akorn - Mighty Old Tales Retold

The History of Tom Thumb

In the days of the great Prince Arthur there lived a mighty magician, called Merlin, the most learned and skillful enchanter the world has ever seen.

Mollie Whuppie

Once upon a time there was a man and a wife who had too many children and they could not get meat for them, so they took the three youngest and left them in a wood. 

Childe Rowland

Childe Rowland and his brother twain
Were playing at the ball,
And there was their sister Burd Ellen
In the midst, among them all.
Childe Rowland kicked it with his foot
And caught it with his knee;
At last as he plunged among them all
O'er the church he made it flee.
 

Henny Penny

One day Henny Penny was picking up corn in the corn yard when -- whack; something hit her upon the head.  "Goodness Gracious me!" said Henny Penny; "the sky's a-going to fall; I must go and tell the king."

Jack the Giant Killer

When Good King Arthur reigned, there lived near the Land's End of England, in the county of Cornwall, a farmer who had one only son called Jack.

The Story of the Three Bears

Once upon a time there were Three Bears, who lived together in a house of their own, in a wood.

The Story of the Three Little Pigs

Once upon a time when pigs spoke rhyme,
And monkeys chewed tobacco,
And hens took snuff to make them tough,
And ducks went quack, quack, quack, O!
There was an old sow with three little pigs, ...
 

Jack and the Beanstalk

There was once upon a time a poor widow who had an only son named Jack, and a cow named Milky-white.

Cap O' Rushes

Well, there was once a very rich gentleman, and he had three daughters, and he thought he'd see how fond they were of him.

Nix Nought Nothing

The once lived a king and a queen as many a one has been. They were long married and had no children; but at last a baby boy came to the queen when the king was away in the far countries.