A charming tale about an Tommy, affluent Virginia boy who always gets what he wants at Christmas, only to discover his toys never make him quite happy. He begins to take pity on his poor neighbor Johnny, and slowly understands than only by giving can one find true happiness. - Summary by Miles Smith
3 episodes
The origins of these fables are perhaps lost in obscurity, but they are so closely identified with the Greek writer Aesop, that we may regard them as such. Most of these tales involve interactions among animals, and to each is appended a moral. This edition was edited and illustrated by Thomas Bewick a well-known British engraver and illustrator. The book begins with an excellent introduction - Larry Wilson
189 episodes
A collection of short, sweet fairy tales from Brazil, including How the Tiger Got His Stripes, and Why The Bananas Belong to the Monkey. - Summary by Beth Thomas
19 episodes
Filled with the exuberance of youth and the thrill of discovery, Eva embarks on a Winter walk across snowy fields venturing farther and longer than she had promised her mother. Enticed by a friendly playmate along the way and driven by an insatiable spirit of adventure Eva discovers a wonderful world of snowy elegance peopled by amazing creatures of this Winter land. Fascinated by the marvels that lie before her Eva suddenly realizes she has been away from home far too long and with remorse, hurriedly begins her return. However the way back is cold, difficult and so incredibly tiring. Eva must stop to rest but she's sure it will just be for a moment. - Summary by Bruce Kachuk
2 episodes
A collection of unique stories for listeners with the wisdom to see a bit beyond the printed words. The stories start in Korea with The Laughing Bear (or MOUWOU The Deliverer.as he is also called in Korea) and move through the world of a not nice girl and the visits she receives from the Gray Witch, to the hilarious adventures in the barn yard and we even dip under the world for a few to see what is happening in middle earth. All are interesting and may well surprise you in their uniqueness. - Summary by phil chenevert
7 episodes
The Dream Coach was named a Newbery Honor Book in 1925. Anne Parrish's original stories of dream adventures hold fairy-tale charm that is sure to delight young children, perfect for bedtime reading one chapter at a time. Her tales capture the surreal silliness and strangeness of the dream state and the way our minds slip into that realm without our awareness. There are a couple of phrases early on that betray the cultural insensitivity that used to be acceptable in children's literature in the U.S. (Summary by Lynette Caulkins)
5 episodes
Dear Children:
This is a quite different book from any others you may have read about me. In this volume I have some adventures with real children, like yourselves, as well as with my animal friends.
These stories tell of the joyous, funny, exciting and everyday adventures that happen to you girls and boys. There is the story about a toothache, which you may read, or have read to you, when you want to forget the pain. There is a story of a good boy and a freckled girl. And there is a story about a bad boy, but not everyone is allowed to read that.
There is a story for nearly every occasion in the life of a little boy or girl; about the joys of Christmas, of a birthday; about different animals, about getting lost, and one about falling in a mud puddle. And there are stories about having the measles and mumps, and getting over them.
I hope you will like this book as well as you seem to have cared for the other volumes about me. And you will find some beautiful pictures in this book.
Now, as Nurse Jane is calling me, I shall have to hop along. But I hope you will enjoy these stories.
Your friend,
Uncle Wiggily Longears.
- Summary from preface
36 episodes
Dans ce livre, Xavier Marmier (1808-1892) a rassemblé 44 contes et légendes, collectionnés du monde entier. Parmi eux on trouve des contes allemands des frères Grimm, des légendes des peuples de l'Amérique du Nord, des histoires régionaux de France, des récits orientaux, et bien plus encore. - Summary by Sonia
48 episodes
THERE was once a cat which was not in the least like any cat you have ever seen, or I either, for the matter of that. It was a fairy cat, you see, and so you would rather expect it to be different, wouldn’t you? It had a violet nose, indigo eyes, pale blue ears, green front legs, a yellow body, orange back legs and a red tail. In fact, it was coloured with all the colours of the rainbow, and on that account it was known as the Rainbow Cat.
It lived, of course, in Fairyland, and it had all sorts of strange adventures. I am going to tell you some of them, and I think you will agree with me that it really had a very thrilling time, one way or another. - Summary by author
15 episodes
Edith Ogden Harrison's first published work, Prince Silverwings, is a collection of seven fairy tales for young readers. It is perhaps best known as the source of an unsuccessful stage collaboration with L. Frank Baum, ultimately providing inspiration for several of Baum's Oz books. (Summary by Steven Fellows)
7 episodes
Another great book in the world of Oz, in which King Fumbo of Ragbad loses his head in a storm and Prince Tatters, accompanied by the wise and wonderful old soldier Grampa, sets off to find the king's head, a fortune, and a princess.
With Bill, a live iron weathercock, they visit a Wizard's Garden and discover Urtha, a lovely girl made all of flowers -- and proceed to fall, swim, explode, sail, and fly above and below Oz and Ev. Grampa and Co. eventually meet Dorothy herself, traveling with a Forgetful Poet in search of the missing princess of Perhaps City who has been condemned to marry a monster! Ruth Plumly Thompson really hits her stride in this book, telling the OZ story with her own dash and style that will make you smile and outright laugh each chapter. The puns are continuous and those will make you groan!
22 episodes
This collection is dedicated to recordings of short mythical or legendary works which are in the Public Domain. Appropriate stories tell of legends, heroes, myths, and ancient lore. - Summary by Lynette Caulkins
12 episodes
Voici une collection de 16 contes et légendes de la plume de George Sand (1804-1876), ainsi que la correspondance sur l'affaire tragique de la jeune paysane Fanchette, qui lui tenait à coeur. - Summary by Sonia
23 episodes
Bedtime is the time for strange and wonderful stories as we drift into slumber. This children's book is full of them and the adventures of all who climb that Ladder of Rickety Rungs each night. (Summary by Phil Chenevert)
13 episodes
Have you ever wondered what happens after the story ended? Ruth O. Dyer answers that question using some of the best loved children stories. Children and adults alike will have their curiosity satisfied by discovering just what happened after the story said "the end". - Summary by Jenn Broda
16 episodes
"I have called the present volume "Legends of Saints and Sinners," which to a certain extent it is; but I mean it for a book of Irish Christian folk-lore. My idea in compiling it has been to give for the first time a collection of genuine Irish folk-lore which might be called "Christian." By this I mean folk-stories and folk-poems which are either entirely founded upon Christian conceptions, or else are so far coloured by them, that they could never have been told—at least in their present shape—had not Christianity established itself in Ireland. Every one of these stories conforms fairly to this standard, except one or two, which I give as necessary corollaries. They are all translations from the Irish. I have found hardly any such stories in English. They were mostly collected by myself from the mouths of native speakers, but three or four of them I have taken from Irish MSS. in my own possession, and a few more were given me by my friends. Not one of these stories was ever translated into English before, with the exception of those which I have taken from my own "Religious Songs of Connacht." - Summary by From The Introduction
47 episodes
Samuel Adams was born in 1833, began journalism in 1858, served in the Army for 10 years & returned home to continue with his journalism. Journalism must have been his passion as he did write many books with this one being one of his last. ‘The Myths and Fables of To-day’ is a wonderful collection of myths & fables that are certain to keep the kids smiling. Summary by adr6090.
15 episodes
Both Ovid and Spenser also treat this ancient myth, but Spenser alters the ending, converting the tale into an archetype of fulfilled love, whereas Ovid, like Shakespeare, combines humor with pathos as a buffer against sentimentality. Ovid’s Venus behaves absurdly out of character, becoming a huntress to keep her lover company in the woods. Shakespeare, however, preserves decorum; his Venus remains at all times the queen of love. The humor arises rather from the fact that the would-be paramour isn’t interested. This endows the goddess’s wooing with nearly slapstick over-exertion, and yet her sincerity makes her appealing, while Adonis’s immaturity forces us to respect his chastity. The pathos comes, of course, from the unhappy ending—more unhappy because we do not expect a comedy to end sadly, especially not when we sympathize with the characters.
The poetic form or genre, the epyllion, is an erotic narrative based on mythology, like Marlowe's Hero and Leander and, later, Phineus Fletcher's Venus and Anchises, also found in the Librivox catalogue. Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece, both narrative poems, are the only works that Shakespeare ever carefully saw through the press. - Summary by T. A. Copeland
1 episodes
Uno de los más grandes clásicos de la literatura, leyenda atemporal, escrita por el más universal de los alemanes: J.W. Goethe. Su influencia en todas las artes ha sido y es mayúscula. En esta versión hemos prescindido del extenso prólogo de Juan Valera, aunque a él le debemos la traducción y adaptación de las partes en verso que pretenden compensar la traducción y dotarle de la musicalidad de la obra original en alemán.
El sabio y erudito Fausto hace un pacto con un demonio, Mefistófeles, de manera que éste le ayudará en todo lo que le pida en esta vida. A cambio le entregará su alma cuando muera.
- Summary by Epachuko
29 episodes
David Cory is the author of more than 40 childrens books. This is one in his series of Puss in Boots, Jr. The roots of the legend of Puss in Boots seems to go back to Italian folklore. These books are written for younger readers, about second grade and up, hence the "junior" designation - Summary by Larry Wilson
46 episodes
Here they are again, the old, old stories, the very best; dear Cinderella, wicked old Bluebeard, tiny Thumbling, beautiful Beauty and the ugly Beast, and a host of others. But the old stories, I may tell you, are always new, and always must be so, because there are new children to read them every day, and to these, of course, these old tales might have been written yesterday. And these old stories are new too, because each reader performs them in a unique way that brings a fresh interpretation to the story- Summary by the author and phil chenevert
15 episodes
Alice’s adventures in Wonderland is probably one of the most well known and popular children's novels in the English language. Written in 1865 by Charles Lutwidge Dodgeson, better known by his pen name ‘Lewis Carrol’. Lewis, a mathematician, poet, photographer and inventor, tells a surreal fantasy tale, of Alice, who visits a world of unnatural logic after following a very smart White Rabbit, down a rabbit hole. The world she discovers is inhabited by the strangest and most endearing characters; The ‘Mad Hatter’, the sleepy ‘Dormouse’, the ‘Queen of Hearts’ and many more.Every child should insist that this story is read to them! And they will remember it for ever, just like Alice.This book was originally illustrated by Sir John Tenniel. His images are iconic and help to seed the imagination of any little person, no matter how big they are!
Download them here: http://www.alice-in-wonderland.net/resources/pictures/alices-adventures-in-wonderland/ (Summary by Craig Franklin)
12 episodes
David Cory is the author of more than 40 childrens books. This book is in his series of Puss in Boots, Jr. The roots of the legend of Puss in Boots seems to go back to Italian folklore. These books are written for younger readers, about second grade and up, hence the "junior" designation
- Summary by Larry Wilson
48 episodes
These are some of the wonderful little stories about animals written by Beatrix Potter. The disobedient little Peter who sneaks where he should not go and gets into a scary situation is just one of her nifty tales. This is storytelling at its best: warm and fuzzy and sometimes with a moral for little ears, but not too often. Welcome to the hippity-hoppity world of bunnies and other little creatures who have difficulties but always find a way out. - Summary by Phil Chenevert
18 episodes
Коллекция "Народные русские сказки" А.Н. Афанасьева впервые представила в печати народную сказочную традицию в своем многообразии и истинном виде, бережно сохраняя особенности ее самобытной поэтики. Немногие книги оказали столь же глубокое влияние на русскую культуру как этот сборник, ставший по словам В.И. Проппа "в полном смысле этого слова народной книгой". В предлагаемой аудиокниге сказки читаются по изданию 1860-х годов (8 выпусков).Alexander Afanasyev's collection of Russian fairy tales was the first large edition to present this oral tradition in its authentic form, carefully preserving the poetry of its distinctive vernacular expressions. It became a standard primary source for the genre, exercising a far-reaching influence on Russian culture. Thе fairy tales in this audiobook are drawn from an 8-volume edition of the 1860s. ( Kazbek)
21 episodes
牛郎织女传为明代朱名世编辑的白话神话小说，原作者已不可考，讲述了牛郎和织女被玉帝拘禁，分开至天河两侧，后因情深而得以于每年七月七夕自天河两侧踏鹊桥团聚的爱情故事，其中牛郎趁织女洗澡时偷走织女的衣服的情节是编者首次加入的。该书整合了历朝历代关于牛郎和织女的故事，是目前的第一部完整记述牛郎织女故事的中篇小说。
This is the love story of the cowherd and the weaver girl, who were separated by force to the two ends of the heavenly river. They later moved the Jade Emperor by their persistence and were permitted to meet once a year on a bridge of magpies. The two lovers are paralleled to the stars Vega and Altair in the Milky Way. (summary by Guomin)
12 episodes
Another Oz book! Yes! Lots of unlikely characters and tons of fun. In this story, young King Randy of Regalia is visited by his old friend, Kabumpo, the Elegant Elephant of Pumperdink. Together, they set out to visit their friend Jinnicky the Red Jinn in the Land of Ev.. On the way, they meet Planetty, the silver Princess from Anuther Planet, and her fire-breathing colt, Thun. When they reach Jinnicky's palace, they find that Jinnicky has been deposed and enchanted by an untrustworthy slave. - Summary by phil chenvert and wiki
20 episodes
Julian Hawthorne spins a charming fairy tale featuring the mischievous dwarf Rumpty-Dudget', Princess Hilda, Prince Frank and the Queen. Add in some gnomes, golden Ivy-seed, diamond water-drops and magic fire and you are in for enchanting adventures. - Summary by Larry Wilson
10 episodes
