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Скачать бесплатно Лонгман Пингвин Ридерз - адаптированные книги для изучения английского языка - Longman Penguin Readers books in English download free - адаптированная литература

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Kaixo denoi! Hona hemen sagutxo bati gertatutakoari buruzko ipuintxo bat! Goza ezazue irakurmenaz!

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Macmillan Readers Rich Man Poor Man by TJ Jupp

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Adam's money order was for one hundred pounds. Suddenly he was a rich man! 'Go to the Post Office,' said school teacher. 'The Post Office official will give yo...

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Macmillan Readers: Lucky Number by John Milne

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Charly is tired. He puts the ticket on his box. He falls asleep. He has a dream. Macmillan readers: Starter level Audio: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3YG...

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Level 1 the adventures of tom sawyer - penguin readers

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A space shuttle climbs high into the sky. Inside the shuttle, astronauts are on their way to learn more about space. An astronaut is a person who goes into spa...

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Title Slide of 6F Book 1 - Freddy finds the thief

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Olympic G Teenagers a mes 2012 * LondonWorksheet A A. Read and complete with some o...

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Level 1 The Gift Of The Magi Penguin Readers

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Title Slide of Level 1 The Gift Of The Magi Penguin Readers

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H a r r y Black is a thief. He takes a famous painting and puts it in an old newspaper. But then the recycling truck arrives-and where is Harry's newspaper? Pe...

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Before you read 1. Look at the pictures on pages 1 and 2. What do you think? a. What year is it? b. What country is this? c. What city is this? 2. Look at thes...

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PENGUIN READERS A New Zealand Adventure Jan Thorburn

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This is the book for your vacations. Read it and answer the activity

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Stephen rabley tinkers island (penguin readers easystarts) (2000)

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The year is I798, and Jenny and her father, Sam Tinker, are working in the market. Sam gets mistaken for a thief and finds himself on a ship full of crtminals....

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Brown Eyes'A man is pretending to be me,' I said. 'Why?' Every year, Peter and Susan Reed go to Lea-on-Sea for their holiday; every year they stay at theHote...

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66 word by word picture dictionary second edition red (1)

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Penguin Readers Factsheets Teacher's NotesThe Last Photoby Bernard Smith About EasystartsEasystarts are Penguin Readers written to the lowest level in the...

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Level 3 a history of britain - penguin readers

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Around the world in eighty days j. verne

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retold as a play by Carol Pugliano-Martinillustrated by Jon Goodell

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Level 1 tales from arabian nights - penguin readers

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TALES F R O M T H E ARABIAN NIGHTSThe Oxford Progressive English Readers series provides a widerange of reading for learners of English. Each boo...

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Suggested levels for Guided Reading, DRA,™ Lexile,® and Reading Recovery™ are provided in the Pearson Scott Foresman Leveling Guide. Genre Comprehension Skills...

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Mr. Bean in town - Penguin Readers Level 2 Retold by John Escott First published in 2001 by Pearson Education Limited Printed a...

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Anna and the dolphin

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N E W T I T L E S 2 0 0 2 www.penguinreaders.com

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Robin Hood Level 2 Retold by Liz AustinSeries Editors: Andy Hopkins and Jocelyn Potter

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Aesop for Children (1919)
1. The Wolf and the Kid.
2. The Tortoise and the Ducks.
3. The Young Crab and His Mother.
4. The Frogs and the Ox.
5. The Dog, the Cock, and the Fox.
6. Belling the Cat.
7. The Eagle and the Jackdaw.
8. The Boy and the Filberts.
9. Hercules and the Wagoner.
10. The Kid and the Wolf.
11. The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse.
12. The Fox and the Grapes.
13. The Bundle of Sticks.
14. The Wolf and the Crane.
15. The Ass and His Driver.
16. The Oxen and the Wheels.
17. The Lion and the Mouse.
18. The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf.
19. The Gnat and the Bull.
20. The Plane Tree.
21. The Farmer and the Stork.
22. The Sheep and the Pig.
23. The Travelers and the Purse.
24. The Lion and the Ass.
25. The Frogs Who Wished for a King.
26. The Owl and the Grasshopper.
27. The Wolf and His Shadow.
28. The Oak and the Reeds.
29. The Rat and the Elephant.
30. The Boys and the Frogs.
31. The Crow and the Pitcher.
32. The Ants and the Grasshopper.
33. The Ass Carrying the Image.
34. A Raven and a Swan.
35. The Two Goats.
36. The Ass and the Load of Salt.
37. The Lion and the Gnat.
38. The Leap at Rhodes.
39. The Cock and the Jewel.
40. The Monkey and the Camel.
41. The Wild Boar and the Fox.
42. The Ass, the Fox, and the Lion.
43. The Birds, the Beasts, and the Bat.
44. The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox.
45. The Wolf and the Lamb.
46. The Wolf and the Sheep.
47. The Hares and the Frogs.
48. The Fox and the Stork.
49. The Travelers and the Sea.
50. The Wolf and the Lion.
51. The Stag and His Reflection.
52. The Peacock.
53. The Mice and the Weasels.
54. The Wolf and the Lean Dog.
55. The Fox and the Lion.
56. The Lion and the Ass.
57. The Dog and His Master's Dinner.
58. The Vain Jackdaw and his Borrowed Feathers.
59. The Monkey and the Dolphin.
60. The Wolf and the Ass.
61. The Monkey and the Cat.
62. The Dogs and the Fox.
63. The Dogs and the Hides.
64. The Rabbit, the Weasel, and the Cat.
65. The Bear and the Bees.
66. The Fox and the Leopard.
67. The Heron.
68. The Cock and the Fox.
69. The Dog in the Manger.
70. The Wolf and the Goat.
71. The Ass and the Grasshoppers.
72. The Mule.
73. The Fox and the Goat.
74. The Cat, the Cock, and the Young Mouse.
75. The Wolf and the Shepherd.
76. The Peacock and the Crane.
77. The Farmer and the Cranes.
78. The Farmer and His Sons.
79. The Two Pots.
80. The Goose and the Golden Egg.
81. The Fighting Bulls and the Frog.
82. The Mouse and the Weasel.
83. The Farmer and the Snake.
84. The Goatherd and the Wild Goats.
85. The Spendthrift and the Swallow.
86. The Cat and the Birds.
87. The Dog and the Oyster.
88. The Astrologer.
89. Three Bullocks and a Lion.
90. Mercury and the Woodman.
91. The Frog and the Mouse.
92. The Fox and the Crab.
93. The Serpent and the Eagle.
94. The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing.
95. The Bull and the Goat.
96. The Eagle and the Beetle.
97. The Old Lion and the Fox.
98. The Man and the Lion.
99. The Ass and the Lap Dog.
100. The Milkmaid and Her Pail.
101. The Wolf and the Shepherd.
102. The Goatherd and the Goat.
103. The Miser.
104. The Wolf and the House Dog.
105. The Fox and the Hedgehog.
106. The Bat and the Weasels.
107. The Quack Toad.
108. The Fox Without a Tail.
109. The Mischievous Dog.
110. The Rose and the Butterfly.
111. The Cat and the Fox.
112. The Boy and the Nettles.
113. The Old Lion.
114. The Fox and the Pheasants.
115. Two Travelers and a Bear.
116. The Porcupine and the Snakes.
117. The Fox and the Monkey.
118. The Mother and the Wolf.
119. The Flies and the Honey.
120. The Eagle and the Kite.
121. The Stag, the Sheep, and the Wolf.
122. The Animals and the Plague.
123. The Shepherd and the Lion.
124. The Dog and His Reflection.
125. The Hare and the Tortoise.
126. The Bees and Wasps, and the Hornet.
127. The Lark and Her Young Ones.
128. The Cat and the Old Rat.
129. The Fox and the Crow.
130. The Ass and His Shadow.
131. The Miller, His Son, and the Ass.
132. The Ant and the Dove.
133. The Man and the Satyr.
134. The Wolf, the Kid, and the Goat.
135. The Swallow and the Crow.
136. Jupiter and the Monkey.
137. The Lion, the Ass, and the Fox.
138. The Lion's Share.
139. The Mole and his Mother.
140. The North Wind and the Sun.
141. The Hare and His Ears.
142. The Wolves and the Sheep.
143. The Fox and the Cock.
144. The Ass in the Lion's Skin.
145. The Fisherman and the Little Fish.
146. The Fighting Cocks and the Eagle.
Aesop for Children (translator not identified), 1919. Illustrations by Milo Winter (1886-1956). Available online at Project Gutenberg.

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1. The Wolf and the Kid. 2. The Tortoise and the Ducks. 3. The Young Crab and His Mother. 4. The Frogs and the Ox. 5. The Dog, the Cock, and the Fox. 6. Belling the Cat. 7. The Eagle and the Jackdaw. 8. The Boy and the Filberts. 9.

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By George H. Reavis

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"The Round Little Bun" - Free Books & Children's Stories Online | StoryJumper

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The Round Little Bun Once there lived an old man and old woman.The old man said,Old woman, bake me a bun. What can I make it from? I have no flour. E...

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Aladdin And The Magic Lamp

Long time ago in China, there lived a poor boy, whose name was Aladdin. Aladdin lived with his mother. One day a rich and distinguished looking man came to their house and said to Aladdin's mother, "I am a merchant from Arabia and want your son to come with me. I will reward him handsomely." Aladdin's mother instantly agreed. Little did she know that the man pretending to be a rich merchant was in reality a magician.

Next day, Aladdin having packed his belongings left with the 'merchant'. After many hours of traveling the 'merchant' stopped. Aladdin too stopped, surprised that they should stop in such a desolate spot. He looked around; there was nothing in sight for miles.

The 'merchant' pulled out some colored powder from his pocket and threw in the ground. The next instant the whole place was filled with smoke. As the smoke cleared, Aladdin saw a huge opening in the ground; it was a cave. The 'merchant' turned to Aladdin and said, "I want you to go inside this cave; there will be more gold than you have ever seen; take as much as you want. You will also see an old lamp; please bring that back to me. Here, take this ring; it will help you." Aladdin was very suspicious but the decided to do as was told.

He lowered himself into the cave, thinking all the while that it would be difficult to climb out without help. Aladdin entered the cave and just like the 'merchant' had said saw gold, jewelry, diamonds and other valuables. He filled his pockets. When this was done, he looked for the lamp; it was lying in the corner, full of dust and dirty. He picked it up and ran to the cave's opening and shouted to the 'merchant', "I have your lamp. Can you please pull me out?" "Give me the lamp," said the 'merchant'. Aladdin was not sure that he would be pulled out if he gave back the lamp; so he said, "First, please pull me out."

This angered the 'merchant'. With a loud cry, he pulled out the same colorful powder and threw it on the cave opening, sealing it with a huge boulder. Aladdin was depressed. He thought, "That was no rich merchant; he was surely a magician. I wonder why this lamp was so important to him." As he was thinking he rubbed the lamp. All of sudden a strange mist filled the room and from the mist emerged a stranger looking man. He said, "My master, I am the genie of the lamp, you have rescued me; what would your wish be?" Aladdin was scared but he said in quivering voice, "Ta.. Take me back home."

And the next moment Aladdin was home hugging his mother. He told her of the magician and the lamp. Aladdin again summoned the genie. This time when the genie appeared he was not scared. He said, "Genie, I want a palace, not an old hut." Again to Aladdin and his mother's amazement in front of them was a magnificent palace.

Time passed. Aladdin married the Sultan's daughter and was very happy. It so happened that the evil magician got to know of Aladdin's good fortune. He came by Aladdin's palace pretending to exchange old lamps for new. The princes, Aladdin's wife, not knowing the value of the lamp to Aladdin called out to the magician to wait.

As soon as the magician saw the lamp he grabbed it from the princess' hand and rubbed it. The genie appeared, "you are my master and your wish is my command," he said to the magician. "Take Aladdin's palace to the great desert faraway from here," ordered the magician.

When Aladdin came home, there was no palace and no princess. He guessed it must be the evil magician who had come to take revenge on him. All was not lost, Aladdin had a ring that the magician had given to him. Aladdin pulled out that ring, rubbed it. Another genie appeared. Aladdin said, "Take me to my princess."

Soon, Aladdin was in Arabia with his princess. He found his lamp lying on a table next to the magician. Before the magician could react, Aladdin jumped for the lamp and got hold of it. As soon as he had the lamp, Aladdin rubbed it.

The genie appeared again and said, "My master, Aladdin, it is indeed good to serve you again. What is it that you wish?" "I want you to send this magician to another world so that he never harms anybody," said Aladdin. Aladdin's wish was carried out; the evil magician disappeared forever.

The genie carried Aladdin, the princes and the palace back to China. He stayed with Aladdin for the rest of his life.

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Long time ago in China, there lived a poor boy, whose name was Aladdin. Aladdin lived with his mother. One day a rich and distinguished looking man came to their house and said to Aladdin's mother, "I am a merchant from Arabia and want your son to come with me.

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Aesop for childewn

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11. THE TOWN MOUSE AND THE COUNTRY MOUSE (Aesop for Children, 1919)

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When they reached the mansion in which the Town Mouse lived, they found on the table in the dining room the leavings of a very fine banquet. There were sweetmeats and jellies, pastries, delicious cheeses, indeed, the most tempting foods that a Mouse can imagine.

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At the bottom of a garden, in a small Scottish town, there lived, side by side, two flowers.

One of the flowers was called Rose and she was very beautiful. Every day she would wake up, give a really loud yawn and her petals would open. Then she would talk all day about how beautiful she was and how pretty she was and how unfortunate it was that the other flowers were not as lucky as she was!

The birds were very tired of listening to her and even the honey bees avoided her as she kept telling them, at every given opportunity, that she was as sweet, even sweeter, than their honey and how she was invited to sing at all the garden festivals. She had sung at the ladybird's wedding, the centipede's birthday party, the beetles' anniversary, and had been the star attraction at the Thistles New Year party!!

She went on and on and on. Her voice, not as sweet as she thought, would ring throughout the garden and out into the woods where the robins and sparrows were hiding! When evening came she informed everyone that she would now be going to sleep and she would see them all in the morning and if they were very lucky she would sing her favourite song to them.

The other flower was very different to Rose. Her name was Blue-belle. She was also very pretty. Blue-belle would awake in the morning and gently dance with the breeze. She said a quiet hello to all the birds and insects around her and they liked her.

This troubled Rose very much. She showed her dislike by singing out loud, driving away Blue-belle's friends. This upset Blue-belle and she would try to hide this by only crying when it rained so no-one would see her tears.

One day the sun rose high in the sky. It was a very warm summer morning. The sort of morning Rose loved as all the insects and animals would be out playing and she would have an instant audience. Rose tried to stretch and yawn loudly but nothing happened. She tried again, even harder. Nothing! She tried even harder, so hard that she woke Blue-belle. 'Is anything wrong Rose?' asked Blue-belle.

'No!' was Rose's quick reply. 'I'm fine...just a little tired after all my beautiful singing last night.'

Blue-belle knew something was wrong. Rose always awoke, stretched, yawned and talked and sang non stop from very early in the morning to very, very late at night.

Blue-belle waited a little while but Rose still hadn't moved. Her petals still stuck by her side and her voice wasn't as clear as it normally was. Rose tried to move again but it was no use. She was stuck. Rose had never been stuck in her life and she didn't know how to ask for help. Blue-belle knew this. She asked Rose if she wanted some help. 'No thank you' said Rose 'I am very capable of dealing with this situation thank you very much'.

Time passed. Blue-belle was becoming very concerned as she knew that Rose needed the sunlight to keep her healthy and something needed to be done. Blue-belle called out to her friends. As she had a very quiet voice no-one heard her over the noise of the insects and the birds that were playing tag.

She called out again. Still no one heard her so she decided that in order to be heard she had to do something she had never done before. She sang. Before she knew it the song was out of her mouth and into the air.

When they heard the beautiful sound, every animal and insect in the garden stopped suddenly and grew silent. They all looked frozen. Blue-belle's voice was beautiful. Rose could not believe it. It was very different to her voice and she didn't like to admit it but it did sound really nice!

Blue-belle stopped singing. All the animals 'unfroze' and came running. 'Blue-belle that was amazing' they called. 'Wow!' they said. Blue-belle was embarrassed and thanked them in her soft voice. She then talked loudly. So loud it frightened her and everyone else. 'Sorry' she said. 'Now I need your help'. 'Rose is stuck and she needs to be unstuck... will you help her?

All the animals and insects were quiet.

They remembered all the horrible things Rose had said about them and her incessant talking and not very good singing. They were still very quiet. Just then the smallest of the ants spoke out. 'I think we should help her as she needs help and it could have happened to any one of us.'

'I agree' said one worm. 'Yes let's do it' said the spiders. Soon everyone was running around trying to help. 'We need water' said Blue-belle and the ants went to get that. 'We also need a bit of cloth' she added so the beetles went to get that.

Slowly the water washed away the stickiness on Rose's petals and carefully the beetles washed her so that she was able to stretch out gradually and feel the heat and comfort of the sun.

Rose had never said thank you in her life. It was very difficult for her. She tried and for the first time ever she couldn't say what she wanted to say. She tried again 'Than...k...you Blue-belle and to everyone else'. Everyone cheered.

Rose began to cry. She was sorry she had caused so much trouble in the garden and promised to be nicer and kinder and not to talk and sing as much and to listen to others. She then looked straight at Blue-belle. 'I've been very selfish and I'm sorry. You didn't have to help but you did. Your voice is very beautiful and so are you.'

She turned to all the animals. 'You are all beautifully different!' Everyone cheered and wiped away the odd tear.

Can we be friends Blue-belle...best friends for ever?

'Yes Rose. Of course we can be friends'...and to this day they are still the best of friends.

If you ever visit this little Scottish town and find yourself at the bottom of a lovely garden just listen. You may just hear the singing of Rose and Blue-belle carried on the wind....

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At the bottom of a garden, in a small Scottish town, there lived, side by side, two flowers. One of the flowers was called Rose and she was very beautiful. Every day she would wake up, give a really loud yawn and her petals would open.

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Princess Ruby lived in a palace where her parents gave her everything she asked for. Her favourite plaything was a golden ball; she loved the way it sparkled in the sunshine when she threw it in the air.

One day she was playing in the garden with the ball when, plop!, it fell into a deep pond.

"Oh no" she cried "my beautiful ball" and burst into tears.

"What's the matter?" a croaky voice said. Looking round she caught sight of a little green frog sitting on a stone by the side of the pond.

"My beautiful golden ball" she sobbed, "it's fallen in the water and I can't reach it because it's so deep. What can I do?"

"I can get it for you if you like" said the frog "but what will you give me in return?"

"Anything" said Princess Ruby "I will give you all my jewels if you like".

"What I really want" said the frog "is to be your best friend. I want to eat from your plate, drink from your cup and sleep in your bed".

"Of course" said Princess Ruby, willing to promise anything to get back her ball.

"Before I get you the ball will you promise?"

"Yes, I promise, now please hurry up".

The frog dived into the water and disappeared beneath it. Princess Ruby watched anxiously from the bank. Presently, some bubbles appeared on the water and up popped the frog balancing the ball on his nose.

Quickly, she grabbed the ball and ran off towards the palace.

"Wait for me" called the frog, hopping after her.

Hurriedly she slipped through the door slamming it behind her before the frog had a chance to catch up.

"What's all this about" said the king coming down the stairs.

"Oh, nothing father, just a slimy old frog tried to get through the door"

"Why would he want to come in here?" said the king "frogs don't like to be indoors".

"Well father, this frog wants to be my friend, but I think he's horrible. Frogs are so slimy and cold".

"Princess Ruby, that's no way to talk".

Princess Ruby blushed and looked down.

"Come, come, is there anything more you need to tell me?" asked the king.

"Well father, I did promise him I would be his friend if he rescued my special golden ball when it fell in the deep pond. But I wish I hadn't promised 'cos he's so horrible".

"My dear child" said the king "a promise is a promise. Haven't I always told you never to make a promise you cannot keep"

"But father...."

"No, my dear, you must learn. Let the frog in now and do everything you said you would".

Reluctantly Princess Ruby opened the door and the frog hopped in.

That evening, when it was time for dinner, Princess Ruby left the frog sitting on the floor.

"Lift me up, lift me up" he cried "so that I can eat from your plate and drink from your cup".

Princess Ruby tried to ignore him but then she saw that the king was watching her.
"Oh very well, if you must" and she bent down and lifted the frog onto the table. "Yuk" she said as she wiped her hands on her skirt; the frog was so slimy.

The frog enjoyed her food and drink as he ate from her plate and drank from her cup, but Princess Ruby didn't eat or drink anything at all - in fact she felt quite sick.

That night the frog hopped up the stairs behind her to her bedroom, where, much to her disgust, he snuggled down into her bed. Princess Ruby lay down as far away from him as she could; was the rest of her life going to be like this?

The next morning, as dawn crept through her window, she awoke and stretched. She turned to where the frog had been sleeping but, to her joy, he wasn't there. Looking up she saw, standing by the open window, a handsome young man.

"Thank you" he said turning "you have broken the spell. A wicked witch cursed me and made me into a frog, she said I would remain one forever unless a beautiful princess would become my best friend and let me eat from her plate, drink from her cup and sleep in her bed. Until I saw you, I thought I would be a frog forever".

From that day forth Princess Ruby and the young man became the best of friends and I wouldn't be at all surprised if, when they grew up, they got married and lived happily ever after.

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Princess Ruby lived in a palace where her parents gave her everything she asked for. Her favourite plaything was a golden ball; she loved the way it sparkled in the sunshine when she threw it in the air. One day she was playing in the garden with the ball when, plop!, it fell into a deep pond.

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The First SunriseAn Aboriginal Story from Australia

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The First SunriseAn Aboriginal Story from Australia

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Long, long ago in the Dreamtime the earth was dark. There was no light. It was very cold and very black. Huge grey clouds kept the light and the warmth out and were so low that the animals had to crawl around. The Emu hobbled neck bent almost to the ground; the Kangaroo couldn't hop, and none of the birds could fly higher than several feet in the air. Only the Snakes were happy because they lived close to the ground.

The animals lived by crawling around the damp dark earth, feeling for fruits and berries. Often it was so hard to find food that several days would pass between meals. The Wombat became so tired of people bumping into him that he dug himself a burrow, and learned to sleep for long periods.

Eventually, the birds decided they'd had enough. They called a meeting of all the animals. The Magpies decided that they would raise the sky by gathering sticks and pushing the sky up. All the animals agreed it was a good idea, and they set about gathering sticks. The Magpies took a big stick each, and began to push at the sky.

The Emus, the Kangaroos and the Wombats watched as the Magpies pushed the sky slowly upwards. They used the sticks as levers, first resting the sky on low boulders, then on small hills. As the animals watched, the Magpies, pushing and straining, reached the top of a small mountain.

It was still very dark, but at least the Emu could straighten up, and the Kangaroo was able to move in long proud hops. The Magpies kept pushing the sky higher and higher, until they reached the highest mountain in the whole land. Then with a mighty heave, they gave the sky one last push! The sky shot up into the air, and as it rose it split open and a huge flood of warmth and light poured through on to the land below. The whole sky was filled with beautiful reds and yellows. It was the first sunrise.

Overjoyed with the beauty, the light and the warmth, the Magpies burst into song. As their loud warbling carried across the land, the Sun-Woman rose slowly, and began her journey towards the west. Now, each morning when the Sun-Woman wakes in the east she lights a fire to prepare the torch that she will carry across the sky each day. It is this fire that provides the first light of dawn. Then she takes up her torch, and begins her daily journey across the sky. When she reaches the western edge of the world, she extinguishes her flaming bark torch. Then she sits down, and repaints herself in brilliant reds and yellows, ready for her journey through a long underground passage back to her camp in the east. So that is why, to this day, every morning when the Sun-Woman wakes and lights her early morning fire, all the magpies greet her with their beautiful song.

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Long, long ago in the Dreamtime the earth was dark. There was no light. It was very cold and very black. Huge grey clouds kept the light and the warmth out and were so low that the animals had to crawl around.

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Yasin's family moved from Iraq to England when he was just a young boy. Yasin did not want to leave his home in Samarra but his father said that it was best for the family because it was not safe to live there anymore and he wanted his son to grow up in a country that was accepting of all people. Yasin's father told his son that England was a multicultural country where people lived and worked together regardless of race or religious beliefs.

Although Yasin was not happy about leaving Iraq, he soon settled into his new life in a big city called London. London was very exciting with its tall buildings and museums, and Yasin especially liked the London Planetarium and the big River Thames with all of its old bridges.

Yasin even made friends with a boy who lived next door called Andrew. All summer long Andrew and Yasin played in the park or went to the zoo with Andrew's mum. Andrew shared his toys and his comics with Yasin and told him all about his favourite superheroes. They even built a camp in Yasin's back garden where they would hide from the grownups.

The summer was a fun time and young Yasin soon felt quite at home in London even though it was a very big city and not nearly as sunny and hot as it was in Samarra. His English got better and better, especially with help from Andrew, although there were a lot of words that Yasin did not understand and he often felt silly because he could not speak as well as he would like.

When September finally came around and the leaves began to fall from the trees, Yasin's father explained that it was time for his son to go to school. Yasin was seven years old so he would be going to year three of the local primary school - the same year as his friend Andrew!

Although Yasin was very nervous about going to school, his father and mother assured him that it would be a fun place where he would meet lots of new friends and learn lots of interesting new things. 'English schools are supposed to be very good,' said Yasin's mother.

'And you will learn some very interesting things and your English will get better in no time,' assured his father.

Yasin was still not convinced, but when Andrew knocked on the door that morning with a big smile on his face saying how fun it was going to be at school, Yasin felt much better because he trusted his friend.

The two boys chatted all the way to the school gates: Andrew told Yasin about the playground and who was the best teacher and what boys were the most fun and what girls were pretty and how they often served custard for pudding at lunchtimes. Yasin did not know what custard was, but Andrew looked very excited about it so Yasin thought it must taste very good.

But when the boys got to their class, things did not go how Yasin imagined they would. The teacher told Andrew to take a seat at the front of the class as she introduced Yasin to the rest of the children. He did not like standing up in front of the class and one boy shouted out that he was a smelly foreigner. The boys and girls all laughed, and then another boy made fun of Yasin's accent when he was asked to say his name and where he came from. 'I can't understand him, miss. He can't even speak English,' said the nasty boy.

Finally Yasin was allowed to take a seat at the back of the class, but he wished that he was next to Andrew as he felt very alone. The girl sitting beside him kept looking at him in a strange way that made Yasin uncomfortable, and during the lesson she put her hand up and asked the teacher if she could move places. Yasin did not understand what he had done to offend the girl.

When the bell went it was time to go out into the playground. All of the children closed their books and put on their coats and headed out of the door into the bright autumn sunshine. The teacher kept Yasin back for a moment and gave him a badge with his name on which she pinned to his jumper. 'There you go,' she said with a smile. 'Now all of the children will be able to learn your name.'

Yasin thought that the badge looked silly, and when he went out into the playground all of the children began pointing and laughing. 'You've got a girl's name,' said a small boy with curly blond hair.

Yasin wanted to explain that it was not a girl's name but he was too nervous because all of the children were pointing at him and laughing. When Yasin got nervous his English was not very good and the words always got stuck in his throat. He was very sad and wanted to run out of the playground back to his mother and father and never return to school again. But just as he was about to run, he heard a familiar voice. 'Hi Yasin.' And when he looked up there was Andrew standing right beside him.

Andrew looked at the children gathered around and shook his head. 'What's wrong with you lot?' he asked. 'I told my friend Yasin that school was fun. Why are you ruining it for him?'

'He's different,' said a very tall girl who was standing at the front of the crowd of children.

'So are you,' said Andrew. 'You are the tallest girl in the whole school and you don't like it when people make fun of you, do you?'

Then Andrew looked at the boy with the curly hair. 'And you don't like it when people say that you have girl's hair,' he said to the boy. 'We are all different and that is what makes us interesting. What would life be like if we were all the same as one another?'

There was silence among the children. Then Yasin lifted his head high. 'Boring,' he said with a smile.

'That's right!' exclaimed Andrew, returning his friend's smile. 'Flippin' boring!'

And with that all of the children began to laugh. 'Flippin' boring,' they chanted at one another.

Andrew went on to explain how he had spent the summer with Yasin, how they had built a camp together and played in the park, and how Yasin preferred Batman to Superman, and how he really was different because he didn't even like hotdogs!

The children all laughed some more and soon everybody was talking about all the things that made them different from one another. Peter Jenkins even lifted up his jumper and showed everybody a big purple birthmark on the front of his belly. 'Now that's what I call different,' he said triumphantly. 'I bet none of you have a big birthmark like mine!'

When break time was over, Andrew put his hand up in class and suggested to the teacher that they should spend the lesson talking about how great it was that everybody was so different from everybody else and how people came to England from all over the world to begin a new life like his friend Yasin. The teacher agreed that it was important to be an individual, and she also said how wonderful it was that the whole of Britain was such a multicultural island. Yasin wrote these two words down in his book and promised himself that he would learn them both and remember them always. He also wrote the word friend in his book. He already knew what friend meant, but he just wanted to write it down because he felt so lucky to have a good friend like Andrew who stood up for people and did not judge them just because they were different.

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Yasin's family moved from Iraq to England when he was just a young boy. Yasin did not want to leave his home in Samarra but his father said that it was best for the family because it was not safe to live there anymore and he wanted his son to grow up in a country that was accepting of all people.

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A long time ago there was once a poor boy called Dick Whittington who had no Mummy and Daddy to look after him so he was often very hungry. He lived in a little village in the country. He'd often heard stories about a far away place called London where everybody was rich and the streets were paved with gold.

Dick Whittington was determined that he would go there and dig up enough gold from the streets to make his fortune. One day he met a friendly waggoner who was going to London who said he would give him a lift there, so off they went. When they reached the big city Dick couldn't believe his eyes, he could see horses, carriages, hundreds of people, great tall buildings, lots of mud, but nowhere could he see any gold. What a disappointment, how was he going to make his fortune? How was he even going to buy food?

After a few days he was so hungry that he collapsed in a ragged heap on the doorstep of a rich merchant's house. Out of the house came a cook:

"Be off with you" she shouted "you dirty ragamuffin" and she tried to sweep him off the step with a broom.

At that moment the merchant arrived back at his house and, being a kindly man, took pity on poor Dick.

"Carry him into the house" he ordered his groom.

When he was fed and rested, Dick was given a job working in the kitchen. He was very grateful to the Merchant but, alas, the cook was always very bad tempered and, when no one was looking, used to beat and pinch him. The other thing that made Dick sad was that he had to sleep in a tiny room at the very top of the house and it was full of rats and mice that crawled all over his face and tried to bite his nose.

He was so desperate that he saved up all his pennies and bought a cat. The cat was a very special cat, she was the best cat in all of London at catching mice and rats. After a few weeks Dick's life was much easier because of his clever cat who had eaten all the rats and mice and he was able to sleep in peace.

Not long after, Dick heard the merchant asking everyone in the house if they wanted to send anything on board his ship they thought they could sell. The ship was going on a long voyage to the other side of the world and the captain would sell everything on the ship so they could all make some money. Poor Dick, what could he sell?

Suddenly, a thought came to him

"Please sir, will you take my cat?"

Everyone burst out laughing, but the merchant smiled and said:

"Yes Dick, I will, and all the money from her sale will go to you".

After the merchant had left from the city Dick was on his own again with the mice and rats crawling over him by night and the cook being even nastier in the day because there was no-one to stop her. Dick decided to run away.

As he walked away the bells of all the churches rang out and seemed to say:

"Turn again Dick Whittington
Three times Lord Mayor of London"

"Goodness, gracious, gosh" thought Dick astonished. "If I'm going to be Lord Mayor I'd better stay. I'll put up with cook and the scurrying mice and rats, and when I'm mayor I'll show her!"

So back he went.

Across the other side of the world, the merchant and his ship had arrived at their destination. The people were so pleased to see them and were so welcoming that the merchant decided to send some presents to their king and queen. The king and queen were so delighted that they invited them all to a feast. But, believe it or not, as soon as the food was brought in hundreds of rats appeared as if by magic and gobbled it all up before they had a chance to eat.

"Oh dear" said the king "this is always happening - I never get a chance to eat my apple pie. What can I do?"

"I have an idea" said the merchant "I have a very special cat which has travelled with me all the way from London, and she will gobble up your rats faster than they gobbled up your feast."

Sure enough, to the king and queen's joy, the next time a feast was prepared and the rats appeared, the cat pounced and killed all the rats as quick as lightening.

The king and queen danced for joy and gave the merchant a ship full of gold in return for the very special cat.

When the ship returned to London Dick was overwhelmed with the amount of gold the merchant gave him for his cat. Over the years he used his money so wisely, and did so much good for all the people around him and who worked for him, that he was elected Lord Mayor of the City of London three times. But he never forgot his kind friend the merchant, who had been so honest in giving him all the money that the cat had earned and kept nothing for himself. When Dick grew up he fell in love with Alice, the merchant's beautiful daughter, and married her. They lived happily ever after as people do in stories.

"Turn again Dick Whittington
Three times Lord Mayor of London"

They were right you see.

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A long time ago there was once a poor boy called Dick Whittington who had no Mummy and Daddy to look after him so he was often very hungry. He lived in a little village in the country. He'd often heard stories about a far away place called London where everybody was rich and the streets were paved with gold.

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World stories

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Once upon a time there were three Billy Goats Gruff; Little Billy Goat, Middle Sized Billy Goat and Great Big Billy Goat, who lived in a field in a green valley. They loved to eat sweet grass, but sadly their field was now brown and barren because they were greedy goats and they'd eaten every last blade of grass. But they were still hungry. In the distance they could see a field that was full of lush sweet scrummy grass, but alas there was only one way to get to it - over a rickety bridge over a stream. But under the bridge lived a terrifically terrifying terrible troll called Trevor - he was always hungry too. And there was nothing he liked better than to eat a nice juicy Billy Goat.

The Little Billy Goat was the first to reach the bridge. Gingerly he put one hoof and then another onto the bridge but because it was so rickety, however hard he tried, his hoof still went trip trap, trip trap on the wooden planks.

Suddenly there was a huge roar. 'Who's that trip trapping over my bridge?' and out from under the bridge loomed the Troll.

Quaking in his hooves, Little Billy Goat Gruff managed to squeak 'It's only me. I'm only going to look for some grass to eat.'

'Oh no you're not! I'm going to eat you for my breakfast, lunch and tea!'

'Oh no!' said terrified Little Billy Goat Gruff. 'I'm just Little Billy Goat Gruff. Why don't you wait for my brother? He's bigger than me and much tastier.'

So the greedy Troll decided to wait and Little Billy Goat Gruff skipped over the bridge and began to eat the fresh green grass on the other side. The other goats saw Little Billy Goat Gruff eating the fresh green grass and were jealous because they wanted some too. So Middle Sized Billy Goat Gruff went down to the bridge and began to cross the stream. Trip, trap, trip, trap went his middle sized hooves. Again the Troll loomed out from under the bridge.

'Who's that trip trapping over my bridge?' he roared.

Quaking in his hooves, Middle Sized Billy Goat Gruff managed to say in his softest voice 'It's only me. I'm following my brother, Little Billy Goat Gruff, so I can eat the sweet grass.'

'Oh no you're not! I'm going to eat you for breakfast, lunch and tea!'

'Oh no, Mr Troll, you wouldn't want to eat me. I'm not big enough to fill you up. Wait until my big brother comes along - he's much tastier than me.'

'Oh all right' said the Troll and Middle Sized Billy Goat Gruff scampered over the bridge and began to eat the sweet green grass with Little Billy Goat Gruff.

Big bold Billy Goat Gruff was jealous and couldn't wait to get across the bridge and join his brothers. So boldly, he put his hooves onto the bridge. Trip, trap, trip, trap. Suddenly the Troll loomed out from under the bridge.

'Who's that trip trapping over my bridge?' he boomed.

'It's me. Big Billy Goat Gruff. Who do you think you are?'

'I'm the Troll and I'm going to eat you for breakfast, lunch and tea!'

'Oh no, you're not'

'Oh yes I am - you'll see!'

Then the Troll rushed at Big Billy Goat Gruff who bent his head and bravely charged at the Troll, catching him up in his horns and tossing him into the stream below. The Troll disappeared under the rushing water, never to be seen again.

From then on, anyone could cross the bridge and enjoy the sweet green grass with the Three Billy Goats Gruff.

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Once upon a time there were three Billy Goats Gruff; Little Billy Goat, Middle Sized Billy Goat and Great Big Billy Goat, who lived in a field in a green valley. They loved to eat sweet grass, but sadly their field was now brown and barren because they were greedy goats and they'd eaten every last blade of grass.

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Here you can read our collection of funny jokes and riddles

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Find out interesting stuff about animals by means of our short rhymes and illustrations!

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 	The Ugly Duckling, Hans Christian Andersen

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 	The Ugly Duckling, Hans Christian Andersen

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 	Little Red Riding Hood, Brothers Grimm

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 	Little Red Riding Hood, Brothers Grimm

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Brothers Grimm

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Aesop's Fables: The ant and the grasshopper

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Aesop's Fables: The ant and the grasshopper

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Aesop Fables - The Ant and the Grasshopper

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Aesop Fables - The Ant and the Grasshopper

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The Fir Tree

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The Little Mermaid

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Long long ago, in the Deep Sea kingdom, there lived the sea king with his five mermaid daughters. Sirenetta was the youngest and the loveliest among them. She had a beautiful voice and everybody from far and wide came to hear her sing and praised her voice and her beauty.

One day, while Sirenetta was swimming on the surface of the water and watching ships go by, she saw a young man falling off his ship. She swam swiftly to save him from drowning and dragged him to the shore. Soon, people found the man on the shore and Sirenetta swam away. This man was actually the prince of a kingdom. When he became conscious, the prince looked around for the girl who had saved him but no one knew who she was.

Sirenetta often thought of the young man and fell in love with the prince, but she was sad because she could never be like all the other ladies he knew. They had two feet and she had a fish tail!

In the Deep Sea lived a witch with magical powers. One day, Sirenetta went to beg her for human legs. The witch said, "I need your beautiful voice! Only then I shall give you legs! But you must remember, every time you set your feet on the ground, it will hurt very badly!" Sirenetta agreed. She did not mind the pain. All she wanted was to be with the prince. As soon as she got her two feet Sirenetta became dumb. When she was leaving, the witch said, "If your prince marries anybody else, you shall dissolve in the sea water. You can never become a mermaid again!"

With the witch's magic spell, Sirenetta found herself lying on the beach and the prince looking down at her. He asked, "Where are you from?" But she could not reply. The prince took her to his palace and looked after her. They became good friends and had a wonderful time together. Every step Sirenetta took hurt, but she bore it all silently. She loved the prince but the prince was in love with the beautiful maiden who had saved him. The prince did not realise it had been Sirenetta and she couldn't tell him.

Obeying the wishes of his father, the prince went to meet the daughter of a neighbouring king. Enchanted by her beauty the prince was convinced this was the same maiden who rescued him. He asked the princess to marry him. A grand wedding took place.

Sirenetta was heartbroken. That night, crying she ran to the seashore. There she saw four mermaids. Why, they were her sisters! One of them handed her a knife and said, "Here, Sirenetta! This is a magic knife! We gave our long hair locks to the witch of the Deep Sea and she gave this to us in return. Kill your prince and you shall turn into a mermaid again! Then you can come and live with us!"

Sirenetta took the magic knife and went to the prince's room at night. But she loved him so much that she could not kill him. She knew that at dawn, she would vanish into the sea, just as the witch of the Deep Sea had told her earlier. She sat on the shore and wept silently.

Suddenly, from the sky came a pink cloud. It lifted her from the land into the sky. "Where am IT' asked Sirenetta, for now she could talk. The beautiful fairies replied, "We are the air fairies. You are now one of us because you did a good deed for the person you love. Come with us."

From then on, the little mermaid, Sirenetta, lived in the sky with the fairies.

(Visited 7,625 times, 33 visits today)

It's only fair to share...

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Long long ago, in the Deep Sea kingdom, there lived the sea king with his five mermaid daughters. Sirenetta was the youngest and the loveliest among them. She had a beautiful voice and everybody from far and wide came to hear her sing and praised her voice and her beauty.

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Goldilocks and the Three Bears

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The Story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears

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Free, printable educational activities for preschool, kindergarten and grade school children.

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Penguin Young Readers Chants :Families

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There was a man who had three sons, the youngest of whom was considered very silly, and everybody used to mock him and make fun of him. The eldest son wanted to go and cut wood in the forest, and before he left home

his mother prepared beautiful pancakes and a bottle of wine for him to take with him, so that he might not suffer from hunger or thirst.

As he entered the forest he met a gray old man, who bade him "Good-morning," and said: "Give me a little piece of cake out of your basket and a drop of wine out of your bottle, for I am very hungry and thirsty."

But the clever son replied: "What, give you my cake and my wine! Why, if I did, I should have none for myself. Not I, indeed, so take yourself off!" and he left the man standing and went on.

The young man began cutting down a tree, but it was not long before he made a false stroke: the axe slipped and cut his arm so badly that he was obliged to go home and have it bound up. Now, this false stroke was caused by the little gray old man.

Next day the second son went into the forest to cut wood, and his mother gave him a cake and a bottle of wine. As he entered the wood the same little old man met him, and begged for a piece of cake and a drop of wine. But the second son answered rudely: "What I might give to you I shall want myself, so be off."

Then he left the little old man standing in the road, and walked on. His punishment soon came; he had scarcely given two strokes on a tree with his axe, when he hit his leg such a terrible blow that he was obliged to limp home in great pain.

Then the stupid son said to his father, "Let me go for once and cut wood in the forest."

But his father said: "No, your brothers have been hurt already, and it would be worse for you, who don't understand wood-cutting."

The boy, however, begged so hard to be allowed to go that his father said: "There, get along with you; you will buy your experience very dearly, I expect."

His mother, however, gave him a cake which had been made with water and baked in the ashes, and a bottle of sour beer.

When he reached the wood the very same little old man met him, and after greeting him kindly, said: "Give me a little of your cake and a drop from your bottle, for I am very hungry and thirsty."

"Oh," replied the simple youth, "I have only a cake, which has been baked in the ashes, and some sour beer; but you are welcome to a share of it. Let us sit down, and eat and drink together."

So they seated themselves, and, lo and behold, when the youth opened his basket, the cake had been turned into a beautiful cake, and the sour beer into wine. After they had eaten and drank enough, the little old man said: "Because you have been kind-hearted, and shared your dinner with me, I will make you in future lucky in all you undertake. There stands an old tree; cut it down, and you will find something good at the root."

Then the old man said "Farewell," and left him.

The youth set to work, and very soon succeeded in felling the tree, when he found sitting at the roots a goose, whose feathers were of pure gold. He took it up, and, instead of going home, carried it with him to an inn at a little distance, where he intended to pass the night.

The landlord had three daughters, who looked at the goose with envious eyes. They had never seen such a wonderful bird, and longed to have at least one of its feathers. "Ah," thought the eldest, "I shall soon have an opportunity to pluck one of them;" and so it happened, for not long after the young man left the room. She instantly went up to the bird and took hold of its wing, but as she did so, the finger and thumb remained and stuck fast. In a short time after the second sister came in with the full expectation of gaining a golden feather, but as she touched her sister to move her from the bird, her hand stuck fast to her sister's dress, and neither of them could free herself. At last, in came the third sister with the same intention. "Keep away, keep away!" screamed the other two; "in heaven's name keep away!"

But she could not imagine why she should keep away. If they were near the golden bird, why should not she be there? So she made a spring forward and touched her second sister, and immediately she also was made a prisoner, and in this position they were obliged to remain by the goose all night.

In the morning the young man came in, took the goose on his arm, and went away without troubling himself about the three girls, who were following close behind him. And as he walked quickly, they were obliged to run one behind the other, left or right of him, just as he was inclined to go.

In the middle of a field they were met by the parson of the parish, who looked with wonder at the procession as it came near him. "Shame on you!" he cried out. "What are you about, you bold-faced hussies, running after a young man in that way through the fields? Go home, all of you."

He placed his hand on the youngest to pull her back, but the moment he touched her he also became fixed, and was obliged to follow and run like the rest. In a few minutes the clerk met them, and when he saw the parson runing after the girls, he wondered greatly, and cried out, "Halloa, master parson, where are you running in such haste? Have you forgotten that there is a christening to-day?" And as the procession did not stop, he ran after it, and seized the parson's gown.

In a moment he found that his hand was fixed, and he also had to run like the rest. And now there were five trotting along, one behind the other. Presently two peasants came by with their sickles from the field. The parson called out to them, and begged them to come and release him and the clerk. Hardly had they touched the clerk when they also stuck fast as the others, and the simpleton with his golden goose travelled with the seven.

After awhile they came to a city in which reigned a king who had a daughter of such a melancholy disposition that no one could make her laugh; therefore he issued a decree that whoever would make the princess laugh should have her in marriage.

Now, when the simple youth heard this, he ran before her, and the whole seven trotted after him. The sight was so ridiculous that the moment the princess saw it she burst into a violent fit of laughter and they thought she would never leave off.

After this, the youth went to the king, and demanded his daughter in marriage, according to the king's decree; but his majesty did not quite like to have the young man for a son-in-law, so he said that, before he could consent to the marriage, the youth must bring him a man who could drink all the wine in the king's cellar.

The simpleton went into the forest, for he thought, "If anyone can help me, it is the little gray man." When he arrived at the spot where he had cut down the tree, there stood a man with a very miserable face.

The youth asked him why he looked so sorrowful.

"Oh," he exclaimed, "I suffer such dreadful thirst that nothing seems able to quench it; and cold water I cannot endure. I have emptied a cask of wine already, but it was just like a drop of water on a hot stone."

"I can help you," cried the young man; "come with me, and you shall have your fill, I promise you."

Upon this he led the man into the king's cellar, where he opened the casks one after another, and drank and drank till his back ached; and before the day closed he had quite emptied the king's cellar. Again the young man asked for his bride, but the king was annoyed at the thought of giving his daughter to such a common fellow, and to get rid of him he made another condition. He said that no man should have his daughter who could not find someone able to eat up a whole mountain of bread.

Away went the simpleton to the forest as before, and there in the same place sat a man binding himself round tightly with a belt, and making the most horrible faces. As the youth approached, he cried, "I have eaten a whole ovenful of rolls, but it has not satisfied me a bit; I am as hungry as ever, and my stomach feels so empty that I am obliged to bind it round tightly, or I should die of hunger."

The simpleton could hardly contain himself for joy when he heard this. "Get up," he exclaimed, "and come with me, and I will give you plenty to eat, I'll warrant."

So he led him to the king's court, where his majesty had ordered all the flour in the kingdom to be made into bread, and piled up in a huge mountain. The hungry man placed himself before the bread, and began to eat, and before evening the whole pile had disappeared.

Then the simpleton went a third time to the king, and asked for his bride, but the king made several excuses, and at last said that if he could bring him a ship that would travel as well by land as by water, then he should, without any further conditions, marry his daughter.

The youth went at once straight to the forest, and saw the same old gray man to whom he had given his cake. "Ah," he said, as the youth approached, "it was I who sent the men to eat and drink, and I will also give you a ship that can travel by land or by sea, because when you thought I was poor you were kind-hearted, and gave me food and drink."

The youth took the ship, and when the king saw it he was quite surprised; but he could not any longer refuse to give him his daughter in marriage. The wedding was celebrated with great pomp, and after the king's death the simple wood-cutter inherited the whole kingdom, and lived happily with his wife.

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There was a man who had three sons, the youngest of whom was considered very silly, and everybody used to mock him and make fun of him. The eldest son wanted to go and cut wood in the forest, and before he left home his mother prepared beautiful pancakes and a bottle of wine for him to take with him, so that he might not suffer from hunger or thirst.

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There was a miller who had three sons, and when he died he divided what he possessed among them in the following manner: He gave his mill to the eldest, his ass to the second, and his cat to the youngest. Each of the brothers accordingly took what belonged to him, without the help of an attorney, who would soon have brought their little fortune to nothing, in law expenses. The poor young fellow who had nothing but the cat, complained that he was hardly used: "My brothers," said he, "by joining their stocks together, may do well in the world, but for me, when I have eaten my cat, and made a fur cap of his skin, I may soon die of hunger!" The cat, who all this time sat listening just inside the door of a cupboard, now ventured to come out and addressed him as follows: "Do not thus afflict yourself, my good master. You have only to give me a bag, and get a pair of boots made for me, so that I may scamper through the dirt and the brambles, and you shall see that you are not so ill provided for as you imagine." Though the cat's master did not much depend upon these promises, yet, as he had often observed the cunning tricks puss used to catch the rats and mice, such as hanging upon his hind legs, and hiding in the meal to make believe that he was dead, he did not entirely despair of his being of some use to him in his unhappy condition.

When the cat had obtained what he asked for, he gayly began to equip himself: he drew on his boots; and putting the bag about his neck, he took hold of the strings with his fore paws, and bidding his master take courage, immediately sallied forth. The first attempt Puss made was to go into a warren in which there were a great number of rabbits. He put some bran and some parsley into his bag; and then stretching himself out at full length as if he was dead, he waited for some young rabbits, who as yet knew nothing of the cunning tricks of the world, to come and get into the bag, the better to feast upon the dainties he had put into it. Scarcely had he lain down before he succeeded as well as could be wished. A giddy young rabbit crept into the bag, and the cat immediately drew the strings, and killed him without mercy. Puss, proud of his prey, hastened directly to the palace, where he asked to speak to the king. On being shown into the apartment of his majesty, he made a low bow, and said, "I have brought you, sire, this rabbit from the warren of my lord the marquis of Carabas, who commanded me to present it to your majesty with the assurance of his respect." (This was the title the cat thought proper to bestow upon his master.) "Tell my lord marquis of Carabas," replied the king, "that I accept of his present with pleasure, and that I am greatly obliged to him." Soon after, the cat laid himself down in the same manner in a field of corn, and had as much good fortune as before; for two fine partridges got into his bag, which he immediately killed and carried to the palace: the king received them as he had done the rabbit, and ordered his servants to give the messenger something to drink. In this manner he continued to carry presents of game to the king from my lord marquis of Carabas, once at least in every week.

One day, the cat having heard that the king intended to take a ride that morning by the river's side with his daughter, who was the most beautiful princess in the world, he said to his master: "If you will but follow my advice, your fortune is made. Take off your clothes, and bathe yourself in the river, just in the place I shall show you, and leave the rest to me," The marquis of Carabas did exactly as he was desired, without being able to guess at what the cat intended. While he was bathing the king passed by, and puss directly called out as loud as he could bawl: "Help! help! My lord marquis of Carabas is in danger of being drowned!" The king hearing the cries, put his head out at the window of his carriage to see what was the matter: when, perceiving the very cat who had brought him so many presents, he ordered his attendants to go directly to the assistance of my lord marquis of Carabas. While they were employed in taking the marquis out of the river, the cat ran to the king's carriage, and told his majesty, that while his master was bathing, some thieves had run off with his clothes as they lay by the river's side; the cunning cat all the time having hid them under a large stone. The king hearing this, commanded the officers of his wardrobe to fetch one of the handsomest suits it contained, and present it to my lord marquis of Carabas, at the same time loading him with a thousand attentions. As the fine clothes they brought him made him look like a gentleman, and set off his person, which was very comely, to the greatest advantage, the king's daughter was mightily taken with his appearance, and the marquis of Carabas had no sooner cast upon her two or three respectful glances, then she became violently in love with him.

The king insisted on his getting into the carriage and taking a ride with them. The cat, enchanted to see how well his scheme was likely to succeed, ran before to a meadow that was reaping, and said to the reapers: "Good people, if you do not tell the king, who will soon pass this way, that the meadow you are reaping belongs to my lord marquis of Carabas, you shall be chopped as small as mince meat." The king did not fail to ask the reapers to whom the meadow belonged? "To my lord marquis of Carabas," said they all at once; for the threats of the cat had terribly frighted them. "You have here a very fine piece of land, my lord marquis," said the king. "Truly, sire," replied he, "it does not fail to bring me every year a plentiful harvest." The cat who still went on before, now came to a field where some other labourers were making sheaves of the corn they had reaped, to whom he said as before: "Good people, if you do not tell the king who will presently pass this way, that the corn you have reaped in this field belongs to my lord marquis of Carabas, you shall be chopped as small as mince meat." The king accordingly passed a moment after, and inquired to whom the corn he saw belonged? "To my lord marquis of Carabas," answered they very glibly; upon which the king again complimented the marquis upon his noble possessions. The cat still continued to go before, and gave the same charge to all the people he met with; so that the king was greatly astonished at the splendid fortune of my lord marquis of Carabas. Puss at length arrived at a stately castle, which belonged to an Ogre, the richest ever known; for all the lands the king had passed through and admired were his. The cat took care to learn every particular about the Ogre, and what he could do, and then asked to speak with him, saying, as he entered the room in which he was, that he could not pass so near his castle without doing himself the honour to inquire after his health. The Ogre received him as civilly as an Ogre could do, and desired him to be seated, "I have been informed," said the cat, "that you have the gift of changing yourself to all sorts of animals; into a lion or an elephant for example." "It is very true," replied the Ogre somewhat sternly; "and to convince you I will directly take the form of a lion." The cat was so much terrified at finding himself so near to a lion, that he sprang from him, and climbed to the roof of the house; but not without much difficulty, as his boots were not very fit to walk upon the tiles.

Some minutes after, the cat perceiving that the Ogre had quitted the form of a lion, ventured to come down from the tiles, and owned that he had been a good deal frightened, "I have been further informed," continued the cat, "but I know not how to believe it, that you have the power of taking the form of the smallest animals also; for example of changing yourself to a rat or a mouse: I confess I should think this impossible." "Impossible! you shall see;" and at the same instant he changed himself into a mouse, and began to frisk about the room. The cat no sooner cast his eyes upon the Ogre in this form, than he sprang upon him and devoured him in an instant. In the meantime the king, admiring as he came near it, the magnificent castle of the Ogre, ordered his attendants to drive up to the gates, as he wished to take a nearer view of it. The cat, hearing the noise of the carriage on the drawbridge, immediately came out, saying: "Your majesty is welcome to the castle of my lord marquis of Carabas." "And is this splendid castle yours also, my lord marquis of Carabas? I never saw anything more stately than the building, or more beautiful than the park and pleasure grounds around it; no doubt the castle is no less magnificent within than without: pray, my lord marquis, indulge me with a sight of it."

The marquis gave his hand to the young princess as she alighted, and followed the king who went before; they entered a spacious hall, where they found a splendid collation which the Ogre had prepared for some friends he had that day expected to visit him; but who, hearing that the king with the princess and a great gentleman of the court were within, had not dared to enter. The king was so much charmed with the amiable qualities and noble fortune of the marquis of Carabas, and the young princess too had fallen so violently in love with him, that when the king had partaken of the collation, and drunk a few glasses of wine, he said to the marquis: "It will be you own fault, my lord marquis of Carabas, if you do not soon become my son-in-law." The marquis received the intelligence with a thousand respectful acknowledgments, accepted the honour conferred upon him, and married the princess that very day. The cat became a great lord, and never after ran after rats and mice but for his amusement.

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There was a miller who had three sons, and when he died he divided what he possessed among them in the following manner: He gave his mill to the eldest, his ass to the second, and his cat to the youngest.

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Read and share the tale of Jack and The Bean Stalk, the classic fairy tale

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The page contains a small fable where a magic pot cooked Sweet Porridge and freed a little girl and her mother from poverty and hunger.

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Once upon a time in the middle of a thick forest stood a small cottage, the home of a pretty little girl known to everyone as Little Red Riding Hood. One day, her Mummy waved her goodbye at the garden gate, saying: "Grandma is ill. Take her this basket of cakes, but be very careful. Keep to the path through the wood and don't ever stop. That way, you will come to no harm."

Little Red Riding Hood kissed her mother and ran off. "Don't worry," she said, "I'll run all the way to Grandma's without stopping."

Full of good intentions, the little girl made her way through the wood, but she was soon to forget her mother's wise words. "What lovely strawberries! And so red."

Laying her basket on the ground, Little Red Riding Hood bent over the strawberry plants. "They're nice and ripe, and so big! Yummy! Delicious! Just another one. And one more. This is the last. Well, this one Mmmm."

The red fruit peeped invitingly through the leaves in the grassy glade, and Little Red Riding Hood ran back and forth popping strawberries into her mouth. Suddenly she remembered her mother, her promise, Grandma and the basket and hurried back towards the path. The basket was still in the grass and, humming to herself, Little Red Riding Hood walked on.

The wood became thicker and thicker. Suddenly a yellow butterfly fluttered down through the trees. Little Red Riding Hood started to chase the butterfly.

"I'll catch you! I'll catch you!" she called. Suddenly she saw some large daisies in the grass.

"Oh, how sweet!" she exclaimed and, thinking of Grandma, she picked a large bunch of flowers.

In the meantime, two wicked eyes were spying on her from behind a tree. A strange rustling in the woods made Little Red Riding Hood's heart thump.

Now quite afraid she said to herself. "I must find the path and run away from here!"

At last she reached the path again but her heart leapt into her mouth at the sound of a gruff voice which said: "Where are you going, my pretty girl, all alone in the woods?"

"I'm taking Grandma some cakes. She lives at the end of the path," said Little Riding Hood in a faint voice.

When he heard this, the wolf (for it was the big bad wolf himself) politely asked: "Does Grandma live by herself?"

"Oh, yes," replied Little Red Riding Hood, "and she never opens the door to strangers!"

"Goodbye. Perhaps we'll meet again," replied the wolf. Then he loped away thinking to himself "I'll gobble the grandmother first, then lie in wait for the grandchild!" At last, the cottage came in sight. Knock! Knock! The wolf rapped on the door.

"Who's there?" cried Grandma from her bed.

"It's me, Little Red Riding Hood. I've brought you some cakes because you're ill," replied the wolf, trying hard to hide his gruff voice.

"Lift the latch and come in," said Grandma, unaware of anything amiss, till a horrible shadow appeared on the wall. Poor Grandma! For in one bound, the wolf leapt across the room and, in a single mouthful, swallowed the old lady. Soon after, Little Red Riding Hood tapped on the door.

"Grandma, can I come in?" she called.

Now, the wolf had put on the old lady's shawl and cap and slipped into the bed. Trying to imitate Grandma's quavering little voice, he replied: "Open the latch and come in!

"What a deep voice you have," said the little girl in surprise.

"The better to greet you with," said the wolf.

"Goodness, what big eyes you have."

"The better to see you with."

"And what big hands you have!" exclaimed Little Red Riding Hood, stepping over to the bed.

"The better to hug you with," said the wolf.

"What a big mouth you have," the little girl murmured in a weak voice.

"The better to eat you with!" growled the wolf, and jumping out of bed, he swallowed her up too. Then, with a fat full tummy, he fell fast asleep.

In the meantime, a hunter had emerged from the wood, and on noticing the cottage, he decided to stop and ask for a drink. He had spent a lot of time trying to catch a large wolf that had been terrorizing the neighborhood, but had lost its tracks. The hunter could hear a strange whistling sound; it seemed to be coming from inside the cottage. He peered through the window and saw the large wolf himself, with a fat full tummy, snoring away in Grandma's bed.

"The wolf! He won't get away this time!"

Without making a sound, the hunter carefully loaded his gun and gently opened the window. He pointed the barrel straight at the wolf's head and BANG! The wolf was dead.

"Got you at last!" shouted the hunter in glee. "You'll never frighten anyone again.

He cut open the wolf's stomach and to his amazement, out popped Grandma and Little Red Riding Hood, safe and unharmed.

"You arrived just in time," murmured the old lady, quite overcome by all the excitement.

"It's safe to go home now," the hunter told Little Red Riding Hood. "The big bad wolf is dead and gone, and there is no danger on the path.

Still scared, the little girl hugged her grandmother.

Much later, Little Red Riding Hood's mother arrived, all out of breath, worried because her little girl had not come home. And when she saw Little Red Riding Hood, safe and sound, she burst into tears of joy.

After thanking the hunter again, Little Red Riding Hood and her mother set off towards the wood. As they walked quickly through the trees, the little girl told her mother: "We must always keep to the path and never stop. That way, we come to no harm!"

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Once upon a time in the middle of a thick forest stood a small cottage, the home of a pretty little girl known to everyone as Little Red Riding Hood. One day, her Mummy waved her goodbye at the garden gate, saying: "Grandma is ill. Take her this basket of cakes, but be very careful.

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Once upon a time down on an old farm, lived a duck family, and Mother Duck had been sitting on a clutch of new eggs. One nice morning, the eggs hatched and out popped six chirpy ducklings. But one egg was bigger than the rest, and it didn't hatch. Mother Duck couldn't recall laying that seventh egg. How did it get there? TOCK! TOCK! The little prisoner was pecking inside his shell.

"Did I count the eggs wrongly?" Mother Duck wondered. But before she had time to think about it, the last egg finally hatched. A strange looking duckling with gray feathers that should have been yellow gazed at a worried mother. The ducklings grew quickly, but Mother Duck had a secret worry.

"I can't understand how this ugly duckling can be one of mine!" she said to herself, shaking her head as she looked at her last born. Well, the gray duckling certainly wasn't pretty, and since he ate far more than his brothers, he was outgrowing them. As the days went by, the poor ugly duckling became more and more unhappy. His brothers didn't want to play with him, he was so
clumsy, and all the farmyard folks simply laughed at him. He felt sad and lonely, while Mother Duck did her best to console him.

"Poor little ugly duckling!" she would say. "Why are you so different from the others?" And the ugly duckling felt worse than ever. He secretly wept at night. He felt nobody wanted him.

"Nobody loves me, they all tease me! Why am I different from my brothers?"

Then one day, at sunrise, he ran away from the farmyard. He stopped at a pond and began to question all the other birds. "Do you know of any ducklings with gray feathers like mine?" But everyone shook their heads in scorn.

"We don't know anyone as ugly as you." The ugly duckling did not lose heart, however, and kept on making inquiries. He went to another pond, where a pair of large geese gave him the same answer to his question. What's more, they warned him: "Don't stay here! Go away! It's dangerous. There are men with guns around here!" The duckling was sorry he had ever left the farmyard.

Then one day, his travels took him near an old countrywoman's cottage. Thinking he was a stray goose, she caught him.

"I'll put this in a hutch. I hope it's a female and lays plenty of eggs!" said the old woman, whose eyesight was poor. But the ugly duckling laid not a single egg. The hen kept frightening him.

"Just wait! If you don't lay eggs, the old woman will wring your neck and pop you into the pot!" And the cat chipped in: "Hee! Hee! I hope the woman cooks you, then I can gnaw at your bones!" The poor ugly duckling was so scared that he lost his appetite, though the old woman kept stuffing him with food and grumbling: "If you won't lay eggs, at least hurry up and get plump!"

"Oh, dear me!" moaned the now terrified duckling. "I'll die of fright first! And I did so hope someone would love me!"

Then one night, finding the hutch door ajar, he escaped. Once again he was all alone. He fled as far away as he could, and at dawn, he found himself in a thick bed of reeds. "If nobody wants me, I'll hid here forever." There was plenty a food, and the duckling began to feel a little happier, though he was lonely. One day at sunrise, he saw a flight of beautiful birds wing overhead. White, with long slender necks, yellow beaks and large wings, they were migrating south.

"If only I could look like them, just for a day!" said the duckling, admiringly. Winter came and the water in the reed bed froze. The poor duckling left home to seek food in the snow. He dropped exhausted to the ground, but a farmer found him and put him in his big jacket pocket.

"I'll take him home to my children. They'll look after him. Poor thing, he's frozen!" The duckling was showered with kindly care at the farmer's house. In this way, the ugly duckling was able to survive the bitterly cold winter.

However, by springtime, he had grown so big that the farmer decided: "I'll set him free by the pond!" That was when the duckling saw himself mirrored in the water.

"Goodness! How I've changed! I hardly recognize myself!" The flight of swans winged north again and glided on to the pond. When the duckling saw them, he realized he was one of their kind, and soon made friends.

"We're swans like you!" they said, warmly. "Where have you been hiding?"

"It's a long story," replied the young swan, still astounded. Now, he swam majestically with his fellow swans. One day, he heard children on the river bank exclaim: "Look at that young swan! He's the finest of them all!"

And he almost burst with happiness.

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Once upon a time down on an old farm, lived a duck family, and Mother Duck had been sitting on a clutch of new eggs. One nice morning, the eggs hatched and out popped six chirpy ducklings. But one egg was bigger than the rest, and it didn't hatch.

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Once upon a time as a merchant set off for market, he asked each of his three daughters what she would like as a present on his return. The first daughter wanted a brocade dress, the second a pearl necklace, but the third, whose name was Beauty, the youngest, prettiest and sweetest of them all, said to her father:

"All I'd like is a rose you've picked specially for me!"

When the merchant had finished his business, he set off for home. However, a sudden storm blew up, and his horse could hardly make headway in the howling gale. Cold and weary, the merchant had lost all hope of reaching an inn when he suddenly noticed a bright light shining in the middle of a wood. As he drew near, he saw that it was a castle, bathed in light.

"I hope I'll find shelter there for the night," he said to himself. When he reached the door, he saw it was open, but though he shouted, nobody came to greet him. Plucking up courage, he went inside, still calling out to attract attention. On a table in the main hall, a splendid dinner lay already served. The merchant lingered, still shouting for the owner of the castle. But no one
came, and so the starving merchant sat down to a hearty meal.

Overcome by curiosity, he ventured upstairs, where the corridor led into magnificent rooms and halls. A fire crackled in the first room and a soft bed looked very inviting. It was now late, and the merchant could not resist. He lay down on the bed and fell fast asleep. When he woke next morning, an unknown hand had placed a mug of steaming coffee and some fruit by his bedside.

The merchant had breakfast and after tidying himself up, went downstairs to thank his generous host. But, as on the evening before, there was nobody in sight. Shaking his head in wonder at the strangeness of it all, he went towards the garden where he had left his horse, tethered to a tree. Suddenly, a large rose bush caught his eye.

Remembering his promise to Beauty, he bent down to pick a rose. Instantly, out of the rose garden, sprang a horrible beast, wearing splendid clothes. Two bloodshot eyes, gleaming angrily, glared at him and a deep, terrifying voice growled: "Ungrateful man! I gave you shelter, you ate at my table and slept in my own bed, but now all the thanks I get is the theft of my favorite flowers! I shall put you to death for this slight!" Trembling with fear, the merchant fell on his knees before the Beast.

"Forgive me! Forgive me! Don't kill me! I'll do anything you say! The rose wasn't for me, it was for my daughter Beauty. I promised to bring her back a rose from my journey!" The Beast dropped the paw it had clamped on the unhappy merchant.

"I shall spare your life, but on one condition, that you bring me your daughter!" The terror-stricken merchant, faced with certain death if he did not obey, promised that he would do so. When he reached home in tears, his three daughters ran to greet him. After he had told them of his dreadful adventure, Beauty put his mind at rest immediately.

"Dear father, I'd do anything for you! Don't worry, you'll be able to keep your promise and save your life! Take me to the castle. I'll stay there in your place!" The merchant hugged his daughter.

"I never did doubt your love for me. For the moment I can only thank you for saving my life." So Beauty was led to the castle. The Beast, however, had quite an unexpected greeting for the girl. Instead of menacing doom as it had done with her father, it was surprisingly pleasant.

In the beginning, Beauty was frightened of the Beast, and shuddered at the sight of it. Then she found that, in spite of the monster's awful head, her horror of it was gradually fading as time went by. She had one of the finest rooms in the Castle, and sat for hours, embroidering in front of the fire. And the Beast would sit, for hours on end, only a short distance away, silently gazing at her. Then it started to say a few kind words, till in the end, Beauty was amazed to discover that she was actually enjoying its conversation. The days passed, and Beauty and the Beast became good friends. Then one day, the Beast asked the girl to be his wife.

Taken by surprise, Beauty did not know what to say. Marry such an ugly monster? She would rather die! But she did not want to hurt the feelings of one who, after all, had been kind to her. And she remembered too that she owed it her own life as well as her father's.

"I really can't say yes," she began shakily. "I'd so much like to..." The Beast interrupted her with an abrupt gesture.

"I quite understand! And I'm not offended by your refusal!" Life went on as usual, and nothing further was said. One day, the Beast presented Beauty with a magnificent magic mirror. When Beauty peeped into it, she could see her family, far away.

"You won't feel so lonely now," were the words that accompanied the gift. Beauty stared for hours at her distant family. Then she began to feel worried. One day, the Beast found her weeping beside the magic mirror.

"What's wrong?" he asked, kindly as always.

"My father is gravely ill and close to dying! Oh, how I wish I could see him again, before it's too late!" But the Beast only shook its head.

"No! You will never leave this castle!" And off it stalked in a rage. However, a little later, it returned and spoke solemnly to the girl.

"If you swear that you will return here in seven days time, I'll let you go and visit your father!" Beauty threw herself at the Beast's feet in delight.

"I swear! I swear I will! How kind you are! You've made a loving daughter so happy!" In reality, the merchant had fallen ill from a broken heart at knowing his daughter was being kept prisoner. When he embraced her again, he was soon on the road to recovery. Beauty stayed beside him for hours on end, describing her life at the Castle, and explaining that the Beast was really
good and kind. The days flashed past, and at last the merchant was able to leave his bed. He was completely well again. Beauty was happy at last. However, she had failed to notice that seven days had gone by.

Then one night she woke from a terrible nightmare. She had dreamt that the Beast was dying and calling for her, twisting in agony.

"Come back! Come back to me!" it was pleading. The solemn promise she had made drove her to leave home immediately.

"Hurry! Hurry, good horse!" she said, whipping her steed onwards towards the castle, afraid that she might arrive too late. She rushed up the stairs, calling, but there was no reply. Her heart in her mouth, Beauty ran into the garden and there crouched the Beast, its eyes shut, as though dead. Beauty threw herself at it and hugged it tightly.

"Don't die! Don't die! I'll marry you . . ." At these words, a miracle took place. The Beast's ugly snout turned magically into the face of a handsome young man.

"How I've been longing for this moment!" he said. "I was suffering in silence, and couldn't tell my frightful secret. An evil witch turned me into a monster and only the love of a maiden willing to accept me as I was, could transform me back into my real self. My dearest! I'll be so happy if you'll marry me."

The wedding took place shortly after and, from that day on, the young Prince would have nothing but roses in his gardens. And that's why, to this day, the castle is known as the Castle of the Rose.

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Once upon a time as a merchant set off for market, he asked each of his three daughters what she would like as a present on his return. The first daughter wanted a brocade dress, the second a pearl necklace, but the third, whose name was Beauty, the youngest, prettiest and sweetest of them all, said to her father: "All I'd like is a rose you've picked specially for me!"

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The story of Rapunzel, her love story with the prince, her hardship, and finding her lost love

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Read the popular fairy tale of Cinderella, also pronounced as Cinderalla. Classic fairy tales from KidsGen

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Contains a fairy tale about a tiny girl called Thumbelina

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A long time ago there were a king and queen who were unhappy because they were childless. But it happened that once when the queen was bathing, a frog crept out of the water on to the land, and said to her, "Your wish shall be fulfilled, before a year has gone by, you shall have a daughter."

What the frog had said came true, and the queen had a little girl who was so pretty that the king could not contain himself for joy, and ordered a great feast. He invited not only his kindred, friends and acquaintances, but also the wise women, in order that they might be kind and well disposed towards the child. There were thirteen of them in his kingdom, but, as he had only twelve golden plates for them to eat out of, one of them had to be left at home.

The feast was held with all manner of splendor and when it came to an end the wise women bestowed their magic gifts upon the baby - one gave virtue, another beauty, a third riches, and so on with everything in the world that one can wish for.

When eleven of them had made their promises, suddenly the thirteenth came in. She wished to avenge herself for not having been invited, and without greeting, or even looking at anyone, she cried with a loud voice, "The king's daughter shall in her fifteenth year prick herself with a spindle, and fall down dead." And, without saying a word more, she turned round and left the room.

They were all shocked, but the twelfth, whose good wish still remained unspoken, came forward, and as she could not undo the evil sentence, but only soften it, she said, it shall not be death, but a deep sleep of a hundred years, into which the princess shall fall.

The king, who would fain keep his dear child from the misfortune, gave orders that every spindle in the whole kingdom should be burnt. Meanwhile the gifts of the wise women were plenteously fulfilled on the young girl, for she was so beautiful, modest, good-natured, and wise, that everyone who saw her was bound to love her.

It happened that on the very day when she was fifteen years old, the king and queen were not at home, and the maiden was left in the palace quite alone. So she went round into all sorts of places, looked into rooms and bed-chambers just as she liked, and at last came to an old tower. She climbed up the narrow winding staircase, and reached a little door. A rusty key was in the lock, and when she turned it the door sprang open, and there in a little room sat an old woman with a spindle, busily spinning her flax.

"Good day, old mother," said the king's daughter, "what are you doing there?"

"I am spinning," said the old woman, and nodded her head.

"What sort of thing is that, that rattles round so merrily," said the girl, and she took the spindle and wanted to spin too. But scarcely had she touched the spindle when the magic decree was fulfilled, and she pricked her finger with it.

And, in the very moment when she felt the prick, she fell down upon the bed that stood there, and lay in a deep sleep. And this sleep extended over the whole palace, the king and queen who had just come home, and had entered the great hall, began to go to sleep, and the whole of the court with them. The horses, too, went to sleep in the stable, the dogs in the yard, the pigeons upon the roof, the flies on the wall, even the fire that was flaming on the hearth became quiet and slept, the roast meat left off frizzling, and the cook, who was just going to pull the hair of the scullery boy, because he had forgotten something, let him go, and went to sleep. And the wind fell, and on the trees before the castle not a leaf moved again.

But round about the castle there began to grow a hedge of thorns, which every year became higher, and at last grew close up round the castle and all over it, so that there was nothing of it to be seen, not even the flag upon the roof. But the story of the beautiful sleeping Briar Rose, for so the princess was named, went about the country, so that from time to time kings' sons came and tried to get through the thorny hedge into the castle. But they found it impossible, for the thorns held fast together, as if they had hands, and the youths were caught in them, could not get loose again, and died a miserable death.

After long, long years a king's son came again to that country, and heard an old man talking about the thorn hedge, and that a castle was said to stand behind it in which a wonderfully beautiful princess, named Briar Rose, had been asleep for a hundred years, and that the king and queen and the whole court were asleep likewise. He had heard, too, from his grandfather, that many kings, sons had already come, and had tried to get through the thorny hedge, but they had remained sticking fast in it, and had died a pitiful death.

Then the youth said, "I am not afraid, I will go and see the beautiful Briar Rose." The good old man might dissuade him as he would, he did not listen to his words.

But by this time the hundred years had just passed, and the day had come when Briar Rose was to awake again. When the king's son came near to the thorn hedge, it was nothing but large and beautiful flowers, which parted from each other of their own accord, and let him pass unhurt, then they closed again behind him like a hedge. In the castle yard he saw the horses and the spotted hounds lying asleep, on the roof sat the pigeons with their heads under their wings. And when he entered the house, the flies were asleep upon the wall, the cook in the kitchen was still holding out his hand to seize the boy, and the maid was sitting by the black hen which she was going to pluck.

He went on farther, and in the great hall he saw the whole of the court lying asleep, and up by the throne lay the king and queen. Then he went on still farther, and all was so quiet that a breath could be heard, and at last he came to the tower, and opened the door into the little room where Briar Rose was sleeping.

There she lay, so beautiful that he could not turn his eyes away, and he stooped down and gave her a kiss. But as soon as he kissed her, Briar Rose opened her eyes and awoke, and looked at him quite sweetly.

Then they went down together, and the king awoke, and the queen, and the whole court, and looked at each other in great astonishment. And the horses in the courtyard stood up and shook themselves, the hounds jumped up and wagged their tails, the pigeons upon the roof pulled out their heads from under their wings, looked round, and flew into the open country, the flies on the wall crept again, the fire in the kitchen burned up and flickered and cooked the meat, the joint began to turn and sizzle again, and the cook gave the boy such a box on the ear that he screamed, and the maid finished plucking the fowl.

And then the marriage of the king's son with Briar Rose was celebrated with all splendor, and they lived contented to the end of their days.

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The Story Sleeping Beauty and the 100 year trance

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A long time ago there were a king and queen who were unhappy because they were childless. But it happened that once when the queen was bathing, a frog crept out of the water on to the land, and said to her, "Your wish shall be fulfilled, before a year has gone by, you shall have a daughter."

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and other fables

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The Ant and the Grasshopper

On one fine summer's day in a field a Grasshopper was hopping about in a musical mood. An ant passed by bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.

The grasshopper invited the ant to sit for a chat with him. But the ant refused saying that "I'm storing up food for winter". " Why don't you do the same?" asked the ant to the grasshopper.

"Pooh! Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; we have got enough food at present." But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil.

Finally, when winter came, the Grasshopper found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing corn and grain from their storage.

Then the Grasshopper understood that...

It is best to prepare for the days of necessity.

If you liked this story, please let other people know

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On one fine summer's day in a field a Grasshopper was hopping about in a musical mood. An ant passed by bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest. The grasshopper invited the ant to sit for a chat with him.

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Cities and countries around the world-British Council

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Cities and countries around the world-British Council

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The children are visiting the Planet Earth Museum. What will they learn about our planet? Watch and find out!

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Read about the football World Cup then do the exercises to help you practise your reading in English.

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Read about how to say no to bullying then do the exercises to help you practise your reading in English.

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This traditional story is about helping a friend. Can a mouse help a lion? Watch and find out!

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Goldilocks and the three bears-British Council

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Goldilocks and the three bears-British Council

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The three bears eat hot cereal called 'porridge' for breakfast. What do you usually have for breakfast? Tell us about it!

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If you are using an older device or browser that does not support HTML5, which is needed for Starfall Version 2, we may be able to serve you the original Starfall with Adobe Flash. But your browser cookies must be enabled. Cookies are required for many features on Starfall, including membership access and navigation.