Welcome to the enchanting world of the top 100 fairy tales, a treasure trove of stories that have captured the imagination of children and adults alike for generations. These timeless tales, available for free download in PDF format, can be read online or as a read aloud, offering a perfect opportunity to bond with your little ones during bedtime or anytime.

Fairy tales hold a special place in the hearts of children, from preschool and kindergarten to elementary school, as they embark on magical adventures filled with vibrant characters, enchanting lands, and unforgettable lessons. Each story, carefully curated in this collection, is in English and various other languages to ensure that the charm and magic of these tales can be enjoyed by kids across the globe.

These short and popular bedtime fairy tales are not only entertaining, but they also play a vital role in the cultural and cognitive development of children. Fairy tales have been passed down through generations, weaving a rich tapestry of folklore and tradition that is deeply rooted in the collective human experience. They often incorporate important moral lessons, providing a framework for children to understand the complexities of life, while also teaching them the values of kindness, bravery, and perseverance.

Furthermore, fairy tales help to develop children’s language, listening, and comprehension skills, as well as their ability to empathize with others. By sparking their curiosity and imagination, these stories inspire kids to explore the world around them and engage in creative play.

So, gather your children close, and embark on a journey through the magical world of these top 100 fairy tales. Let the timeless charm of these beloved stories, woven with wisdom and wonder, create cherished memories and inspire young minds for years to come.

Fairy tales top 100

1. Goldilocks And The Three Bears (3 years and over | 7 minutes): The story is about a little girl named Goldilocks who wanders into the forest and discovers the house of three bears. While the bears are away, she goes inside and tries out their chairs, porridge, and beds, eventually falling asleep in the bed of the baby bear. When the bears return and discover that someone has been in their house, they find Goldilocks sleeping in the baby bear’s bed. She wakes up and runs away, never to return to the forest again, leaving Baby Bear sad that he didn’t get to play with her.
2. The Three Little Pigs (3 years and over | 4 minutes): The story is about three little pigs who leave their mother’s home and build their own houses. The first pig builds his house out of straw, the second pig builds his house out of sticks, and the third pig builds his house out of bricks. When the big bad wolf comes to each house, he easily blows down the houses made of straw and sticks, but can’t blow down the house made of bricks. The three little pigs trick the wolf and he runs away. The pigs live happily ever after in the house made of bricks.
3. Jack And The Beanstalk (5 years and over | 6 minutes): The story is about a curious and daydreaming boy named Jack, who is sent to sell their old cow in town. On the way, he meets an old man who trades the cow for magic beans, which Jack’s mother disapproves of. Jack plants the beans, and they grow into a tall beanstalk, which he climbs and reaches a castle belonging to his father, who was killed by a giant. The fairy tells Jack that the castle now belongs to him and that he needs to retrieve a chicken that lays golden eggs and a talking harp from the giant. Jack sneaks into the castle three times and succeeds in taking the chicken, coins, and harp. On his last visit, he cuts down the beanstalk, killing the giant, and regains his castle with the help of the fairy and the villagers. The story conveys the message that believing in magic can make your dreams come true.
4. Beauty And The Beast (6 years and over | 5 minutes): The story is about a wealthy merchant who lost his fortune and, while trying to recover it, picks a rose from a palace garden and is confronted by a monstrous Beast. The Beast offers to spare the merchant’s life in exchange for the merchant’s youngest daughter, Beauty. Beauty goes to the palace to keep her father’s promise, and over time, the Beast becomes kind and gentle towards her. When Beauty learns her father is ill, she leaves to visit him, but her jealous sisters try to make her stay longer than a week. Beauty returns in time, realizing that she has fallen in love with the Beast, who then transforms into a handsome prince, revealing that he was cursed by an evil fairy. Beauty and the prince get married and live happily ever after. The story teaches the lesson that beauty is more than skin-deep and that true love sees beyond appearances.
5. Cinderella (4 years and over | 6 minutes): The story is about a kind and beautiful girl named Cinderella who is mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters after her mother’s death. Despite their cruelty, Cinderella remains optimistic and remembers her mother’s words to always live well and truthful. When the prince of the kingdom throws a ball to find a bride, Cinderella is forbidden to go by her stepmother, but with the help of a magical hazel tree and a little bird, she gets a beautiful dress and attends the ball, dancing with the prince all evening. On the third night, Cinderella loses her shoe while fleeing, and the prince uses it to search for her. Eventually, the shoe fits Cinderella perfectly, and she is recognized by the prince, leading to their marriage and happily ever after. The story teaches the lesson that goodness and kindness will always be rewarded.
6. Little Red Riding Hood (4 years and over | 6 minutes): Little Red Riding Hood goes to visit her grandmother, who lives in a cottage deep in the forest. Along the way, she meets a wolf who convinces her to pick flowers and wander off the path. The wolf then goes to the grandmother’s house, eats her, and disguises himself in her clothing. When Little Red Riding Hood arrives, she is tricked by the wolf and is eaten as well. A hunter comes to the rescue, cuts open the wolf’s belly, and saves both Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother. The hunter fills the wolf’s belly with stones, and the three are happy and safe. Little Red Riding Hood learns her lesson to never leave the forest path and always listen to her mother.
7. Puss In Boots (4 years and over | 6 minutes): In “Puss in Boots,” a miller’s son inherits nothing but a cat from his father. The cat promises to bring him wealth and fortune if he follows her instructions. The cat catches rabbits and other animals and presents them to the king on behalf of the Marquis of Carabas, a name the cat made up. The cat also arranges for the miller’s son to bathe in a river and to wear the finest clothes. Along the way, the cat convinces the king that all the land they see belongs to the Marquis of Carabas, rewarding the farmers in exchange for their help. The cat also tricks a giant into transforming into a mouse, which the cat then catches. The king, impressed by the Marquis of Carabas, offers him the hand of his daughter, and they live happily ever after.
8. The Adventures Of Florian (7 years and over | 8 minutes): The story is about a girl named Isabella who, after her father’s death, disguised herself as a boy named Florian to find work in the city. Florian worked for a wizard who gave him three gifts when he decided to leave: a necklace, a key, and a sphere. Florian then joined a company led by Prince Florizel and fell in love with him. When the company encountered a witch who turned everyone but Florian and Florizel into stone, Florian used his gifts to find and rescue Florizel. They were chased by hound dogs, and Florian was transformed into a hare but saved by the wizard. Isabella was transformed back into human form and married Florizel.
9. Snow White (5 years and over | 6 minutes): A queen longed for a child with skin white as snow, lips red as blood, and hair black as ebony. Her wish was granted, but the queen died soon after giving birth. The king remarried, and the new queen was jealous of Snow White’s beauty. She ordered a hunter to kill Snow White and bring her heart as evidence. However, the hunter couldn’t bring himself to do it and let Snow White escape. She found shelter with seven dwarfs and lived there until the jealous queen tricked her into eating a poisoned apple. The dwarfs put her in a glass coffin, and a prince found her and fell in love. When he tried to take her with him, the piece of apple shot out of Snow White’s throat, and she woke up. The jealous queen’s fate is unclear, but Snow White and the prince married and lived happily ever after.
10. Three Billy Goats Gruff (4 years and over | 5 minutes): A farmer had three goats who wanted to eat the delicious grass on the other side of a bridge, but a mean troll lived under it. The goats came up with a plan to get to the other side. The smallest goat crossed first, and the troll let him go because he was too skinny. The middle goat crossed next, and the troll let him go because he was waiting for the biggest and juiciest goat. Finally, the biggest goat crossed and used his horns to butt the troll, who fell into the river and was never seen again. After that, no trolls lived under bridges, and the goats could easily cross to the other side to enjoy the delicious grass.
11. The Little Mermaid (7 years and over | 6 minutes): “The Little Mermaid” is a story about a mermaid who falls in love with a prince and asks a sea witch for legs to be with him. The price she pays is the loss of her voice and the feeling of walking on knives with every step. The prince takes her into his castle but decides to marry another girl. The mermaid’s sisters offer her a knife to kill the prince and regain her mermaid form, but she refuses and instead throws herself into the sea. She turns into a creature of the air and can earn an immortal soul if she performs good deeds for 300 years.
12. Aladdin And The Wonderful Lamp (8 years and over | 6 minutes): Aladdin, a poor boy living with his mother, is tricked by a wizard into finding a treasure in a cave, but he discovers a magic lamp instead. Using the lamp’s genie, Aladdin becomes rich and powerful, marries a princess, and lives happily. However, the wizard returns and steals the lamp and the palace, taking Aladdin’s wife with him. Aladdin and the princess come up with a plan to defeat the wizard and retrieve the lamp, and they live happily ever after.
13. The Emperor’s New Clothes (3 years and over | 5 minutes): The Emperor loved new clothes and was tricked by two swindlers who convinced him to buy invisible fabric, claiming only stupid and dishonest people could not see it. The Emperor sent his clever and honest men to check on the progress of the clothes, but they too saw nothing and pretended to see the clothes to avoid being seen as stupid or dishonest. The Emperor and his court also pretended to see the clothes, and the Emperor even wore them in a procession until a small child shouted that the Emperor was not wearing anything. Everyone then realized the truth, but the Emperor continued to pretend to wear the clothes.
14. The Gingerbread Man (3 years and over | 5 minutes): A child hears a story from her great-great-great-great grandmother about a little old man and woman who wanted a child but couldn’t have one. One day the woman made a gingerbread man who jumped out of the oven and ran away. The gingerbread man bragged to various animals that he could outrun them, but eventually, a fox caught him and ate him.
15. Hansel And Gretel (4 years and over | 5 minutes): In “Hansel and Gretel,” a poor family decides to leave their children in the forest because they can’t feed them. Hansel leaves a trail of white pebbles, so they can find their way home. Later, their mother wants to leave them again and Hansel tries to leave a trail of breadcrumbs, but it gets eaten by birds. The children find a house made of bread and sugar, but the owner, an evil witch, wants to eat them. The children outsmart the witch and manage to escape with treasure. They return to their father and live happily ever after.
16. The Wonderful Dog And The Miraculous Cat (6 years and over | 10 minutes): The story is about an old wizard who is banished from the wizarding school by the head wizard after a disagreement. He finds a cottage to live in and teaches a dog and a cat various subjects. They become very intelligent and educated and eventually leave to explore the world. They come across a king who is under a spell, turning him into a green parrot. The dog and cat go to the wizard who put the spell on the king, but they are caught and have to fight their way out. The old wizard arrives and saves them, destroying the castle and defeating the evil wizards. The spell on the king is broken, and they all live happily ever after.
17. The Princess And The Pea (3 years and over | 3 minutes): A prince searches the world for a real princess to marry, but cannot find one. One stormy night, a girl claiming to be a real princess arrives at the city gate. The queen puts a pea at the bottom of the bed and piles twenty mattresses and blankets on top. The next morning, the princess complains of bruises from the hard object in her bed, proving that she is a real princess. The prince marries her, and the pea is put on display in the Royal Museum.
18. Rumpelstiltskin (6 years and over | 5 minutes): The miller’s daughter is tasked by the king to spin straw into gold, and a little man helps her in exchange for her necklace, ring, and a promise to give him her first child. When the child is born, the little man demands his payment, but gives the queen three days to guess his name. After much searching, the queen learns that the little man is named Rumpelstiltskin and when he returns, she guesses his name and he disappears in anger.
19. Pinocchio (5 years and over | 6 minutes): The story is about an old shoemaker named Gepetto who carves a wooden doll named Pinocchio. The wooden doll comes to life and Gepetto becomes his father. Pinocchio wants to go to school, but gets easily distracted and ends up in trouble, including turning into a donkey. After many adventures and hardships, Pinocchio and Gepetto are finally reunited and Pinocchio is turned into a real boy by a grateful fairy.
20. St. George And The Dragon (8 years and over | 23 minutes): St. George and the Dragon is a legend that tells the tale of a brave knight named St. George who rescues a princess and saves a city from a fearsome dragon. The story unfolds in a city named Silene in Libya, where a dragon has been terrorizing the citizens, demanding regular human sacrifices. The princess, chosen by lot, is about to be offered to the dragon when St. George arrives. He courageously battles the dragon, wounds it, and then uses the princess’s girdle to subdue the beast. With the dragon now docile, St. George leads it into the city, promising to kill the creature if the citizens convert to Christianity. They agree, and St. George slays the dragon, freeing the city from its terror and symbolizing the triumph of good over evil.
21. The Laughing Prince (6 years and over | 6 minutes): The story is about a farmer’s family with three sons and a daughter. The princess of the kingdom they lived in was raised as a boy and lacked entertainment. When the princess demanded someone to make her laugh, the tsar announced that whoever succeeded could marry her and rule the kingdom. The youngest son of the farmer’s family, Stefan, made the princess laugh with his story but did not insist on marrying her. However, the princess insisted on marrying Stefan, and the tsar agreed, as he was a good man who worked hard. The couple got married, and the kingdom was filled with happiness and laughter.
22. Ali Baba And The Forty Thieves (6 years and over | 7 minutes): The story is about two brothers, Ali Baba and Kassim. Ali Baba discovers the hideout of a group of robbers and takes some treasure. His wife reveals the secret to Kassim, who goes to the cave by himself and is killed by the robbers. Ali Baba and his maid, Morgiana, devise a plan to keep Kassim’s death a secret and later Morgiana kills the robbers who plan to kill Ali Baba. The robber chief plans to take revenge and becomes friends with Ali Baba’s son, but Morgiana discovers his true identity and kills him. Ali Baba is grateful to Morgiana and allows her to marry his son, and they all live happily ever after.
23. The Devoted Friend (8 years and over | 10 minutes): The story is about a kind-hearted man named Hans who has a beautiful garden and a wealthy miller as his best friend. The miller takes advantage of Hans’ kindness and never repays him for the flowers and fruits he takes from his garden. When winter comes, the miller stops visiting Hans, and Hans suffers from hunger and loneliness. In the spring, the miller visits Hans and gives him a broken wheelbarrow. He then demands that Hans do favors for him, citing their friendship and the wheelbarrow as reasons. Hans feels obligated to do everything the miller asks, even when it means neglecting his own garden. Eventually, Hans dies while trying to help the miller’s son during a storm, and the miller only cares about what will happen to his wheelbarrow now that Hans is gone.
24. Little Thumbling (4 years and over | 6 minutes): “Little Thumbling” is the story of the youngest of seven sons of a poor woodcutter’s family who overhears his parents’ plan to abandon them in the forest due to the lack of food. Little Thumbling puts pebbles in his pocket to find the way back home. After the parents try to abandon them again, the children wander into a giant’s house, where they hide from the giant and exchange sleeping caps with the daughters. The giant eats his daughters instead of the boys, and Little Thumbling ties him up and takes his seven-league boots, while the boys go home. Little Thumbling tells the giant’s wife that brigands have tied up her husband, and she gives him all the money she has. Little Thumbling returns home with the gold, and the giant decides never to eat children again.
25. The Violets Of The Princes (6 years and over | 15 minutes): The story tells of two princes who were banished from their kingdom by their stepmother and had to escape from a tower to live on their own. They earned their living by selling flowers and performing music, and eventually returned to their kingdom as the “Merciful Brothers” to help the poor and bring happiness to their people. The story teaches the importance of kindness, patience, and generosity in making the world a better place. Marianne, the sick girl who hears the story, is inspired to apply these lessons in her own life by tending to her garden and helping those in need.
26. Rapunzel (6 years and over | 6 minutes): The story of Rapunzel tells of a pregnant woman’s intense cravings for the delicious rapunzel plant growing in a witch’s garden. When her husband goes to pick some, he is caught by the witch and agrees to give her their child in exchange for the plant. The witch takes the girl and locks her up in a tower when she turns twelve. A prince hears her singing and falls in love with her. They make a plan for her to escape using her hair as a ladder, but the witch discovers it and cuts off her hair. The prince falls from the tower and becomes blind, but is reunited with Rapunzel years later and regains his sight. They live happily ever after with their twins in the prince’s kingdom.
27. The Cloud That Had No Lining (9 years and over | 3 minutes): This is a story about a cloud without a lining, which allowed rain to come through and made the fairies who lived in it uncomfortable. The fairies decided they needed to line the cloud with silver, and sent three fairies to find some. One fairy tried to bring back water from a silver stream, another fairy collected moonshine silver, and the third fairy asked other cloud fairies for advice and was told to collect silver from sunbeams. Only the sunbeam silver worked to create a beautiful thick lining that kept the rain out, and the cloud fairies were finally able to stay dry. The story teaches that only sunbeam silver is effective for lining clouds.
28. The Frog Prince (4 years and over | 6 minutes): The king’s daughter loses her golden ball in a pond and a frog offers to retrieve it in exchange for becoming her friend and playing with her. After retrieving the ball, the princess breaks her promise and forgets about the frog. However, the frog later appears at her door, reminding her of her promise. The princess reluctantly fulfills her promise and lets the frog eat from her golden plate, sleep in her bed, and be her playmate. Eventually, the frog transforms into a handsome prince, who had been cursed and could only be freed by a princess’s promise to let him be her friend. The prince and the princess fall in love and ride back to the prince’s kingdom on a wagon, where the loyal servant Hendrik’s heart is freed from the curse that had been placed on it.
29. The Snow Girl (5 years and over | 4 minutes): Ivan and Marie, a childless couple, create a snow child on a winter’s day. The snow child comes to life and becomes their daughter, bringing them much joy. As the snow child grows up, she becomes sad when spring comes. The other children take her to collect flowers and dance around a campfire, but she disappears and melts away into the sky, like a delicate snowflake.
30. The White Doe (6 years and over | 9 minutes): A royal couple wished for a child, and the Fountain Fairy granted their wish, but the queen forgot to invite the crab, the Fountain Fairy, to the christening. The princess was locked in a tower and could not see the daylight until she turned 15. When a prince fell in love with a portrait of her, her parents agreed to the marriage, but when Desirée left the tower to visit him, she was tricked into revealing herself to his enemies, transforming into a white deer to escape. She was eventually found by the prince and married him after the curse was broken by a fairy.
31. The Cowardly Lion And The Hungry Tiger (7 years and over | 13 minutes): The Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger, the guardians of Princess Ozma in the Emerald City, become bored with their job and decide to show their power by eating a fat baby and tearing a person to pieces. However, when they come across a lost baby and its mother who falls and hurts herself, they decide not to harm them and instead help the woman and her baby. They return to their rooms feeling ashamed of their bloodthirsty thoughts and actions. In the end, they realize that it’s better to be kind and respectable than to be cruel and bloodthirsty, even if it means going hungry.
32. The Town Musicians Of Bremen (4 years and over | 6 minutes): A donkey, a dog, a cat, and a rooster all leave their homes and meet on the road to Bremen, where they plan to become musicians. On their way, they come across a cottage that belongs to robbers. The animals decide to scare the robbers away by making loud noises. They succeed, and the robbers never return. The animals decide to stay in the cottage and make it their home, never reaching Bremen but living happily ever after.
33. The Twelve Dancing Princesses (9 years and over | 6 minutes): The story is about a king who has twelve daughters who dance every night. The king promises to give his throne and daughter to anyone who can solve the mystery of where the princesses go at night. Many young men try and fail, but an old soldier with the help of an old woman succeeds. The soldier follows the princesses underground using a cloak of invisibility and discovers that they are dancing with twelve princes. He takes evidence of silver, gold, and diamond branches and a golden cup. He presents the evidence to the king and reveals the princesses’ secret. The soldier marries the oldest princess and becomes the king when the king dies.
34. Sinbad The Sailor (7 years and over | 5 minutes): Sinbad the Porter, a hardworking man in Bagdad, visited the house of a rich merchant and complained about how unfair life was. The merchant, also named Sinbad, told him stories of his adventures during his seven travels and gave him large amounts of gold for seven days. The porter realized that the sailor had endured a lot to become rich and apologized for his earlier thoughts. They became friends and lived happily ever after.
35. The Raspberry Worm (5 years and over | 12 minutes): Two sisters, Lisa and Aina, go to pick raspberries in the woods but get lost. They find themselves back in the raspberry bushes they picked from, and a little man, the raspberry king, appears and reveals that he transforms into a helpless raspberry worm for one day every hundred years. The girls had saved the raspberry worm the previous day, and in return, the raspberry king treats them to a magical feast of food and a soft bed to sleep in. The next day, they return home with precious raspberry-themed gifts and baskets of raspberries, courtesy of the raspberry king.
36. Sunshine And Her Siblings (6 years and over | 10 minutes): The story is about Mother Nature and her children, each of whom has a different personality and task. When Mother Nature goes to sleep, some of the children misbehave and cause chaos, while others work hard to prepare for spring. When Mother Nature wakes up, the children celebrate the arrival of spring, and she praises them for their efforts. In the end, everything is okay because Mother Nature has awakened, and Spring has arrived.
37. Baba Yaga (7 years and over | 10 minutes): A childless couple wished for a child and were blessed with a wooden stick that turned into a real boy named Peter. One day, while fishing on the river, Peter heard a witch’s voice and recognized it as a Baba Jaga. He refused to come to the shore, but the Baba Jaga tricked him by changing her voice to a fine, small one. She captured him and locked him up in a cage to fatten him up. The couple’s faithful servant set out to find Peter and found him in the Baba Jaga’s house. The servant rubbed tar on the witch’s eyes while she was sleeping, allowing her and Peter to escape. The Baba Jaga woke up with her eyes glued shut and called for her cat to scratch them open, but the cat refused and ran away. The servant and Peter returned home safely, and the Baba Jaga was left shouting and stamping.
38. Princess Goldilocks (9 years and over | 15 minutes): The story is about a young man named Charming who is imprisoned by a king because of a misunderstanding. Charming is released from prison when the king asks him to propose to Princess Goldilocks on his behalf. The princess tells Charming that she will only accept the proposal if he can retrieve a ring from the river, defeat a giant, and obtain water from the Cave of Darkness. With the help of some animals he has helped before, Charming completes all of the tasks and the princess agrees to marry the king. However, after the wedding, the king becomes jealous of Charming’s relationship with the princess and imprisons him again. When the king dies from accidentally drinking poisoned water from the Cave of Darkness, the princess frees Charming and they get married, living happily ever after as king and queen.
39. Goldfin And Silvertail (6 years and over | 15 minutes): Nelly, a girl who loves swimming, is granted a wish by a Great Seagull and chooses to become a mermaid. She explores the underwater world with her mermaid friends but becomes increasingly bored and longs to return to her old life. Nelly eventually meets an old wise duck who tells her that only the Great Seagull can turn her back into a human. She eventually sees the Great Seagull and is transformed back into a girl, grateful for her old life and family. She tells her mother the story of her adventure as a mermaid, happy to be back as a regular girl.
40. The Pack Of Ragamuffins (4 years and over | 5 minutes): The story is about a Rooster and Hen who go to Nutmountain to find nuts, and on their way back, they meet a duck and two pedestrians, a pin and a needle, who they allow to join them in their cart. They stay at an inn for the night, and the Rooster promises the innkeeper their eggs in exchange for lodging. In the morning, they play a trick on the innkeeper and quickly leave. The innkeeper realizes he has been tricked and decides to never let late guests stay again.
41. The Frost King And The Power Of Love (6 years and over | 17 minutes): The Queen of Nymphland consults with her council of nymphs about King Frost’s war on flowers. Star, the lady-in-waiting, volunteers to go and show King Frost love in order to soften his heart. However, he imprisons her. In response, the Queen declares war on King Frost, and after a tough battle, the nymphs build a garden around his palace, and he surrenders. Star’s kindness and love towards King Frost soften his heart, and he becomes their friend, promising never to destroy flowers again. The nymphs return home, victorious.
42. Battle Of Frogs And Mice (6 years and over | 6 minutes): The story is about a big party in the land of the Frogs, which is interrupted by the arrival of five drunken mice from the next-door forest. The mice are invited to the party and the youngest, Crumb-snatcher, tells the frog king about his country and family. The mice and frogs become friends, but a tragic accident occurs when they cross the lake, resulting in the death of the mice prince. The mice king promises to avenge his son’s death and starts a war with the frogs. The frogs are losing the battle, but are saved by the king of the lobsters, who helps them fight back. Eventually, peace is restored and the mice and frogs each have their own kingdom.
43. Snow-White And Rose-Red (3 years and over | 12 minutes): Snow-white and Rose-red are two kind-hearted sisters who live in a cottage with their widowed mother. They befriend a bear who visits them every night and becomes their friend. When the bear leaves to protect his treasures from wicked dwarfs, the girls encounter the same dwarf who gets his beard caught and cut off twice. The dwarf curses them, but they still save him from an eagle and stumble upon his treasure. Later, the bear saves them from the dwarf who tries to offer them as food in exchange for his life. The bear turns into a prince and marries Snow-white, while Rose-red marries his brother. They all live happily ever after, and the two rose-trees before their cottage continue to bloom with beautiful red and white roses.
44. The Seven Ravens (6 years and over | 7 minutes): A man had seven sons and a daughter. The daughter was weak and small but very pretty. When they went to christen her, the seven sons went to draw water but they all dropped their pitchers into the well. The father got angry and wished them turned into ravens. His wish was fulfilled and the daughter grew up not knowing she had any brothers until she overheard people talking about them. She decided to go find them and set out with only a ring, a loaf of bread, a little pitcher of water, and a little stool. She went to the sun and moon but they didn’t help her. The stars gave her a little piece of wood to unlock the castle where her brothers were turned into ravens. She lost the wood and used her finger to unlock the door. She found her brothers but they were turned back only after she dropped the ring into the drink they were sharing.
45. The Whirlwind (7 years and over | 15 minutes): “The Whirlwind” by A.J. Glinski is a thrilling adventure novel that follows the journey of its protagonist, Tomasz, who gets caught in a mysterious whirlwind. This whirlwind transports Tomasz to a magical realm full of wondrous creatures and perilous challenges. Throughout his journey, Tomasz encounters numerous magical beings, such as a wise, talking wolf, a beautiful and elusive forest nymph, and a sinister sorcerer.
46. Thumbelina (4 years and over | 8 minutes): The story is about a woman who wants a child and receives a barley grain from an old witch. The grain grows into a tulip, which reveals a tiny girl called Thumbelina. The girl is kidnapped by a toad and then rescued by fish, a butterfly, and a beetle before finding refuge with a field mouse. A mole wants to marry her, but she prefers to stay with the mouse until she saves a swallow and is taken to a warm country, where she marries an angelic boy and becomes Maja. The story ends with the swallow singing a wedding song and flying away.
47. The Wishing Table (6 years and over | 6 minutes): The story is about a tailor who sends his three sons to learn a trade. The first son becomes a furniture maker and receives a table that can magically produce food. The second son becomes a miller and receives a donkey that produces gold coins. The third son becomes a carpenter and receives a bag with a club that can give people a good beating. On the way home, the sons stay at an inn, where the first two are robbed of their magical items. The third son uses his bag to get them back and they all live happily ever after with their magical possessions.
48. How The Bluebird Was Chosen Herald (6 years and over | 18 minutes): “How The Bluebird Was Chosen Herald” by Jay T. Stocking is a charming folktale that explains how the bluebird came to be the herald of happiness and good tidings. The story takes place in a time when animals could speak and understand each other. The Great Spirit, who ruled the world, decided to send a messenger to Earth to spread happiness, and various birds were invited to compete for the position.
49. The Steadfast Tin Soldier (4 years and over | 6 minutes): The story is about a boy’s birthday present of 25 tin soldiers, one of which is missing a leg but the boy doesn’t mind. One soldier falls in love with a dancer in a cardboard castle. At night, the toys come to life and the soldier is too shy to ask the dancer to be with him. The soldier falls out of the window and goes on a dangerous adventure in the rain, sewer, and eventually, gets swallowed by a fish. The fish is caught and sold to the boy’s mother who finds the tin soldier. The soldier finally gets to be with the dancer, but the little devil knocks them into the stove. The next day, the boy finds a beautiful tin heart with a golden bow in the stove.
50. The Wolf And The Seven Little Goats (4 years and over | 6 minutes): The story is about a mother goat and her seven kids who are warned about a dangerous wolf in the forest. The wolf disguises himself as their mother and tries to trick the kids three times, but they recognize him by his voice and black paws. The wolf buys licorice and flour to change his voice and make his paws white. On his third attempt, he successfully enters the house and devours six of the seven little goats. The mother goat returns and rescues the six goats from the wolf’s belly. The wolf falls into a well and drowns, and the seven little goats live happily ever after.
51. Chicken Little (3 years and over | 5 minutes): The story is about Chicken Little who panics after a leaf falls on her tail and claims that the sky is falling. She convinces other animals to join her in a blind panic until they meet Sly Fox, who eats them all one by one. The story warns against foolish panic and blindly following others without questioning the truth.
52. The Flying Dutchman (8 years and over | 6 minutes): The captain of a ship decides to set sail during a storm and on Easter against the advice of his crew. As they sail off, the ship turns into a ghost ship and disappears for a long time. Eventually, sightings of the ship with fiery red sails and a burned hull are reported, and it becomes known as the Flying Dutchman. The ship is believed to sail the seas forever, never able to moor.
53. The Goose Girl At The Well (6 years and over | 6 minutes): In this story, a young man helps an old woman carry a heavy load and is rewarded with an emerald. He later gives the emerald to the queen, who faints because it reminds her of her daughter who was sent away by the king. The young man promises to find the princess and eventually meets a beautiful young woman who helps him reunite the princess with her parents. The old woman disappears and the house she lived in turns into a palace. It is unknown if the young man and the princess get married, but it is likely. The narrator is very old and does not remember all the details of the story.
54. Kate Crackernuts (5 years and over | 8 minutes): In this story, there are two stepsisters named Anne and Kate. Anne is prettier than Kate and the queen, Kate’s mother, is jealous. The queen sends Anne to the henwife to gather eggs without eating anything. Anne disobeys and eats bread and then peas. The henwife punishes her by turning her head into a sheep’s head. Kate and Anne leave and go to a king’s castle where Kate offers to watch over a sick prince who has been troubled by a fairy ball. Kate overhears that three strokes of a wand can make Anne pretty again and takes the wand. She also overhears that three bites of a chicken will cure the prince’s illness, and she takes the chicken. On the third night, Kate agrees to marry the prince if he eats the chicken. The prince eats the chicken, and he is cured. Kate marries the prince, and Anne marries the prince’s brother, and they all live happily ever after.
55. The Story Of Honey And Sunny (6 years and over | 28 minutes): “The Story of Honey and Sunny” by Evelyn Sharp is a charming tale of two sisters, Honey and Sunny, who live in a small village. Honey is gentle and kind, while Sunny is vibrant and spirited. Their contrasting personalities complement each other perfectly, and they share a deep bond.
56. Zlatovlaska With The Golden Hair (8 years and over | 11 minutes): The story is about a king who ate a snake and gained the ability to talk to animals. He orders his cook to prepare the snake, warning him not to eat it or face death. However, the cook eats it and gains the same ability. Later, the king sends the cook to find a princess with golden hair to marry him. Along the way, the cook helps ants, young ravens, and fishermen, who offer to help him in return. He eventually finds the princess, and the king sets three tasks for him to complete before he can marry her. With the help of animals and a bit of luck, the cook completes the tasks and wins the princess. However, the king betrays and kills him, but the princess brings him back to life using Water of Death and Water of Life. The king, jealous of the cook’s youth, kills himself with the Water of Death, and the princess chooses the cook to be the new king. They marry and live happily ever after.
57. Blanca And Rosalinde (6 years and over | 9 minutes): In this story, a kind old woman and her two daughters are visited by a sorceress who rewards their kindness. The elder daughter, Blanca, becomes a queen, while the younger, Rosalinde, marries a farmer and receives a beautiful farm. Blanca becomes unhappy as queen and eventually visits Rosalinde, realizing that true happiness lies in a peaceful and contented life. The sorceress appears again and reveals that Blanca was made queen as punishment for not giving an old woman some plums. Blanca is relieved to be freed from her misery and stays with her sister, happy and content.
58. Prince Hyacinth And The Dear Little Princess (7 years and over | 11 minutes): A king falls in love with a princess, but she is under a spell that can only be broken if he stands on the tail of her cat. When he finally succeeds, the cat transforms into an evil wizard who curses the king’s son with an unhappy life until he realizes his nose is too long. The prince grows up believing that a long nose is a sign of beauty and greatness, but when he falls in love with a princess and goes to rescue her from a crystal palace, he realizes his nose is too long and is able to break the curse. The prince and princess live happily ever after.
59. The Three Princes And Their Animals (7 years and over | 11 minutes): The story is about three princes who, on a hunting trip, spare the lives of various animals and are given cubs in return. They mark trees to stay in touch and go their separate ways, with the eldest taking their step-sister with him. The eldest brother and step-sister come across a castle taken over by robbers, and the young animals help kill them. The step-sister tries to betray the prince but is caught, and he leaves her chained up until she has filled a bowl with tears of remorse. The prince then goes on to save a princess from a nine-headed dragon and is rewarded with half a kingdom and the princess’s hand in marriage. However, on his way back from a trip, he and his animals are turned to stone by a witch. The younger brothers come to look for him, and after defeating the witch, they all return home and live happily ever after.
60. The Little Old Woman Who Lived In A Shoe (4 years and over | 7 minutes): The story is about a Little Old Woman who lives in a big shoe with her many children. Her husband was taken by a Giant, and the family built a home in the shoe. Strong Arm, the oldest son, decides to rescue his father from the Giant and, with the help of his brothers, successfully kills the Dragon guarding his father and frees him. Meanwhile, the Little Old Woman is helped by an old witch who causes the Giant to put his foot in his old shoe and break the roof of the family’s shoe. The Giant is killed by Strong Arm, and the family builds a new home and lives happily ever after.
61. Diamonds And Toads (7 years and over | 7 minutes): A widow had two daughters, the eldest was unpleasant and arrogant, and the youngest was beautiful and polite. The mother favored the eldest and mistreated the youngest. One day, while fetching water from a fountain, a fairy disguised as a poor woman appeared to the youngest daughter and granted her the gift of having a flower or diamond come out of her mouth with every word she spoke. When the eldest daughter went to the fountain, she was rude to the fairy, who then granted her the curse of having a snake or toad come out of her mouth with every word. The mother mistreated the youngest even more, causing her to flee and be found by a prince who fell in love with her and married her. The eldest daughter became so hated that she died alone in the forest.
62. The Red Shoes (6 years and over | 6 minutes): Karen, a poor girl, is given a pair of red shoes after her mother’s death. She is later taken in by an old lady and given new clothes, but the red shoes are thrown away. Karen sees the princess wearing beautiful red shoes and later buys a pair for herself. She becomes obsessed with the shoes and can’t stop dancing when she puts them on. She leaves the old lady and ends up with wooden feet after a run-in with the executioner. Karen returns to the city and lives a quiet life, never again searching for pretty clothes.
63. The Strange Witch Of Willowweed (7 years and over | 13 minutes): The story follows a princess who wants to find the bravest boy in the world and asks the Strange Witch of Willowweed for advice. The witch tells the princess to lock herself up in an enchanted forest, where only the bravest boy will find her. Kit, a boy called a coward by his peers, comes to the witch for advice on finding something worth fighting for. She tells him to go to King Hurlyburly, who hires him as commander-in-chief to invade the land of King Topsyturvy. Kit refuses to invade without a good reason and ends up stopping the war by writing an apology note for King Topsyturvy. Later, he sets out to rescue the princess from the enchanted forest, where he meets her and falls in love. They return home, get married, and live happily ever after.
64. Bluebeard (8 years and over | 5 minutes): Bluebeard, a very wealthy man with a blue beard, wants to marry one of his two neighbours, but they refuse due to his ugly appearance and his previous wives who mysteriously disappeared. He invites them and their friends to stay at his mansion for a week and the youngest neighbour agrees to marry him. Before he leaves for a six-week trip, Bluebeard gives his new wife the keys to all the rooms except for one, which she must not enter. Curiosity gets the better of her, and she finds the bodies of Bluebeard’s previous wives in the forbidden room. Bluebeard returns and is about to kill her, but her brothers arrive and kill him first. She inherits all of his wealth and eventually marries a nice man who helps her forget her past.
65. The Queen Of Lanternland (8 years and over | 8 minutes): A young prince on a journey hears a tinkling sound and follows it to a giant waterfall. He falls in and is carried to the underworld where he meets the Queen of Lanternland. She falls in love with him, but is forced to marry the powerful wizard Dragondel or he will unleash spirits on her land. The prince disguises himself as a kitchen boy and goes to Dragondel’s castle to prevent the wedding. He learns that Dragondel carries a talisman that controls a whirlpool and swaps it for a golden pastry hand made by the prince. When Dragondel comes to claim the queen, the whirlpool swallows his ship and the prince and queen live happily ever after.
66. The Nightingale And The Rose (9 years and over | 7 minutes): The story is about a young Student who wants to dance with a girl he loves, but she demands a red rose, which he doesn’t have in his garden. A Nightingale overhears him and wants to help, but finds that the only way to get a red rose is to sacrifice herself. She sings all night with her breast against a thorn until her heart’s blood stains a white rose crimson. The Student finds the red rose and gives it to the girl, but she rejects it for real jewels, and the rose ends up in the gutter. The Student decides that love is impractical and goes back to studying philosophy.
67. The Yellow Dragon (6 years and over | 6 minutes): The story is about a boy named Woe who lives on a farm with his father Yin. One day, a yellow horseman and his four servants arrive at their farm and ask for hospitality. Woe and Yin notice strange things about their guests, like their horses have scales instead of hair and their feet never touch the ground. After dinner, the horseman tells them that a great storm is coming, and the next day it does, but their farm remains unharmed. The yellow dragon returns and gives Woe a scale, which his grandmother says will bring him luck. When they show it to the emperor, he believes it has magical powers and hires Woe as a magician. He performs miracles and brings good luck to the emperor, who rewards him by building him a beautiful house. The story teaches the importance of being hospitable to strangers.
68. Riquet With The Tuft (7 years and over | 6 minutes): The story is about a queen who has an ugly baby boy named Riquet with the Tuft, who is gifted by a fairy with the ability to make the one he loves most as smart as him. In a neighboring kingdom, another queen has twins: a beautiful but dumb daughter and an ugly but smart daughter. Riquet falls in love with the dumb daughter and gives her the gift of intelligence, and she promises to marry him in a year. However, she forgets and falls in love with a handsome prince instead. On the day of the prince’s wedding, the princess remembers her promise to Riquet, and he asks her to share her beauty with him. She does, and they get married instead.
69. The Magic Bonbons (7 years and over | 6 minutes): Claribel Sudds wants to be on stage but doesn’t have any talent. She goes to an old chemist, Dr. Daws, who sells her a box of magical bonbons that will give her different talents. She forgets about the box and accidentally leaves it at a clothing store where Bessie Bostwick finds it and takes it home. Bessie and her guests eat the bonbons, which give them unexpected talents, causing chaos. The senator eats the lavender bonbon and becomes a ballet dancer during a speech. Claribel Sudds accuses him of stealing her bonbons, but she is removed from the hall. She visits Dr. Daws often and becomes a famous actress using the bonbons to achieve her dreams.
70. The Origin Of Rubies (6 years and over | 7 minutes): A spoiled prince convinces his mother to join him on an adventure on an abandoned ship. They come across a vortex with rubies floating in the water, and the prince takes one despite his mother’s objections. They arrive in a kingdom, and the prince sells the ruby to the king’s daughter. She later wants more rubies and threatens to stop eating and drinking, so the prince sets out to find more. He finds a palace at the bottom of the ocean where he meets a beautiful woman whose head is separated from her body, and he accidentally reunites the two using a golden rod. He falls in love with her and they escape together, taking rubies from the palace. He returns home and marries the woman from the ocean and also marries the king’s daughter.
71. The Lost Half Hour (7 years and over | 13 minutes): The story is about a foolish boy named Bobo who goes on a journey to find a lost half-hour for Princess Zenza. He meets Father Time and his twelve sons, the hours, who give him the lost half-hour in exchange for taking care of their horses for a year. Bobo is given a cup of water from Twelve o’clock, the son who rode with him, and it turns him wise. With his newfound wisdom, he helps people he had met during his travels and saves Tilda, a kitchen maid who was kidnapped by a dragon. Bobo and Tilda marry and live happily ever after.
72. The Pied Piper Of Hamelin (5 years and over | 6 minutes): The town of Hamelin is overrun with rats, and a stranger appears offering to rid the town of the vermin for one silver coin per rat head. He plays his flute, luring the rats to follow him to the river where they all drown. When the stranger returns for his payment, the townspeople refuse to pay him in full, and he vows revenge. The next day, all of the town’s children disappear, having followed the stranger out of town to a secret location. The townspeople are unable to locate the children, and it’s only 150 years later that some merchants suggest the missing children may have settled in a region of Romania.
73. The Sea King And The Magic Jewels (9 years and over | 22 minutes): The Sea King and the Magic Jewels is a Japanese fairy tale about a young fisherman named Urashima Taro who saves a turtle from harm. In gratitude, the turtle transports him to the underwater palace of the Sea King. There, he meets the Sea King’s beautiful daughter, Princess Otohime, and they fall in love. To express his gratitude, the Sea King gifts Taro with a box containing magical jewels that have the power to control the tides and bestow great wealth.
74. How The Buttercup Became Yellow (4 years and over | 7 minutes): The story tells of how all flowers were once white and how the little white cups wanted to be golden like the daisy. The daisy suggested that the white cups convince the goblins to color them, but the goblins would only do it if they thought they could bother the fairies. The white cups asked the fairies for help, and the fairy queen whispered a love song to the white cups to trick the goblins into coloring them. The next morning, the white cups had turned into golden cups, or buttercups. The fairies named them “our golden cups,” but they had to keep it a secret from the goblins. The buttercups learned that “silence is golden,” and they bloomed in the fields as the beautiful golden buttercups, much to the surprise of the goblins.
75. Prince Sneeze (4 years and over | 8 minutes): The story is about a prince named Rolandor, who was cursed by an angry fairy to sneeze and cause chaos every time he did so. The curse would only be lifted when he found someone brave enough to marry him. The king and queen sent messengers to find a bride for their son, but none dared to marry him until the last princess, who was also under a spell, agreed to marry him. The prince sneezed during their wedding, and the curse was lifted, causing all the enchantments in the kingdom to break, and everything returned to its former state. The prince and his bride went on a honeymoon and lived happily ever after.
76. The Bird With Nine Heads (7 years and over | 8 minutes): A king and queen’s daughter is taken by a bird with nine heads, and a young man helps to rescue her but is left in the cave. He befriends a fish who turns into a man and a dragon who gives him a magic flask. He uses the flask to conjure up a table of food, an donkey, and a carriage to travel to the city where the princess lives. The princess had said she would only marry the one who brings half of her hairpin and half of her silken kerchief as a token, and the young man has it. They prove he is the true deliverer, the false bridegroom is punished, and they live happily ever after.
77. The City Under The Sea (7 years and over | 14 minutes): The story is about a merchant who was ordered by the king to find the Emerald of the Sea. The merchant’s three sons tried to find the emerald, but the first two failed. The youngest son went to the underwater world and found the emerald with the help of an enchanted ring from the Witch of the Sand. He met his brothers and their wives at an underwater wedding feast, where they had lost their memories due to eating the bread of the underwater world. The sailor freed his brothers and took the emerald to the king to save his father’s life. The sailor used the emerald to sink the castle of the king, and the merchant’s family lived happily ever after.
78. Under The Willow Tree (8 years and over | 15 minutes): The story is about two children who love to play under an old willow tree and hear stories from the candy man. He tells them a story about two gingerbread figures in love but who never speak, and the girl eventually breaks in two. The children are so impressed by the story that they keep the gingerbread figures and never eat them. The children grow up, and the girl, Joanna, becomes a famous singer, while the boy, Knud, becomes a shoemaker. Knud visits Joanna in the city, confesses his love for her, but she only sees him as a brother. Knud travels the world, but upon seeing Joanna sing in Milan, he realizes he can’t forget her. He returns to his childhood home but dies under a willow tree after falling asleep in the snow.
79. The Story Of The Three Beggars (8 years and over | 13 minutes): The story is about a wealthy merchant named Mark who despises poor people, but his daughter Anastasia convinces him to let three old, poor beggars stay in their attic for the night. The beggars overhear Mark’s intentions to harm them and they curse him by giving their newly born son Vassili all of Mark’s possessions. Mark later pays the boy’s father for custody and then tries to have him killed twice, but Vassili is saved both times. Vassili then goes on a journey to collect rent owed to Mark from the Snake King, encountering various characters who ask him to pass on messages to the king. Vassili fulfills all the requests and discovers that the Snake King owes Mark twelve years of rent and also has his twelve ships. Vassili gets the rent and the ships and returns to Mark, who is now poor and working as a ferryman. Vassili marries Anastasia and takes care of the poor, while Mark is left to ferry people across the river.
80. The Spring-Tide Of Love (8 years and over | 10 minutes): The story is about a young girl named Elsa who, while out searching for flowers, becomes lost in the woods and stumbles upon a large mansion. She is taken in by the owner of the house, a man named Ulric, who becomes a father figure to her. Ulric is under a curse that has caused eternal winter to fall upon him and his home. He tells Elsa the story of the curse, which was brought on by his cruelty towards a family in need. Elsa decides to stay with Ulric, and in doing so, helps him to break the curse and awaken his wife from a long slumber. The story ends happily, with the curse lifted, the garden blooming, and Elsa living happily with her new family.
81. How The Rabbit Lost His Tail (3 years and over | 5 minutes): In this fairy tale, the rabbit used to have a long tail, but a jealous cat stole it. The rabbit didn’t mind and gave the cat the tail in exchange for the knife she used to steal it. The rabbit then traded the knife for a basket and the basket for some lettuce. Despite losing his tail, the rabbit was happy because he discovered that he loved lettuce more than his tail.
82. The Elephant And The Tailor (3 years and over | 5 minutes): The elephant is a hardworking, obedient, and intelligent animal that can be domesticated and used by humans in Southeast Asia. However, they can also get extremely angry if treated unfairly. In one story, an angry elephant retaliates against a tailor who pricked him with a needle by spraying him with muddy water. In another story, an elephant saves a child even though it had been mistreated by its sitter. These stories teach us that elephants should be treated with respect and kindness.
83. The Three Sisters (8 years and over | 8 minutes): A woman had three daughters, and while the two elder ones were very unlucky, the youngest, Nella, was born to good luck. She caught the eye of an enchanted prince, and they secretly got married with a crystal passage connecting their rooms. Her sisters discovered this and broke the passage, causing the prince to be mortally wounded. The only cure was the fat of the ogre and his wife. Nella overheard them talking and learned the cure. She killed the ogre and his wife, got the fat, cured the prince, and revealed her identity to him. They got married officially, and Nella had her sisters thrown into an oven for their jealousy and evilness.
84. The Story Of The Fisherman And His Wife (8 years and over | 16 minutes): The story is about a poor fisherman and his wife who catches an enchanted prince in the form of a flatfish but releases him back into the sea upon the prince’s request. The wife then convinces the fisherman to ask the prince for a better home, and they are granted a fisherman’s cottage. Later, the wife asks for a castle and then to become a queen and an empress. Finally, she asks to become like Our Lord, but the fish sends them back to their old shack.
85. The Building Of The Wall Of Asgard (8 years and over | 6 minutes): In Norse mythology, Odin wants to protect Asgard, the city of the gods, from the giants, so he hires a stranger to build an indestructible wall. The stranger asks for the sun, the moon, and Freya, the goddess of love, as payment. The gods are outraged, but Loki comes up with a plan to trick the stranger into completing the wall before the deadline. The stranger turns out to be a giant, and Loki, disguised as a mare, distracts the giant’s horse so that he can’t finish the wall in time. The gods are relieved and happy with the wall’s protection, but Odin feels uneasy about the trickery.
86. My Lord Bag Of Rice (8 years and over | 7 minutes): Fujiwara Hidesato, a brave warrior, meets the Dragon King of the Lake and agrees to help him kill the centipede that is threatening the King’s family. Hidesato successfully kills the centipede using his last arrow coated in his saliva, and as a reward, the Dragon King gives him four magical gifts: a bell, a bag of rice, a roll of silk, and a pan. The bag of rice refills itself, the roll of silk never shortens, and the pan produces delicious food from anything cooked in it. Hidesato becomes known as My Lord Bag of Rice and lives a wealthy life.
87. The White Hare And The Crocodiles (8 years and over | 15 minutes): The story “The White Hare of Inaba” tells of a hare who tricks a crocodile into forming a bridge to the mainland of Inaba. Once the hare reaches the mainland, he taunts the crocodiles, who in turn take revenge by pulling out all of his fur. A kind man tells the hare how to heal himself by bathing and rolling on kaba flowers, and the hare is grateful. The man turns out to be a fairy, Okuni-nushi-no-Mikoto, who is on a mission to find a bride for one of his brothers. The kind fairy wins the heart of the princess and marries her, and the hare becomes famous as “The White Hare of Inaba.”
88. Genevieve Of Brabant (8 years and over | 7 minutes): The story is about Count Siegfried who marries Genevieve and goes to battle soon after. Knight Golo, appointed as place observer, turns out to be disloyal and writes letters to Count Siegfried with nasty lies about Genevieve. Genevieve is imprisoned and eventually escapes to live in the forest with her child. Count Siegfried, believing Genevieve is dead, receives countless letters from her after he returns home, but Golo never delivers them. After several years, Siegfried goes hunting and comes across Genevieve and their son in the forest. They are reunited and live happily ever after.
89. The Travels Of Prince Flamingo (7 years and over | 10 minutes): The story of Prince Flamingo is told by Mrs. Old Turtle, a wise and ancient turtle who tells stories to animals of all kinds. White Wing, a white flamingo, is born on a tropical island, but his white wings make him an outcast among the pink flamingos. The King of the flamingos orders all flamingos with white wings to die, so White Wing’s mother tells him to leave and find his place in the world. He meets a kind turtle who tells him about the Emperor who wants a white flamingo and advises him to fly towards the sunrise until he reaches the river mouth, then follow the river to the mountains. White Wing, now called Prince Flamingo, becomes an adviser to the Emperor and lives a life of luxury, but his love for a princess will be continued in a future story by Mrs. Old Turtle.
90. The Ice King (5 years and over | 5 minutes): In an Indian village, the people suffered terribly during the winter when the Ice King ruled. One brave young man defied the Ice King by breaking the ice in the river and pushing the pieces downstream. The Ice King threatened to return and stay forever, but the young man built a wigwam next to the river and prepared for a new duel. When the Ice King returned, the young man stoked the fire until the cold air was driven out by the heat, and the Ice King was weakened and defeated. The Ice King agreed to only rule for three moons, and from then on, the winter never lasted longer than three moons.
91. The Ugly Duckling (3 years and over | 4 minutes): The story tells of a duckling that is born larger and uglier than its siblings. The other animals bully and reject him, so he runs away to live alone in the swamp. In the winter, he nearly dies from the cold but is rescued by a farmer. However, the duckling is scared of people and returns to the swamp. In the spring, he sees a flock of swans and realizes he has transformed into a beautiful swan himself. The other animals admire him, and he is finally happy.
92. The Courteous Prince (6 years and over | 7 minutes): In this story, a Prince falls in love with a girl who is not of his rank, but the King wants to separate them. The Prince becomes lost in a valley while hunting and finds an abandoned hunting lodge where he spends the night. A ghostly woman appears and asks him to do a courteous deed for her, and he obliges. The next morning, the Prince finds his lost love, who explains that an evil witch had enchanted her into a hideous form, but his courtesy had broken the spell. They return to the palace and get married. The King realizes that the old witch’s words had come true.
93. Prince Darling (7 years and over | 9 minutes): The Good King is promised a wish by fairy Candide after he rescues a bunny during a hunt. He asks that his son Cheri become a good person. After the king passes away, the fairy gives Cheri a ring that stings him every time he does something wrong. Cheri’s behavior doesn’t improve, and he throws the ring away, becoming a cruel ruler. The fairy then transforms him into animals to show him his flaws. Cheri eventually redeems himself and becomes a good ruler with the help of wise councilman Suliman and his love, Zelie.
94. The Happy Prince (7 years and over | 6 minutes): A little swallow stops to rest by a golden statue of a prince, the Happy Prince, and sees that tears are streaming down the prince’s face. The Happy Prince tells the swallow that, though he was once very wealthy and happy in his castle, he is now standing as a statue above the town and sees all the misery of the people there. The prince asks the swallow to bring a ruby from his sword to a worried mother who cannot afford healthy food for her sick son. The swallow obliges, and when it returns to the prince, he asks the bird to take one of his sapphire eyes to a young writer and then his other eye to a girl who has lost her sulfur sticks, even though this will leave him blind. The swallow stays with the prince and shares with him all the sorrow it has seen in the town. Eventually, the swallow falls into a deep sleep and dies, and the prince’s lead heart breaks. God sends an angel to take the swallow and the Happy Prince to paradise.
95. The Sleeping Beauty (6 years and over | 5 minutes): In this fairy tale, a king and queen are blessed with a daughter, but an angry fairy curses her to prick her finger on a spinning wheel and fall into a deep sleep for a hundred years. Despite the efforts of the king to prevent the curse, the princess eventually pricks her finger and falls asleep. The entire castle and everyone in it are put to sleep with her. A hundred years later, a prince discovers the sleeping castle and kisses the princess, breaking the spell. They live happily ever after.
96. The Boy With The Moon On His Forehead (9 years and over | 12 minutes): In this story, a king seeks a seventh wife after his six previous queens failed to bear him children. He overhears a poor woman’s daughter boasting about how she will bear the king twins, a son with the moon on his forehead and a daughter who is beautiful. The king marries her and gives her a golden bell to ring when the child is due. The other six queens convince her to ring the bell twice too early, causing the king to become angry and abandon her. The midwife takes the twins and replaces them with puppies, but they are miraculously saved by a potter. The boy with the moon on his forehead and the stars on his palms goes on a deadly journey to obtain a kataki flower and is helped by a beautiful young lady. When the king discovers the truth, he executes the six queens and restores the seventh queen’s honor. The boy and his siblings, along with the young lady, live happily ever after.
97. King Kojata (8 years and over | 12 minutes): King Kojata and his queen couldn’t conceive a child, but during the king’s journey, the queen gave birth to a son. The king had promised a monster in a well to give him something he owned, but he didn’t know what it was. Later, the prince was pursued by the monster and had to complete difficult tasks set by the king of the underworld. The prince was helped by a girl named Hyacinthia who loved him. The prince forgot about Hyacinthia after he kissed a child in a city and got married to someone else. However, at his wedding, Hyacinthia made a cake that reminded the prince of her, and they reunite and lived happily ever after.
98. Prince Ivan And The Grey Wolf (8 years and over | 33 minutes): “Prince Ivan and the Grey Wolf” is a classic Russian folk tale that revolves around the journey of Prince Ivan, the youngest son of a king, who embarks on a quest to retrieve the magical Firebird for his father. Along his journey, Prince Ivan encounters the enigmatic Grey Wolf, who becomes his guide and ally. With the Grey Wolf’s assistance, Ivan not only captures the Firebird but also saves the beautiful Princess Helen from an evil sorcerer, and retrieves a magical horse. As the story unfolds, Ivan’s experiences teach him the value of friendship, loyalty, and courage, while demonstrating the importance of wisdom and patience in overcoming challenges. The tale of Prince Ivan and the Grey Wolf is a timeless story that continues to capture the hearts and minds of readers, showcasing the rich tapestry of Russian folklore.
99. The Giant Who Had No Heart In His Body (7 years and over | 17 minutes): “The Giant Who Had No Heart in His Body” is a Norwegian folktale that tells the story of a heartless giant who has captured six princesses and placed a spell on their kingdom. The youngest prince, named Askeladden, takes it upon himself to save his sisters and break the curse. On his quest, Askeladden receives assistance from various magical creatures, including a talking horse and a wise old woman.
100. The Flute (9 years and over | 13 minutes): The story is about a man who loved his daughter, O’Yoné, very much but after the death of his wife, he remarried a wicked woman who hated O’Yoné. The man had to leave on a business trip to Kyoto, promising to bring back a gift for his daughter, but O’Yoné begged to go with him. He refused, but she gave him a bamboo whistle as a parting gift. While in Kyoto, the man discovered that the whistle played a haunting tune, and it turned out to be the voice of his daughter who had been killed by his wicked wife. He avenged his daughter’s death and went on a pilgrimage, carrying the flute with him.

In conclusion, the magical world of fairy tales has captivated the hearts and minds of people across generations, transcending time and cultures. This collection of the top 100 fairy tales not only reminds us of the enchanting stories that have woven themselves into the tapestry of our collective imagination, but also invites us to embark on a journey of self-discovery, morality, and wonder.

These tales reflect the power of storytelling, as they have served to teach life lessons, convey human values, and nurture our dreams and aspirations. From the humblest folk tales to the grandest epics, each story is a testament to the human spirit and its capacity for imagination.

As we close the pages on this collection of the top 100 fairy tales, we encourage you to share these timeless stories with friends, family, and future generations. Let these stories spark the magic within and inspire a lifetime of curiosity, resilience, and kindness. As we continue to explore new horizons, may we never forget the enchanting worlds and wise teachings that lie within these age-old tales, and may we carry them with us wherever our own adventures lead.