“Hey there folks! Welcome to World Folklore, which features folktales from around the globe. From Aesop’s fables to fairy tales, from Thor’s Wedding to the Screaming Tunnel, we’ve got funny short stories, scary ghost stories and popular folktales for everyone to enjoy. So, pull up a comfy chair, and stay awhile.” –S.E. Schlosser, author of The Spooky Series.
Featured Folktales
Robin Hood Meets Allan-A-Dale
When Robin Hood learns that Allan-A-Dale's bride has been promised to an old man, he steps in to sto…
Halcyone and Ceyx
Over the kingdom of Thessaly, in the days of long ago, there reigned a king whose name was Ceyx, son…
Ulysses and the Cyclops
Ulysses was well-nigh the last to sail for home after the great city of Troy was taken, for he had t…
Orpheus and his Lute
In the country of Thrace, surrounded by all the best gifts of the gods, Orpheus was born. His father…
King Midas Judges a Music Contest
After finally ridding himself of the Golden Touch, King Midas had now no wish for golden riches, nor…
Pygmalion and the Statue
In days when the world was young and when the gods walked on the earth, there reigned over the islan…
Canadian Folklore
The Dead Woman’s Photograph
Virgil Hoyt, a photographer's assistant up at St. Paul, had a whimsical view of the world, and he di…
Black Bartelmy’s Ghost
Black Bartelmy was an evil, surly buccaneer who murdered his wife and children and went to sea with …
The Spectre Bride
The night Ralph Hagadorn started out for Echo Bay he felt as if he were the only man in the world, s…
Ghost Stories
Ghost stories are tales of spirits who return from the dead to haunt the places they left behind. They range from heartbreaking to humorous; sweet to terrifying and every shade in between. Read stories about ghosts, vampires, wendigos, and more.
Myths & Legends
A myth is a traditional, typically ancient story dealing with supernatural beings, ancestors, or heroes that serves as a fundamental type in the worldview of a people. The purpose of myths is to account for the origins of something, explain aspects of the natural world, or delineate the psychology, customs, or ideals of society. A legend is a traditional tale handed down from earlier times and believed to have an historical basis.
Fairy Tales
A fairy tale is a story set in a place where human characters interact with supernatural beings, like witches, vampires, and wizards. The protagonist in these stories often face impossible challenges and frightening scenarios against evil villains.
Popular Folktales
Bloody Mary, Quite Contrary
“Mary, Mary…” the half-heard whisper woke her in the darkness before dawn. Darkness. How appropria…
Hansel and Gretel
Once upon a time there dwelt near a large wood a poor woodcutter, with his wife and two children by …
Robin Hood Meets Allan-A-Dale
When Robin Hood learns that Allan-A-Dale's bride has been promised to an old man, he steps in to sto…
Rumpelstiltskin
There was once a poor Miller who had a beautiful daughter, and one day, having to go to speak with t…
The Boy Who Cried Wolf
A Fable as told by Aesop A Shepherd Boy tended his master’s Sheep near a dark forest not far f…
The Devil and the Werewolves
Now there once was a man named Jean Dubroise who never did a lick of work, but his house and his bar…