akorn - Mighty Old Tales Retold

The Maid of Brakel

A girl from Brakel once went to St. Anne's Chapel at the foot of the Hinnenberg, and as she wanted to have a husband, and thought there was no one else in the chapel, she sang...

Knoist and His Three Sons

Between Werrel and Soist there lived a man whose name was Knoist, and he had three sons. One was blind, the other lame, and the third stark naked.

The Three Black Princesses

East India was besieged by an enemy who would not retire until had received six hundred dollars. 

Iron John

There was once a King who had a great forest near his palace, full of all kinds of wild animals. One day he sent out a hunter to shoot him a deer, but he did not come back. 

The White Bride and the Black Bride

A woman was going about the countryside with her daughter and her step-daughter, when the Lord came walking towards them in the form of a poor man, and asked, "Which is the way into the village?"

The Six Servants

Long ago there lived an aged Queen who was a sorceress, and her daughter was the most beautiful maiden under the sun. The old woman, however, had no other thought than how to lure mankind to destruction...

The Shoes That Were Danced to Pieces

There was once upon a time a King who had twelve daughters, each one more beautiful than the other. They all slept together in one chamber, in which their beds stood side by side, and every night when they were in them the King locked the door, and bolted it. But in the morning when he unlocked the door, he saw that their shoes were worn out with dancing...

The Fox and the Horse

A peasant had a faithful horse which had grown old and could no more work, so his master would no longer give him anything to eat, and said, "I can certainly make no more use of you, but still I mean well by you; if you prove yourself still strong enough to bring me a lion here, I will maintain you, but now take yourself away out of my stable."

Fair Katrinelje and Pif-Paf-Poltrie

"Good day, Father Hollenthe." "Many thanks, Pif-paf-poltrie." "May I be allowed to have your daughter?"

One-eye, Two-eyes, and Three-eyes

There was once a woman who had three daughters, the eldest of whom was called One-eye, because she had only one eye in the middle of her forehead, and the second, Two-eyes, because she had two eyes like other folks, and the youngest, Three-eyes, because she had three eyes; and her third eye was also in the center of her forehead.