Stories of King Arthur and His Knights. Retold from Malory’s “Morte dArthur”. More great books at LoyalBooks.com
Categories: Arts
Tags: art, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Fairy tales, fiction, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Myths/Legends, romance, Stories of King Arthur and His Knights, U. Waldo Cutler
Talking animals, wicked stepmothers, valiant tailors, cruel witches! Sixty-two stories that feature familiar figures like Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, Rumplestiltskin, The Twelve Dancing Princesses and Snow-White and Rose Red as well as lesser-known characters like The White Snake, Sweetheart Roland and Clever Elsie are contained in this volume of Grimms’ Fairy Tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. The original volume published in 1812 contained more than 85 tales and this number kept increasing till it got to the seventh edition which contained more than two hundred stories. Initially the authors meant the collection to be read not just by children, but also adults and was meant to be a compilation of folk-tales that had been passed down orally for generations. The first edition was packed with scholarly foot-notes and interesting information about the cultural connotations of each story. Later, the authors were persuaded to change the format and make it suitable for children. However, many of these stories were found by publishers to be far too gruesome for young readers. Objectionable passages and scenes of violence were removed and replaced with less fearsome ones. The scholarly foot notes were completely eliminated, making the book just a collection of fairy tales that a child might enjoy. The present collection contains some of the most famous and well loved fairy tales that generations of children have enjoyed. The universal themes of fairy tales which include the triumph of good over evil, courage, common-sense, humility, love, the downfall of pride, greed, envy and laziness all find voice in the characters of Grimms’ Fairy Tales. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were two brothers born in Frankfurt in the old German kingdom of Hesse. They studied law, but were passionately interested in folklore. Jacob was also a philologist studying language. Though Wilhelm’s ill-health made traveling difficult, they toured Germany and neighboring European countries in the 18th century documenting folk tales commonly recounted by word of mouth in small villages and communities. Their interest in preserving these historical examples of native wisdom and culture has made it possible for modern readers to enjoy these age old stories that were told and retold by countless grandparents to generations of grandchildren. Most of the stories retain the lyrical qualities of oral tradition and are meant to be read aloud, creating a magical world for children. This treasure trove of stories has become an essential part of the bed-time ritual of story-telling for both parents and children all over the world. More great books at LoyalBooks.com
Categories: Arts, Kids & Family
Tags: animals, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Fairy tales, fantasy, fiction, free audio books, Grimms' Fairy Tales, Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm, Kids, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Short stories, Teen/Young adult
George MacDonald’s fairy stories and fantasy have inspired a number of writers including C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien and of this popular fairy story, which as you might suspect concerns a little princess plotted against by a race of goblins, G.K. Chesterton said that it “made a difference to my whole existence.”
Categories: Arts, Kids & Family
Tags: audio books, audiobook, Dramatic Works, ebooks, Fairy tales, fiction, free audio books, George MacDonald, Kids, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, The Princess and the Goblin
The Happy Prince and Other Tales (also sometimes called The Happy Prince and Other Stories) is an 1888 collection of stories for children by Oscar Wilde. It is most famous for The Happy Prince, the short tale of a metal statue who befriends a migratory bird. Together, they bring happiness to others, in life as well as in death. The stories included in this collection are:The Happy PrinceThe Nightingale and the RoseThe Selfish GiantThe Devoted FriendThe Remarkable RocketThe stories convey an appreciation for the exotic, the sensual and for masculine beauty.
Categories: Arts, Kids & Family
Tags: audio books, audiobook, Dramatic Works, ebooks, Fairy tales, fiction, free audio books, Kids, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Myths/Legends, Oscar Wilde, Short stories, The Happy Prince and Other Tales
This is a collection of stories collected over thousands of years by various authors, translators and scholars. The are an amalgam of mythology and folk tales from the Indian sub-continent, Persia, and Arabia. No original manuscript has ever been found for the collection, but several versions date the collection’s genesis to somewhere between AD 800-900. The stories are wound together under the device of a long series of cliff-hangers told by Shahrazad to her husband Shahryar, to prevent him from executing her. Many tales that have become independently famous come from the Book, among them Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, and the voyages of Sinbad the Sailor. This collection comes from the first of sixteen volumes translated by Burton. (Based on Wikipedia article)
Tags: Adventure, anonymous, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Fairy tales, fiction, free audio books, Languages, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Myths/Legends, Short stories, The Book of A Thousand Nights and a Night
Nine original and, yes, unlikely fairy-tales, which include stories of the arithmetic fairy, the king who became a charming villa-residence and the dreadful automatic nagging machine. All are classic-Nesbit: charming, novel and not afraid to squeeze in a moral or two — told with proper fairy-tale style. Summary by Cori More great books at LoyalBooks.com
Categories: Arts, Kids & Family
Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Edith Nesbit, Fairy tales, fiction, free audio books, Kids, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Nine Unlikely Tales for Children, Short stories
A king and queen are in despair. After years of marriage, they are yet to be blessed with a child. Finally a lovely daughter is born to them. They plan a grand christening ceremony for the baby, but as destiny would have it, they forget to invite the nastiest lady in the kingdom, who also happens to be the king’s sister, the evil Princess Makemnoit. Now if all that seems distinctly familiar to you, it was meant to! Using the Sleeping Beauty/Briar Rose fairytale as a starting point, Scottish writer George MacDonald creates a story that’s even more enchanting and gives it a nice little twist. In The Light Princess, published in 1864, the cruel aunt Makemnoit curses her hapless niece to become bereft of gravity! The spell she chants says, “Light of spirit, by my charms. Light of body, every part. Never weary human arms. Only crush thy parents’ heart!” by which the child begins to float all over the place. The slightest breeze could cause her to fly away. Her parents and the entire palace are exhausted trying to keep her rooted to the ground. The princess grows into a lovely, but very tall young woman. She discovers that swimming keeps her on earth, but soon her wicked aunt decides that she didn’t deserve even this small enjoyment. Finally, as in all fairytales, it is a handsome prince who succeeds in bringing our heroine down to earth. George MacDonald was a playwright, poet and Christian minister. He deeply influenced many people and was mentor to children’s writer, Lewis Carroll, whom he encouraged to publish Alice after it was first written. He also had a great impact on other writers like Mark Twain, Tolkein and Walter de la Mare. His circle of friends included Ruskin, Tennyson, Trollope, Dickens and Wilkie Collins. In America he was admired by Walt Whitman and Longfellow. Though his works concern fantasy themes, he didn’t intend them to be read only by children. He said, “I write not for children, but for the child-like, whether they be five or fifty or seventy-five.” He was deeply humanist in thinking and his theology was of a compassionate and optimistic variety. He used fantasy more as a medium for exploring the real human condition and his works are tinged with wit and humor. The Light Princess has been adapted as a very successful musical and the story lends itself wonderfully to fantastic stage innovations and techniques. It is a great addition to your bookshelf and should be thoroughly enjoyed by both children and grownups.
Categories: Arts, Kids & Family
Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Fairy tales, fiction, free audio books, George MacDonald, Kids, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Myths/Legends, The Light Princess
Silver footed, fair haired Thetis, Ares the God of War, Nike the Goddess of Victory, The Furies and The Muses, Zeus the presiding deity of the Universe and the magical, mysterious Olympus, are some of the amazing, mythical Greek and Roman deities you’ll encounter in this book. Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome by EM Berens was originally intended for young readers. Written in an easy and light style, the author attempts to bring the pantheon of gods into a comprehensible format. He organizes them into different dynasties and chronologies to make it easier for the reader to understand the labyrinthine relationships and connections between the various gods, heroes, minor divinities, mythical figures and legendary creatures. Greek and Roman legends form the base of all European art, literature and civilization itself. Since the advent of Christianity, the so called Pagan religion which dominated all of Europe for thousands of years were eclipsed but the study of the Classics as part of the education in Greek and Latin kept them alive. Today there’s hardly a serious student of English or art who does not encounter some reference to an ancient Greek or Roman myth or deity somewhere in literature and the Western languages. A visit to any of the museums or classical art galleries in Europe would be one that’s filled with allusions and depictions of Greek or Roman legends. For modern day readers, the book is a mine of information about the lineage of the gods, forms of worship, festivals and temples devoted to them. It is interestingly chronicled, right from the primordial legend of Uranus and Gaia to the Creation of the Earth, through the dynasties of the Gods, heroes and divinities of the Night and the Sea, right up to the Trojan War where the Gods played a most important role in the destiny of humans. The section on temples and worship is especially interesting for students of archeology and history. It also includes statues, augurs, soothsayers, temple architecture, altars, priests and sacrifices. The extensive footnotes and author’s notes for each chapter add value and interest while the charming illustrations make it attractive for younger readers. Anyone who is interested in exploring the ancient legends of two of the oldest Western civilizations would certainly find Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome by E.M. Berens a source of hours of reading pleasure and a valuable addition to their bookshelf. More great books at LoyalBooks.com
Categories: Arts, Education, Kids & Family
Tags: audio books, audiobook, Classics (antiquity), E.M. Berens, ebooks, Fairy tales, fantasy, fiction, free audio books, instruction, Kids, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome, Myths/Legends, religion, Teen/Young adult
This wonderful children’s short story tells all about the youth, manhood and old age of Santa Claus and how he became immortal. (Introduction by jedopi) More great books at LoyalBooks.com
Categories: Arts, Kids & Family, Religion & Spirituality
Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Fairy tales, fantasy, fiction, free audio books, holiday, Kids, L. Frank Baum, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus
The Heroes, or Greek Fairy Tales for my Children by Charles Kingsley is a collection of three Greek mythology stories: Perseus, The Argonauts, and Theseus. The author had a great fondness for Greek fairy tales and believed the adventures of the characters would inspire children to achieve higher goals with integrity.
Categories: Arts, Kids & Family
Tags: audio books, audiobook, Charles Kingsley, ebooks, Fairy tales, fiction, free audio books, Kids, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Myths/Legends, or Greek Fairy Tales for my Children, The Heroes
King Alfred and the Cakes. Damon and Pythias. The Sword of Damocles. Bruce and the Spider. These are stories that many people who grew up in the last century would be familiar with. They were included in our text books or to be found in anthologies in our school libraries. However, for a new generation growing up, some of these may be new and unknown. Hence, Fifty Famous Stories Retold by James Baldwin would indeed be a great addition to your children’s bookshelf. James Baldwin, who shares his name with another famous American author was an editor, author and gifted teacher. He worked as a textbook editor and also wrote more than fifty books for children concerning mythology, legends and the stories of famous historical figures. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, his works were extremely popular and had a considerable influence on the reading habits of generations of youngsters. He retired as the Editor in Chief of the American Book Company and compiled the much acclaimed Baldwin Readers and co-authored the Expressive Readers. These went on to set the standard for textbooks for nearly a century, at a time when education was undergoing huge systemic reform. Fifty Famous Stories Retold contains a preface by the author, in which he describes the motives behind such an anthology. “…that the reading of them will give not only pleasure but also lay the foundation for broader literary studies…” he opines. Some of the stories were selected for their historical value, others for the moral truths they convey, while some are intended solely to amuse. They are taken from a variety of sources. Folktales, legends and ballads also are a rich source. Baldwin remarks that he took care not to include myths, fairytales and fables. Hence we find old favorites like Dick Whittington’s Cat, The Story of Robin Hood and George Washington and His Hatchet alongside less familiar ones like Inchcape Rock, Doctor Goldsmith or Diogenes the Wise. The original contains charming illustrations. In Baldwin’s own words, the encounter with good literature and good books was what spurred him to develop the reading habit. For a new generation which is fast losing the pleasure that books can bring, perhaps Fifty Famous Stories Retold could serve as a springboard and encourage them to rediscover the joy of reading.
Categories: Arts, Kids & Family, Society & Culture
Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Fairy tales, fiction, Fifty Famous Stories Retold, free audio books, History, james baldwin, Kids, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com
A fairy has become bored with her life, and convinces some young girls to transform her into a human boy so she can go on adventures. The adventures come fast and furious, as the newly-named Prince Marvel explores the surrounding kingdoms. A masochistic squire accompanies Marvel, helping him with assorted kings, knights, dragons, and other medieval menaces along the way. More great books at LoyalBooks.com
Categories: Arts, Kids & Family
Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Fairy tales, fantasy, fiction, free audio books, Kids, L. Frank Baum, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Teen/Young adult, The Enchanted Island of Yew
The Princess and Curdie is the sequel to The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald. It’s been a year since the Princess Irene and Curdie first met, and a year since the goblin incident and all appears to be going well in the Kingdom. Or is it? After a visit from Irene’s great-great-grandmother, Curdie finds himself on a mission to save the kingdom, with a rather strange companion in tow. More great books at LoyalBooks.com
Categories: Arts, Kids & Family
Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Fairy tales, fantasy, fiction, free audio books, George MacDonald, Kids, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, The Princess and Curdie
Published in 1894, The Yellow Fairy Book is the fourth installment in the series of fairytale collections known as Andrew Lang’s “Coloured” Fairy Books and is comprised of stories collected from various foreign language sources including French, German, English, Scottish, Russian, and Polish. Moreover, the tales not only intend to entertain, but also offer an underlying didactic purpose, as many of the stories place an important emphasis on righteous behavior. Featuring 48 stories, The Yellow Fairy Book includes a number of well-known tales from renowned storytellers Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm, which may just ring a bell with titles including “Thumbelina” and “Story of the Emperor’s New Clothes”. A dynamic combination of royalty, dragons, witches, a range of animals, and an unlimited supply of danger and obstacles, the compilation does not cease to amaze with its rich variety of fairy tales. Needless to say, it is a timeless piece guaranteed to enthrall both young and old readers for years to come.
Categories: Arts, Kids & Family
Tags: Andrew Lang, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Fairy tales, fiction, free audio books, Kids, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, The Yellow Fairy Book
The Arabian Nights is a collection of Perso-Arabic folk tales and other stories. The collection, or at least certain stories drawn from it (or purporting to be drawn from it), became widely known in the West from the 18th century, after it was translated from the Arabic — first into French and then into English and other European languages. The first English language edition, based on Galland’s French rather than the original Arabic, rendered the title as The Arabian Nights’ Entertainment – and this, or simply The Arabian Nights, has been the title by which it has been best known to English-speaking people ever since.
Categories: Arts, Education, Kids & Family
Tags: Andrew Lang, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Fairy tales, fiction, free audio books, Kids, Languages, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Short stories, The Arabian Nights
This is a weekly podcast of funny stories for kids. There are side-splitting versions of my own fractured fairy tales. Also short stories from some of my best-selling books, featuring characters from ‘The Adventures of Nanny Piggins’ and ‘Friday Barnes, Girl Detective’. The stories are perfect for bedtime, long car rides or even if you’re just stuck waiting a really long time at the doctor’s office. They’re written for 7-11 year olds but these are tales the whole family can enjoy. The silliness is ageless. I hope you enjoy listening to this as much as I enjoy recording it. After years of being a children’s author, typing away in my office with only my goldfish for company, I was bursting to tell my stories out-loud and with lots of silly voices! So please – sit back, get comfy and enjoy some amazing, some silly and some just plain ludicous tales direct from my imagination to you.
Categories: Arts, Fiction, Kids & Family
Tags: author, bedtime stories, car stories, Fairy tales, friday barnes, kids stories, nanny piggins, peski kids, R.A., ra spratt, road trip stories
Join Granny MacDuff as she reads classic and original children’s fairy tales in this award winning podcast. Unlock imagination and enjoy more screen free activities at the links below! Instagram 🎧 YouTube & YouTube Kids 🎧 Patreon For more information go to our Official Website.
Categories: Kids & Family
Tags: bedtime, bedtime stories, before bed, Children, children's podcast, childrens books, childrens' story, Cinderella, faery, fairies, fairy, fairy tale, Fairy tales, fairytale, fairytales, folk story, Folktale, Goldilocks, granny, granny macduff, Grimm's Fairy Tale, Kids, kids podcast, Little Red Riding Hood, little riding hood, nursery, Rapunzel, sleep, story time, storytelling, StorytellingPodcast, TALES, tiles
Paralyzed in an accident while a baby, young Prince Dolor is imprisoned in a lonely tower by his usurping uncle. He is visited by his mysterious godmother who provides him with magical gifts, including a traveling cloak that allows him to fly across the land. He uses his gifts to return to his rightful place on the throne. Also included are several short stories by the author also featuring princes. (Chapters 12-15)
Categories: Arts, Kids & Family
Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Fairy tales, fiction, free audio books, Kids, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Miss Mulock, Teen/Young adult, The Little Lame Prince
Robin Hood is a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for “robbing from the rich and giving to the poor”, assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his “Merry Men”. Traditionally Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes. The origin of the legend is claimed by some to have stemmed from actual outlaws, or from ballads or tales of outlaws.
Categories: Arts, Kids & Family, Society & Culture
Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Fairy tales, fantasy, fiction, free audio books, Historical Fiction, J. Walker McSpadden, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Myths/Legends, Robin Hood, Teen/Young adult
A charming little book full of the most gorgeous illustrations. We see a number of stories in which kindness is rewarded and selfishness is punished but Brooke squeezes a number of intriguing and quite bizarre twists and turns into the story so it is not nearly so predictable as you might imagine. Victorian moral fairy tales from a delightfully inventive mind.
Categories: Arts, Kids & Family
Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Fairy tales, fiction, free audio books, Kids, L. Leslie Brooke, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Myths/Legends, Short stories, The Golden Goose Book