Showing results by author "Andrew Lang" in All Categories

Big Klaus and Little Klaus lived in the same village, but while Little Klaus only had one horse, Big Klaus had four. Big Klaus eventually strikes Little Klaus' one horse over the head with a blow that kills him. Upset and needing money, Little Klaus sets off to sell the horse skin in town. Cleverly, Little Klaus finds a way to make a lot of money from a farmer and a sexton, and then tricks Big Klaus into making a fool of himself. Big Klaus then tries to kill Little Klaus. Shame for Big Klaus - he should have learned by now that while Little Klaus might be little, he's also very clever.

Alphege was born the son of a King, whose mother died in childbirth. His father remarried a new queen who also bore him a child. The queen desired for her son to be the rightful heir, so from the very beginning she looked for ways to rid the kingdom of Alphege. One day, Alphege went on a journey to visit his aunt in a far-off land and an evil fairy cast a spell on him that turned him into a green monkey. His father soon died and the queen's son became the new king. Years passed by until the kingdom discovered the truth of the green monkey that appeared in the kingdom.

Prince Ring was a prince not as adventurous as most. But one day, while out hunting, he finds a beautiful golden ring on the antlers of a deer that greatly attracts him and he finds himself on a much greater adventure than he ever intended.

A king and queen who have long had everything they desire except a child, are finally graced with one but are immediately faced with tragedy. The queen dies on the day after her son is born, but not before she warns her husband to never let their son's feet touch the ground or else he will be immediately taken by an evil fairy. As he grew, everyone was careful to keep him from touching the ground - using wheelchairs, litters, and even horses, which he especially excelled at.

Ferko, a handsome young man, was born into a very poor family with very wicked brothers. Because the family is so poor, the parents have to send the three brothers away, with only a loaf of bread each. The brothers gang up on Ferko while he is sleeping, stealing his bread and convincing him he consumed it in his sleep. Taking advantage of his starvation, they trick him into allowing them to blind him and break his legs.

Martin entered town and saw a man dragging a cat by a string heading off to drown the creature. Martin offered to purchase the cat instead and spent the rest of the family's money on the cat. Outraged, his mother kicked him out of the house and off he went with the dog and cat. Martin worked honest labor for the next year, and then finds himself on quite an adventure after he rescues a burning damsel and takes her back to her father. From him, he receives a magical ring that seems to get him into more trouble.

There once was a fisherman who sold all his catches to the king. One day, the fisherman caught a golden crab, which he set aside instead of selling it to the king. Much to the surprise of the fisherman and his wife, the golden crab could talk! He requested that the fisherman go to the king and tell him that he wished to marry his youngest daughter.

There once was a young shepherd who one day discovers a wounded giant. Although at first frightened, he decides to care for the giant who shows his gratitude by giving the young boy a belt of invisibility and taking him underground to a giant's wedding celebration. The boy sneaks a loaf of bread away with him while he is leaving so that he might have something to eat the next day but much to his chagrin, he is unable to tear the bread when he tries. He then tries biting it and is shocked when pieces of gold fall from the loaf.

There once was a princess lost in a forest, terribly distraught, who stumbled upon a talking iron stove in the middle of the forest. The stove told the princess he could direct her back to her father's kingdom if she promised one thing - that she would return and marry him. She was scared, but agreed, and made her way back to her father. Her father did not want his only daughter to marry an iron stove, so they tried to trick the stove by sending first the miller's daughter, and then the swineherd's daughter. He was not tricked, so soon the king relented and sent his daughter.

When three poor soldiers found themselves unable to live on their meager pay, they decided to try to desert the army. The three men are forced to hide, trapped because the army is not moving on from the camp. While stuck in a ditch, the men encounter a dragon who offers to take them into his service for seven years. They layer find out the dark side of the deal, when the dragon tells them they will only be released if they can solve a riddle. One of the soldiers stumbles across the grandmother of the dragon....

After losing his beloved wife, a king, who was also a wizard, sets off on a voyage to foreign lands, as he can’t stand to be reminded of his lost wife. Using his wizardry, he sets his sights on a princess who he locks up in a tower, hoping she will one day give in and marry him. He then finds out that the princess may have set her sights on his own son and sends his son away. His son travels to the kingdom that the captured princess had come from and comes up with a plan to try to save the princess.

When he undertakes the daunting task of saving his father’s ailing fruit trees, the young Prince Iwanich becomes enamored by a dream lady, Militza, who he cannot speak of, for he is bound to secrecy. Praised as a hero for saving his father’s trees, the prince flees in search of the woman and her palace. They become betrothed, but one day, Militza is called away on duty, and leaves the prince with one request: there is one room in the house forbidden to him. But burning with curiosity, the prince opens the door....

During the 19th century, brothers Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm traveled across Germany to write down the folk tales that had been told at kitchen tables, hearths, and bedsides for centuries. In doing so, they preserved a rich heritage of storytelling that connects us to the past. These favorite Grimm fairy tales showcase the evils of greed and jealousy and the redeeming power of love.

Imagine a time of fairies and giants, when good always triumphed over evil, and bravery and cunning saveed the day. That's the world inhabited by this collection of favorite fairy tales, retold in charming prose by Andrew Lang. Children will love hearing how Jack made his fortune; how a quick-thinking queen saved her baby from Rumpelstiltskin; how a clever cat turned his master into a marquis; and how even a spiteful fairy couldn't stop true love from waking a sleeping princess.

The prolific Scottish 19th century writer Andrew Lang translated Homer and wrote novels. But he is best remembered now for his collections of books for younger readers, especially his nine volumes of fairy tales named after a color, such as The Lilac Fairy Book and The Orange Fairy Book. The Story of King Frost comes from The Yellow Fairy Book, first published in 1894.

Andrew Lang (1844 - 1912) was a British poet, novelist, literary critic, and collector of folk and fairy tales. In this essay, he investigates the mystery of the man in the iron mask of Alexander Dumas' novel. Lang traces the progress of the romantic legend, as it blossomed after the death of the man whose mask was not of iron, but of black velvet. The legend struck root and flowered, from the moment when the poor valet, Martin (“Eustache Dauger”), was immured in the French fortress of Pignerol.

An engrossing collection of eight short stories to entertain children of all ages, especially perfect for long car journeys.

Make bedtime magical with this collection of eight enchanting fairy tales that will have your little one dreaming of magical kingdoms and golden geese.

Get cosy in bed and as we settle down to the classic fairy tale “The Magic Swan” by Andrew Lang, followed by a soothing classic lullaby “London Bridge” sung by Bella Butterfly to help you drift off to sleep.

Have you got yourself a nice cup of hot chocolate? Settle down for the day to a collection of classic fairy tales from your favourite authors; the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, Andrew Lang and Flora Annie Steel.