“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
The Lad and the Devil
A Norse lad plays a joke on a blacksmith…and the Devil.
Why the Sea is Salt
A poor man visits the devil and trades a slab of bacon for a magic hand-mill that can grind anything…
How Odin Lost His Eye
Father Odin longed to become the wisest being in the world, so he resolved to win a draught from Mim…
Androclus and the Lion
In Rome there was once a poor slave whose name was Androclus. His master was a cruel man, and so unk…
King Alfred and the Beggar
t one time the Danes drove King Alfred from his kingdom, and he had to lie hidden for a long time on…
King Alfred and the Cakes
Many years ago, there lived in England a wise and good king whose name was Alfred. No other man ever…
Canadian Folklore
Tolling of the Bell
In the wee hours of Friday morning, October 7, 1859, when all the good residents of Charlottetown sh…
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 …
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
Androclus and the Lion
In Rome there was once a poor slave whose name was Androclus. His master was a cruel man, and so unk…
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 …
How Odin Lost His Eye
Father Odin longed to become the wisest being in the world, so he resolved to win a draught from Mim…
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…