World of Tales
Stories for children, folktales, fairy tales and fables from around the world

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These are folktales written and submitted by users. If you want to submit a folktale, please use the contact form.

Sang Kancil Counts the Crocodiles
(Sang Kancil Mengira Buaya)
A Malaysian folktale

Deep in the tropical rainforest of Malaysia where one can hear many kinds of birds, for instance, magpies, cuckoos and sometimes hornbills singing to their hearts-content, the sound of cicadas crying to attract their potential mates and if one is lucky enough he or she can hear the cries of siamangs or lotongs as they rummage the forest to find food or just play by clinging or swinging from one tree to another using the strong vines hanging from the green canopies.

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Author: Khairun Nisa License:Creative commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs© - Khairun Nisa

Lion and Jackal
A South African folktale

The Lion and the Jackal agreed to hunt on shares, for the purpose of laying in a stock of meat for the winter months for their families.

As the Lion was by far the more expert hunter of the two, the Jackal suggested that he (himself) should be employed in transporting the game to their dens, and that Mrs. Jackal and the little Jackals should prepare and dry the meat, adding that they would take care that Mrs. Lion and her family should not want.

This was agreed to by the Lion, and the hunt commenced.

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Author: James Honey/Submitted by: World of TalesLicense: Public Domain

The man who never lied
An African folktale

Once upon a time there lived a wise man by the name of Mamad. He never lied. All the people in the land, even the ones who lived twenty days away, knew about him.

The king heard about Mamad and ordered his subjects to bring him to the palace. He looked at the wise man and asked:

" Mamad, is it true, that you have never lied?"

" It's true."

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Author: World of TalesLicense:World of Tales© - All rights reserved

The beggar and the miser
An Arab folktale

An old beggar passed through an old village. He knocked on the door of a big beautiful house, with a tall barn and a large iron padlock on the gate. In this house lived a man, known in the village for his miserliness: he never helped people, even though he was very rich.

'Please give me some meat or milk?' - asked the beggar.

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Author: World of TalesLicense:World of Tales© - All rights reserved

The monk and the student
A Chinese folktale

In one school the teacher was a monk. Most of all he loved to have a snack and a nap afterwards. Every time before the lessons he ate so much that he could barely move.

Soon after the beginning of the lessons he always took a nap and slept until the bell for the end of the lessons sounded.

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Author: World of TalesLicense:World of Tales© - All rights reserved

The herb ”mega”
A Japanese folktale

A poor merchant dropped in the village inn to spend the night. He left aside his merchandise and asked the innkeeper to prepare dinner.

The merchant had a few items and a couple of coins, but the greedy innkeeper thought:” Why shouldn't I take all his merchandise and money.”

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Author: World of TalesLicense:World of Tales© - All rights reserved

The two brothers and the white-bearded old man
A European folktale

Once upon a time there were two brothers. They decided to start venturing from town to town and from village to village to to seek happiness. Along the way they saw an old man with white beard heading towards them.

The old man stopped and asked the boys where they were headed. When he found out he told them:

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Author: World of TalesLicense:World of Tales© - All rights reserved

The nightingale
A European folktale

One day a nobleman caught a nightingale and wanted to put it in a cage. But the bird spoke to him:

- Let me go and I will give you a good advice. It may be of use to you some day.

The rich man agreed to let it go.

The nightingale gave him these advices:

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Author: World of TalesLicense:World of Tales© - All rights reserved

Prince Kindhearted
A Polish folktale

One day a nobleman caught a nightingale and wanted to put it in a cage. But the bird spoke to him:

- Let me go and I will give you a good advice. It may be of use to you some day.

The rich man agreed to let it go.

The nightingale gave him these advices:

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Author: Laure Claire Foucher/Submitted by: World of TalesLicense:Public Domain

The toy-goose
A Danish folktale

A Flea, a Grasshopper, and a Toy-goose once wanted to see which of them could jump highest, and so they invited the whole world and everybody else who would like to come, to see the frolic. When the three met together in the room, everyone thought they were remarkable jumpers.

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Author: Laure Claire Foucher/Submitted by: World of TalesLicense:Public Domain

"It is quite true!"
A Danish folktale

"That is a terrible story!" said a Hen in a quarter of the town where the affair had not happened. "That is a terrible story from a poultry-yard. I dare not sleep alone to-night! It is quite fortunate that there are so many of us on the roost together!" And she told a tale, which made the feathers of the other hens stand on end, and the cock's comb fall down flat. It is quite true!

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Author: Laure Claire Foucher/Submitted by: World of TalesLicense:Public Domain


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