Stories to Read or Tell from Fairy Tales and Folklore

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

27467

Title

Stories to Read or Tell from Fairy Tales and Folklore

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

This 1917 collection offers a treasury of international fairy tales and folklore, selected for both reading and oral storytelling. Featuring classics like "The Stone-Cutter" and "The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats," the book bridges the gap between listening and reading, providing rich imagery and timeless moral lessons for children and adults alike.

Summary up to 500 words

Compiled by Laure Claire Foucher, *Stories to Read or Tell from Fairy Tales and Folklore* is an anthology designed for children and educators, presenting a diverse collection of narratives from cultures including Japan, Poland, India, Ireland, Germany, Russia, and Denmark. The volume emphasizes timeless themes such as greed, kindness, cleverness, and the value of contentment. The collection opens with the Japanese tale "The Stone-Cutter," where a humble worker repeatedly wishes to be a rich man, a prince, the sun, and finally a cloud, only to realize that true happiness lies in his original state as a stone-cutter. In the Polish story "Prince Kindhearted," a benevolent young man saves an enchanted swan but faces betrayal by his own servant in a deep well; he ultimately sacrifices his status to save his life, proving his true nobility. The Irish tale "The Old Hag's Long Leather Bag" features a clever youngest daughter who outwits a witch by caring for animals along her journey, eventually retrieving her stolen fortune and saving her sisters. Familiar tales are retold with fresh detail, such as "The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats," where a mother goat saves her children from a cunning wolf who disguises himself, only to be filled with stones and drowned. Other narratives include "The Tale of the Snow and the Steeple," where a prince saves a cursed princess named Yellow Lily from a giant, and "The Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage," which illustrates the dangers of idleness when a hardworking bird refuses to fetch wood, leading to the demise of his partners. The final story, "The Tale of the Wolf in Harness," recounts a traveler saved when a wolf attacks his horse, allowing the man to turn the beast into a draft animal. Throughout the anthology, the stories serve as moral lessons, guiding young readers toward wisdom and virtue while preserving the rich imagery of global folklore. The book aims to bridge the gap between listening to stories and reading them, fostering a love for literature and culture.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/27467.epub.noimages

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data/epubs/pg27467.epub

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2026-07-05 09:34 UTC

Categories

• Folklore
• Fiction
• Storytelling