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English Fairy Tales | Bedtime Stories
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Read famous fairy tales stories from England – the best English fairy tales for kids and adults!
Age 7-12 All Fairy Tales English Fairy Tales Fairy Tales
A witty wife helps her husband solve his problems in all sorts of sticky situations!
20 Mins+ All Fairy Tales Dragons English Fairy Tales Fairy Tales Princes & Princesses
A Prince steals a magical ring from a fairy queen in order to defeat a wicked dragon.
All Fairy Tales English Fairy Tales Fairy Tales Gardens Helping Seasons
A little weed feels worthless, until it helps some hungry birds.
Age 7-12 All Fairy Tales English Fairy Tales Fairy Tales Giants Good Manners
A giant keeps Jack prisoner for seven years... until finally he makes his escape!
20 Mins+ Adventures Age 7-12 All Fairy Tales English Fairy Tales Fairies Fairy Tales Good Manners
A prince learns how to have empathy with the help of a fairy and a ring.
Age 7-12 All Fairy Tales English Fairy Tales Fairy Tales Family Funny
A young man wants to marry a silly girl... but must find three sillier people first!
5 Min Stories Age 7-12 All All Fairy Tales English Fairy Tales Fairy Tales Illustrated Bedtime Stories Love
A foolish boy takes a chance on impressing a Princess and wins her love.
10 Min Stories Age 7-12 All Fairy Tales English Fairy Tales Fairy Tales Magic
The story of a bird husband, his wife, and three magical feathers.
10 Min Stories Age 7-12 All Fairy Tales English Fairy Tales Fairies Fairy Tales Magic
Tom is cursed by a creature when he asks for help with his chores.
10 Min Stories Age 7-12 All Fairy Tales Animals English Fairy Tales Fairy Tales Love Witches
The story of an old wife who falls in love with a kind black bull.
Age 7-12 All Fairy Tales Bedtime English Fairy Tales Fairies Fairy Tales Sleep and Bedtime Stories
It is hard to go to bed, but with the help of a fairy anything can happen!
10 Min Stories Age 7-12 All Fairy Tales English Fairy Tales Fairy Tales Morals
Two sisters seek their fortune - but only one of them is helpful to others.
10 Min Stories Age 7-12 All Fairy Tales English Fairy Tales Fairy Tales
The English version of the fairy tale Cinderella.
10 Min Stories Age 7-12 All Fairy Tales English Fairy Tales Fairy Tales
A funny old man goes to the market to buy a cow, and ends up with nothing at all!
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Fairy Tales to Enchant You…
Welcome to our huge fairy tales library!
Browse our most popular fairy tales collections
Famous Fairy Tales
The story of beautiful Snow White, the seven dwarfs and the evil Queen.
A mother goat leaves her seven kids at home alone… are they smart enough to outwit a visiting wolf ?
A shoemaker and his wife have magical assistance from some elves every evening when they go to bed. But do the elves need…
The classic Hans Christian Andersen tale of a Little Mermaid, and what she will do for love.
A king suspects that his twelve daughters go dancing every night… and a young prince takes the challenge to discover them.
Ali Baba discovers a wonderful cave of riches… but will the forty thieves discover him?
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Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales
A Prince called Desire seeks a bride in warmer lands.
This marvellous musician has a strange way of making friends and keeping them!
Three Dwarfs meet a poor girl who shares the last of her bread with them.
A younger brother is a wise dwarf who teaches his brothers kind things.
A little tailor tricks two giants and a King, winning against all odds.
The story of beautiful Snow White, the seven dwarfs and the evil Queen.
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Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales
A butterfly takes his time in deciding which flower he should marry.
A beautiful story of a much loved Grandmother who dies, by Hans Christian Andersen.
A snow man falls in love with a hot stove…
Five peas in a shell discover their destinies…
A sick boy goes on a magical adventure of the imagination…
A Prince offers a Princess gifts that she refuses.
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English Fairy Tales
A witty wife helps her husband solve his problems in all sorts of sticky situations!
A Prince steals a magical ring from a fairy queen in order to defeat a wicked dragon.
A little weed feels worthless, until it helps some hungry birds.
A giant keeps Jack prisoner for seven years… until finally he makes his escape!
A prince learns how to have empathy with the help of a fairy and a ring.
A young man wants to marry a silly girl… but must find three sillier people first!
Read All
French Fairy Tales
A Princess, by enchantment, transforms into a white doe.
Will true love prevail and help her break the spell?
A handsome courtier begs a princess marry a king, but the princess falls in love with him instead.
A prince has a red hat that makes him invisible, and uses it to pursue Love.
A pair of lovers are separated when a king is turned into a blue bird.
A friendly frog helps a queen and a princess to escape a lion witch.
A yellow dwarf forces a queen and her daughter to make a promise they cannot keep…
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Chinese Fairy Tales
Molo goes to great lengths to help others and become a sword hero.
A family of human-ogres shows strength in the difficulties they face being both.
When the king’s daughter is taken by a bird with nine heads, who will save her?
Rose of Evening is beautiful and kind, but what is she keeping secret?
Giauna is beautiful but also kind, and can heal the sickness of others.
A boy called Bamboo helps a turtle escape a temple, and goes on a big adventure.
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Oscar Wilde Fairy Tales
The status of a Prince begs a sparrow to help him bring happiness to the sad and poor of his city.
A short story about a beautiful child of the stars, who learns about humility.
The tale of a selfish giant who closes his beautiful garden to children.
The tragic tale of a selfish miller, and his poor and generous friend.
The haunting story of a nightingale who creates a red rose for a lover.
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A plump pancake manages to escape being eaten by 7 children!
A boy keeps meeting a rat who promises they will soon be married.
A child called Minnikin conquers three trolls to save two captured princesses.
It all seems like a perfectly normal wedding… or is it?!
Cinderlad is lazy, until he meets a King that will put him to the test!
The story of a cat who literally eats everything in sight, even the moon!
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Aesop’s Fables
A wordless counting picture book based on the Aesop fable.
A raven tries to copy an eagle, but finds it’s not so easy! An Aesop fable.
A collection of Aesop’s fables in short poetry form – along with vintage illustrations.
A town mouse and a country mouse visit each other’s home, to find they like their own best.
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Japanese Fairy Tales
A story of the Sun, the Moon and an Empress all working together for peace.
A hare deceives some crocodiles, and learns to tell the truth.
A hero fights an ogre, and steals his arm.
An old man loves his dog, who brings him tragic heartache and good luck.
The story of Prince Yamato Take and his protector the Sun Goddess.
Princess Hase has a cruel stepmother, but she remains kind.
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Scottish Fairy Tales
A Prince meets a strange ghost in an inn, who asks him to do her a favour.
Lady Janet acts courageously to rescue her True Love from a fairy queen’s grasp.
The fairy tale of a Princess, a boy, a magical Grandmother and an army of Goblins.
When a Princess is caused by a spell to be as light as air, a Prince discovers the way to make her happy.
Janet must trust a fairy named Tamlane, in order to return him to human form.
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Russian Fairy Tales
A Princess trusts a wicked old witch, who turns her into a white duck.
A boy is stolen by a wicked witch, and recovered by a kind and brave girl.
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Or read our complete library of fairy tales!
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an essay in English about a fairy tale
If you are going to write an essay about a fairy tale in English, the examples on this site will help you.
1) Option 1 (Little Red Riding Hood)
2) Option 2 (Kolobok)
3) Option 3 (Turnip)
4) Option 4 (about Rybak and Rybka)
Option 1 (Little Red Riding Hood)
The fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood" is popular in many countries of the world.
This is a story about a little girl who went to visit her grandmother. On the way, she met a wolf and talked to him. The wolf ran to the grandmother's house, got into her bed and put on her clothes. He wanted to fool and eat the girl. Fortunately, she was saved by the woodcutters.
This story teaches children to be careful and not to trust strangers.
The fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood" is popular in many countries of the world.
This is a story about a little girl who went to visit her grandmother. On the way, she met a wolf and talked to him. The wolf ran to the grandmother's house, lay down in her bed and put on her clothes. He wanted to cheat and eat the girl. Luckily, the lumberjacks saved her.
This story teaches children to be careful and not to trust strangers.
Option 2 (Kolobok)
"Kolobok" is a Russian fairy tale for young children.
Kolobok is a ball-shaped cupcake. He runs away from everyone safely until he meets a fox. The fox flatters him, and he lets his guard down. So the fox manages to eat him.
I think this story teaches us to analyze the motives of people who say compliments.
"Kolobok" is a Russian fairy tale for young children.
Gingerbread man is a round pie. He safely runs away from everyone until he meets a fox. The fox flatters him and he drops his guard. So the fox manages to eat it.
I think this story teaches us to analyze the motives of people who give compliments.
Option 3 (Turnip)
Russian folk tale about the turnip is perfect for the youngest children. It is short, but meaningful.
In the story, the turnip grew huge. One person couldn't pull it out. Success was achieved only with the help of all the family members, pets and a small mouse.
This story teaches to cooperate. It shows that even a small contribution makes a difference.
The Russian folk tale about the turnip is great for the youngest children. It is short but instructive.
According to the story, the turnip grew huge. One person couldn't pull it out. Only with the help of all family members, pets and a small mouse, success was achieved.
This story teaches cooperation. She shows that even a small contribution matters.
Option 4 (The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish)
The fairy tale "About the Fisherman and the Fish" was written by Alexander Pushkin, probably based on folk tales.
In the story, a fisherman caught a magical goldfish that could talk. The fisherman let her go without any ransom. The fisherman's wife got angry when she heard that. She sent her husband to demand the fulfillment of her wishes from the fish over and over.
The fish agreed several times, but in the end she ran out of patience. So the old woman found herself again in poverty with the broken tub.
I think the moral of the story is that no good comes from extreme greed.
The tale "About the Fisherman and the Fish" was written by Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, probably based on folk tales.
According to the story, a fisherman caught a magical golden fish that could speak. The fisherman let her go without any ransom. The fisherman's wife was angry when she found out about this. She sent her husband again and again to demand that the fish fulfill her desires.
Several times the fish agreed, but in the end, her patience snapped. So the old woman again found herself with nothing.
I guess the moral of the tale is that excessive greed does not lead to good.
Short stories with morals in English for children
We invite you to get acquainted with three short stories in English that are useful for both adults and children to read.
These stories are very instructive, at the end of each of them a moral is stated. For those who still find it difficult to translate even such simple texts, a translation is presented. Most likely, you have already heard similar fairy tales in Russian, so it will be easier for you to understand their meaning.
Content
The Ant and the Grasshopper
In a field one summer’s day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart’s content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great effort an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.
"Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling away?" "I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the Ant, "and recommend you to do the same." "Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; "We have got plenty of food at the present."
But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing, every day, corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer.
Then the Grasshopper knew..
MORAL : Work today and you can reap the benefits tomorrow.
Ant and a grasshopper
On a sunny day, a grasshopper jumped, chirped and sang to his heart's content on the field. An ant passed by, dragging a corncob with great effort to his home.
"Why don't you come up to me and have a chat," said the grasshopper, "instead of straining like that?" “I help to stock up for the winter,” said the ant, “I advise you to do the same.” “Why worry about winter? - said the grasshopper, - We have a lot of food at the moment.
But the ant did its job and continued its hard work. When winter came, the grasshopper literally starved to see how the ants distribute corn and grain every day from their stores, which they collected in the summer.
Then the grasshopper understood...
Moral : Work today and you can reap the benefits tomorrow.
The Lion and the Mouse
Once when a Lion was asleep, a little Mouse began running up and down upon him.
This soon wakened the Lion, who placed his huge paw upon him and opened his big jaws to swallow him.
Pardon, O King! cried the little Mouse, “Forgive me this time. I shall never repeat it and I shall never forget your kindness. And who knows, but I may be able to do you a good turn one of these days?”
The Lion was so tickled at the idea of the Mouse being able to help him, that he lifted up his paw and let him go.
Sometime later a few hunters captured the King and tied him to a tree while they went in search of a wagon to carry him on.
Just then the little Mouse happened to pass by, and seeing the sad plight in which the Lion was, ran up to him and soon gnawed away the ropes that bound the King of the Beasts. "Was I not right?" said the little Mouse, very happy to help the Lion.
MORAL : Little friends may prove great friends.
Lion and mouse
Once, when the lion fell asleep, a little mouse started running over him.
Soon he woke the lion, who caught him with his huge paw and opened his jaw to swallow him.
"Excuse me, O king! sobbed the little mouse, “Forgive me this time. This will never happen again and I will never forget your kindness. And who knows, maybe one day I can also do something good for you.”
The lion was so amused at the idea that the little mouse could help him in some way that he raised his paw and let him go.
A few days later the hunters caught the king and tied him to a tree while looking for a wagon to place him in.
Just then it happened that a little mouse ran past, he saw the predicament in which the lion was, ran up to him and quickly gnawed through the ropes that tied the king of beasts. "Wasn't I right?" - said the mouse, joyful because he helped the lion.
Moral : Little friends can be great friends.
The Goose that laid the Golden Eggs
Once upon a time, a man and his wife had the good fortune to have a goose which laid a golden egg every day.
Lucky though they were, they soon began to think they were not getting rich fast enough.
They imagined that if the bird must be able to lay golden eggs, its insides must be made of gold. And they thought that if they could get all that precious metal at once, they would get mighty rich very soon. So the man and his wife decided to kill the bird.
However, upon cutting the goose open, they were shocked to find that its innards were like that of any other goose!
MORAL : Think before you act.
The Goose that Laid Golden Eggs
One day a man and his wife were lucky enough to have a goose that laid a golden egg every day. Despite such great luck, they soon began to think that they would not get rich quickly enough.
They imagined that if a bird could lay golden eggs, then its insides must also be made of gold. And they thought that if they could get all this precious metal at once, then very soon they would become extremely rich.
