Fairy tales with 5 characters

7 classic fairy tales featuring brave and courageous characters

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Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie

Introduce little ones to Neverland and the Lost Boys in an abridged retelling of J. M. Barrie’s fantastical story. When a free-spirited and mischievous boy named Peter appears at the window of the Darling family’s nursery, the children are soon whisked away on an adventure they’ll never forget. Will they be heroic enough to face up to the dreaded Captain Hook and his gang of unruly pirates? This beloved fantasy is perfect for enjoying together while snuggling down for a bedtime read.

Cinderella

The beloved tale of Cinderella is one of the world’s best-known fairy tales, renowned as a ‘happily ever after’ story. However, orphaned Cinderella has to demonstrate tremendous courage before she makes it to the royal ball, and with a little help from a friendly Fairy Godmother and some loveable rogues, she eventually stands up to her unkind family.

The Three Little Pigs

It takes a lot of courage to face a big, bad wolf! In this well-loved tale, three brothers must leave home and outwit their dreaded foe who wants to gobble them up. The first little piggy and the second little piggy don’t fare well but the third little piggy builds his house out of brick, so it’s strong enough to withstand the hungry wolf’s huffs and puffs. This cautionary tale is full of moral messaging, including how to be brave and determined.

Hansel and Gretel

A classic that has been loved by generations, this story is sensitively retold, retaining all the key parts from the original by celebrated fairy tale writers and folklorists Brothers Grimm. Beginning with Hansel and Gretel being left in the woods to find their way to a house made of sweets, Gretel has to rescue her brother Hansel from the wicked witch, and in true fairy tale-style, nothing is quite as it seems!

Little Red Riding Hood

When Little Red Riding Hood realises that the creature lying in her Grandmother’s bed is not her Grandmother but in fact a greedy wolf eager to eat her up, she quickly and bravely formulates a plan to outwit him. This beautiful edition of Little Red Riding Hood is a perfect first illustrated introduction to this story for little readers, from ages three upwards.

The Wizard of Oz

Revisit an Americana favourite in this fun, introductory version of The Wizard of Oz. Join young Dorothy as she is transported from Kansas to the magical land of Oz, where she faces her fears and follows the yellow brick road to find her way back home - attracting lots of curious characters along the way! Full of amusing images and rhythm and rhymes that will delight young children, this book is ideal for reading aloud and sharing with two to four-year-olds.

Jack and the Beanstalk

Adventurous Jack sets out to redeem himself for exchanging his family’s prize cow Daisy for some magic beans. From the beans grow a magical beanstalk, which Jack must climb to defeat the evil giant and win gold and riches for his family. This classic tale of bravery will show tots that even the littlest person can face the biggest of adversaries.

Examples of Fairy Tales: 17 Famous Stories to Know

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Little Red Riding Hood as Fairy Tale Examples
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What's your favorite fairy tale? These memorable short stories often involve magic and legendary deeds. The fantastical characters found in a fairy tale include elves, fairies, witches, and dragons. Fairy tales are traditional stories told and retold through generations that are usually spun from folklore. Many were finally written down and have had lasting fame.

Cinderella

Cinderella grew up with an evil stepmother and stepsisters. They would not let her go to the prince's ball, but her fairy godmother made it happen with magic. Cinderella danced with the prince and they fell in love. Since she had to leave by midnight, she ran and lost one slipper. The prince found the slipper and searched for her. After he found her, they were married and lived happily ever after.

Elves and the Shoemaker

A shoemaker and his wife were very poor. One day they ran out of leather, so they went to bed. In the morning, they found a pair of shoes and a passerby bought them. The next night, another pair of shoes appeared. The third night, they hid and saw two elves making shoes. In gratitude, they made clothes for the elves, as winter was approaching. The elves were very happy and went on to help someone else.

Emperor's New Clothes

A vain emperor hired two people to make him some new clothes. They tricked him, telling him the cloth was not visible to people unfit for his position or who were very stupid. At first, the people pretended to see the clothes, but a child says that he is not wearing clothes and people start to agree. The emperor realized he was swindled but continues the parade anyway.

Frog Prince

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Frog Prince as Fairy Tale Examples
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A frog asked a princess why she was crying. She replied that she had dropped her golden ball into the pond. The princess promised anything if he would get it for her. The frog got the ball for her, and asked to eat from her plate, live in the castle, and that she be his friend. She agreed, and the frog turned into a prince as he had been under a spell from a witch. They married and lived happily ever after.

The Gingerbread Man

A little old woman baked a gingerbread man, and when she took him out of the oven, he ran away. The woman, her husband and some of their animals chased him. No one could catch him. He came to a river and a sly fox told him he could jump on his tail and he would take him across. He did and the fox went deeper and the gingerbread man had to jump on his back and then on his nose. When he got to his nose, the fox ate him.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Goldilocks saw a cabin in the woods and entered. There, she found three bowls of porridge. One was too cold, one too hot and the other just right, so she ate that one. Goldilocks then found three chairs, one too hard, one too soft, and the little one was just right and she sat in it and broke it. Of the three beds, one was too hard, one too soft and one just right, so she fell asleep. The bears came home and frightened her and she ran away.

Hansel and Gretel

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Hansel and Gretel as Fairy Tale Examples
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Hansel and Gretel's wicked stepmother took them into the forest and left them there. Soon, the children came upon a house made of sweets and they ate some. The evil witch that lived there locked them in a cage and was going to make a soup out of them. Gretel got out of the cage and pushed the witch into the boiling water. The children found treasure at the house. They took it home and they were never hungry again.

Jack and the Bean Stalk

Jack took the family cow to sell and traded it for magic beans. His mother was angry and threw the beans out of the window. The next morning a giant beanstalk had grown. Jack climbed the beanstalk and found a giant there who had gold coins. Jack stole them and took them home. Later, Jack returned and saw a hen that laid golden eggs and he stole that, too. The third time he tried to steal a magic harp and the harp cried out. The giant chased Jack down the beanstalk, but Jack chopped it down and the giant fell.

Little Red Riding Hood

Little Red Riding Hood's mother sent her to Grandma's house with a basket of goodies and told her not to talk to strangers. A wolf asked her where she was going and she told him. He went to Grandma's house, locked Grandma in the cupboard and put on her clothes. Little Red Riding Hood was surprised at Grandma's eyes, ears and teeth, remarking on how big they were. The wolf said the teeth were better for eating, and he pounced. She screamed; when some woodcutters heard her cry, they ran in and rescued her.

The Pied Piper of Hamelin

The town of Hamelin was overrun with rats. The Pied Piper offered to get rid of the rats for 50 pounds, and the mayor agreed. He started playing his pipe. The rats followed him, and he led them into the harbor. He went back for his money, but the mayor only paid 20 pounds. The Pied Piper wanted to teach him a lesson, so he played his pipe and all the children followed him out of town. The mayor sent men to find the children, but they never found them again.

Pinocchio

Geppetto was a poor carpenter who carved a puppet that became alive. He named him Pinocchio and sent him to school. One day Pinocchio joined a puppet show, but the puppet master wanted him for firewood. He begged to be spared and told him about his poor father. He was spared, and the puppet master gave him five gold coins for his father. Pinocchio learned how to be honest and tell the truth and eventually became a real boy.

Princess and the Pea

A prince wanted to make sure he married a real princess. He devised a test for an unexpected guest who claimed she was a princess. He placed a pea beneath 20 mattresses and 20 feather beds, believing that only a princess could be sensitive enough to feel the small pea. The next morning, the princess said she did not sleep because of something hard in her bed. The two were married and lived happily ever after.

Sleeping Beauty

A princess was born, and an old fairy placed a spell that she would prick her finger on a spindle when she was 16 and die. The good fairies made another spell so that she would only sleep for 100 years and a prince would awaken her. When she was 16, the witch, disguised as an old lady, showed her a spinning wheel, and the princess touched the spindle and fell asleep. The good fairies decided to make everyone sleep. After 100 years, a prince from another land found her and kissed her. Everyone awoke, they married and lived happily ever after.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Snow White's evil stepmother wanted to be the fairest in the land and was jealous of Snow White's beauty. The stepmother ordered a huntsman to kill Snow White, but the huntsman spared her life. Snow White came upon a cottage that belonged to seven dwarfs, who let her stay. Soon the wicked stepmother found her, disguised herself and took her a poison apple. Snow White fell into a deep sleep, and the dwarfs made a crystal coffin for her. Prince Charming came by the cottage, saw her, kissed her, and she awoke. They were married and lived happily ever after.

Three Little Pigs

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Three Little Pigs as Fairy Tale Examples
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Three pigs set out to build their own houses. One pig built a house of straw and the second a house of sticks because they were lazy. The third took the time to build a strong house with bricks. When the big bad wolf came, he huffed and puffed and blew the straw and stick houses down. He couldn't blow down the brick house, and the pigs put a pot of boiling water in the fireplace. The wolf fell into it and died.

Thumbelina

A woman wished for a baby, even a tiny one. A fairy granted her wish and gave her a seed to plant. When it bloomed, a tiny baby was inside. A toad fell in love with the baby and kidnapped her. A swallow rescued the baby and took her away to warmer lands. There, Thumbelina found another tiny person just like her. He asked her to marry him and she became queen of the flowers.

Ugly Duckling

One duckling did not look like his brothers and sisters, and he was sad. He decided to run away. When he came across a cottage, he stayed there for a while but the children scared him. The duckling left and spent the winter in the pond. In the spring, he saw his reflection and realized he was a swan.

Importance of Fairy Tales

Zaikin's hut. Russian folk tale

or-there were a fox and a hare in the forest. They lived not far from each other. Autumn came. It became cold in the forest. They decided to build huts for the winter. The fox built herself a hut out of loose snow, and the hare built herself out of loose sand. They overwintered in new huts. Spring has come, the sun has warmed. The fox's hut has melted, but the zaikin's is standing as it was. The fox came to the bunny's hut, drove out the bunny, and she herself remained in his hut.

A hare left his yard, sat down under a birch and cries. The wolf is coming. He sees the bunny crying.

— Why are you crying, bunny? the wolf asks.

— How can I, a bunny, not cry? We lived with the fox close to each other. We built ourselves huts: I - from loose sand, and she - from loose snow. Spring has come. Her hut has melted, but mine stands as it stood. A fox came, kicked me out of my hut, and stayed in it to live. Here I sit and cry.

- Don't cry, bunny. Let's go, I'll help you, I'll drive the fox out of your hut.

Let them go. They came. The wolf stood on the threshold of the hare's hut and shouted at the fox:

- Why did you climb into someone else's hut? Get down, fox, from the stove, otherwise I'll throw it off, beat your shoulders. The fox was not afraid, answers the wolf:

- Oh, wolf, beware: my tail is like a rod, - as I give, so is death to you here.

The wolf got scared and ran away. And left the bunny. The hare sat down again under the birch and wept bitterly.

A bear is walking through the forest. He sees a bunny sitting under a birch and crying.

— Why are you crying, bunny? the bear asks.

- Don't cry, bunny. Let's go, I'll help you, I'll drive the fox out of your hut.

Let them go. They came. The bear stood on the threshold of the bunny's hut and shouted at the fox:

- Why did you take the hut away from the bunny? Get down, fox, from the stove, otherwise I'll throw it off, beat your shoulders.

The fox was not afraid, answers the bear:

— Oh, bear, beware: my tail is like a rod, — as I give, so is death to you here.

The bear was frightened and ran away and left the bunny alone. Again the hare went out of his yard, sat down under the birch and wept bitterly. Suddenly he sees - a rooster is walking through the forest. I saw a bunny, came up and asked:

- Why are you crying, bunny?

— But how can I, a bunny, not cry? We lived with the fox close to each other. We built ourselves huts: I - from loose sand, and she - from loose snow. Spring has come. Her hut has melted, but mine stands as it stood. A fox came, kicked me out of my hut and stayed there to live. Here I sit and cry.

Don't cry, bunny, I'll drive the fox out of your hut.

— Oh, petenka, — the bunny cries, — where can you kick her out? The wolf drove - did not drive out. The bear drove - did not drive out.

- I'll kick you out. Come on, says the rooster. Went. A rooster entered the hut, stood on the threshold, crowed, and then how it screams:

- I am a chebetukh rooster,

I am a bastard singer,

On short legs,

On high heels.

I carry a scythe on my shoulder,

I'll take the fox's head off.

And the chanterelle lies and says:

— Oh, rooster, beware: my tail is like a rod, — as I give, so is death to you here.

The cockerel jumped from the doorway into the hut and cries again:

— I am a rooster,

I am a babbler,

On short legs,

On high heels.

I carry a scythe on my shoulder,

I'll take the fox's head off.

And - jump on the stove to the fox. He pecked the fox in the back. How the fox jumped up and how it ran out of the hare's hut, and the hare slammed the doors behind her.

And he stayed to live in his hut together with the cockerel.

Cat and Fox.

Russian folk tale

there was a peasant. This man had a cat, only such a prankster, what a disaster! He bored him to death. So the man thought and thought, took the cat, put it in a bag and carried it into the forest. He brought it and threw it in the forest - let it disappear.

The cat walked and walked and came across a hut. Climb into the attic and lie down for yourself. And if he wants to eat, he will go into the forest, catch birds, catch mice, eat his fill - again to the attic, and there is little grief for him!

The cat went for a walk, and the fox met him. I saw a cat and marveled: “How many years I have lived in the forest, I have never seen such an animal!”

The fox bowed to the cat and asked:

- Tell me, good fellow, who are you? How did you come here and how do you call by name? And the cat threw up his fur and answers:

- My name is Kotofey Ivanovich, I was sent to you by the governor from the Siberian forests.

- Oh, Kotofey Ivanovich! - says the fox. - I didn't know about you, I didn't know. Well, come visit me.

The cat went to the fox. She led him to her hole and began to regale him with various game, and she kept asking:

- Kotofei Ivanovich, are you married or single?

- Single.

- And I, the fox, am a girl. Marry me!

The cat agreed, and they began to feast and have fun.

The next day the fox went to get supplies, but the cat stayed at home.

The fox ran and ran and caught a duck. Carries home, and a wolf meets her:

- Stop, fox! Give me the duck!

- No, I won't!

- Well, I'll take it myself.

- And I will tell Kotofey Ivanovich, he will put you to death!

- And who is Kotofey Ivanovich?

- Haven't you heard? Voivode Kotofey Ivanovich was sent to us from the Siberian forests! I used to be a fox-girl, and now our governor's wife.

- No, I haven't heard, Lizaveta Ivanovna. How would I look at it?

- Wow! Kotofey Ivanovich is so angry with me: whoever he doesn’t like will eat it now! You prepare a ram and bring it to bow: put the ram in a conspicuous place, and bury yourself so that the cat does not see you, otherwise, brother, you will have a hard time!

The wolf ran after the ram, and the fox went home.

A fox is walking and she meets a bear:

- Stop, fox, who are you bringing the duck to? Give it to me!

- Go on, you bear, I'll do a good job, otherwise I'll tell Kotofey Ivanovich, he will put you to death!

- And who is Kotofey Ivanovich?

- And which was sent to us from the Siberian forests by the governor. I used to be a fox-girl, and now our governor - Kotofey Ivanovich - is the wife.

- Is it possible to see it, Lizaveta Ivanovna?

- Wow! Kotofey Ivanovich is so angry with me: whoever doesn’t like him will eat it now. You go, prepare the bull and bring it to bow. But look, put the bull in a conspicuous place, and bury yourself so that Kotofey Ivanovich does not see you, otherwise you will have a hard time!

The bear followed the bull and the fox went home.

Here the wolf brought a ram, skinned it and is worth thinking about. He looks - and the bear climbs with the bull.

- Hello, Mikhailo Ivanovich!

- Hello brother Levon! What, did not see the fox with her husband?

- No, Mikhailo Ivanovich, I'm waiting for them myself.

- Go and call them, - the bear says to the wolf.

- No, I won't go, Mikhailo Ivanovich. I'm clumsy, you better go.

- No, I won't go, brother Levon. I'm furry, clubfoot, where can I go!

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a hare runs. The wolf and the bear how to scream at him:

- Come here, oblique!

The hare just sat down, his ears tucked up.

- You, a hare, are agile and quick on your feet: run to the fox, tell her that the bear Mikhailo Ivanovich and his brother Levon Ivanovich have long been ready, they are waiting for you with her husband, with Kotofey Ivanovich, they want to bow to the ram and the bull.

The hare ran towards the fox at full speed. And the bear and the wolf began to think where they could hide.

The bear says:

- I will climb the pine tree. And the wolf says to him:

- Where can I go? Because I won't climb a tree. Bury me somewhere.

The bear hid the wolf in the bushes, covered it with dry leaves, and he himself climbed onto the pine tree, to the very top, and looks to see if Kotofei Ivanovich is walking with the fox.

The hare, meanwhile, ran to the fox hole:

- The bear Mikhailo Ivanovich and the wolf Levon Ivanovich were sent to say that they have been waiting for you and your husband for a long time, they want to bow to you with a bull and a ram.

- Go, oblique, we'll be right there.

Here come the cat and the fox. The bear saw them and said to the wolf:

- What a little voivode Kotofey Ivanovich is!

The cat immediately rushed at the bull, ruffled the fur, began to tear the meat with his teeth and paws, and he himself purred as if angry:

- Mau, mau!

The bear again says to the wolf:

- Small but gluttonous! The four of us can't eat, but he alone isn't enough.