Folktales for Kids: Share Your Stories!

[Psinter]

I don't know how is it in other countries, but at mine we have stories that are widely known and repeatedly told by parents and adults to children. The folktales I know are probably known all around the world and I was wondering if you guys here at PF could probably share with me some folktales for kids that you may know. Be it European, Japanese, American, Russian or from whatever country. Here are the ones I know:

The Little Red Riding Hood
The Three Little Pigs

... Nothing more. Do you know of any other folktales for kids?

 

[Buzz Bloom]

Hi Psinter:

Here are a couple of thoughts off the top of my head.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aesop's_Fables
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Christian_Andersen
​

Hope that helps.

Regards,
Buzz

 

[Lord Anoobis]

You might want to have a look at this article:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Manning-Sanders

I read most of the books in the list as a kid and they are brilliant. Other than maybe finding them at a library I see a number of the books available on Amazon.

 

[Vanadium 50]

As Jack Handy said, "I bet one legend that keeps recurring throughout history, in every culture, is the story of Popeye."

 

[Psinter]

Thank you, both of you. I am going to have a look onto them. I've been looking for some to read and review those very basic but very truthful teachings that they offer.

EDIT: Keep them coming, I can always spare some time to read. Thanks!

 

[Vanadium 50]

To add, there is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fairy_tales but also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aarne–Thompson_classification_systems which is an attempt to categorize folk tales into about 2500 different categories.

"I'm strong to the finish 'cause I eats me spinach..."

 

[Psinter]

To add, there is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fairy_tales but also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aarne–Thompson_classification_systems which is an attempt to categorize folk tales into about 2500 different categories.

"I'm strong to the finish 'cause I eats me spinach..."

Awesome! So much entertainment I bet they all have many nice teachings .Thanks!

 

[CrazyNinja]

Well, then there are the Astrerix-Obelix series and good old Tintin. Not folktales, but yes, an integral part of my child life.

 

[Sophia]

Tales of the Grimm brothers http://www.grimmstories.com/en/grimm_fairy-tales/index
European fairy tales http://europeisnotdead.com/disco/books-of-europe/european-fairy-tales/
http://www.worldoftales.com/folktales.html world fairy tales

 

[Psinter]

Astrerix-Obelix

I'll have to take a look at that.

Tales of the Grimm brothers http://www.grimmstories.com/en/grimm_fairy-tales/index
European fairy tales http://europeisnotdead.com/disco/books-of-europe/european-fairy-tales/
http://www.worldoftales.com/folktales.html world fairy tales

Thank you! I like this one from the links you gave me: The Man who never lied

And this one too:

“That[/PLAIN] is well,” answered the bird. “Moderation protects one from harm.”

That saying struck me as so much truth: Moderation protects one from harm. Even if some of you may find it stupid, I feel very wise now. I will continue reading.

 

[Loren]

Yeah, I'll vote for the Brothers Grimm, too, but their versions of the stories have been rewritten over the decades so good luck finding the originals.

 

[Svein]

Rudyard Kipling wrote some very good fairy tales in "Just So Stories" (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2781/2781-h/2781-h.htm).
Norwegian folk tales are here: http://oaks.nvg.org/norwegian-folktales.html.
I could possibly dig up more...

 

[Psinter]

Norwegian folk tales are here: http://oaks.nvg.org/norwegian-folktales.html.

I cannot appear to be able to access the site. But thanks anyway. At one point or another it should come back up!

 

[Svein]

I cannot appear to be able to access the site. But thanks anyway. At one point or another it should come back up!

Weird. I clicked on the link and the main page came right up.

 

[Psinter]

Weird. I clicked on the link and the main page came right up.

It works now! Thanks!

 

[James Holland]

I don't know how is it in other countries, but at mine we have stories that are widely known and repeatedly told by parents and adults to children. The folktales I know are probably known all around the world and I was wondering if you guys here at PF could probably share with me some folktales for kids that you may know. Be it European, Japanese, American, Russian or from whatever country. Here are the ones I know:

The Little Red Riding Hood
The Three Little Pigs

... Nothing more. Do you know of any other folktales for kids?

what about Hansel and Grerttle (english)

 

[James Holland]

and jack and the beanstalk

 

[Psinter]

what about Hansel and Grerttle (english)

I think that one is on The Brothers Grimm. I've never read it, but it sounds attractive.

and jack and the beanstalk

Ohoho, this one. I like it very much.

 

[James Holland]

I think that one is on The Brothers Grimm. I've never read it, but it sounds attractive.

Ohoho, this one. I like it very much.

all fairy tales in Grimms have multiple versions

 

[James Holland]

allso what about the one with the troll under the bridge and the billy goat guffs?

 

[James Holland]

Well, then there are the Astrerix-Obelix series and good old Tintin. Not folktales, but yes, an integral part of my child life.

i second this

 

[Svein]

allso what about the one with the troll under the bridge and the billy goat guffs?

It is here: http://oaks.nvg.org/ntales10.html#gruffgoats.

 

[ProfuselyQuarky]

Well, then there are the Astrerix-Obelix series and good old Tintin. Not folktales, but yes, an integral part of my child life.

Great snakes! Tintin is the best But for fairy tales and folktales, I think of King Midas and Golden Touch (here). And then you have all those watered-down English versions of Greek myths, like Jason, the Argonauts, and the Golden Fleece (http://www.mythweb.com/heroes/jason/jason01.html).

 

[CrazyNinja]

The links of @ProfuselyQuarky seem very good indeed. Took me back to my childhood days to those turn-a-page story books.

If one can keep his wits about and not consider religious sentiment, the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata are fascinating reads too. But as I said, the descriptions used can be taken literally (which I don't) or taken as hyperbole (which I do). The life stories in there are numerous and certainly worth a read. That is again, if people don't go gaga saying, "Oh its a Hindu book full of Gods. Pfff...!".

If you do not want to go that way, then there are the Panchatantra stories and The Jataka tales. If anyone is interested, I would love to tell them the story behind the Panchatantra (literally meaning "the five principles"). It is given in good detail here. The Jataka tales are ancient Buddhist texts similar to The Panchatantra, supposedly told by The Buddha himself to his followers to enable the common man to understand the principles of Buddhism with ease.

 

[ProfuselyQuarky]

If anyone is interested, I would love to tell them the story behind the Panchatantra (literally meaning "the five principles").

Shoot, I'm interested. It never hurts to learn something from another person's culture.

 

[CrazyNinja]

I started writing it down, but thought it was definitely better documented somewhere else. So I googled and found the link in post #24. If you want it again, here it is :

http://hindumythologyforgennext.blogspot.in/2012/02/origins-of-panchatantra.html

 

[Psinter]

It is here: http://oaks.nvg.org/ntales10.html#gruffgoats.

Great snakes! Tintin is the best But for fairy tales and folktales, I think of King Midas and Golden Touch (here). And then you have all those watered-down English versions of Greek myths, like Jason, the Argonauts, and the Golden Fleece (http://www.mythweb.com/heroes/jason/jason01.html).

The links of @ProfuselyQuarky seem very good indeed. Took me back to my childhood days to those turn-a-page story books.

If one can keep his wits about and not consider religious sentiment, the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata are fascinating reads too. But as I said, the descriptions used can be taken literally (which I don't) or taken as hyperbole (which I do). The life stories in there are numerous and certainly worth a read. That is again, if people don't go gaga saying, "Oh its a Hindu book full of Gods. Pfff...!".

If you do not want to go that way, then there are the Panchatantra stories and The Jataka tales. If anyone is interested, I would love to tell them the story behind the Panchatantra (literally meaning "the five principles"). It is given in good detail here. The Jataka tales are ancient Buddhist texts similar to The Panchatantra, supposedly told by The Buddha himself to his followers to enable the common man to understand the principles of Buddhism with ease.

I just finished reading them all. The Gruff Goats was funny and I sort of expected the result from King Midas and Golden Touch. I like the one from CrazyNinja. Is a story about stories. Kind of cool. But since this is a story about stories, does that mean that the stories mentioned in this story does not exist or do they exist?

 

[James Holland]

I just finished reading them all. I like the one from Crazy ninja. Is a story about stories. Kind of cool. But since this is a story about stories, does that mean that the stories mentioned in this story does not exist or do they exist?

have u found the one a bout the dutch boy and the cheese
MORE CHEESE GROMMIT

 

[Psinter]

have u found the one a bout the dutch boy and the cheese
MORE CHEESE GROMMIT

Nope. Was it linked or mentioned here in the thread? I sort of lost the thread of the thread... Still trying to catch up.

 

[ProfuselyQuarky]

Ah, and these aren't exactly folktales, but the short stories from Saki are incredibly entertaining. They're full of irony, if that's the sort of thing you like. Here's a link for a bunch of them : here
My favorite is The Open Window (find it on page 2). For young children? Probably not, since the humor and subject matter is not usually directed for the smaller population, but still . . .

 

[Psinter]

Ah, and these aren't exactly folktales, but the short stories from Saki are incredibly entertaining. They're full of irony, if that's the sort of thing you like. Here's a link for a bunch of them : here
My favorite is The Open Window (find it on page 2). For young children? Probably not, since the humor and subject matter is not usually directed for the smaller population, but still . . .

Thanks.

have u found the one a bout the dutch boy and the cheese
MORE CHEESE GROMMIT

Found it! And at the beggining of the story I saw:

The boy weighed only 60 pounds, but he ate like a man three times his size.

"Is your stomach an empty well?" his father asked, laughing at him.

Why does that sounds familiar? But three times is too much for me. Perhaps a person two times my size... Heck, now that I think about it not even that. Two times is still a lot. I eat a lot alright, but not that exaggerated.

 

[CrazyNinja]

But since this is a story about stories, does that mean that the stories mentioned in this story does not exist or do they exist?

They do exist. The link I mentioned is like a prologue. It is about the origin of those stories. You can find the books on the net anywhere. Just type Panchatantra stories.

 

[Psinter]

They do exist. The link I mentioned is like a prologue. It is about the origin of those stories. You can find the books on the net anywhere. Just type Panchatantra stories.

Nice, I'm going to look for it when I finish some things I must do first and separate time for it . When it's about books I prefer to separate time for them since I don't feel good leaving them half read.

 

[CrazyNinja]

Ah, and these aren't exactly folktales, but the short stories from Saki are incredibly entertaining. They're full of irony, if that's the sort of thing you like. Here's a link for a bunch of them : here
My favorite is The Open Window (find it on page 2). For young children? Probably not, since the humor and subject matter is not usually directed for the smaller population, but still . . .

Oh Saki is epic..! Even O Henry is good. Which actually makes me wonder why @Psinter is looking for folktales for kids anyway.

 

[ProfuselyQuarky]

Oh Saki is epic..! Even O Henry is good. Which actually makes me wonder why @Psinter is looking for folktales for kids anyway.

Yes! O. Henry is incredibly ironic, too. From him, my favorite is The Retrieved Reformation

 

[HallsofIvy]

allso what about the one with the troll under the bridge and the billy goat guffs?

The billy goats are "gruff" not "guff"!

 

[James Holland]

The billy goats are "gruff" not "guff"!

well I'm sorry
that horrendous one letter difference. I should just hand my self into the police know

 

[Psinter]

Oh Saki is epic..! Even O Henry is good. Which actually makes me wonder why @Psinter is looking for folktales for kids anyway.

Because I like them . They have a lot of teachings taught in a simple manner and unlike novels, they are short and you don't have to go through hundred of pages to capture the essence. And they are fun to read.

 

[Rubidium_71]

It's only 32 years old, but Stephen King's Eyes of the Dragon is a good one.