Bedtime stories for child
Bedtime Stories | Free 5 Min Bedtime Stories for Kids Online Bedtime Stories
The Classic fairytale of Cinderella: a young girl, mistreated by her step-mother and step-sisters, who finds out that dreams really can come true.
The Classic Fairytale Story of Snow White with a Modern Twist: Who is the “fair”est of them all? Snow White of course!
A Bedtime Story of Honesty, Courage and Truth. If Pinocchio is to become a Real boy he needs to learn how to be honest, brave and true.
A Grimm’s Brother Tale: A miller tells a tale that his daughter can turn straw into gold. A strange little man is willing to help…for a price. Guess his name and he will be gone…but what is his name?
Goldilocks and the Three Bears ~ Bedtime Stories for Kids. Goldilocks finds the three bears cottage in the woods. Should she make herself comfortable?
Hansel and Gretel Bedtime Stories for Kids. When Hansel and Gretel go in search of food, they find a gingerbread house. But who is inside?
A Story of Friendship, Love and Courage. Rapunzel’s Story ~ A Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale. An evil witch has trapped Rapunzel in a tower. Can her long hair or love save her?
A Story of Courage, Justice and Self-Awareness. Merlin the Magician places a magic sword in a stone…whomever can pull it out is the rightful king.
A Bedtime Story of Acceptance and Self-Awareness. A Mama Duck is proud when her six ducklings hatch from their eggs. But one duckling does not look like the others? Is he truly an Ugly Duckling?
The classic Brother’s Grimm fairytale that sparked the Disney adaptation.
A Story of Courage, Learning and Love. The Classic fairy tale: The Little Mermaid falls in love with a prince on shore and she makes a deal with the Sea Witch to become human. But without her voice, how can the prince fall in love with her?
This Classic Folktale is adapted from the original story of “Aladdin” from The Arabian Nights. Aladdin, the Genie and the Magic Lamp work to impress the princess who wishes to be a commoner.
A Story of Courage, Kindness to Animals and Learning. The Classic Tale of a male deer, Bambi, his mother and his adventures learning in the woods.
A Story of Charity, Compassion and Justice, from England. Robin Hood takes part in an archery contest thrown by the Sheriff of Nottingham. Will he realize its a trap before it is too late? One of the many Tales of Robin Hood.
This is the Legend Tale of Maui the Demi-God from Moana. It is part of our Classic Bedtime Stories for Kids Collection. It has been adapted from the Tales of Maui as well as Disney’s version of Moana.
A Bedtime Story in Simple English for Kids. A toy rabbit learns that through a child’s love it can become real.
The Classic Tale of the Snow Queen: Gerda and Kai struggle to fight the Snow Queen and find the balance between Good and Evil.
The Classic Fairy Tale of Sleeping Beauty. Princess Aurora has been cursed by Maleficent. When she pricks herself on a spinning wheel on her 16th birthday, she is put into a deep sleep for 100 years.
Who can save her?
Bedtime Story for Kids: The Gift of the Magi, A Christmas Story. Della and Jim wish to give each other the perfect Christmas present, but how will they come up with the money?
A Bedtime Story of Friendship, Courage and Acceptance. . The story tells of the time Pocahontas saved the life of settler John Smith from her father, Powhatan.
A Cinderella Story ~ Bedtime Stories for Kids
The Classic fairytale of Cinderella: a young girl, mistreated by her step-mother and step-sisters, who finds out that dreams really can come true.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Story ~ Bedtime Stories for Kids
The Classic Fairytale Story of Snow White with a Modern Twist: Who is the “fair”est of them all? Snow White of course!
Pinocchio Story ~ Fairy Tale Bedtime Stories in English for Kids
A Bedtime Story of Honesty, Courage and Truth. If Pinocchio is to become a Real boy he needs to learn how to be honest, brave and true.
Beauty and the Beast Classic Tale ~ Fairy Tale Stories for Kids
The classic fairy tale of a beautiful woman and the monstrous beast.
Rumpelstiltskin ~ A Fairy Tale Bedtime Story for Kids
A Grimm’s Brother Tale: A miller tells a tale that his daughter can turn straw into gold. A strange little man is willing to help…for a price. Guess his name and he will be gone…but what is his name?
Goldilocks and the Three Bears ~ Bedtime Stories for Kids
Goldilocks and the Three Bears ~ Bedtime Stories for Kids. Goldilocks finds the three bears cottage in the woods. Should she make herself comfortable?
Hansel and Gretel ~ Bedtime Stories for Kids
Hansel and Gretel Bedtime Stories for Kids. When Hansel and Gretel go in search of food, they find a gingerbread house. But who is inside?
Rapunzel by the Brothers Grimm ~ Bedtime Stories
A Story of Friendship, Love and Courage. Rapunzel’s Story ~ A Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale.
An evil witch has trapped Rapunzel in a tower. Can her long hair or love save her?
The Sword in the Stone: a King Arthur Legend of the Sword Story
A Story of Courage, Justice and Self-Awareness. Merlin the Magician places a magic sword in a stone…whomever can pull it out is the rightful king.
The Ugly Duckling Story ~ Fairy Tale Story for Kids in English
A Bedtime Story of Acceptance and Self-Awareness. A Mama Duck is proud when her six ducklings hatch from their eggs. But one duckling does not look like the others? Is he truly an Ugly Duckling?
The Frog Prince: The Story of the Princess and the Frog ~ Bedtime Stories
The classic Brother’s Grimm fairytale that sparked the Disney adaptation.
The Little Mermaid Story ~ Bedtime Stories for Kids in English
A Story of Courage, Learning and Love. The Classic fairy tale: The Little Mermaid falls in love with a prince on shore and she makes a deal with the Sea Witch to become human.
But without her voice, how can the prince fall in love with her?
Aladdin and the Magic Lamp from The Arabian Nights ~ Bedtime Stories
This Classic Folktale is adapted from the original story of “Aladdin” from The Arabian Nights. Aladdin, the Genie and the Magic Lamp work to impress the princess who wishes to be a commoner.
Bambi Story: A Life in the Woods ~ Bedtime Stories for Kids in English
A Story of Courage, Kindness to Animals and Learning. The Classic Tale of a male deer, Bambi, his mother and his adventures learning in the woods.
Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow Story ~ Legend Stories for Kids
A Story of Charity, Compassion and Justice, from England. Robin Hood takes part in an archery contest thrown by the Sheriff of Nottingham. Will he realize its a trap before it is too late? One of the many Tales of Robin Hood.
Maui from Moana: Tales of the Demi-God ~ Legend Stories for Kids
This is the Legend Tale of Maui the Demi-God from Moana.
It is part of our Classic Bedtime Stories for Kids Collection. It has been adapted from the Tales of Maui as well as Disney’s version of Moana.
The Velveteen Rabbit Story ~ Bedtime English Story for Kids
A Bedtime Story in Simple English for Kids. A toy rabbit learns that through a child’s love it can become real.
The Snow Queen Fairy Tale Story ~Bedtime Story for Kids
The Classic Tale of the Snow Queen: Gerda and Kai struggle to fight the Snow Queen and find the balance between Good and Evil.
Sleeping Beauty Fairy Tale Story ~ Bedtime Stories for Kids
The Classic Fairy Tale of Sleeping Beauty. Princess Aurora has been cursed by Maleficent. When she pricks herself on a spinning wheel on her 16th birthday, she is put into a deep sleep for 100 years. Who can save her?
The Gift of the Magi Story ~ A Holiday Story for Kids
Bedtime Story for Kids: The Gift of the Magi, A Christmas Story. Della and Jim wish to give each other the perfect Christmas present, but how will they come up with the money?
Pocahontas and John Smith Story ~ Folktales Stories for Kids
A Bedtime Story of Friendship, Courage and Acceptance.
. The story tells of the time Pocahontas saved the life of settler John Smith from her father, Powhatan.
The Emperor’s New Clothes Story ~ Bedtime Stories
A Bedtime Story in Simple English for Kids. The Emperor is fooled into believing he is wearing magic clothes which can’t be “seen”.
Mulan Story ~ Tale of Hua Mulan Bedtime Stories | English Story for Kids
A Bedtime Story in Simple English for Kids. Based on the “Ballad of Mulan” and Disney’s Mulan, this is a legend tale about a girl who goes in disguise as a boy and joins the army in her brother’s place.
Short Stories for Kids ~ Folk tales, Fairy Tales, Riddles, Legends, Poems
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More From Stories to Grow By
You will find a story you love. Did you know that Stories to Grow By also provides a collection of World Tales? Folktales, fairytales, fables, and more! Whether you are looking for a story from your own country or culture, or a want to learn about a new one! We have you covered.
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Teaching Resources from Stories to Grow By
In addition to our bedtime stories, we also offer a multitude teaching resources! This includes over 100 free bedtime stories, fairy tales, folk tales, readers theater play scripts, and performance notes!
You will find the bedtime stories and the materials you need for your classroom with Stories to Grow By.
Hansel and Gretel ~ Bedtime Stories for Kids
Thank you, Artist Nikogeyer
Once upon a time a brother and sister named Hansel and Gretel lived in a hut in the woods with their father. Their father was a poor woodcutter. His wife, their mother, had died when the two children were very young. Their father thought he would not be lonely anymore when he finally re-married. But the new stepmother made life very hard for Hansel and Gretel. The children were not allowed to eat until after the stepmother had taken everything she wanted off the plates. Most of the time, there was only a crust of bread left. And all day long were hard chores for them to do.
Hansel and Gretel tried to tell their father about this but he would not hear of it. It seemed the only one he would listen to was his wife. And all the stepmother talked about was how much trouble it was to have children in the hut, and how much she wished they would go away forever.
Thank you to Artist, DartGarry
Each day there was less and less food for the boy and girl to eat. Yet the stepmother gave them more and more hard work to do. One day Gretel begged her father, “Please, Father! All day long we work hard and we’re hungry!” But the stepmother slapped her face. “You ungrateful brats!" she yelled. "You will eat us out of house and home!”
That night the two children were not allowed to sleep in the hut. Outside in the cold, they shivered and tried to keep each other warm. Winter was coming, and the clothes they wore were so thin it felt almost as if they had no clothes on at all.
The next morning when the sun rose, Gretel turned to her little brother. “Hansel,” she said, “we cannot stay here. We must escape now, today, into the woods! Surely we will find more to eat when we are on our own than what we get here at home.”
“Do you think?” said Hansel. "But what if we get lost?”
“We won’t!” said Gretel. “I will take bread. We will drop breadcrumbs behind us. If we have to, we can follow the crumbs back home.”
And so the two of them went off into the woods and left their hard life behind.
They went deeper and deeper into the woods. Gretel was careful to drop one crumb and then after a bit, another.
Thanks to Artist, AlyssaTallent
But alas! They looked and looked for any sign of something to eat - an apple tree, pear tree, some nuts on the ground, or even dried-up berries. There was nothing to eat! They got hungrier and hungrier. At last, poor Hansel and Gretel knew they must return to their hut or they would surely starve. They would just need to find the breadcrumbs and that would lead them home. Yet when they looked for breadcrumbs, there were none to be found - all the breadcrumbs were gone!
A bird whooshed up into the air and in its beak was a large crumb. Hansel and Gretel were struck with grief – the birds must have taken all their breadcrumbs! A wolf howled in the distance. The sun was setting. Hansel and Gretel were lost and hungry. Now they were scared, too.
Thanks to Artist, Dariaazolina
“Gretel,” whispered Hansel in fear, “what will we do?” She did not know what to say. All she could do was to hug her little brother. Each minute it was getting darker and darker. Again, a wolf howled in the distance.
All of a sudden, Gretel saw a small light shining far away. Could it be someone's hut this deep in the woods? “We must find out!” cried Gretel. “Maybe whoever lives there is kind and will take us in.”
The two children sped as fast as they could to the light.
Thanks to Artist, Seethemagic
When they got closer, they could not believe their eyes! If you can imagine – from top to bottom the hut was made all of candy! From its gingerbread roof, with frosting all over the walls, and with candies tucked into the frosting, what a sight to see!
“Gretel!” Hansel cried out. Before Gretel could say: “I bet it will be okay if we have just a little taste,” both of them were already biting off small chunks and licking the sweet candy.
A sharp voice!– “WHO is nibbling on my house?” Hansel and Gretel spun around. An old witch!
Thanks to Artist, Kteacrumpet
Stunned, Gretel could only curtsy. "If you please, ma’am,” she said, as sweetly as she could. “There was so much candy on your house. And we are so hungry!”
“You have that right, MY house!" snapped the witch. Her voice dropped. "Well then,” said the witch in a gentler tone, “come inside. I'll get something for you to eat.”
Hansel and Gretel looked at each other in delight. They skipped into the witch’s hut.
A fine meal of soup and bread. As they licked the last crust of bread and looked around the hut, what the brother and sister saw made their hearts turn cold. Piles and piles of bones in the corners! Yet the two children were very tired, and so they slept.
The next morning when they woke, Hansel found himself locked in a cage. The witch roared, “That's where your brother will stay! Every day I will fatten him up. Soon he will make me a fine dinner!” She laughed and laughed, rubbing her hands with glee. “Till then,” she said sharply to Gretel, “you will work for me.”
Thanks to Artist, beckyholly
Indeed, Hansel was well fed and Gretel worked hard all day doing chores for the witch.
Each morning the witch said to the boy, “Show me your finger. I will feel how plump you are getting.” For the old witch could not see well. Hansel held out his finger as he was told. The witch smiled when she felt how plump he was getting.
“Gretel,” Hansel whispered in fear. “What are we to do? Soon I will be plump enough and the witch will want to eat me!” His sister wished she had a plan, but could not think of anything.
One night when the witch was sleeping, Gretel had an idea. She picked up a bone from one of the piles on the floor and woke her brother. “Hansel,” she said, “the next time the witch asks to see your finger, hold out this bone to her instead. ”
The next morning, he did just that. “Hmph!” said the witch, touching the bone and thinking it was the boy’s finger. “This is going to take longer than I thought!”
“At least I have more time,” Gretel thought. But still, she could not think of any way they could get out of there.
Each morning when the witch said, “Show me your finger,” Hansel held out the thin bone. One day the witch yelled, “I will not wait another day! The boy will be my dinner tonight, no matter how skinny he is!” The witch ordered Gretel to start the fire in the oven at once. She must get it very hot. Gretel worked as slowly as she could. Why was the witch looking at her with such a sly smile?
Thanks to Artist, yaelly
“Be a dear,” said the witch with a slow grim. “Go inside the oven, won’t you? Tell me if it is hot enough.”
Gretel’s heart skipped a beat. If she did that, the witch could push her inside and she would eat them both!
She looked down. “I am not sure how to tell.”
“Nonsense!” said the witch. “Nothing could be easier. Just go in!”
“Um,” said Gretel slowly, “please show me first?”
“Stupid girl!” snapped the witch. Mumbling and grumbling, she stepped in the oven. The moment the witch was inside Gretel quickly slammed the door.
Thanks to Artist, Teddy529
"Gretel!” Hansel cried out. “You saved us!”
The sister tried to think fast. “Where is that key to your cage?” She looked and looked. At last she found it at the bottom of a vase. She freed her brother from the cage right away. Then she went back to that vase. For what had she felt under the key? Why, the vase had precious jewels inside!
With their pockets filled with the jewels, they ran outside as fast as they could. In the daylight they soon found a small path and followed it. It led to a wider path and that path led to a road. They waited by the roadside hoping someone would ride by. When a horseman trotted up, Hansel and Gretel waved their hands. When the horseman stopped, the children offered one of the small jewels and the horseman was happy to give them a ride home.
When the brother and sister opened the door to their home, their father was wild with joy to see them. He had worried and looked for them night and day since they had vanished. They learned their stepmother died very soon after they left. For many years to come, Hansel and Gretel lived very happily with their father in the hut in the woods.
Thank you to Artist, DartGarry
Bedtime stories for children. ⭐😴Read online with pictures.
In this section we have collected interesting fairy tales from all over the world that are suitable for reading before bed. You can read them online and completely free. These small instructive and kind stories will help children calm down after a stormy day and tune in to rest.
In bedtime stories you will not find cruelty and frightening characters. Only light plots and pleasant characters.
At the bottom of each fairy tale there is a hint for which age it is intended.
An interesting fairy tale is that part of childhood that stays with us forever, even when childhood is gone. This is a magical world that is wide open in front of the baby, and acquaintance with it begins with a short and sweet bedtime story.
At what age to read fairy tales to a child
There is no strict age limit in reading fairy tales to a child. Reading for a child is primarily an opportunity for emotional intimacy with an adult. Even if not a word is clear yet, the familiar timbre of the voice, the measured rhythm soothe the baby and stimulate its development. That is why psychologists recommend reading fairy tales even to babies. The main condition: the process should bring pleasure to both the adult and the baby.
The benefits of reading fairy tales
A bedtime story read by a parent is a powerful stimulus for the child's development, the child's wide opportunities in the following areas: imagination; fantasy; creative thinking; speech skills; emotional development; the ability to find a way out of problem situations.
Unlike cartoons, a fairy tale does not present the child with ready-made images and the world invented by the artist, but invites him to think, think out and imagine what is not in the illustrations.
Simply put, we read to children at night and at the same time unleash their creativity. The next step is the first children's tests of themselves as an author and artist, but that will come later. And now such familiar and at the same time amazing short bedtime stories come to the aid of parents.
Bedtime stories - what should they be?
It often happens that every day a baby asks for the hundredth time to read a familiar fairy tale to him, not wanting to listen to any others.
It's not worth arguing and trying to read something new - a bedtime story exists just to lull and give pleasant dreams. So, it should be: short; calm; kind; without dynamic details in the plot, but with a happy ending.
Repeated repetition of the same situation (a familiar room, a favorite blanket and a soft toy, next to it is a mother reading a familiar fairy tale) turns into a kind of ritual for the baby, which has a calming effect. It helps relieve the emotional stress that has accumulated over a long day.
Short stories on our website
The Short Bedtime Stories section presents famous works by Russian and foreign authors that have become favorites for children all over the world.
Magic little men created by Astrid Lindgren, Donald Bisset's kind tigers, Sergei Kozlov's inseparable Hedgehog and Bear cub - these and other characters are looking forward to meeting young readers.
Here you will also find folk tales and illustrated works by Vladimir Suteev. Kids will be delighted with simple instructive stories and colorful pictures created by a real Master.
Hints on the site
The free bedtime stories presented on our site are so diverse that sometimes it can be difficult to find the right one. To help parents, we have developed a convenient search engine that allows you to view the parameters of a fairy tale without opening it: age of readers; reading time; short description; popularity indicator; illustration.
Three little pigs - Mikhalkov S. Tale about three little pigs.
A fairy tale about three little pigs who built houses for themselves. One brother built a house out of straw, another out of twigs and twigs, and a third out of bricks.
There were three little pigs in the world. Three brothers. All of the same height, round, pink, with the same cheerful ponytails. Even their names were similar. The piglets were called: Nif-Nif, Nuf-Nuf and Naf-Naf.
All summer the piglets tumbled in the green grass, basked in the sun, basked in the puddles. But now autumn has come.
“It's time for us to think about winter,” Naf-Naf once said to his brothers, waking up early in the morning. - I'm shivering from the cold. Let's build a house and winter together under one warm roof.
But his brothers didn't want to take the job.
- We'll make it! Winter is still far away. We'll take a walk, - said Nif-Nif and rolled over his head.
— When necessary, I will build a house for myself, — said Nuf-Nuf and lay down in a puddle.
“Me too,” added Nif-Nif.
- Well, as you wish. Then I will build my own house, - said Naf-Naf.
Nif-Nif and Nuf-Nuf were not in a hurry. All they did was play their pig games, jump and roll.
“Today we will take a walk,” they said, “and tomorrow morning we will get down to business.
But the next day they said the same thing.
It was getting colder and colder every day. And only when a large puddle by the road began to be covered with a thin crust of ice in the morning, the lazy brothers finally got to work.
Nif-Nif decided that it would be easier and most likely to make a house out of straw. Without consulting anyone, he did just that. By evening, his hut was ready. Nif-Nif put the last straw on the roof and, very pleased with his house, sang merrily:0005
You'll get around half the world,
You'll get around, you'll get around,
You won't find a better home,
You won't find it, you won't find it!
Singing this song, he went to Nuf-Nuf. Nuf-Nuf, not far away, also built a house for himself. He tried to finish this boring and uninteresting business as soon as possible. At first, like his brother, he wanted to build a house out of straw. But then I decided that it would be very cold in such a house in winter. The house will be stronger and warmer if it is built from branches and thin rods. And so he did. He drove stakes into the ground, intertwined them with rods, heaped dry leaves on the roof, and by evening the house was ready.
Nuf-Nuf proudly walked around him several times and sang:
I have a good house,
A new house, a solid house,
I am not afraid of rain and thunder,
Rain and thunder, rain and thunder!
Before he could finish the song, Nif-Nif ran out from behind a bush.
— Well, your house is ready! - said Nif-Nif to his brother. "I told you we'd get it over with quickly!" Now we are free and can do whatever we want!
— Let's go to Naf-Naf and see what kind of house he has built for himself! - said Nuf-Nuf. "We haven't seen him in a long time!"
— Let's go see! Nif-Nif agreed.
Naf-Naf has been busy building for several days now. He dragged stones, kneaded clay, and now slowly built himself a reliable, durable house in which one could hide from wind, rain and frost. He made a heavy oak door with a bolt in the house so that the wolf from the neighboring forest could not climb up to him.
Nif-Nif and Nuf-Nuf found their brother at work.
— What are you building? - the surprised Nif-Nif and Nuf-Nuf shouted in one voice. - What is it, a pig house or a fortress?
- Piglet's home should be a fortress! Naf-Naf calmly answered them, continuing to work.
— Are you going to fight with someone? Nif-Nif grunted merrily and winked at Nuf-Nuf. And both brothers were so merry that their squeals and grunts carried far across the lawn. And Naf-Naf, as if nothing had happened, continued to lay the stone wall of his house, purring a song under his breath:0003 Don't break through that door!
I'm smarter than everyone, of course,
Smarter than everyone, smarter than everyone!
I build a house from stones,
From stones, from stones!
— What animal is he talking about? - Nif-Nif asked Nuf-Nif.
— What animal are you talking about? - Nuf-Nuf asked Naf-Naf.
- I'm talking about the wolf! - answered Naf-Naf and laid another stone.
- Look how afraid he is of the wolf! - said Nif-Nif.
- What kind of wolves can be here? - said Nif-Nif.
- There are no wolves! He's just a coward! - added Nuf-Nuf.
And both of them began to dance and sing:
We are not afraid of the gray wolf,
Gray wolf, gray wolf!
Where do you go, stupid wolf,
Old wolf, dire wolf?
They wanted to tease Naf-Naf, but he didn't even turn around.
- Let's go, Nuf-Nif, - said then Nif-Nif. “We have nothing to do here!
And two brave brothers went for a walk. On the way they sang and danced, and when they entered the forest, they made such a noise that they woke up the wolf, who was sleeping under a pine tree.
— What's that noise? - the angry and hungry wolf grumbled with displeasure and galloped to the place where the squealing and grunting of two small, stupid pigs could be heard.
- Well, what kind of wolves can be here! - said at that time Nif-Nif, who saw wolves only in pictures.
- Here we will grab him by the nose, he will know! added Nuf-Nuf, who also had never seen a live wolf.
- Let's knock down, and even tie, and even with a foot like this, like this! Nif-Nif boasted.
And suddenly they saw a real live wolf! He stood behind a large tree, and he had such a terrible look, such evil eyes and such a toothy mouth that Nif-Nif and Nuf-Nuf had a chill running down their backs and thin tails trembled finely. The poor pigs couldn't even move for fear.
The wolf prepared to jump, snapped his teeth, blinked his right eye, but the piglets suddenly came to their senses and, squealing throughout the forest, rushed to their heels.
They have never run so fast! Flashing with their heels and raising clouds of dust, they each rushed to their home.
Nif-Nif was the first to reach his thatched hut and barely managed to slam the door in front of the wolf's very nose.
— Unlock the door now! the wolf growled. “Or else I’ll break it!”
— No, — grunted Nif-Nif, — I won't unlock it!
The breath of a terrible beast was heard outside the door.
— Unlock the door now! the wolf growled again. “Otherwise I’ll blow so hard that your whole house will fly apart!”
But Nif-Nif, out of fear, could no longer answer anything.
Then the wolf began to blow: “F-f-f-w-w-w!” Straws flew from the roof of the house, the walls of the house shook. The wolf took another deep breath and blew a second time: “F-f-f-u-u-u-u!”. When the wolf blew for the third time, the house was blown in all directions, as if it had been hit by a hurricane.
The wolf snapped his teeth in front of the little piglet's snout, but Nif-Nif deftly dodged and rushed to run. A minute later he was already at the door of Nuf-Nuf.
As soon as the brothers had locked themselves in, they heard the wolf's voice:
— Well, now I'll eat you both!
Nif-Nif and Nuf-Nuf looked at each other in fear. But the wolf was very tired and therefore decided to go for a trick.
- I changed my mind! he said so loudly that he could be heard in the house. “I won’t eat those skinny piglets!” I'll go home!
Did you hear? - Nif-Nif asked Nuf-Nif. He said he won't eat us! We are skinny!
- This is very good! - Nuf-Nuf said and immediately stopped trembling.
The brothers became merry and sang as if nothing had happened:
We are not afraid of the gray wolf,
Gray wolf, gray wolf!
Where do you go, stupid wolf,
Old wolf, dire wolf?
And the wolf didn't even think of leaving. He just stepped aside and hunkered down. He had a hard time keeping himself from laughing.
— How cleverly I deceived two stupid little pigs!
When the pigs were completely calm, the wolf took the sheep's skin and cautiously crept up to the house. At the door, he covered himself with skin and knocked softly.
Nif-Nif and Nuf-Nuf were very frightened.
- Who's there? they asked, their tails shaking again.
- It's me, poor little sheep! the wolf squeaked in a thin, alien voice. - Let me spend the night, I strayed from the herd and very, very tired!
- You can let the sheep go! Nuf-Nuf agreed. - A sheep is not a wolf!
But when the pigs opened the door, they saw not a sheep, but the same toothy wolf. The brothers slammed the door and leaned on it with all their might so that the terrible beast could not break into them.
The wolf got very angry. He failed to outsmart the pigs! He threw off his sheepskin and growled:
— Well, wait a minute! There will be nothing left of this house!
And he began to blow. The house leaned a little. The wolf blew a second, then a third, then a fourth time. Leaves flew off the roof, the walls shook, but the house still stood. And, only when the wolf blew for the fifth time, the house staggered and collapsed.
The door alone stood for some time in the middle of the ruins. In horror, the pigs rushed to run. Their legs were paralyzed with fear, every bristle trembled, their noses were dry. The brothers rushed to the house of Naf-Naf.
The wolf was catching up with them with huge leaps. Once he almost grabbed Nif-Nif by the hind leg, but he pulled it back in time and added speed.
The wolf also pressed on. He was sure that this time the piglets would not run away from him.
But he was out of luck again. The piglets quickly rushed past a large apple tree without even hitting it. But the wolf did not have time to turn and ran into an apple tree, which showered him with apples. One hard apple hit him between the eyes. A large lump jumped up on the wolf's forehead.
And Nif-Nif and Nuf-Nuf, neither alive nor dead, ran up to Naf-Naf's house at that time. The brother let them into the house and quickly bolted the door.
The poor piglets were so frightened that they could not say anything. They silently rushed under the bed and hid there.
Naf-Naf immediately guessed that a wolf was chasing them. But he had nothing to fear in his stone house. He quickly bolted the door, sat down on a stool and sang:
No animal in the world,
Cunning animal, terrible animal,0003 Will not open this door,
This door, this door!
But just then there was a knock on the door.
- Open without talking! came the rough voice of the wolf.
- No matter how! And don't think! - Naf-Naf answered in a firm voice.
— Oh, yes! Well, hold on! Now I'll eat all three!
- Try it! - answered Naf-Naf from behind the door, not even getting up from his stool. He knew that he and his brothers had nothing to fear in a solid stone house. Then the wolf sucked in more air and blew as best he could!
But no matter how much it blew, not even the smallest stone moved. The wolf turned blue from the effort. The house stood like a fortress. Then the wolf began to shake the door. But the door didn't budge either. The wolf, out of anger, began to scratch the walls of the house with his claws and gnaw the stones from which they were built, but he only broke off his claws and ruined his teeth. The hungry and angry wolf had no choice but to get out.
But then he raised his head and suddenly noticed a large, wide chimney on the roof.
- Yeah! Through this pipe I will make my way into the house! the wolf rejoiced.
He carefully climbed onto the roof and listened. The house was quiet.
I'm still going to eat some fresh pig today! - thought the wolf and, licking his lips, climbed into the pipe.
But as soon as he began to descend the pipe, the piglets heard a rustle. And when soot began to pour on the roof of the boiler, smart Naf-Naf immediately guessed what was the matter. He quickly rushed to the cauldron, in which water was boiling on the fire, and tore off the lid from it.
- Welcome! - said Naf-Naf and winked at his brothers.
The piglets did not have to wait long. Black as a chimney sweep, the wolf flopped right into the cauldron.
His eyes popped out on his forehead, all his hair stood on end.
With a wild roar, the scalded wolf flew back onto the roof, rolled down it to the ground, rolled over its head four times, and rushed into the forest.
And the three brothers, the three little pigs, looked after him and rejoiced that they had so cleverly taught the evil robber a lesson.
No animal in the world,
Won't open this door,
Cunning, scary, scary beast,
Won't open this door!
You'll get around half the world,
You'll get around, you'll get around,
You won't find a better home,
You won't find it, you won't find it!
The wolf from the forest will never,
Never, never
Will not come back to us here,
To us here, to us here!
Since then, the brothers began to live together, under one roof.
Illustrator Konstantin Rotov
❤️ 4.
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