There was once a poor Miller who had a beautiful daughter, and one day, having to go to speak with the King, he said, in order to make himself appear of consequence, that he had a daughter who could spin straw into gold. The King was very fond of gold, and thought to himself, “That… Read More »Rumpelstiltskin
The Sun and the Wind once had an argument about which of them could persuade a certain traveler to part with his cloak. Wind began the attack and assaulted him with great violence. But the man, wrapping his cloak still closer about him, doubled his efforts to keep it, and went on his way. Next,… Read More »The Sun and the Wind
“Go away, contemptible insect!” said a proud Lion one day to a Gnat that was frisking about in the air near his den. The Gnat, enraged at this unprovoked insult, vowed revenge, and immediately darted into the Lion’s ear. After having sufficiently teased him in that quarter, she quitted her station and retired under his… Read More »The Lion and the Gnat
In Rome there was once a poor slave whose name was Androclus. His master was a cruel man, and so unkind to him that at last Androclus ran away. He hid himself in a wild wood for many days; but there was no food to be found, and he grew so weak and sick that… Read More »Androclus and the Lion
t one time the Danes drove King Alfred from his kingdom, and he had to lie hidden for a long time on a little island in a river. One day, all who were on the island, except the king and queen and one servant, went out to fish. It was a very lonely place, and… Read More »King Alfred and the Beggar
Many years ago, there lived in England a wise and good king whose name was Alfred. No other man ever did so much for his country as he; and people now, all over the world, speak of him as Alfred the Great.
A battle-weary Robert the Bruce takes heart by watching a patient and persistent spider.
Legendary Swiss hero William Tell is forced by a tyrant to shoot an apple off the top of his son’s head.
When King Maximilian drops his book, he asks a boy tending a flock of geese to find it. But who will keep the geese in order until he returns?
A father had two sons, the elder of whom was forward and clever enough to do almost anything; and so, the younger son was ignored. If anything was to be done, the elder had at all times to do it; but sometimes the father would call him to fetch something in the dead of night,… Read More »If Only I Could Shiver
