English Fairy Tales And Stories |
The country now known as England has a history of settlement by various cultures, including the Romans and the Vikings,
spanning back 35,000 years.
It is a land rich in folklore and many of the folk tales have ancient origins. For a rather small country, it in interesting how many of these tales come from specific regions.
We have drawn on a few different sources to create this great collection of classic tales.
Jack ran away from home and worked for an old woman. After a year and a day he left with her gift an ass, that when it brayed dropped money from its mouth.
A long time ago, two king's daughters lived near the mill-dams of Binnorie. Sir William came a wooing first for the eldest and then for her younger sister.
A cheerful, but poor old lady found a big black pot lying in the ditch. Inside she found a trove of gold coins, which then turned into many other things.
A rich gentleman, with three daughters, asked each of them how much they loved him. He liked the answers they gave, apart from that given by the youngest.
In Hilton Hall, lived a Brownie who played many a prank. But, if the servants left a bowl of cream or a cake spread with honey, it would tidy the kitchen.
Dick Whittington, an orphan, traveled to London believing the roads were paved with gold. He soon discovered this was not true and he was cold and hungry.
Earl Mar's daughter brought a dove from the garden to her room. As she prepared to sleep a handsome young man, named Florentine, appeared who was the dove.
Dame Goody was a nurse, who looked after the sick and also minded babies. One night, a strange little fellow knocked on her door asking her to mind a baby.
Once a mighty baron, who was a great magician, foresaw that his son would one day wed a girl from a poor family. So, he threw the baby girl into a river.
Once, a man travelled all the land searching for a wife eventually he married a woman with a golden arm. When she died, he dug her up and stole her arm.
One day Henny-penny was hit by a falling acorn and went to tell the king that the sky was falling in. On the way she met many other birds and also a fox.
Jack lived with his parents in a forest. One day he made his mind up to travel to the town. His mother gave him cakes and his father a golden snuff-box.
Long ago in Cornwall, there lived a farmer who had a son called Jack. At the same time, the Mount of Cornwall was kept by a massive giant named Cormoran.
An old man woman lived with a boy. One day the old woman cooked a Johnny-cake telling the boy to look after it, but the Johnny-cake jumped out of the oven.
In Bamborough Castle, lived a widower King and his two children. When hunting, he met a beautiful lady and married her, but she was really a wicked witch.
Another version of the tale of a widower King marrying a beautiful woman who was really an evil witch and how she turned his daughter into the Laidly Worm.
Jack lived with his mother, he was so lazy that he would lie in the sun when it was hot and sit by the fire when it was cold. So he was called Lazy Jack.
The birds asked magpie how to make nests. She started with mud, then twigs and feathers. They left at various times which is why birds nests are different.
A girl was hired as a servant by a funny old man. He explained that he had different words for things and that she was to call him 'master of all masters'.
A very learned man, who knew many things, owned a book which contained spiritual secrets. He had a foolish pupil, who read the book and summoned Beelzebub.
Lady Mary was beautiful and had many suitors, including the mysterious Mr Fox, who she agreed to marry. However, she went to find out the truth about him.
Tommy Grimes did not heed his mother's warnings about Mr Miacca and was about to be prepared for his supper. After escaping, he did not learn his lesson.
Mr and Mrs Vinegar lived in a glass jar. One day, when cleaning, Mrs. Vinegar shattered their home. So, the two set off with the door to buy another jar.
A hunter lost in the wood found lodging with a miller. The meal he was served was venison from the king's deer. The next day the miller had a big surprise.
There was once a miller, who was the happiest man in England. The sad king, hearing news of him, went to see for himself. Hoping to find out the secret.
A man and wife could not feed all their children, so left three in the woods. The children found refuge in a giant's house, who soon smelt they were there.
An old woman found a crooked sixpence and decided to buy a pig. On the way home, she could not get the piggy over a stile, so asked various things to help.
A wicked woman killed her step-daughter and cooked her heart and liver. The girl was buried under a rose tree, in spring in the flowers was a white bird.
In a palace, dwelt an old lord and his granddaughter. He had never seen her, as at her birth his favorite daughter died and he swore never see her face.
A farmer and wife had a daughter, who was being courted. In the cellar drawing beer the girl saw a mallet in one of the beams and imagined terrible things.
The men of Gotham were rather simple folk. Two of them fell into an argument about sheep, which neither had yet bought, which a third man had to point out.
An unhappy princess decides to seek her fortune. She shares her food with an old man, who gives her a wand and tells her of the Three Heads Of The Well.
After baking five pies, a woman realized the crust was too hard and told her daughter to put them on a shelf 'to come again', meaning to let them soften.
Two sisters were as alike as two peas in a pod, but one was good and one was bad. The good youngest one went to seek work, doing good deeds on her journey.
A girl was sent by her cruel step-mother to collect water in a sieve from the well of the World's End. A frog helped her, but she had to make a promise.
Twelve wise men of Gotham went fishing. On their return, checking no one had drowned one counted them all, but came to eleven as he did not count himself.
Two men of Gotham met on a bridge and began to argue about sheep they had not yet bought. How the men of Gotham decided to keep a cuckoo and other tales.
Sources And Further Reading |
Project Gutenberg English Fairy Tales by Flora Annie Steel. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham