Featured stories today

The Story of Sayen

Intermediate
6 min read

In the depths of a dark forest where people seldom went, lived a wizened old Alan. The skin on her wrinkled face was as tough as a carabao hide, and her long arms with fingers pointing back from the wrist were horrible to look at. Now this frightful creature had a son whose name was […]

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Simon, the Friend of Snakes

Advanced
4 min read

The King of the Snakes lives in the ruins of a big tower between Nineveh and Babylon, and rules all the snake tribe, both on land and sea. Once the King’s son, who was viceroy of the province of Diarbekir, wrote a letter to his royal father, as follows: “Long live the King! May Heaven […]

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The Queen of Heaven

5 min read

The Queen of Heaven, who is also known as the Holy Mother, was in mortal life a maiden of Fukien, named Lin. She was pure, reverential and pious in her ways and died at the age of seventeen. She shows her power on the seas and for this reason the seamen worship her. When they […]

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Cadmus and Europa

Easy
13 min read

Part I: The Bull In Asia there lived a king who had two children, a boy and a girl. The boy’s name was Cadmus, and the girl’s name was Europa. The king’s country was a very small one. He could stand on his house top and see the whole of it. On one side of […]

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The Lobster and Her Daughter

Easy
1 min read

The wise, sometimes, as lobsters do, To gain their ends back foremost go. It is the rower’s art; and those Commanders who mislead their foes, Do often seem to aim their sight Just where they don’t intend to smite. My theme, so low, may yet apply To one whose fame is very high, Who finds […]

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The Snoring of Swunkus

Advanced
2 min read

The original proprietor of Deer Isle, off the coast of Maine—at least, the one who was in possession one hundred and thirty years ago—had the liquid name of Swunksus. His name was not the only liquid thing in the neighborhood, however, for, wherever Swunksus was, fire-water was not far. Shortly before the Revolution a renegade […]

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Right and Wrong

Intermediate
5 min read

A certain king had two sons: the one cunning and unjust, the other just and good. After the death of their father, the unjust brother said to the just one,— “Get you away from me; we cannot live together any longer. Here you have three hundred gold pieces and a horse; this is your share of […]

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How the Farmer Deceived the Demon

Intermediate
7 min read

Very many years ago, in a far-away land where the trees never changed their green leaves and where the birds always sang, there lived on an island a farmer with a large family. Though all alone on the island and knowing nothing of people in the outer world, they were always happy,—as happy as the […]

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The Hound and the Hare

Easy
1 min read

A young Hound started a Hare, and, when he caught her up, would at one moment snap at her with his teeth as though he were about to kill her, while at another he would let go his hold and frisk about her, as if he were playing with another dog. At last the Hare […]

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The Lost Camel

Advanced
4 min read

There was a city called Alakapuri, famous for all the riches that sea and land can yield, and inhabited by people speaking different languages. In that city reigned a king named Alakesa, who was a storehouse of all excellent qualities. He was so just a king that during his reign the cow and the tiger […]

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Philomel and Progne

Easy
1 min read

From home and city spires, one day, The swallow Progne flew away, And sought the bosky dell Where sang poor Philomel. “My sister,” Progne said, “how do you do? ‘Tis now a thousand years since you Have been conceal’d from human view; I’m sure I have not seen your face Once since the times of […]

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The Raven (Brothers Grimm)

Intermediate
13 min read

There was once on a time a Queen who had a little daughter who was still so young that she could not walk. One day the child was naughty, and the mother might say what she liked, but the child would not be quiet. Then she became impatient, and as the ravens were flying about […]

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Flame Scalps of the Chartiers

Advanced
2 min read

Before Pittsburg had become worthy to be called a settlement, a white man rowed his boat to the mouth of Chartiers creek, near that present city. He was seeking a place in which to make his home, and a little way up-stream, where were timber, water, and a southern slope, he marked a “tomahawk claim,” […]

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The Passing of Loku

Intermediate
2 min read

The tale of Loku is applied to a large, ugly lizard which climbs to the rafters of houses and gives the peculiar cry that suggests its name. This lizard, although hideous, is harmless; it lives on centipedes. Its strange cry may be heard everywhere in the Philippine Islands. Hundreds of years ago a very wicked […]

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Geirlug the King's Daughter

Intermediate
22 min read

One day a powerful king and his beautiful wife were sitting in the gardens of their capital city, talking earnestly about the future life of their little son, who was sleeping by their side in his beautiful golden cradle. They had been married for many years without children, so when this baby came they thought […]

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The Wolf and the Sheep

Easy
1 min read

A Wolf was worried and badly bitten by dogs, and lay a long time for dead. By and by he began to revive, and, feeling very hungry, called out to a passing Sheep and said, “Would you kindly bring me some water from the stream close by? I can manage about meat, if only I […]

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The Prophet of Palmyra

Advanced
2 min read

It was at Palmyra, New York, that the principles of Mormonism were first enunciated by Joseph Smith, who claimed to have found the golden plates of the Book of Mormon in a hill-side in neighboring Manchester,—the “Hill of Cumorah,”—to which he was led by angels. The plates were written in characters similar to the masonic […]

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The Wonderful Ring

Advanced
15 min read

Once upon a time there lived a King who had two sons, and when he died he left them all his treasures; but the younger brother began to squander it all so lavishly that the elder said, ‘Let us divide what there is, and do you take your own share, and do what you please […]

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Tattercoats

Advanced
7 min read

In a great Palace by the sea there once dwelt a very rich old lord, who had neither wife nor children living, only one little granddaughter, whose face he had never seen in all her life. He hated her bitterly, because at her birth his favourite daughter died; and when the old nurse brought him […]

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Moti

Intermediate
17 min read

Once upon a time there was a youth called Moti, who was very big and strong, but the clumsiest creature you can imagine. So clumsy was he that he was always putting his great feet into the bowls of sweet milk or curds which his mother set out on the floor to cool, always smashing, […]

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Preface

2 min read

The fairy tales and legends of olden China have in common with the “Thousand and One Nights” an oriental glow and glitter of precious stones and gold and multicolored silks, an oriental wealth of fantastic and supernatural action. And yet they strike an exotic note distinct in itself. The seventy-three stories here presented after original […]

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The Monkey and the Turtle

Intermediate
4 min read

A monkey, looking very sad and dejected, was walking along the bank of the river one day when he met a turtle. “How are you?” asked the turtle, noticing that he looked sad. The monkey replied, “Oh, my friend, I am very hungry. The squash of Mr. Farmer were all taken by the other monkeys, […]

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The Golden Arm

Intermediate
2 min read

Here was once a man who travelled the land all over in search of a wife. He saw young and old, rich and poor, pretty and plain, and could not meet with one to his mind. At last he found a woman, young, fair, and rich, who possessed a right arm of solid gold. He […]

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Old Dschang

Intermediate
9 min read

Once upon a time there was a man who went by the name of Old Dschang. He lived in the country, near Yangdschou, as a gardener. His neighbor, named Sir We, held an official position in Yangdschou. Sir We had decided that it was time for his daughter to marry, so he sent for a […]

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The Dog and the Sow

Advanced
1 min read

A Dog and a Sow were arguing and each claimed that its own young ones were finer than those of any other animal. “Well,” said the Sow at last, “mine can see, at any rate, when they come into the world: but yours are born blind.”

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The Ingrates

Intermediate
3 min read

There was once a man who went into the forest to gather wood, and saw a snake crushed under a large stone. He raised the stone a little with the handle of his axe and the snake crawled out. When it was at liberty it said to the man: “I am going to eat you.” […]

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The Bear and the Fox

Intermediate
1 min read

A Bear was once bragging about his generous feelings, and saying how refined he was compared with other animals. (There is, in fact, a tradition that a Bear will never touch a dead body.) A Fox, who heard him talking in this strain, smiled and said, “My friend, when you are hungry, I only wish […]

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The Quarrel of the Monkey and the Crab

Intermediate
15 min read

Long, long ago, one bright autumn day in Japan, it happened, that a pink-faced monkey and a yellow crab were playing together along the bank of a river. As they were running about, the crab found a rice-dumpling and the monkey a persimmon-seed. The crab picked up the rice-dumpling and showed it to the monkey, […]

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The Tree-Bound

Intermediate
11 min read

It was a clear summer day. The blue, blue sky dropped low over the edge of the green level land. A large yellow sun hung directly overhead. The singing of birds filled the summer space between earth and sky with sweet music. Again and again sang a yellow-breasted birdie—”Koda Ni Dakota!” He insisted upon it. […]

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The Grey Mare in the Garret

Intermediate
5 min read

In the portal of the Church of the Apostles, near the new market in Cologne, hung a picture, the portraits of a certain Frau Richmodis von Aducht and her two children, of whom the following singular story is related. The picture was covered with a curtain which she worked with her own hands. Her husband, […]

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Donkey Skin

Intermediate
21 min read

There was once upon a time a king who was so much beloved by his subjects that he thought himself the happiest monarch in the whole world, and he had everything his heart could desire. His palace was filled with the rarest of curiosities, and his gardens with the sweetest flowers, while in the marble […]

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The Clever Weaver

Intermediate
6 min read

Once upon a time the king of a far country was sitting on his throne, listening to the complaints of his people, and judging between them. That morning there had been fewer cases than usual to deal with, and the king was about to rise and go into his gardens, when a sudden stir was […]

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Smallhead and the King's Sons

Easy
30 min read

Long ago there lived in Erin a woman who married a man of high degree and had one daughter. Soon after the birth of the daughter the husband died. The woman was not long a widow when she married a second time, and had two daughters. These two daughters hated their half-sister, thought she was […]

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The Dragon with Many Heads

Easy
1 min read

An envoy of the Porte Sublime, As history says, once on a time, Before th’ imperial German court Did rather boastfully report, The troops commanded by his master’s firman, As being a stronger army than the German: To which replied a Dutch attendant, “Our prince has more than one dependant Who keeps an army at […]

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The Mount of the Golden Queen

Intermediate
7 min read

Once upon a time a lad who tended the cattle in the wood was eating his noon-tide meal in a clearing in the forest. As he was sitting there he saw a rat run into a juniper-bush. His curiosity led him to look for it; but as he bent over, down he went, head over […]

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The Story of Ciccu

Intermediate
5 min read

Once upon a time there lived a man who had three sons. The eldest was called Peppe, the second Alfin, and the youngest Ciccu. They were all very poor, and at last things got so bad that they really had not enough to eat. So the father called his sons, and said to them, ‘ […]

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The Two Alms, or the Thanksgiving Gift

Easy
4 min read

Once upon a time a poor old beggar woman stood shivering by the side of a road which led to a prosperous village. She hoped some traveler would be touched by her misery, and would give her a few pennies with which to buy food and fuel. It had been snowing since early morning, and […]

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The King of Love

Intermediate
10 min read

Once upon a time there was a man with three daughters, who earned his living by gathering wild herbs. One day he took his youngest daughter with him. They came to a garden, and began to gather vegetables. The daughter saw a fine radish, and began to pull it up, when suddenly a Turk appeared, […]

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The Death of the Sun-Hero

Advanced
6 min read

Many, many thousand years ago there lived a mighty King whom heaven had blessed with a clever and beautiful son. When he was only ten years old the boy was cleverer than all the King’s counsellors put together, and when he was twenty he was the greatest hero in the whole kingdom. His father could […]

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The Joker and the Fishes

Easy
1 min read

A joker at a banker’s table, Most amply spread to satisfy The height of epicurean wishes, Had nothing near but little fishes. So, taking several of the fry, He whisper’d to them very nigh, And seem’d to listen for reply. The guests much wonder’d what it meant, And stared upon him all intent. The joker, […]

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The Animals' Dam

Easy
13 min read

“Ach! it was dry,” said Outa, “as dry as last year’s springbok biltong. For a long time the Old Man in the sky shot down strong light and sucked all the water out of the veld. From morning to night he poured down hotness on the world, and when he rolled round to sleep, a […]

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The Crystal Ball

Advanced
6 min read

There was once an enchantress, who had three sons who loved each other as brothers, but the old woman did not trust them, and thought they wanted to steal her power from her. So she changed the eldest into an eagle, which was forced to dwell in the rocky mountains, and was often seen sweeping […]

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The Daisy

Intermediate
9 min read

Now listen. Out in the country, close by the roadside, stood a pleasant house; you have seen one like it, no doubt, very often. In front lay a little fenced-in garden, full of blooming flowers. Near the hedge, in the soft green grass, grew a little daisy. The sun shone as brightly and warmly upon […]

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The Mermaid and the Boy

Intermediate
24 min read

Long, long ago, there lived a king who ruled over a country by the sea. When he had been married about a year, some of his subjects, inhabiting a distant group of islands, revolted against his laws, and it became needful for him to leave his wife and go in person to settle their disputes. […]

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The Poor Devil

Easy
1 min read

Once upon a time there was a peasant, who led his cow to pasture in the spring, and prayed God to have her in His care. The evil one was sitting in a bush, heard him, and said to himself: “When things turn out well, they thank God for it; but if anything goes wrong, […]

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How an Old Man Lost His Wen

Intermediate
12 min read

Many, many years ago there lived a good old man who had a wen like a tennis-ball growing out of his right cheek. This lump was a great disfigurement to the old man, and so annoyed him that for many years he spent all his time and money in trying to get rid of it. […]

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The Magic Pitcher

Intermediate
27 min read

Chapter I Long, long ago there lived far away in India a woodcutter called Subha Datta and his family, who were all very happy together. The father went every day to the forest near his home to get supplies of wood, which he sold to his neighbours, earning by that means quite enough to give […]

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The Bee and Jupiter

Advanced
1 min read

A Queen Bee from Hymettus flew up to Olympus with some fresh honey from the hive as a present to Jupiter, who was so pleased with the gift that he promised to give her anything she liked to ask for. She said she would be very grateful if he would give stings to the bees, […]

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Old Rinkrank

Intermediate
4 min read

There was once on a time a King who had a daughter, and he caused a glass mountain to be made, and said that whosoever could cross to the other side of it without falling should have his daughter to wife. Then there was one who loved the King’s daughter, and he asked the King […]

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Toads and Diamonds

Intermediate
5 min read

There was once upon a time a widow who had two daughters. The eldest was so much like her in the face and humor that whoever looked upon the daughter saw the mother. They were both so disagreeable and so proud that there was no living with them. The youngest, who was the very picture […]

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The Headless Dwarfs

Intermediate
16 min read

There was once a minister who spent his whole time in trying to find a servant who would undertake to ring the church bells at midnight, in addition to all his other duties. Of course it was not everyone who cared to get up in the middle of the night, when he had been working […]

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The Little Soldier

Intermediate
33 min read

Once upon a time there was a little soldier who had just come back from the war. He was a brave little fellow, but he had lost neither arms nor legs in battle. Still, the fighting was ended and the army disbanded, so he had to return to the village where he was born. Now […]

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The Fox and the Mask

Intermediate
1min read

A Fox had by some means got into the store-room of a theatre. Suddenly he observed a face glaring down on him and began to be very frightened; but looking more closely he found it was only a Mask such as actors use to put over their face. “Ah,” said the Fox, “you look very […]

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The Monk of the Yangtze-Kiang

Intermediate
14 min read

Buddhism took its rise in southern India, on the island of Ceylon. It was there that the son of a Brahminic king lived, who had left his home in his youth, and had renounced all wishes and all sensation. With the greatest renunciation of self he did penance so that all living creatures might be […]

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The God of the City

Advanced
19 min read

One evening in the distant past a fisherman anchored his boat near the bank of a stream which flowed close by a great city, whose walls could be seen rising grey and rugged in the near distance. The sound of life fell upon his ear and kept him from feeling lonely. Coolies, with bamboo carrying-poles […]

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The Fairy Ring

Intermediate
13 min read

PETROS GOURAS! The name rang through all the Peloponnesus, and every tongue that spoke it spoke in praise and every ear that heard it listened in admiration. Petros came of a noble family of warriors, rich and powerful, with lands, herds, gold, and rare beauty of form and feature, as his heritage. Three days after […]

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The Miser and His Gold

Easy
1 min read

Once upon a time there was a Miser who used to hide his gold at the foot of a tree in his garden; but every week he used to go and dig it up and gloat over his gains. A robber, who had noticed this, went and dug up the gold and decamped with it. […]

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Old Hopgiant

Intermediate
3 min read

Once upon a time there were two neighbors: one of them rich and the other poor. They owned a great meadow in common, which they were supposed to mow together and then divide the hay. But the rich neighbor wanted the meadow for himself alone, and told the poor one that he would drive him […]

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The Enchanted Pig

Intermediate
26 min read

Once upon a time there lived a King who had three daughters. Now it happened that he had to go out to battle, so he called his daughters and said to them: `My dear children, I am obliged to go to the wars. The enemy is approaching us with a large army. It is a […]

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Old Man's Treachery

Intermediate
8 min read

The next afternoon Muskrat and Fine Bow went hunting. They hid themselves in some brush which grew beside an old game trail that followed the river, and there waited for a chance deer. Chickadees hopped and called, “chick-a-de-de-de” in the willows and wild-rose bushes that grew near their hiding-place; and the gentle little birds with […]

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Cabbage Palm (Pickled Cabbages)

Intermediate
8 min read

Little Swanki, the Piccaninny girl, and Tiki, the Piccaninny boy, were up in a karaka tree eating the pulp of the ripe berries. When I was young I was told I would die if I ate the karaka berries, but I suppose Piccaninny tummies are different. Anyhow, there they were, skinning the soft yellow pulp, […]

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Faithful John

Advanced
18 min read

There was once upon a time an old king who was ill, and thought to himself, “I am lying on what must be my death-bed.” Then said he, “Tell Faithful John to come to me.” Faithful John was his favourite servant, and was so called, because he had for his whole life long been so […]

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The Shepherd and His Flock

Easy
2 min read

“What! shall I lose them one by one, This stupid coward throng? And never shall the wolf have done? They were at least a thousand strong, But still they’ve let poor Robin fall a prey! Ah, woe’s the day! Poor Robin Wether lying dead! He follow’d for a bit of bread His master through the […]

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The Little Grey Mouse Part IV: The Tree in the Rotunda

Intermediate
5 min read

Rosalie admired all the flowers very much but she waited with some impatience for the prince to remove the cloth which enveloped this mysterious tree. He left the green-house, however, without having spoken of it. “What then, my prince, is this tree which is so carefully concealed?” “It is the wedding present which I destined […]

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The White Deer at Onota

Advanced
4 min read

Beside quiet Onota, in the Berkshire Hills, dwelt a band of Indians, and while they lived here a white deer often came to drink. So rare was the appearance of an animal like this that its visits were held as good omens, and no hunter of the tribe ever tried to slay it. A prophet […]

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Anthony's Nose

Advanced
2 min read

The Hudson Highlands are suggestively named Bear Mountain, Sugar Loaf, Cro’ Nest, Storm King, called by the Dutch Boterberg, or Butter Hill, from its likeness to a pat of butter; Beacon Hill, where the fires blazed to tell the country that the Revolutionary war was over; Dunderberg, Mount Taurus, so called because a wild bull […]

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The Chrysanthemum Show

Advanced
4 min read

Yoshi-san and his Grandmother go to visit the great temple at Shiba. They walk up its steep stairs, and arrive at the lacquered threshold. Here they place aside their wooden clogs, throw a few coins into a huge box standing on the floor. It is covered with a wooden grating so constructed as to prevent […]

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The Thanksgiving of the Wazir

Intermediate
8 min read

Once upon a time there lived in Hindustan two kings whose countries bordered upon each other; but, as they were rivals in wealth and power, and one was a Hindu rajah and the other a Mohammedan bâdshah, they were not good friends at all. In order, however, to escape continual quarrels, the rajah and the […]

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The Three Dwarfs

Intermediate
12 min read

THERE was once upon a time a man who lost his wife, and a woman who lost her husband; and the man had a daughter and so had the woman. The two girls were great friends and used often to play together. One day the woman turned to the man’s daughter and said: `Go and […]

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Chunks of Daylight

Intermediate
6 min read

At the northern part of the continent, in the land of the midnight sun, where in the long summer days the sun at midnight is just slipping below the northern horizon and immediately is seen coming up again, and where in the long nights of winter there is scarcely any daytime at all, it is […]

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Balder

Easy
4 min read

The great god Odin was the father of all the gods. He and his children dwelt in the city of Asgard at the end of the rainbow. Odin’s palace was as high as the sky and roofed with pure silver. In it was a throne of gold. When Odin sat upon the throne he could […]

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The Retreat from Mahopac

Advanced
4 min read

After the English had secured the city of New Amsterdam and had begun to extend their settlements along the Hudson, the Indians congregated in large numbers about Lake Mahopac, and rejected all overtures for the purchase of that region. In their resolution they were sustained by their young chief Omoyao, who refused to abandon on […]

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The Gold Bread

Easy
8 min read

Once upon a time there was a widow who had a beautiful daughter. The mother was modest and humble; the daughter, Marienka, was pride itself. She had suitors from all sides, but none satisfied her; the more they tried to please her the more she disdained them. One night, when the poor mother could not […]

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Oisin in Tir na n-Og

Intermediate
21 min read

There was a king in Tir na n-Og (the land of Youth) who held the throne and crown for many a year against all comers; and the law of the kingdom was that every seventh year the champions and best men of the country should run for the office of king. Once in seven years […]

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The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids

Intermediate
6 min read

There was once on a time an old goat who had seven little kids, and loved them with all the love of a mother for her children. One day she wanted to go into the forest and fetch some food. So she called all seven to her and said, “Dear children, I have to go […]

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Aponibolinayen

Advanced
9 min read

The most beautiful girl in all the world was Aponibolinayen of Nalpangan. Many young men had come to her brother, Aponibalagen, to ask for her hand in marriage, but he had refused them all, for he awaited one who possessed great power. Then it happened that the fame of her beauty spread over all the […]

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The Wonder-Working Lock

Advanced
13 min read

There was once upon a time a woman who had one son. This son maintained himself and his mother; he fed their one cow, and brought wood and carried it to the town for sale, and with the money bought bread to support his mother and himself. On one occasion he carried sticks to market, […]

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The Spirit in the Bottle

Intermediate
10 min read

There was once a poor woodcutter who toiled from early morning till late night. When at last he had laid by some money he said to his boy, “You are my only child, I will spend the money which I have earned with the sweat of my brow on your education; if you learn some […]

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The Ice Maiden

Intermediate
1 hour, 48 minutes read

Chapter 1: Little Rudy We will pay a visit to Switzerland, and wander through that country of mountains, whose steep and rocky sides are overgrown with forest trees. Let us climb to the dazzling snow-fields at their summits, and descend again to the green meadows beneath, through which rivers and brooks rush along as if they could […]

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