This book contains the following stories:
Jack and the Beanstalk
˜Fee fie fo fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman. Be he alive or be he dead, I'll grind his bones to make my bread'. Lazy Jack lives with his poor mother in a little shack. They are so poor that one day she sends Jack off to market to sell their cow so they can buy food. On the way to market Jack meets a stranger who persuades him to part with the cow for some magic beans. When Jack returns home with no cow and no money his mother is furious and throws the beans out of the window. The next morning the two awake to find that a huge beanstalk has gronw from the beans. Jack climbs the beanstalk and finds a new land at the top complete with a castle and a very grumpy giant. Whilst the giant is asleep Jack steals a hen that lays golden eggs. On a second trip he steals bags of money. On the third trip he tries to steal a golden harp, but the harp calls for its master and the giant wakes up and follows Jack down the beanstalk. As soon as Jack reaches the ground, he sets to work to chop
Pinocchio
Gepetto the carpenter finds a piece of magic wood which he makes into a puppet to be the son he's always wanted. Pinocchio is very happy living with his father but he longs to be a real boy and not a puppet any more. This can only happen if he learns to be good. Pinocchio finds this tricky, particularly as he seems to meet a fair share of tricksters, the Fox and the Cat being no exception. Despite advice from the talking Jiminy Cricket Pinocchio gets into all sorts of trouble, including selling his school book for tickets to the Great Marionette Theatre, and foolishly planting gold coins in the Field of Miracles. And when he lies his nose grows! However during his many adventures Pinocchio learns what it means to be good and eventually the Fairy rewards him and turns him into a real boy.
Cinderella
Cinderella REALLY wants to go to the ball but her wicked stepmother and ugly sisters think she's better off at home doing the chores. Along comes the fairy godmother, waves her magic wand and Cinders's clothes are transformed into a gorgeous ball gown. Off she goes to the palace ball in a pumpkin coach and horses transformed from mice. But when the clock strikes midnight Cinders reverts to her tattered old self, and the prince has only a glass slipper to find his gorgeous girly.
Puss in Boots
Puss in Boots is a clever cat who won't settle for his master being poor. He gives gifts to the king on behalf of his master then creates an illusion that his master is actually the rich Marquis de Carabas. His master deception is enhanced when he manages to dupe a wicked giant out of his grand castle and claim the surrounding land as his master's. The king is so impressed with the riches of the young man that he allows Carabas to marry his daughter. And Puss in Boots lives happily ever after with his master in the lap of luxury!
The original tale of "Aladdin" is a part of the collection of Middle Eastern folk tales known as "One Thousand and One Nights" or "Arabian Nights." It was first introduced to the Western world through a French translation by Antoine Galland in the early 18th century. The tale of Aladdin tells of an impoverished young lad in a Chinese town, persuaded by the evil sorcerer Maghreb to retrieve a magic lamp containing a genie. The story follows the escapades of Aladdin and Maghreb as they fight to own the lamp and the magic it contains. Here is a summary of the plot based on the original tale:
Plot Summary:
Act 1: Aladdin's Humble Beginnings Aladdin is a poor young boy who lives in the city of Agrabah. He survives by stealing and doing odd jobs. One day, he meets a sorcerer (not named Jafar in the original tale) who claims to be his long-lost uncle and offers him an opportunity to find wealth and riches.
Act 2: The Magic Lamp and the Genie The sorcerer takes Aladdin outside the city to a hidden cave and instructs him to retrieve an old oil lamp. However, he warns Aladdin not to touch anything else in the cave. Curious, Aladdin rubs the lamp and accidentally releases a powerful genie who can grant him three wishes.
Act 3: Aladdin's Wishes Aladdin uses his first wish to be transported back home, and he uses his second wish to become a wealthy prince. With the help of the genie, he transforms into a grand prince and arrives at the palace in Agrabah. There, he meets Princess Badroulbadour (not Jasmine) and falls in love with her.
Act 4: The Sorcerer's Deception The sorcerer returns to Agrabah, disguised as a merchant, and recognizes Aladdin. He tricks Aladdin's mother into believing that Aladdin is dead, and convinces her that he can help find her son.
Act 5: The Final Confrontation The sorcerer finds Aladdin and tricks him into giving him the magic lamp. However, Aladdin refuses to hand over the lamp before the sorcerer pulls him out of the cave, leaving Aladdin trapped inside.
Act 6: Aladdin's Rescue and Victory Aladdin uses the genie to escape from the cave and devises a plan to defeat the sorcerer. With the help of the genie, he exposes the sorcerer's deceit and regains the lamp.
Act 7: Happy Ending With the magic lamp back in his possession, Aladdin uses his third wish to set the genie free. The genie, grateful for his freedom, grants Aladdin and Princess Badroulbadour a life of happiness and prosperity. They live happily ever after.
The original tale of "Aladdin" is a captivating story of rags to riches, magical adventures, and the power of true love. It has inspired countless adaptations and remains a beloved part of world folklore and literature.
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Father Bear, Mother Bear and Baby Bear live in cottage in the woods. One morning Mother Bear makes porridge for breakfast but it is so hot that the bears decide to go for a pre-breakfast walk. Whilst they are out a little girl with golden hair goes into their cottage. Goldilocks sees the three bowls of porridge and eats up the small one. Then she tries the three chairs in turn, but is too big for Baby Bear's chair and smashes it. Feeling like a nap she looks for a nice bed to sleep in and finds that Baby Bear's bed is just right. When the bears return Goldilocks is fast asleep. What will the bears do to their burglar?
The Ugly Duckling
A mother duck sits on her eggs. When they hatch she has five pretty ducklings and one ugly grey duckling. ‘How ugly you are, ’ says the mother to her duckling. Wherever they go the message is the same – ugly, ugly duckling. The ugly duckling is so upset he runs away and hides. Spring turns to summer and then winter and the ugly duckling stays hidden away from the mean animals. Then spring returns and the ugly duckling emerges from his hiding place to admire a flock of swans on the river. ‘How beautiful you are’, he says to them. ‘But so are you’, reply the swans and point to the ugly duckling’s reflection in the pond. He follows their gaze and realises he is not an ugly duckling any more but has transformed into beautiful swan.
"The Steadfast Tin Soldier" is a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, first published in 1838. The story is about a tin soldier with one leg who falls in love with a paper ballerina. Here is a summary of the tale:
The story begins with a young boy receiving a set of toy soldiers for his birthday. All the soldiers are exactly alike except for one, who is missing a leg. Despite his imperfection, the tin soldier stands steadfastly at attention and catches the eye of a beautiful paper ballerina in the boy's room. The soldier is captivated by her grace and beauty.
One day, a strong gust of wind blows the window open, and the paper ballerina is knocked off the table and falls into the street below. The tin soldier, without hesitation, jumps after her. Thus begins a series of perilous adventures for the steadfast tin soldier. He encounters various challenges, including a storm drain, a fish, and even a dangerous encounter with a boy who throws him into the fire. Through it all, the tin soldier remains unwavering and courageous.
Eventually, the tin soldier is swallowed by a fish. Inside the fish, he finds the paper ballerina, who has also been swallowed. In this confined space, the tin soldier and the ballerina declare their love for each other.
The fish is caught by a fisherman, and when he cuts it open, he finds the tin soldier and the ballerina. However, a series of events, including a jealous goblin and a final adventure in a paper boat, lead to a tragic end for the tin soldier. In the end, the tin soldier is consumed by fire, but his love for the ballerina remains unshaken.
"The Steadfast Tin Soldier" is a tale of love, bravery, and unwavering devotion. It reflects themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and the enduring power of love even in the face of adversity.
Little Red Riding Hood
Little Red Riding Hood as told by Charles Perrault tells of the good little girl who divulges to the Big Bad Wolf the location of her grandmother's house in the forest. Wolf eats grandma then lies in wait for Little Red. She arrives and is eaten by the wolf. In later versions of the story Red and her Grandma are saved by the Huntsman who cuts open the wolf and pulls the living, breathing Red and Granny from the wolf's belly.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
A queen sat sewing and pricked her finger. A spot of blood fell on her white cloth and she sighed. 'How I wish I could have a daughter with cheeks as red as blood, hair as black as ivory and skin as white as snow'. The queen's wish was granted and soon she gave birth to a beautiful daughter who she named Snow White. But then the queen died and the king remarried. The new queen was very vain and every day she would ask her mirror 'Mirror mirror on the wall who is the fairest of them all', to which the mirror would reply, 'You are the fairest o queen'. Time passed and the queen got older and her face dropped, and Snow White grew into a beautiful woman. The day came when the mirror in all honesty could not say that the queen was the most beautiful of them all, but had to reply 'O queen lovely as you are, Snow White is now fairer'. The queen was very cross and ordered a huntsman to take Snow White into the forest and kill her, bringing back her heart as proof of the deed. The huntsman could not bear to kill Snow White so he left her alive in the forest and took back the heart of an animal instead. But the mirror revealed that Snow White was still alive and living as a housemaid with seven dwarfs. The Queen set out to kill Snow White herself. When the girl ate the poisoned apple she dropped down as if dead and the Queen was satisfied. The dwarfs wept over the glass coffin. A prince was so taken with Snow White's beauty that he lifted her from the coffin, dislodging the apple and so brought her magically back to life. The two were married, and the Queen superceded.
The Three Little Pigs
Three little pigs grow up and the time comes for them to leave home and make their own way in the world. The first little pig builds himself a house of straw. The second little pig builds himself a house of sticks. The third little pig builds himself a house of bricks. One day a wolf comes along and blows down the house of straw. The first little pig escapes to his brother’s house of sticks and hides with him, but the wolf follows and blows down the house of sticks too. The two brothers then seek sanctuary at the third brother’s house of bricks, thinking that the wolf cannot blow down such a solid structure. This is true, but the wolf then climbs down the chimney. However, the third little pig – being a sensible sort – makes sure that there is a big cooking pot on the fire to catch the wolf and the three pigs have a yummy wolf flavoured dinner.
"Tom Thumb," also known as "Little Thumbling," is a well-known folk tale collected by the Brothers Grimm. Here's a summary of the plot:
Once upon a time, a childless couple longed for a child, no matter how small. Their wish was granted when a tiny boy, no bigger than his father's thumb, was born to them. They named him Tom Thumb.
Despite his small size, Tom Thumb was incredibly clever and resourceful. One day, his parents decided to send him to the forest to gather strawberries. Tom Thumb, along with his brothers, set out on this adventure. However, they soon became separated, and Tom Thumb found himself lost in the woods.
During his journey, Tom Thumb encountered a band of robbers. Using his wit, he managed to outsmart them and escape unharmed. He continued his travels and eventually reached the king's palace. The queen, fascinated by his small size, took him in and cared for him like her own child.
Tom Thumb's adventures didn't end there. He went on various escapades, including riding a mouse, fighting a giant, and outwitting a greedy innkeeper. Each time, his intelligence and cunning helped him overcome challenges.
In one version of the story, Tom Thumb is swallowed by a cow, but he cleverly escapes by tickling the inside of the cow's throat until she coughs him up unharmed.
In the end, after many adventures, Tom Thumb safely returned home to his parents. His bravery, resourcefulness, and cleverness were celebrated, and he lived happily with his family.
"Tom Thumb" is a classic fairy tale that showcases the triumph of intelligence and cleverness over size, proving that even the smallest individuals can achieve great things through wit and courage.
