In the city of Vladimir there lived a young merchant, Aksenov by name. He had two shops and a house. Aksenov was a light-complexioned, curly-headed, fine-looking man and a very jol...
"Stop, Cuckoo," said the Bee; "With my labor interferes That unpleasant voice of thine, Always ringing in my ears. There is no bird, in song, So monotonous as thou. It is cuckoo al...
Late one autumn night a young queen stood by her window, gazing upon the silent and deserted meadows gleaming in the moonlight. Suddenly, far, far up in the sky, she heard the weir...
[From the Japanische Marchen und Sagen, von David Brauns (Leipzig: Wilhelm Friedrich).] Once upon a time there lived a cat of marvellous beauty, with a skin as soft and shining as...
I was born, Commander of the Faithful, in Bagdad, and was left an orphan while I was yet a very young man, for my parents died within a few days of each other. I had inherited from...
Once upon a time there lived a poor man who had more children than bread to feed them with. However, they were strong and willing, and soon learned to make themselves of use to the...
In Madrid, there was a rich man--and, they say, That ten times as stupid, as rich, he was too;-- Whose magnificent mansion made ample display Of furniture gorgeous and costly and n...
"The fairies were giving a luncheon party for the birds, and they wanted to have a great, big surprise," said daddy. "The birds which were invited were the robins, the orioles, the...
"The other day," commenced daddy, "the bobolinks had an afternoon tea. "The tea party was given for the meadow larks. The bobolinks are great friends of the meadow larks and they w...
I am now going to begin my story (said the old man), so please attend. This hind that you see with me is my wife. We have no children of our own, therefore I adopted the son of a f...
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father...
Starkad, the hero of the legends, the bravest warrior in the army of the North, had fallen into disgrace with the king because of a certain princess, so he wandered up into Norland...
Once upon a time there lived a man whose name was Abu Nowas, and he was a great favourite with the Sultan of the country, who had a palace in the same town where Abu Nowas dwelt. O...
[Illustration: Background, books scattered on library shelves. Foreground, a white dog with glasses and a black cat seated at a low table, studying books and making notes.] Once up...
There once lived a poor tailor, who had a son called Aladdin, a careless, idle boy who would do nothing but play all day long in the streets with little idle boys like himself. Thi...
From the Danish There lay three houses in a row, in one of which there lived a tailor, in another a carpenter, and in the third a smith. All three were married, and their wives wer...
"The robins gave their spring concert the other morning for the fairies," said daddy. "They give one every year just after most of their family have arrived for the summer. It is o...
In a country, far across the sea, there once dwelt a great and mighty Prince. He lived in a grand Castle, which was full of beautiful furniture, and curious and rare ornaments. And...
In a court-yard a poultry-house did lie, Where a brisk Cock around at pleasure ran; Behind the court, in a convenient sty, Lay a stout Pig--fat as an alderman. In the same yard, a...
Once upon a time there lived a king and a queen who had one son. The king loved the boy very much, but the queen, who was a wicked woman, hated the sight of him; and this was the m...
In ancient times there lived a good master. He had plenty of everything, and many slaves served him. And the slaves prided themselves on their master. They said: "There is not a be...
A red Owl was sitting quietly Up in his hole, in a hollow tree, Where he chanced to catch the curious eye Of a great Toad that was hopping by. "Holloa, up there, Sir Solitary!"-- S...
In the village of Nikolskoe, the people went on a holiday to mass. In the manor yard were left the cow-tender, the elder, and the groom. The cow-tender went to the well for water....
A gray hare was living in the winter near the village. When night came, he pricked one ear and listened; then he pricked his second ear, moved his whiskers, sniffed, and sat down o...
"Two owls," commenced daddy, "lived in a soft feathered nest in the big woods. After a time they got a little tired of talking and scolding and hunting and midnight parties, so Mrs...
A famous gallant, of Parisian renown, A Fop of the most extravagant taste, Who silver and gold like water would waste, With a new suit each day to dazzle the town,-- On the festiva...
Once upon a time there was a prince or a duke or whatever you choose to call him, but at any rate a noble tremendously high-born, who did not want to stay at home. And so he travel...
The Story of the Invisible Kingdom. From the German of Richard Leander. IN a little house half-way up the mountain-side, and about a mile from the other houses of the village, ther...
Once upon a time there were three Bears, who lived together in a house of their own, in a wood. One of them was a Little Wee Bear, and one was a Middle-sized Bear, and the other wa...
"You know," said daddy, "I saw such a strange thing to-day in the city." "Tell us about it," said Jack. "What was it?" asked Evelyn, who was always interested in whatever daddy had...