akorn - Mighty Old Tales Retold

The Four Skillful Brothers

There was once a poor man who had four sons, and when they were grown up, he said to them, "My dear children, you must now go out into the world, for I have nothing to give you, so set out, and go to some distance, and learn a trade, and see how you can make your way."

The Lazy Spinner

In a certain village there once lived a man and his wife, and the wife was so idle that she would never work at anything; whatever her husband gave her to spin, she did not get done, and what she did spin she did not wind, but let it remain entangled in a heap. 

The Iron Stove

In the days when wishing was still of some use, a King's son was bewitched by an old witch, and shut up in an iron stove in a forest. There he passed many years and no one could deliver him.

Ferdinand the Faithful

Once upon a time lived a man and a woman who so long as they were rich had no children, but when they were poor they had a little boy. They could however find no godfather for him, so the man said he would just go to another place to see if he could get one there.

The Devil and his Grandmother

There was a great war, and the King had many soldiers, but gave them small pay, so small that they couldn't live upon it, so three of them agreed among themselves to desert.

The Three Brothers

There was once a man who had three sons, and nothing else in the world but the house in which he lived. Now each of the sons wished to have the house after his father's death...

The Old Woman in the Wood

A poor servant girl was once traveling with the family with which she was in service, through a great forest, and when they were in the middle of it, robbers came out of the thicket, and murdered all they found. All perished together except for the girl...

Donkey Cabbages

There was once a young hunter who went into the forest to lie in wait. He had a fresh and joyous heart, and as he was going there, whistling upon a leaf, an ugly old crone came up, who spoke to him and said, "Good day, dear hunter, truly you are merry and contented, but I am suffering from hunger and thirst, do give me an alms."

The King's Son Who Feared Nothing

There was once a King's son, who was no longer content to stay at home in his father's house, and as he had no fear of anything, he thought, "I will go forth into the wide world, there the time will not seen long to me, and I shall see wonders enough."

The Three Apprentices

There were once three apprentices, who had agreed to keep always together while traveling, and always to work in the same town. At one time, however, their masters had no more work to give them...