North American Fairy Tales, Folk Tales and Fables
“Then Fox untied the bag, and let Rabbit out and got into the bag himself.” Illustration by Marcia Lane Foster from Canadian Fairy Tales by Cyrus MacMillan, published 1922.
Read North American folk tales from the U.S and Canada by Carl Sandburg, Charles Skinner, Zitkala-Ša and others. View full list of North American folk tales.
About: North American folklore includes a variety of stories, regions and authors; it can apply to any folk tale or fairy tale from the U.S or Canada, and each collection of stories for children has its own unique characteristics and content. Many of the stories were collected by their authors after they either grew up in the culture, studied it, or lived among the people who told them the tales.
Author Charles Skinner wrote a collection known as Myths and Legends of Our Own Land, with each volume representing a certain region of the United States. The volumes include peculiar stories for the South, the Great Lakes areas, and beyond. Poet Carl Sandburg also contributed to North American folklore with his book Rootabaga Stories, a collection of stories for a fictional Midwest. The Native American culture has contributed significantly to North American folklore, both in the United States and Canada. Professor Cyrus MacMillan traveled Canada seeking tales for his collection Canadian Fairy Tales from First Nation tribes. Meanwhile, Sioux writer Zitkala-Ša wrote her culture’s myths and legends in the collection Old Indian Legends, because she saw a duty to preserve her heritage. The Eskimo people’s stories live on A Treasury of Eskimo Tales, authored by Clara Kern Bayliss, who shared not only a portrait of life for the natives, but also a look at their stories. Finally, folklorist Andrew Lang, who authored collections of fairy tales from around the world, collected several Native American tales in his books as well.
The world of North American folklore has given us tales from not only the 50 states, but also Canada and the continent’s assorted tribes as well. Each story is a reflection of the culture, values and beliefs of the region from which it came. You’ll find a rich assortment of tales from North America as audiobooks on the Fairytalez Audio App.
- The Adventures of Wolf-Marked
- The Adventures of an Indian Brave
- Aunt Rachel's Curse
- Agnes Surriage
- Adventures of Bull-Turns-Round
- Anthony's Nose
- A Battle Between Frost and Whirlwind
- The Boy and the Pig
- A Bird in Search of a Mate
- The Boy Who Set a Snare for the Sun
- The Boy, the Coyote, and the Magic Rock
- Berkshire Tories
- The Bad Little Girl of Acoma
- The Baby Eskimo
- Birth of the Water-Lily
- The Bird Wife
- Balanced Rock
- The Bird Lover
- Bokwewa the Humpback
- Blue Silver
- Ball-Carrier and the Bad One
- The Boy Who Was Called Thick-Head
- A Blow in the Dark
- The Boy of the Red Twilight Sky
- The Blacksmith at Brandywine
- The Boy and the Dragon
- Bunny Cottontail and the Crane
- The Boy in the Land of Shadows
- The Boy Who Was Saved by Thoughts
- The Boy Who Overcame the Giants
- Block Island and the Palatine
- The Buccaneer
- Big Indian
- The Baker's Dozen
- Bunny Rabbit and the King of the Beasts
- The Ball Game By the Saco
- The Bad Wife
- The Celestial Sisters
- Crosby, the Patriot Spy
- The Crane That Crossed the River
- The Courtship of Myles Standish
- The Crumbling Silver
- The Cortelyou Elopement
- Chunks of Daylight
- The Cunning Hare
- The Crow and Cat of Hopkinshill
- The Coyote and the Turtle
- The Christmas Tree Forest
- The Children with One Eye
- The Consecration of Washington
- The Cruel Stepmother
- Mr. Coyote and the Two Pretty Girls
- The Coyote and the Blackbirds
- The Conceited Ant
- Catskill Gnomes
- The Catskill Witch
- Condemned to the Noose
- Christmas Day
- The Culprit Fay
- A Chestnut Log
- Chocorua
- Chief Croton
- The Deformed of Zoar
- The Drop Star
- The Deer and the Coyote
- The Division of the Saranacs
- The Devil and Tom Walker
- The Dead Wife
- Dolph Heyliger
- The Devil's Stepping Stones
- The Dwarf People
- Delaware Water Gap
- The Dollar Watch and the Five Jack Rabbits
- A Dinner and Its Consequences
- The Dead Ship of Harpswell
- Deh-A
- Dy-yoh-wi and His Eagle
- The Dolls' Christmas Party
- The Devil's Dance-Chamber
- Dreams
- Dunderberg
- Edward Randolph's Portrait
- An Event in Indian Park
- The Enchanted Moccasins
- Eliza Wharton
- Even a Grass Plant Can Become Someone If it Tries
- Ermine and the Hunter
- The Envious Coyote
- The Envy of Manitou
- Evangeline
- The Fatal Forget-me-not
- The Fate of the Boy Witch
- The Fox and the Crows
- The Rabbit and the Crow
- The Fate of the Witch Wife
- The Forest Smithy
- The Falls of Cohoes
- Francis Woolcott's Night-Riders
- The Flight to the Moon
- The Fire-Plume
- The First Man
- The First Woman
- The First Liberal Church
- The Fox and the Turkey
- Father and Son
- The Fox That Flew
- Flame Scalps of the Chartiers
- The Fox and the Lizard
- The Fox and the Indians
- The Fox and the Skunk
- The Fire-Leggings
- Father Moody's Black Veil
- The Fox and the Mice
- The Fairy Christmas
- The Fox and the Sheep
- Géha, The Friend of a Deserted Boy
- The Green Picture
- Green Corn, Yellow Corn, and the Dancing Fox
- Gray Eagle and His Five Brothers
- Gáqga´
- The Gray Champion
- Grandfather and Grandson and an Eagle Woman
- The Giant
- The Guest
- Goody Cole
- General Moulton and the Devil
- Great Heart and the Three Tests
- The Girl Who Always Cried
- The Giant with the Grey Feathers
- Grandma's Christmas Gifts
- The Galloping Hessian
- The Great Carbuncle
- The Gloucester Leaguers
- Horseheads
- Hótho Conquers Shagodyoweg Gowa
- Howe's Masquerade
- How They Broke Away to Go to the Rootabaga Country
- How They Bring Back the Village of Cream Puffs When the Wind Blows It Away
- How the Five Rusty Rats Helped Find a New Village
- The Potato Face Blind Man Who Lost the Diamond Rabbit on His Gold Accordion
- How the Potato Face Blind Man Enjoyed Himself on a Fine Spring Morning
- The Hobomak
- The Haunted Mill
- How Johnny the Wham Sleeps in Money All the Time and Joe the Wimp Shines and Sees Things
- How Deep Red Roses Goes Back and Forth Between the Clock and the Looking Glass
- How Pink Peony Sent Spuds, the Ball player, Up to Pick Four Moons
- How Dippy the Wisp and Slip Me Liz Came in the Moonshine Where the Potato Face Blind Man Sat with His Accordion
- How Hot Balloons and His Pigeon Daughters Crossed Over into the Rootabaga Country
- How Two Sweetheart Dippies Sat in the Moonlight on a Lumber Yard Fence and Heard About the Sooners and the Boomers
- The Haystack Cricket and How Things Are Different Up in the Moon Towns
- Why the Big Ball Game Between Hot Grounders and the Grand Standers Was a Hot Game
- The Huckabuck Family and How They Raised Pop Corn in Nebraska and Quit and Came Back
- How a Skyscraper and a Railroad Train Got Picked Up and Carried Away from Pig's Eye Valley Far in the Pickax Mountains
- How Ball-Carrier Finished His Task
- Heartbreak Hill
- How Glooskap Made the Birds
- Harry Main: The Treasure and the Cats
- How Gimme the Ax Found Out About the Zigzag Railroad and Who Made It Zigzag
- How the Little Brother Set Free His Big Brothers
- How the Hat Ashes Shovel Helped Snoo Foo
- How Bimbo the Snip’s Thumb Stuck to His Nose When the Wind Changed
- How Raven Brought Fire to the Indians
- The Headless Skeleton of Swamptown
- How Henry Hagglyhoagly Played the Guitar with His Mittens On
- How Rabbit Deceived Fox
- How the Animals Lost Their Tails and Got Them Back Traveling From Philadelphia to Medicine Hat
- How the Ducks Got Their Fine Feathers
- How the Otter Skin Became Great "Medicine"
- Haddam Enchantments
- The Home of Thunder
- How the Man Found His Mate
- How Rag Bag Mammy Kept Her Secret While the Wind Blew Away the Village of Hat Pins
- How Six Pigeons Came Back to Hatrack the Horse After Many Accidents and Six Telegrams
- How the Three Wild Babylonian Baboons Went Away in the Rain Eating Bread and Butter
- How Six Umbrellas Took Off Their Straw Hats to Show Respect to the One Big Umbrella
- How Bozo the Button Buster Busted All His Buttons When a Mouse Came
- How Googler and Gaggler, the Two Christmas Babies, Came Home with Monkey Wrenches
- Juan Half-Bear: Part 1
- Juan Half-Bear: Part 2
- Jack and His Wonderful Hen
- Juanita, Marianita, The Cat, and the Bear
- Jack Welch's Death Light
- Kayuta and Waneta
- Kiviung
- Kalopaling
- Knocking at the Tomb
- The Knell at the Wedding
- Kiss Me
- Kŭt-o´-yis
- Lady Eleanore's Mantle
- The Loss of Jacob Hurd
- A Little Cinderella
- The Little Spirit or Boy-Man
- He of the Little Shell
- Leelinau, the Lost Daughter
- The Lost Grave of Paine
- The Last of the Thunderbirds
- The Last Shot at Germantown
- Love and Treason
- Lord Percy's Dream
- The Lion and the Cat
- The Last Revel in Printz Hall
- The Lamb of Sacrifice
- The Lost Woman
- The Lewiston Hermit
- Love and Rum
- The Lady Ursula
- The Little Boy Who Was Changed Into an Owl
- The Loss of Weetamoo
- The Meadow Lark and the Fox
- The Man from the North, the Girl, and the Turtle
- The Monster Mosquito
- The Man-Eating Wife, the Little Old Woman and the Morning Star
- The May-Pole of Merrymount
- The Magic Bundle
- The Mink and the Wolf
- The Man With His Leg Tied-Up
- Manabozho, the Mischief-Maker
- Mother Crewe
- Miss Briton's Poker
- Man's First Grief
- Mrs. Santa Claus
- Mark of the Spirit Hand
- The Marmot and the Raven
- The Missing Soldier of Valley Forge
- Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket
- Micah Rood Apples
- Mr. "Get-Even" Coyote
- The Man-Eater
- Marion
- Moodus Noises
- Manstin, the Rabbit
- The Moon and the Great Snake
- Many, Many Weddings in One Corner House
- The Marriage of Mount Katahdin
- The Moose of Mount Kineo
- Mama's Happy Christmas
- Moodua Creek
- The Mermaid of the Magdalenes
- The Mikumwess
- The Nuns of Carthage
- Nix's Mate
- Newbury's Old Elm
- Never Kick a Slipper at the Moon
- The New Haven Storm Ship
- The Night Before Christmas
- The Night After Christmas
- Niagara
- The Old Mill at Somerville
- Okteondon and His Uncle, The Planter, or, Winter Delaying Spring
- Old Esther Dudley
- The Origin of Stories
- Osseo, the Son of the Evening Star
- Old Indian Face
- The Owl and the Eagle
- The Origin of the Robin
- The Origin of the Narwhal
- Other Men
- Origin of the Winds
- The Old Lady Fox and the Old Hen
- The Old Stone Mill
- Origin of a Name
- Owl with the Great Head and Eyes
- Old Man Remakes the World
- Old Man Steals the Sun's Leggings
- Old-Man and His Conscience
- Old Man's Treachery
- Old Man and the Fox
- Mistakes of Old Man
- The Owl Tree
- The Prophet of Palmyra
- Poker Face the Baboon and Hot Dog the Tiger
- Polly's Lover
- The Party from Gibbet Island
- Pig Whisps
- The Phantom Dragoon
- The Phantom Drummer
- Parricide of the Wissahickon
- The Peace with the Snakes
- The Pine-Gum Baby
- Pah-Tay and the Wind-Witch
- The Partridge Witch
- Pokepsie
- Passaconaway's Ride to Heaven
- Peter Rugg, the Missing Man
- Poh-Ve and Pah-Day (Sisters and Brother)
- The Revenge of Josiah Breeze
- The Red Swan
- Rogers's Slide
- The Rising of Gouverneur Morris
- Roistering Dirck Van Dara
- The Rival Fiddlers
- The Red Bear
- Rabbit and the Grainbuyers
- Raven Makes an Ocean Voyage
- The Red Skeleton
- The Story of Rags Habakuk, the Two Blue Rats, and the Circus Man Who Came with Spot Cash Money
- Rabbit and the Indian Chief
- Raven and the Geese
- Rainbow and the Autumn Leaves
- Rabbit and the Moon-Man
- The Robin and the Bear
- Robert Lockwood's Fate
- Rip Van Winkle
- The Revenge of Shandaken
- Retrospection
- The Ramapo Salamander
- The Retreat from Mahopac
- Summer Kills Autumn and is Herself Killed by Winter
- The Skull in the Wall
- Strong Desire and the Red Sorcerer
- Sheem, the Forsaken Boy
- The Spirit of the Singing House
- Shonkeek-Moonkeek
- The Salem Alchemist
- Sale of the Southwicks
- Silvercap, King of the Frost Fairies
- The Springs of Blood and Water
- Samuel Sewall's Prophecy
- The Shrieking Woman
- Skipper Ireson's Ride
- The Story of Blixie Bimber and the Power of the Gold Buckskin Whincher
- Saint Nicholas and the Children
- The Story of Jason Squiff and Why He Had a Popcorn Hat, Popcorn Mittens and Popcorn Shoes
- The Fall of the Spider Man
- The Sacred Milk of Koumongoe
- The Skeleton in Armor
- Saved by The Bible
- Sand Flat Shadows
- The Song-Bird and the Healing Waters
- The Snoring of Swunkus
- Sparrow's Search for the Rain
- The Schoolmaster Had Not Reached Orrington
- The Skyscraper to the Moon and How the Green Rat with the Rheumatism Ran a Thousand Miles Twice
- Santa Claus Does Not Forget
- Slipfoot and How He Nearly Always Never Gets What He Goes After
- Shush Shush, the Big Buff Banty Hen Who Laid an Egg in the Postmaster's Hat
- Storm Ship on the Hudson
- Skinner's Cave
- Salem and Other Witchcraft
- Satan and His Burial-Place
- Thun-Tsay and Cohn-Nah
- The Two Jeebi
- Two Young Men Who Went to ''The Blue'', Speaker and Definer
- The Toad-Woman
- The Trials and Death of Inchworm
- The Thunder Boy
- The Tornit
- Taking Away the Sun
- The Toboggan-to-the-Moon Dream of the Potato Face Blind Man
- The Turtle and His Bride
- Three Boys With Jugs of Molasses and Secret Ambitions
- The Two Skyscrapers Who Decided to Have a Child
- The Tory's Conversion
- The Tobacco Fairy from The Blue Hills
- The Two Rings
- Ten Little Prairie Dogs
- The Thieving Foxes
- A Trapper's Ghastly Vengeance
- The Bee and the Fox
- Whirlwind and Panther
- The Wonderful Exploits of Grasshopper
- White Feather and the Six Giants
- Wahconah Falls
- The Woman Magician
- The White Deer at Onota
- Wizard's Glen
- The Winter Spirit and His Visitor
- Weendigoes and the Bone-Dwarf
- What the Man in the Moon Did
- Wunzh, the Father of Indian Corn
- What the Eskimo Believes
- The Wild Man of Cape Cod
- What Happened to the Lone Woman of St. Michael
- The Weary Watcher
- Why the Moon Waxes and Wanes
- Wyandank
- The Wessaguscus Hanging
- The Wedding Procession of the Rag Doll and the Broom Handle and Who Was in It
- The Wicked Wolverine
- The Wooden Indian and the Shaghorn Buffalo
- The White Horse Girl and the Blue Wind Boy
- What Six Girls with Balloons Told the Gray Man on Horseback
- Why the Chimes Rang
- Why the Chipmunk's Back is Striped
- Why the Kingfisher Always Wears a War-Bonnet
- Why the Curlew's Bill is Long and Crooked
- Why Blackfeet Never Kill Mice
- The Windam Frogs
- A War Between the Birds and the Animals
- White Corn and Her Sons Fire
- The Warlike Seven
- Why the Night Hawk's Wings are Beautiful
- Why the Mountain Lion is Long and Lean
- Why the Deer Has No Gall
- Why the Indians Whip the Buffalo-Berries from the Bushes
- Why the Birch-Tree Wears the Slashes in its Bark
- The Watcher of White Island
- The White Mountains
- Why Spuyten Duyvil is so Named
- White Corn and the Grasshoppers
- Yang Yang and Hoo Hoo, or the Song of the Left Foot of the Shadow of the Goose in Oklahoma
- The Youth and the Dog-Dance
- Yet They Call it Lover's Leap
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