akorn - Mighty Old Tales Retold

The Pied Piper

Newtown, or Franchville, as't was called of old, is a sleepy little town, as you all may know, upon the Solent shore. Sleepy as it is now, it was once noisy enough, and what made the noise was -- rats.

Master of All Masters

A girl once went to a fair to hire herself for a servant. At last a funny-looking old gentleman engaged her, and took her home to his house.

The Well of the World's End

Once upon a time, and a very good time it was, though it wasn't in my time, nor in your time, nor anyone else's time, there was a girl whose mother had died, and her father married again.

Fairy Ointment

Dame Goody was a nurse that looked after sick people, and minded babies. One night she was woke up at midnight, and when she went downstairs, she saw a strange squinny-eyed, little ugly old fellow, who asked her to come to his wife who was too ill to mind the baby.

Kate Crackernuts

Once upon a time there was a king and a queen, as in many lands have been. The king had a daughter, Anne, and the queen had one named Kate, but Anne was far bonnier than the queen's daughter, though they loved one another like real sisters. 

The Magpie's Nest

All the birds of the air came to the magpie and asked her to teach them how to build nests.

The Fish and the Ring

Once upon a time, there was a mighty baron in the North Countrie who was a great magician and knew everything that would come to pass.

The Laidly Worm of Spindleston Heugh

In Bamborough Castle once lived a king who had a fair wife and two children, a son named Childe Wynd and a daughter named Margaret. Childe Wynd went forth to seek his fortune, and soon after he had gone the queen his mother died.

Mr Miacca

Tommy Grimes was sometimes a good boy, and sometimes a bad boy; when he was a bad boy, he was a very bad boy.

Lazy Jack

Once upon a time there was a boy whose name was Jack, and he lived with his mother on a common.