Herein are 15 tales and children's stories from around the world - Scotland, Louisiana, Scandinavia, Serbia, Arabia, Russia, Persia and Bengal. There is even a Cossack tale, a Norse tale and a Hindu tale. Of note is the tale THE HISTORY OF ALI COGIA from the Arabian Nights and the Scandinavian tale of THE MAGIC PIPE. Importantly, as in any good collection of fairy tales and folklore, there is also the story of THE TRIUMPH OF TRUTH, as the truth will always be told in the end. Unusually there is the Russian tale of THE FROG PRINCESS - usually such marchen have a Frog Prince. But you will have to read this story to see if there is a happy ending. And what would an anthology of fairy tales and folklore be without a story about fairies. The volume is completed with the story of DAME PRIDGETT AND THE FAIRIES which carries a warning to all - NEVER TRY AND OUTSMART A FAIRY! Nowhere in this volume will you find one of the perennial favourites, which makes this volume even more interesting and unique, for these stories have not been seen or read for many a year, except, maybe, by members of our older generations who may have had them read to them by their Grandparents when they were children. So sit back and enjoy this eclectic volume of fairy tales and folklore and know that in buying this volume you will have also donated to a charity somewhere in the world, for the publisher donates 33% of the net profit from every copy sold to charities.

Herein are 15 tales and children’s stories from around the world - Scotland, Louisiana, Scandinavia, Serbia, Arabia, Russia, Persia and Bengal. There is even a Cossack tale, a Norse tale and a Hindu tale. Of note is the tale THE HISTORY OF ALI COGIA from the Arabian Nights and the Scandinavian tale of THE MAGIC PIPE. Importantly, as in any good collection of fairy tales and folklore, there is also the story of THE TRIUMPH OF TRUTH, as the truth will always be told in the end. Unusually there is the Russian tale of THE FROG PRINCESS - usually such marchen have a Frog Prince as well. But you will have to read this story to see if there is a happy ending. And what would an anthology of fairy tales and folklore be without a story about fairies. The volume is completed with the story of DAME PRIDGETT AND THE FAIRIES which carries a warning to all Never Try And Outsmart A Fairy! Nowhere in this volume will you find a perennial favourite, which makes this volume even more interesting and unique, for these stories have not been seen or read for many a year, except, maybe, by members of our older generations who may have had them read to them by their Grandparents when they were children. So sit back and enjoy this eclectic volume of fairy tales and folklore from around the world and know that in buying this volume you will have also donated to a charity somewhere in the world, for the publisher donates 33% of the net profit from every copy sold to charities.

There was once a lad, and what his real name was nobody remembered, unless it was the mother who bore him; but what every one called him was Ashipattle. They called him that because he sat among the ashes to warm his toes. He had six older brothers, and they did not think much of him. All the tasks they scorned to do themselves they put upon Ashipattle. He gathered the sticks for the fire, he swept the floor, he cleaned the byre, he ran the errands, and all he got for his pains were kicks and cuffs and mocking words. Still he was a merry fellow, and as far as words went he gave his brothers as good as they sent. Ashipattle had one sister, and she was very good and kind to him. In return for her kindness he told her long stories of trolls and giants and heroes and brave deeds, and as long as he would tell she would sit and listen. But his brothers could not stand his stories, and used to throw clods at him to make him be quiet. They were angry because Ashipattle was always the hero of his own stories, and in his tales there was nothing he dared not do. Now while Ashipattle was still a lad, but a tall, stout one, a great misfortune fell upon the kingdom, for a Stoorworm rose up out of the sea; and of all Stoorworms it was the greatest and the worst. For this reason it was called the Meester Stoorworm. Its length stretched half around the world, its one eye was as red as fire, and its breath was so poisonous that whatever it breathed upon was withered. There was great fear and lamentation throughout the land because of the worm, for every day it drew nearer to the shore, and every day the danger from it grew greater. When it was first discovered it was so far away that its back was no more than a low, long, black line upon the horizon, but soon it was near enough for them to see the horns upon its back, and its scales, and its one fierce eye, and its nostrils that breathed out and in. In their fear the people cried upon the King to save them from the monster, but the King had no power to save them more than any other man. His sword, Snickersnapper, was the brightest and sharpest and most wonderful sword in all the world, but it would need a longer sword than Snickersnapper to pierce through that great body to the monster’s heart. The King summoned his councillors,—all the wisest men in the kingdom,—and they consulted and talked together, but none of them could think of any plan to beat or drive the Stoorworm off, so powerful it was.

Step into a world of enchanting folklore and mystical creatures with Katharine Pyle's captivating collection, "Tales of Folk and Fairies." This delightful book brings together a series of imaginative stories that transport you to realms where magic and mystery intertwine. As you delve into Pyle's tales, you will encounter a landscape where legends come alive and mythical beings walk among us. How does a land cope when a fearsome creature approaches, threatening everything in its path? Imagine a giant worm, once a distant line on the horizon, now looming closer each day, its menacing features becoming ever more distinct. What happens when the stuff of nightmares becomes a reality? Pyle's stories invite you to explore these fantastical scenarios, filled with rich imagery and timeless wisdom. Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of Pyle's folk and fairy tales, where every page reveals a new adventure and every story holds a lesson. Let the magic of these tales captivate your imagination and inspire your sense of wonder. Are you ready to journey into the heart of magic and mystery with "Tales of Folk and Fairies"? Don’t miss your chance to experience these timeless tales. Purchase "Tales of Folk and Fairies" today, and let yourself be transported to a world where every story is a portal to a new adventure.

The folktale is a story passed down verbally from generation to generation. Each storyteller added something new to the stories, making them more interesting and fascinating as the ages passed. Different folktales bear the characteristics of the culture, folklore and customs of the people from which they originated."Short stories are tiny windows into other worlds and other minds and other dreams. They are journeys you can make to the far side of the universe and still be back in time for dinner."The short story is one of the finest forms of writing. As short as a paragraph at times, or as lengthy as a novel, short stories are widely read and immensely lauded. Some of the most exceptional writers have dabbled in this form penning beautiful, unforgettable stories.This storybook is especially great for traveling, bedtime, and reading aloud at home. Also available in paperback format!-Great bedtime stories -Excellent for beginning and early readers-short stories that are great for a quick bedtime storyThese stories are great for a quick bedtime story and to be read aloud with friends and family.

Who says that English folk have no fairy-tales of their own? The present volume contains only a selection out of some 140, of which I have found traces in this country. It is probable that many more exist. A quarter of the tales in this volume, have been collected during the last ten years or so, and some of them have not been hitherto published. Up to 1870 it was equally said of France and of Italy, that they possessed no folk-tales. Yet, within fifteen years from that date, over 1000 tales had been collected in each country. I am hoping that the present volume may lead to equal activity in this country, and would earnestly beg any reader of this book who knows of similar tales, to communicate them, written down as they are told, to me, care of Mr. Nutt. The only reason, I imagine, why such tales have not hitherto been brought to light, is the lamentable gap between the governing and recording classes and the dumb working classes of this country-dumb to others but eloquent among themselves. It would be no unpatriotic task to help to bridge over this gulf, by giving a common fund of nursery literature to all classes of the English people, and, in any case, it can do no harm to add to the innocent gaiety of the nation. A word or two as to our title seems necessary. We have called our stories Fairy Tales though few of them speak of fairies. [Footnote: For some recent views on fairies and tales about fairies, see Notes.] The same remark applies to the collection of the Brothers Grimm and to all the other European collections, which contain exactly the same classes of tales as ours. Yet our stories are what the little ones mean when they clamour for "Fairy Tales," and this is the only name which they give to them. One cannot imagine a child saying, "Tell us a folk-tale, nurse," or "Another nursery tale, please, grandma." As our book is intended for the little ones, we have indicated its contents by the name they use. The words "Fairy Tales" must accordingly be taken to include tales in which occurs something "fairy," something extraordinary-fairies, giants, dwarfs, speaking animals. It must be taken also to cover tales in which what is extraordinary is the stupidity of some of the actors. Many of the tales in this volume, as in similar collections for other European countries, are what the folklorists call Drolls. They serve to justify the title of Merrie England, which used to be given to this country of ours, and indicate unsuspected capacity for fun and humour among the unlettered classes. The story of Tom Tit Tot, which opens our collection, is unequalled among all other folk-tales I am acquainted with, for its combined sense of humour and dramatic power. The first adjective of our title also needs a similar extension of its meaning. I have acted on Moli�re's principle, and have taken what was good wherever I could find it. Thus, a couple of these stories have been found among descendants of English immigrants in America; a couple of others I tell as I heard them myself in my youth in Australia. One of the best was taken down from the mouth of an English Gipsy. I have also included some stories that have only been found in Lowland Scotch. I have felt justified in doing this, as of the twenty-one folk-tales contained in Chambers' "Popular Rhymes of Scotland," no less than sixteen are also to be found in an English form. With the Folk-tale as with the Ballad, Lowland Scotch may be regarded as simply a dialect of English, and it is a mere chance whether a tale is extant in one or other, or both. I have also rescued and re-told a few Fairy Tales that only exist now-a-days in the form of ballads. There are certain indications that the "common form" of the English Fairy Tale was the cante-fable, a mixture of narrative and verse of which the most illustrious example in literature is "Aucassin et Nicolette."

This volume offers a comprehensive critical and theoretical introduction to the genre of the fairy tale. It: explores the ways in which folklorists have defined the genre assesses the various methodologies used in the analysis and interpretation of fairy tale provides a detailed account of the historical development of the fairy tale as a literary form engages with the major ideological controversies that have shaped critical and creative approaches to fairy tales in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries demonstrates that the fairy tale is a highly metamorphic genre that has flourished in diverse media, including oral tradition, literature, film, and the visual arts.