akorn - Mighty Old Tales Retold

A Riddling Tale

Three women were changed into flowers which grew in the field, but one of them was allowed to be in her own home at night. Then once when day was drawing near...

The Ditmarsch Tale of Lies

I will tell you something. I saw two roasted fowls flying; they flew quickly and had their breasts turned to heaven and their backs to hell, and an anvil and a millstone swam across the Rhine...

The Tale of Cock-a-doodle

In the time of Cock-a-doodle I went there, and saw Rome and the Lateran hanging by a small silken thread, and a man without feet who outran a swift horse, and a keen sharp sword that cut through a bridge.

The Sparrow and His Four Children

A sparrow had four young ones in a swallow's nest. When they were fledged, some naughty boys pulled out the nest, but fortunately all the birds got away safely in the high wind. Then the old bird was grieved...

Odds and Ends

There was once upon a time a maiden who was pretty, but idle and negligent. 

Brides On Trial

There was once a young shepherd who wished to marry, and was acquainted with three sisters who were all equally pretty, so that it was difficult for him to make a choice...

The Stolen Pennies

A father was one day sitting at dinner with his wife and his children, and a good friend who had come on a visit was with them. And as they thus sat, and it was striking twelve o'clock, the stranger saw the door open, and a very pale child dressed in snow-white clothes came in.

The Star Money

There was once upon a time a little girl whose father and mother were dead, and she was so poor that she no longer had any little room to live in, or bed to sleep in, and at last she had nothing else but the clothes she was wearing and a little bit of bread in her hand which some charitable soul had given her.

The Shepherd Boy

There was once a shepherd boy whose fame spread far and wide because of the wise answers which he gave to every question. The King of the country heard of it...

The Twelve Idle Servants

Twelve servants who had done nothing all the day would not exert themselves at night either, but laid on the grass and boasted of their idleness.