“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, grab a cup of coffee, pull up a comfy chair, and stay awhile.” –S.E. Schlosser, author of The Spooky Series.
The Burglar’s Ghost
I am not an imaginative man, and no one who knows me can say that I have ever indulged in sentimenta…
The Phantom Toe
I am not a superstitious man, far from it, but despite all my efforts to the contrary I could not he…
Tikki Tikki Tembo
Once there lived a family in ancient China that had two sons. The elder son, who was to i…
Ten Red Crows
First the world was in darkness, my son. All who dwelt in the shadow of the East Mulberry Tree had …
The Maid of the Mist
She lost her husband and her hope at a young age, and the beautiful girl could not find her way thro…
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 …
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…
The Elves and the Shoemaker
A shoemaker, by no fault of his own, had become so poor that at last he had nothing left but leather…