“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
Snow White and Rose Red
A poor widow once lived in a little cottage. In front of the cottage was a garden, in which were gro…
Willie Wagtail and the Rainbow
Deereeree, the willie wagtail bird, was a widow and lived in a camp alone with her four little girls…
Mayrah, the Wind that Blows Winter Away
At the beginning of winter, the iguanas hide themselves in their homes in the sand; the black eagle …
The Water of Life
Once upon a time there was a King who was so ill that everybody despaired of his life, and his three…
The Valiant Little Taylor
One fine day a Tailor was sitting on his bench by the window in very high spirits, sewing away most …
Wirreenun the Rainmaker
The country was stricken with a drought. The rivers were all dry except the deepest holes in them. T…
Australian Folklore
Willie Wagtail and the Rainbow
Deereeree, the willie wagtail bird, was a widow and lived in a camp alone with her four little girls…
Mayrah, the Wind that Blows Winter Away
At the beginning of winter, the iguanas hide themselves in their homes in the sand; the black eagle …
Wirreenun the Rainmaker
The country was stricken with a drought. The rivers were all dry except the deepest holes in them. T…
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…