Family Folktales

A baboon and a rabbit outsmart each other in this tale from Zimbabwe. But who will prove to be the cleverer of the two?

A prince is sent on a quest by his stepmother, the queen; will he find what he seeks, or even return home?

A young man is determined to marry a princess. Will he be able to accomplish the King’s impossible tasks on his own, or will he need a bit of help from someone who wants him to succeed?

A Clever duckling loans money to the King, who refuses to repay the loan. When Drakestail and his unusual friends seek repayment, how far will the king go to avoid paying what he owes?

Welcome to The Arabian Nights Entertainments! This is the sixteenth and final part of Andrew Lang’s The Arabian Nights Entertainments. In this series, you’ll hear some familiar stories, some new stories, and even stories within stories.This is the final installment of The Arabian Nights Entertainments! We close out by finishing The Story of Two Sisters Who Were Jealous of Their Younger Sister. Three siblings, all young adults, have been orphaned without learning anything of their unusual origins. As a strange quest continues, their lives move closer to that of the Sultan; whose secrets will be revealed by the end of the story?

A soldier is foiled in his attempt to marry a princess; as a result, he spends years searching for her. Will he find her before she marries another?

Three women challenge each other to see whose husband is the stupidest; the winner will drink free on their weekly outings!

Three sisters are left at home when their father goes on a journey for the king; despite his clear instructions, he finds that two of them disobeyed him while he was away, and the third has incurred the wrath of the king. Will Maria be able to aid her father in the impossible task set by the king and save her own life?

A family’s daughter has disappeared while tending the flocks, and two of her brothers have never returned from their searches for her. Will the youngest son find them, or meet the fate of the others?

A wicked stepmother sends her stepdaughter out into the snow, expecting her to die. But the Frost King is pleased with her answers to his questions and rewards the kind girl generously. When the woman sends her brat of a daughter out to seek the Frost King’s riches, what do you think will happen?

An owl and an eagle, best friends, decide they must find wives to tend their home and care for them. When the pair disappear for days, their wives set out with their children to find them. What challenges will the women face?

A princess is determined to marry the Green Knight, whom she met in her dreams. Will her wicked stepmother find a way to keep the lovers apart forever?

A wicked count requires a young woman to spin her wedding shift and his burial shroud out of nettles from the cemetery before he will allow her to marry her beloved. No one has spun nettles before; is she up for the task?

A couple is thrilled when they have a child the size of a hazel-nut, but they find it difficult to be supportive when he announces his plan to become a messenger. When he goes out to seek his fortune, will his small size be a help or a hindrance?

Two young men fall in love with the same woman, and one conspires to abandon his friend on an island. But what will happen when he draws blood from a lovely young elf maiden?

A poor woman on her way to market is accosted by a head with no body, which then follows her home! Might there be a way for the two to help each other?

A prince’s three sisters have all married wizards who can transform into birds, while the prince marries a warrior princess. Will his sisters’ husbands be able to help him when he inadvertently releases his bride’s arch-enemy?

Two cats fall in love and leave their homes to find happiness together. When one is taken in by a princess, what will become of the other?

A tailor kills seven flies in a single blow! But when his bragging is a bit unclear, who knows what adventures await?

Cinderlad proves to be braver than his older brothers and is generously rewarded, but will he find a way to win the hand of the princess?