story is about great people who did amazing things, but often faced ridicule, bullying, and imprisonment. It highlights the path of honor as a difficult but rewarding way of life, and celebrates the legacy of those who persisted despite the obstacles. The story features examples such as Socrates, Ferdowsi, Salamon de Caus, and Joan of Arc. Despite encountering challenges during their lifetimes, these individuals ultimately achieved recognition and fame for their accomplishments. The story concludes by encouraging readers to emulate their bravery and perseverance.
The Tinderbox: The story is about a soldier who meets a witch in a hollow tree who promises him wealth if he retrieves her tinderbox. The soldier finds riches protected by dogs in the tree, but the witch wants her tinderbox back. The soldier kills the witch, but he struggles to maintain his wealth until he finds that the tinderbox can summon the dogs who bring him riches. He falls in love with a princess locked in a castle, and the dogs help him get to her. However, the king and queen imprison him, and the soldier uses the dogs to defeat them. He marries the princess and becomes king, and the dogs attend their wedding feast.
The Travelling Companion: The story is about a boy named Johannes who embarks on a journey after the death of his father. He meets a strange travelling companion who helps him marry a beautiful princess, but with a twisted story of debt. The travelling companion is later revealed to be the dead man whose debt Johannes paid to evil men. In the end, the princess falls in love with Johannes and they live happily ever after.
The Wild Swans: The story is about a king with his 11 sons and daughter, Elize. After the king marries an evil queen, Elize is sent away to a farm and the princes are cursed to become wild swans by the queen. When Elize returns to the castle, the queen sends her away again, and Elize sets out to find her brothers. She learns about the curse from an old woman, who tells her to make jumpers out of nettles to break the curse. Elize works hard to make the jumpers while avoiding suspicion from the king, who falls in love with her. Eventually, Elize completes the jumpers and saves her brothers just in time before her execution. The king realizes his mistake and embraces Elize and her brothers.
Prince Darling: A good-hearted king is visited by a fairy who grants him one wish for his son. The king asks for kindness, but the fairy explains that his son must strive to be good himself. After the king’s death, the fairy gives his son a ring that pricks him every time he misbehaves, but he soon throws it away and becomes a cruel ruler. When he falls in love with Zelie, a poor girl, he tries to force her to marry him, but she escapes with the help of a wise councilman. The fairy then transforms the prince into different animals, from a lion to a dog, until he proves himself through good deeds. Eventually, he helps to save Zelie and they rule together as kind rulers. The ring hardly ever pricks him again, and they live happily ever after.
The Happy Prince: In this story, a little swallow encounters a golden statue of a prince with tears in his eyes who, after explaining to the swallow that he sees the suffering that he never knew existed while he was alive, asks it to deliver parts of his body—a ruby and sapphire—to help those in need. The swallow eventually gives and loses everything, growing to love the prince in the process. After the swallow dies, God rewards their selflessness by bringing them to paradise. An ebook is available for download.
Father Frost: In this story, the protagonist Natasha is mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters who make her do all the work. Her father is unable to intervene until the stepmother decides to marry her off to Father Frost. Natasha waits in the forest and meets Father Frost who rewards her kindness with beautiful clothes and gems. Her stepsisters try the same scheme but are unkind to Father Frost, so they are left to freeze. Natasha ends up finding a good man to marry and lives happily ever after.
Sinbad the Sailor: In this story, Sinbad the Porter, a hardworking man, complains about the unfairness of life when he takes a break at a rich merchant’s house. The host turns out to be Sinbad the Sailor, who tells the Porter the story of his seven travels filled with adventure and hardship. Over the course of a week, the Sailor invites the Porter over to hear the stories, and upon leaving each time, the Porter receives a large amount of gold. The tale teaches that wealth and success don’t come easily and to be grateful for what one has.
The Adventures of Florian: This is a story of a girl named Isabella who, after the death of her father, dresses as a boy and works for a wizard in a castle inhabited by demons. Upon leaving, the wizard gifts her with a magical necklace, key, and sphere. Isabella finds a job at the royal couple’s palace and accompanies the prince on a journey where they are both turned into stone by a wicked witch. The witch kidnaps the prince, but Isabella rescues him with the help of the wizard. The prince and Isabella fall in love and get married, living happily ever after.
The Old Man Who Made Trees Blossom: This story is about two old neighbours: one is selfish and mean, while the other is friendly and generous. One day, they both put a fishtrap in the river and Upstream’s trap yielded only twigs, while Downstream’s was full of fish. When they exchanged traps, Downstream found a little dog inside a willow root, which he and his wife took good care of and shared their food with. The dog soon became strong and helped Downstream find a pot of gold. Upstream, jealous of their luck, borrowed the dog and killed it when it did not lead him to gold. Downstream and his wife made a mortar out of the wood of the willow tree the dog had been found in, which could magically double the amount of rice inside it, but Upstream burned it when it did not work for him. Finally, a gust of wind carried the ashes of the mortar into a garden and made the trees bloom. Downstream presented this to the king, who gave him beautiful clothes, while Upstream claimed the same power and was imprisoned for causing the queen eye pain.
The Origin of Rubies: A spoiled prince convinces his mother to take a ship anchored in the sea and sail away on an adventure. They discover rubies floating in the water, but the prince’s mother warns him not to take them. He listens, but secretly keeps one. Upon arriving in a king’s city, the prince plays with the king’s daughter using the ruby as a marble. She likes it and asks her father to buy it. The prince sells it for a modest price, unaware of its true value. The daughter puts the ruby in her hair but becomes dissatisfied, wanting more. She threatens to stop eating and drinking if the king does not get her more rubies. The prince decides to go back to sea to find more rubies, which leads him to a palace at the bottom of the ocean where he meets a beautiful woman. They fall in love and escape together, loading the ship with rubies. The prince marries the ocean woman and agrees to marry the king’s daughter too if she doesn’t tell anyone. The story ends with everyone living happily ever after.
The Yellow Dragon: A boy named Woe invites a yellow horseman and his four mysterious servants into his family’s home for dinner, and discovers that they are not what they seem to be. Upon leaving, the stranger tells Woe that he will return again. The next day, a violent storm hits the country, but Woe and his family are spared. The yellow dragon then returns to give Woe a scale, which brings him and his family great luck. The emperor hears of their story and hires Woe as a magician. The story emphasizes the importance of being kind and hospitable to strangers.
Genevieve of Brabant: The story is about Genevieve, the daughter of a powerful count who is married off to Count Siegfried after he saves her father’s life. When Siegfried has to leave to fight the Saracens, Genevieve is left behind and betrayed by a disloyal knight, Golo, who imprisons her. Genevieve gives birth in captivity and is scheduled to be killed by Golo, but she manages to escape and lives in hiding with her son. Meanwhile, Siegfried returns home and discovers the letters Genevieve had written him, and upon finding her years later, he brings her back to his castle to live happily ever after.
Battle of Frogs and Mice: The story is about a party of Frogs, when a mouse prince named Crumb-Snatcher arrives with his soldiers. The Frog King invites the mice to join in the celebration, but on their way to the king’s castle, they encounter a water snake, which causes chaos, and some of the mice drown. Outraged, the Mouse King declares war, and the frogs and mice battle. However, with the help of the lobster army, peace is eventually restored, the mice regain their kingdom in the field, and the frogs rule the water.
The Four Skillful Brothers: Four brothers set out to see the world and learn a trade from skilled teachers. Upon reuniting after four years, they demonstrate their abilities and go on to use them to rescue a kidnapped princess. Despite conflict over who deserves to marry her, they ultimately receive a piece of land each as a reward and live happily ever after. The story highlights the importance of learning different skills and working together towards a common goal.
The Six Servants: The story is about an old queen with a beautiful daughter who requires any suitor to complete three challenges or die. A prince sets out to marry the princess and hires six servants with unique abilities to help him complete the challenges. The challenges involve retrieving a lost ring, eating and drinking everything in the queen’s castle, and staying awake while the princess tries to escape. The prince and his servants succeed, but the princess’s pride causes her to make one final demand: the prince must stand in fire for three days to prove his worth. The servants help him again, and the princess realizes the error of her ways. They marry happily and live in peace.
How The Birds Got A King: In this story, birds used to be able to communicate with humans, but they lost the ability. The birds decide they want a king, and after a competition to see who can fly the highest fails, they decide the bird who can dig the deepest hole should be king. The bird with no name tricks the others by hiding in a mouse hole and claiming to be king, but the other birds plan to trap him and starve him to death. However, the owl guarding him falls asleep, and the bird escapes, causing the owl to be shamed and birds to fear owls during the day. The bird with no name becomes known as the Winter King and only screams his proclamation in the winter when no other birds are around.
The Water of Life: This story is about an old, sick king with three sons who need to find the water of life to save him. The two oldest brothers try to find it but are rude to a dwarf they meet and become trapped in a valley. The youngest brother is kind to the dwarf and the dwarf tells him where to find the water: in an enchanted castle. The youngest brother goes to the castle and saves a princess along the way. He brings the water of life back to the king, but his older brothers steal it and give the king saltwater instead. The youngest son is thought to have betrayed the king and is ordered to be killed. However, the king later realizes his mistake and sends a hunter to find his son. The youngest son is the only one who can drive straight over a golden path to the princess and is made lord of the kingdom.
My Lord Bag of Rice: This story tells of a brave warrior named Fujiwara Hidesato, also known as My Lord Bag of Rice, who meets the Dragon King of the Lake and helps him defeat a centipede that has been causing havoc. As a reward, the warrior receives four magical gifts, including a bag of rice that never runs out and a pan that always produces delicious meals.
The Three Sillies: A farmer’s daughter and her family cry over a hanging hammer in the basement, fearing it might fall on their future son’s head. When the daughter’s boyfriend finds them crying, he pulls out the hammer and laughs at their silliness before departing to travel. He encounters many other silly situations, and upon realizing there are many more sillies in the world, he returns to marry the daughter and lives happily ever after.
The Rose-Tree: In this story, a girl with beautiful golden hair is sent by her stepmother to buy candles, but a dog keeps taking them. The stepmother becomes jealous of the girl’s beauty, cuts off her hair, and cooks and eats her heart. The girl’s brother buries her heart under a rose tree, which blooms beautifully and hosts a singing bird that reveals the evil stepmother’s deeds. The bird asks for red shoes, a gold watch, and a millstone in exchange for singing the song to others. The girl’s brother receives the items and the bird drops the millstone on the stepmother, killing her.
The Christmas Masquerade: A group of children attend a Christmas masquerade hosted by their mayor, wearing costumes made by a mysterious shopkeeper. The next day, the children find themselves unable to remove their costumes and have taken on the personalities of their characters. Despite many attempts to solve the problem, they eventually turn to the wise woman in town, who advises them to give the children castor oil. When this fails, the mayor’s daughter seeks the help of the cherry man, who eventually finds the shopkeeper hiding in a cherry tree. The shopkeeper agrees to remove the costumes and restore the children’s personalities, but only if the mayor agrees to two conditions. The story ends with a happy wedding and the passing of a law ensuring all poor children receive gifts at Christmas.
A Christmas Carol: This story is about a businessman named Ebenezer Scrooge who is stingy and shows no love to his family or employees. One Christmas Eve, he is visited by the ghost of his deceased business partner who warns him that if he continues on his path, he will haunt the earth forever. Three ghosts appear to Scrooge and show him his past, present, and future. Scrooge realizes the error of his ways and becomes a kind and generous man, showing love to his family and giving his loyal bookkeeper a raise. In the end, he has a lovely Christmas with his family and Tiny Tim and even becomes a second father to the boy.
The Lost Years: The story is about a king who takes care of his subjects, but when trolls threaten the land, he takes extreme measures that strip away all joy and pleasure from his people’s lives. A wicked wizard appears and convinces the king to trade his treasure for a potion that makes people invisible to the trolls. The potion works for a while, but the trolls continue to wreak havoc. The king trades his treasure again for a new potion, banishing those who didn’t drink the previous potion, until there is only a small group of people left. As the king lies on his deathbed, he regrets his choices and realizes he hasn’t lived life to the fullest. A fairy appears and gives him one last chance to enjoy life. Eventually, the king dies and the people return to their lives without fear.
The Tortoise and the Ducks: This is the story of a lazy Tortoise who cannot leave home as he carries his house on his back. He regrets not attending Jupiter’s wedding and wishes to see the world. He meets a pair of Ducks who offer to help him see the world by carrying him on a stick that he needs to hold on to with his teeth. As they fly up, a Crow mistakes him for the King of Tortoises, and the Tortoise foolishly opens his mouth, loses his grip on the stick, and falls to his death. An ebook (PDF) version of the story is available for download.
The Young Crab and His Mother: The story is about a mother crab who scolds her son for walking sideways instead of straight with toes out. The son asks his mother to teach him how to walk correctly, but the mother is unable to do so and falls on her nose when she tries to turn her toes out. It teaches that parents should not expect their children to learn something if they do not lead by example and that children should have patience and obedience when learning new things.
The Frogs and the Ox: The story is about a big Ox that crushes a little Frog while drinking from a reedy pool. The old Frog wants to know what happened to the little one and her siblings tell her that a big monster stepped on it. The old Frog puffs herself up and asks if he was as big as her and her siblings say he was much bigger. The old Frog keeps puffing herself until, she bursts and dies.
The Dog, the Cock and the Fox: In this story, a Dog and a Cock embark on a journey to see the world. After finding a comfortable tree to sleep in, the Cock forgets where he is and crows at dawn, waking up a nearby Fox who wants to eat him. But the Cock tricks the Fox into approaching the tree’s entrance, where the Dog is hiding and waiting to catch him. This story is available for download as a PDF for offline reading or printing.
Belling the Cat: The story is about a group of mice who are constantly living in fear of the cat. They hold a meeting to plan a way to know when the cat is coming so they can run away. A young mouse suggests hanging a bell around the cat’s neck, but an old mouse points out that the plan is useless if no one is willing to bell the cat. The story teaches a lesson about the importance of having a well-thought-out plan that considers all aspects. An ebook download link is provided at the end of the article.
The Eagle and the Jackdaw: In this story, a Jackdaw witnesses an Eagle catch a lamb and decides to imitate its predator by targeting a ram. However, the Jackdaw’s claws get tangled in the ram’s wool, proving that it is not strong enough to be an Eagle. The Shepherd sees the incident and catches the Jackdaw to clip its wings, giving it to his children as a funny bird they can call a Jackdaw, despite the Jackdaw’s claims that it is an Eagle. The story is available for download as a PDF.
The Nutcracker and the Mouse King: On Christmas Eve, Maria receives a Nutcracker doll from her godfather. Her jealous brother breaks the Nutcracker’s jaw during a fight over him. Later that night, Maria falls asleep and wakes up in the middle of a battle between the Nutcracker and his toy soldier army against an army of mice led by the Mouse King. When all seems lost, Maria throws her shoe and kills the Mouse King. The Nutcracker is transformed into a prince who takes Maria to a magical kingdom. She wakes up in her room, and her family believes her account of the magical journey to be a dream. Dr. Drosselmeyer’s curse breaks when Maria declares her love for the Nutcracker, and she later marries him as an adult in the Candy Kingdom.
The Shepherd Boy And The Wolf: A shepherd boy finds life in the pasture dull and plays a prank on the villagers by shouting “Wolf!” twice, causing them to run to the pasture to help him only to find that there was no wolf. When a wolf finally does appear and he shouts for help, the villagers do not believe him and do not come to his aid, resulting in many of his sheep being killed by the wolf. The story emphasizes the moral lesson that honesty is the best policy. The link to download a PDF ebook version of the story offline is provided.
Hercules And The Wagoner: The story is about a farmer whose wagon got stuck in the mud and he calls on Hercules to help him. Hercules appears and tells the farmer that he needs to put in some effort himself instead of just complaining. He urges the farmer to put his shoulder to the wheel and with the farmer’s effort, the wagon moves. The farmer learns a lesson about the importance of personal effort. The story comes with a downloadable ebook.
The Kid And The Wolf: A Kid was left on a roof by his herdsman for protection, but instead of staying quiet, he began taunting a Wolf below. The Wolf remained calm and explained that the Kid’s actions were only possible because of his position on the roof, and not his own bravery. The story ends with a downloadable PDF version of the story.
The Town Mouse And The Country Mouse: The story is about a Town Mouse who went to visit her Country Mouse relative. The Country Mouse offered a simple meal, and afterwards, they slept comfortably in a cozy nest. However, the Town Mouse convinced the Country Mouse to visit her in the city, where they were tempted by a banquet of luxurious and tempting food. But their feast is interrupted by a Cat and the House Dog, making the Country Mouse realize she prefers the safety and simplicity of her home in the country.
The Fox And The Grapes: In this story, a fox sees a ripe bunch of grapes hanging high up on a tree and tries many times to jump and reach it but fails. He eventually gives up, calling the grapes “sour” and walks off scornfully. The story is accompanied by a link to download an ebook version of the story.
The Bundle Of Sticks: The story is about a Father who had quarreling sons that would not listen to him. One day, he gave them a bundle of sticks and asked each of them to break it, but none of them could. He then untied the bundle and asked them to break the sticks one by one, which they did easily. The Father told his sons that if they stick together and help each other, they will be stronger and won’t be vulnerable to their enemies. But if they remain divided among themselves, they will be as weak as a single stick in that bundle.
The Wolf And The Crane: A Wolf got a bone stuck in his throat while feasting and desperately needed help. He sought out the Crane, promising a reward if she could pull the bone out of his throat. The Crane reluctantly helped, but when she asked for her reward, the Wolf snapped back and claimed that not eating her was reward enough for her services.
The Lion And The Mouse: The story begins with a Lion sleeping in the forest. A little Mouse runs across him and he tries to kill her, but the Mouse begs him to spare her and promises to repay him one day. Later, the Lion gets trapped in a hunter’s net and starts roaring for help. The Mouse recognizes his voice and gnaws the ropes to free him. The Lion realizes that even a small Mouse can help a mighty Lion and they become friends. An ebook of the story is available for download.
The Gnat And The Bull: In the story, a gnat lands on a bull’s horn and apologizes before leaving. The bull replies that he didn’t even notice the gnat was there. A downloadable PDF of the story is available for reading offline or printing.
The Farmer And The Stork: In the story, a Stork who is innocent of theft gets caught in a farmer’s net along with a group of Cranes who had been stealing from his field. The Stork pleads with the farmer, claiming to be a good bird from an honest family, but the farmer insists that since he was caught with the others, he must suffer the same punishment. The story ends with a suggestion of the consequences of being associated with those who break the law.
The Birds, The Beasts, And The Bat: The Birds and the Beasts went to war, with each side having their own reasons for fighting. The Bat family did not pick a side until the Birds seemed to be winning, then they joined them. But when the Beasts took the upper hand, the Bats chose to side with them. After the war, the actions of the Bats were considered deceitful, and both Birds and Beasts united against them. Since then, the Bat family only flies out at night, hiding in dark towers. A downloadable eBook of the story is available.
The Sheep And The Pig: A shepherd captures a fat pig in a meadow where his sheep are pastured and takes it to the market. The pig squeals and struggles, drawing amusement from the sheep who wonder why it’s making such a fuss. The pig replies that when the shepherd catches them, it’s only for their wool, but he wants its bacon. A downloadable ebook of the story is provided.
The Travellers And The Purse: Two men were traveling together when one found a purse. He claimed it for himself, but his companion said they should share the fortune. When a mob with clubs came along, the man who found the purse fell into a panic and his companion reminded him that he had claimed the purse for himself, so he should claim the responsibility as well.
The Lion and the Donkey: In this story, a proud lion is insulted by an ass. However, instead of attacking the ass, the lion chooses to walk away without responding. The story teaches the lesson that it is important to ignore insults and not give them power over us. A link to download the story in ebook form is provided.
The Frogs Who Wished For A King: The story is about a group of frogs who ask Jupiter for a king because they are bored. Jupiter places a log in their pond to appease them but the frogs soon realize it cannot govern. Jupiter then sends a crane to be their king who eats them all, causing the frogs to beg for mercy. Jupiter reminds them that they got what they asked for and warns them to be content with their choices. An ebook version of the story is available to download.
The Hares And The Frogs: The story tells of timid hares who decided to die rather than suffer in fear. While debating death, they encountered a family of frogs who were frightened of them, leading the hares to realize that they weren’t alone in their fears. The story emphasizes the importance of perspective and offers a downloadable ebook version.
The Fox And The Stork: In this story, the Fox invites the Stork to dinner and serves soup in a shallow dish, making it difficult for the Stork to eat. Later, the Stork invites the Fox to dinner and serves fish in a tall jar with a narrow neck, making it impossible for the Fox to eat. The moral of the story advises against playing tricks on others unless you’re willing to receive the same treatment. An ebook (PDF) download is available.
The Wolf And The Sheep: A Wolf, injured and unable to hunt for food, asks a passing Sheep for a drink of water to gain the strength to find food. However, the Sheep refuses, knowing that the Wolf would likely eat him if he brought him the water.
The Travellers And The Sea: Two travelers see something in the sea which appears to be a ship with rich treasures on it, but the other traveler insists it’s a fisherman’s skiff carrying the catch of the day. As it washes up on shore, the travelers rush over to discover that it’s just a water-soaked log. An ebook download link is also provided.
The Wolf And The Lion: In this story, a wolf steals a lamb with the intention of eating it. However, he encounters a lion who takes the lamb away from him without excuse. The wolf protests that the lamb is his property, but the lion questions how he acquired it. Unable to answer, the wolf leaves in defeat.
The Wolf And The Goat: A hungry wolf tries to trick a goat who is grazing on a steep cliff. The wolf pretends to be worried about the goat falling and offers her grass from a safe location below. The goat sees through the wolf’s deceit and declines the offer, realizing that the wolf only wants to satisfy his hunger. A downloadable ebook in PDF format is available.
The Stag And His Reflection: A Stag admires his antlers but is ashamed of his spindling legs. He scents a panther and runs away, but his antlers get caught in the trees and the panther catches him. He realizes that his legs could have saved him, but his useless antlers got in the way.
The Peacock: The story tells of how the Peacock got its beautiful feathers and how it became too proud to fly due to the weight of its magnificent train. Despite its beauty, it could not enjoy the freedom of flight like other birds and was left to walk the ground oppressed and encumbered. The story ends with a link to download an ebook version of the story.
The Crow And The Pitcher: The story is about a thirsty Crow who finds a pitcher with a little water in it. However, he cannot reach the water because the pitcher has a narrow neck. In order to solve his problem, the Crow drops small pebbles into the pitcher one by one. With each pebble, the water rises until he can finally drink. A downloadable ebook in PDF format is available for offline reading or printing.
The Ants And The Grasshopper: A Grasshopper who spent the summer making music approaches a family of Ants in late autumn and asks for food. The Ants are surprised that he did not save any food for winter, but the Grasshopper claims he was too busy making music. The Ants tell him to dance and go back to work, leaving the Grasshopper hungry.
The Mice And The Weasels: The story is about the ongoing rivalry between the Weasels and the Mice, with the Weasels always coming out on top. The Mice decide that the reason for their defeat is a lack of leadership, so they appoint numerous generals and commanders. The Mouse army prepares for battle, and the Weasels eagerly accept the challenge. During the fight, the Mouse soldiers escape to their holes, but the Mouse leaders, with their ornate headpieces, are unable to fit and are subsequently consumed by the hungry Weasels.
The Fox And The Lion: The story is about a young fox who is afraid of lions. The first time the fox sees a lion, it runs away. The second time, the fox hides behind a tree to observe the lion before running away. However, the third time the fox sees the lion, it bravely approaches him and says, “Hello, there, old top.”
The Lion and the Donkey: In this story, a lion and an ass team up to hunt wild goats. The plan is for the ass to make noise and scare the goats out of a cave, while the lion will catch them. The plan works, and the ass proudly comes out of the cave, believing he scared the goats. The lion sarcastically praises the ass, saying he would have been scared too if he didn’t know the ass’s nature. A download link for an ebook version of the story is also provided.
The Dog And His Master’s Dinner: A loyal dog carries his master’s dinner in a basket every day, but the other neighborhood dogs want to steal it from him. They finally corner him, and he drops the basket to argue with them. The other dogs take the food, and the loyal dog says they can divide the rest.
The Vain Jackdaw And His Borrowed Feathers: The story is about a Jackdaw who envies the beauty of royal Peacocks and attempts to fit in by adorning himself with their feathers. However, the Peacocks see through his disguise and attack him, taking not only the borrowed feathers but also some of his own. The Jackdaw returns to his old companions, who also reject him due to his previous haughtiness. The moral of the story is to be content with who you are instead of trying to be something you’re not.
The Owl And The Grasshopper: The story is about an old owl who always sleeps during the day and comes out at night to hunt. However, she becomes annoyed when a grasshopper begins singing loudly while she tries to sleep. The owl invites the grasshopper to taste a delicious wine that will improve his singing, but when the grasshopper comes closer, the owl eats him instead. The moral of the story is to be cautious of flattery. The article also offers a link to download an ebook version of the story.
The Wolf And His Shadow: In this story, a wolf boasts of his size and strength but is ultimately defeated by a lion. The wolf’s arrogance causes him to underestimate his opponent, and his overconfidence leads to his downfall. The story is available to download as an eBook in PDF format.
The Oak And The Reeds: In this story, an overconfident giant oak tree boasts of its ability to withstand any strong wind, while mocking the slender reeds for bowing low before the slightest breeze. The reeds, however, caution the oak that its pride will lead to its downfall. As a terrible hurricane unleashes its fury, the oak stands firm but ultimately falls, while the reeds, yielding to the wind, remain unharmed. A lesson on humility and adaptability is highlighted in this tale.
The Rat And The Elephant: The story follows a proud rat who comes across a procession on the King’s highway, where the Elephant carrying the King catches everyone’s admiration but the rat’s. The rat boasts of his own importance and belittles the elephant, but his pride is shattered when the royal cat spots him. The story teaches a moral lesson that pride goes before destruction and arrogance before a fall.
The Boys And The Frogs: Some boys were playing by a pond, throwing stones into the water to make them skip. The frogs who lived in the pond were frightened and begged the boys to stop playing. The oldest and bravest frog told the boys that their game meant death for the frogs. The story ends with a list of downloadable resources related to the story.
The Two Goats: Two goats encounter a deep chasm with a fallen tree as the only means of crossing. They both refuse to step aside for the other and end up falling into the roaring torrent below. A downloadable ebook of the story is available.
The Ass And The Load Of Salt: In this story, a merchant and his ass carry a heavy load of salt across a river. The ass slips and much of the salt melts away, making the load lighter and easier to carry. The next day, the ass purposely falls into the river to repeat the process. However, the merchant catches on and loads the ass with heavier baskets of sponges, causing the ass to regret his previous actions. The story concludes with a moral lesson about dishonesty and the consequence of one’s actions.

In sum, these Top 89 Stories for 8-Year-Olds serve as a gateway to the wonderful world of literature and imagination for children. The tales, comprising of magical adventures, moral lessons, historical narratives, and heartwarming friendships, cater to their curiosity and enrich their understanding of the world around them. They underscore the importance of courage, empathy, kindness, and resilience, and inspire children to dream big. From enchanting fairy tales to real-life stories, each narrative has been selected to spark a love for reading and stimulate creative thinking in children, making this collection a precious resource in their developmental journey.