World Fairy Tales
Traditional stories from around the world, honestly told, each paired with a real lullaby from the same culture.

Momotaro, the Peach Boy
A boy born from a peach sails off to face down demons, with three unlikely friends by his side.
Read the tale →
Cinderella
A kind girl, a lost slipper, and one night that changes everything.
Read the tale →
The Fisherman and His Wife
A magic fish grants wish after wish, until one wish too many.
Read the tale →
Baba Yaga
A girl is sent into the dark forest, to the witch in the hut on chicken legs.
Read the tale →
The Little Mermaid
A mermaid trades her voice for legs, and a chance at the world above the waves.
Read the tale →
Anansi and the Wisdom of the World
A clever spider tries to keep all the world’s wisdom to himself.
Read the tale →
The Tortoise and the Hare
A boastful hare, a slow and steady tortoise, and a race that proves the point.
Read the tale →
The Weaving Maid and the Cowherd
A love story so old it became a festival, and a bridge of magpies once a year.
Read the tale →
The Blind Men and the Elephant
Six wise men, one elephant, and six very different answers to the same question.
Read the tale →
The Husband Who Was to Mind the House
A farmer sure that housework is easy gets exactly one day to prove it.

Little Red Riding Hood
A girl in a red hood, a basket for her grandmother, and a wolf waiting in the woods.
Read the tale →
Snow White
A queen’s wish, a magic mirror, and a girl who finds a home with seven small friends.
Read the fairy tale →
Pinocchio
A wooden puppet, a nose that grows with every fib, and a long journey back to the woodcarver who made him.
Read the fairy tale →
Hansel and Gretel
Two children lost in a forest, a house made of gingerbread, and a sister whose quick thinking saves them both.
Read the fairy tale →
Rapunzel
A girl with hair long enough to climb, a tower with no door, and a boy who found his way back to her across many years.
Read the fairy tale →
Puss in Boots
A miller’s youngest son who inherited only a cat, and a cat who turned that into a castle.
Read the fairy tale →
The Three Little Pigs
Three brothers, three houses, and a wolf who could blow two of them flat.
Read the fairy tale →
Aladdin
A poor boy, a hidden cave, and a lamp with a spirit inside who could grant any wish.
Read the fairy tale →
Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
A poor woodcutter, a rock that opens when you say the right words, and a servant girl who is watching when nobody else is.
Read the fairy tale →
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
A little girl who wanders off the path, a cottage with three of everything, and porridge, chairs, and beds that are just right.
Read the fairy tale →
The Ugly Duckling
A duckling who looks nothing like his brothers and sisters, a hard winter alone, and a spring morning that changes everything.
Read the fairy tale →
Sleeping Beauty
A curse turned gentle by a fairy’s grace, and a kingdom that falls asleep together for a hundred years.
Read the fairy tale →
Urashima Taro
A fisherman kind to a turtle, a palace under the sea, and a box he is asked never to open.
Read the fairy tale →
The Fox and the Grapes
A hungry fox, grapes just out of reach, and one of the oldest tricks anyone has played on themselves.
Read the fable →Looking for a lullaby instead?
Explore our full encyclopedia of traditional lullabies from over 60 countries.
Explore the Lullaby Encyclopedia