All Stories
Total 92 stories, Page 2/4
The Robber Bridegroom
Trusting her wary heart and a pocketful of secretly dropped beans, a miller's daughter sees through her murderous groom and exposes his crimes at the wedding feast by telling her story as a dream.
The Changeling
When elves swap her baby for a changeling, a mother wins him back with two egg-shells and a clever trick.
The Elves and the Servant Girl
A hard-working servant girl becomes godmother to an elf's baby, and after three happy days in the mountain she returns to find that seven years have passed.
The Elves and the Shoemaker
A poor but honest shoemaker is secretly helped by two tiny elves who finish his work each night; he and his wife repay the kindness with little handmade clothes, and good deeds bring good fortune.
The Wedding of Mrs. Fox
An old fox fakes his own death to test his wife, and the trick backfires into a parade of suitors; when he truly dies, Mrs. Fox will take no husband who does not copy the old one — until a young fox in red stockings shows her that a like shape need not hold a like heart.
Tom Thumb
A boy no bigger than a thumb uses wit and courage to escape sellers, scare off thieves, and talk his way out of a cow and a wolf — before coming safely home to his parents.
Clever Else
Everyone calls Else clever, but she weeps over a trouble that will never come, makes her whole family cry with her, then doubts herself over a string of little bells and leaves the village forever.
The Three Languages
A boy everyone called slow listens to the voices of dogs, birds, and frogs — and his three "useless" skills lead him, step by step, to the seat of the Pope.
Hans and Grethel
Long ago there lived a simple boy named Hans who used his mother's advice in the wrong place every single time, spoiling each gift from Grethel with a fresh laugh — until everyone learned that knowing rules by heart is not cleverness, but seeing what lies before your eyes is.
The Louse and the Flea
A louse scalds herself, and the news spreads from one to another until, at last, a great flood swallows everything.
The Singing Bone
A wild boar, two brothers, and one envious heart — years later, a singing bone tells the truth for the brother who was wronged.
The Bremen Town Musicians
Four old animals cast aside by their masters join forces, use their own gifts, and scare off the robbers to find a warm new home.
The Seven Ravens
A little girl walks to the ends of the earth, past the sun and the moon, and opens the Glass Mountain with her own finger, to find and free her seven brothers, turned into ravens by their father's angry words.
Mother Hulda
A hard-working girl jumps into a deep well, helps the bread and the apple tree, serves Mother Hulda well, and comes home dressed in gold, while her lazy sister, who wants the riches without the work, ends up covered in pitch that never washes off.
The Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage
Three partners live happily, each doing his own job, until the bird envies the others and forces a swap of roles, and one by one they lose their lives.
The Riddle
A prince bets his life on a riddle about a poisoned horse and a raven, and outwits a proud princess with the help of a loyal servant.
Cinderella
A girl abused by her stepfamily keeps a kind heart and her mother's promise, dances three nights with the prince, and proves who she truly is with one golden slipper — kindness is repaid, and cruelty is punished.
The Brave Little Tailor
A little tailor sews the boast "Seven at one stroke" on his belt, and with nothing but his wits he defeats giants, a unicorn, and a wild boar — and at last wins a princess and a crown.
The Fisherman and His Wife
A kind fisherman frees a talking flounder, but his greedy wife keeps asking for more — a house, a castle, a crown, the pope's throne, and finally the sun and moon — until everything vanishes and they are back in their old hut.
The Straw, the Coal, and the Bean
A straw, a coal, and a bean escape the fire and set out together, but crossing a little brook they reach beyond their strength — the straw breaks, the coal drowns, and only the careful bean survives.
The White Snake
A young servant tastes the king's white snake and learns to understand every creature. He shows kindness to fish, ants, and ravens, and their gratitude helps him win the princess at last.
The Three Snake-Leaves
A poor youth wins a princess by his bravery, then uses three snake-leaves to bring her back from death—only to be repaid with betrayal, until at last each soul reaps what it has sown.
The Three Spinners
A lazy girl who cannot spin a single thread is saved by three ugly spinners; she keeps her word to them, and a clever trick sets her free from the wheel forever.
The Three Little Men in the Wood
A kind girl shares her only bread with three little men in the wood and earns gold and a king, while her rude stepsister earns only toads and a bitter end — kindness is rewarded, and cruelty is repaid.