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"The Fairies is a classic folk tale by Charles Perrault. Once upon a time there was a widow who had two daughters. The elder was often mistaken for her mother, so like her was she both in nature and in looks. Both of them were so disagreeable and arrogant that no one could live with them. The younger girl, who was a true likeness of her father in the gentleness and sweetness of her disposition, was also one of the most beautiful girls imaginable. The mother doted on the elder daughter naturally enough, since she resembled her so closely; and she disliked the younger one just as intensely. She made her eat all her meals in the kitchen and work from morning till night. One of the poor child's many duties was to go twice a day and draw water from a spring a good half mile away, bringing it back in a large pitcher. One day when she was at the spring an old woman came up and begged for a drink... - -"
Charles Perrault (Author), Katie Haigh (Narrator)
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"Rapunzel is a well-known fairy tale of German origin, recorded by the Brothers Grimm. A lonely couple, who want a child, lived next to a walled garden belonging to an evil witch named Dame Gothel. The wife, experiencing the cravings associated with the arrival of her long-awaited pregnancy, notices a rapunzel plant (or, in most translated-to-English versions[9] of the story, rampion), growing in the garden and longs for it, desperate to the point of death. One night, her husband breaks into the garden to get some for her. She makes a salad out of it and greedily eats it. It tastes so good that she longs for more. So her husband goes to get some for her a second time. As he scales the wall to return home, Dame Gothel catches him and accuses him of theft. He begs for mercy, and she agrees to be lenient, and allows him to take all he wants, on condition that the baby be given to her at birth. - -"
The Brothers Grimm (Author), Katie Haigh (Narrator)
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The Emperor's New Clothes, a Classic Fairy Tale
"Classic fairy tales and stories are an essential part of children's development. Our audiobook collection means to bring together the fairy tales, stories, myths and legends which have fed the children of many generations in the years when the imagination is awakening and craving stimulus and material to work upon. The classic stories in this compilation all have in common the use of powerful imagery, to feed children's dreams, ignite their imagination and stir healthy emotions into light; let your children discover the love of these fundamental parts of our culture and share the pleasure of narration. This compilation includes folk tales, classic tales by Charles Perrault and Hans Christian Andersen, and stories from the Arabian Nights, narrated in a warm and lively way: The Enchanted Horse; the Story of Peter Pan, by James Barrie; The Master Cat, or Puss in Boots; Snow Drop and the Seven Dwarves; Cinderilla, by Charles Perrault; Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves; Sinbad the Sailor; The Frog Prince; Sleeping Beauty in the Woods, and The Fairies, by Charles Perrault. - -"
Hans Christian Andersen (Author), Katie Haigh (Narrator)
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"A very ancient folk tale, often copied and translated, found in Grimm's compilation of fairy tales. This is a moral tale about a poor shoemaker who receives unexpected help when he thinks he won't be able to make it: elves come into his house and shoulder his work for him. - -"
The Brothers Grimm (Author), Katie Haigh (Narrator)
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The Brave Tin Soldier, a Fairy Tale
"The brave tin soldier also called 'The Steadfast Tin Soldier' is a literary fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen about a tin soldier's love for a paper ballerina. On his birthday, a boy receives a set of 25 toy soldiers all cast from one old tin spoon and arrays them on a table top. One soldier stands on a single leg, as having been the last one cast there was not enough metal to make him whole. Nearby, the soldier spies a paper ballerina with a spangle on her sash. She too is standing on one leg and the soldier falls in love. That night, a goblin among the toys in the form of a Jack-in-the-box angrily warns the soldier to take his eyes off the ballerina, but the soldier ignores him. The next day, the soldier falls from a windowsill (presumably the work of the goblin) and lands in the street. Two boys find the soldier, place him in a paper boat, and set him sailing in the gutter... - -"
Hans Christian Andersen (Author), Katie Haigh (Narrator)
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The Master Cat or Puss in Boots, a Fairy Tale
"Master Cat; or, The Booted Cat (French: Le Chat Botté), commonly known in English as 'Puss in Boots', is a European literary fairy tale about a cat who uses trickery and deceit to gain power, wealth, and the hand of a princess in marriage for his penniless and low-born master. The tale opens with the third and youngest son of a miller receiving his inheritance—a cat. At first, the youngest son laments, as the eldest brother gains the mill, and the middle brother gets the mules. The feline is no ordinary cat, however, but one who requests and receives a pair of boots. Determined to make his master's fortune, the cat bags a rabbit in the forest and presents it to the king as a gift from his master, the fictional Marquis of Carabas. The cat continues making gifts of game to the king for several months. One day, the king decides to take a drive with his daughter... - -"
Charles Perrault (Author), Katie Haigh (Narrator)
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"Blue beard (French: La Barbe bleue) is a very famous classic fairy tale written by Charles Perrault. Bluebeard is a wealthy aristocrat, feared and shunned because of his ugly, blue beard. He has been married several times, but no one knows what became of his wives. He is therefore avoided by the local girls. When Bluebeard visits one of his neighbours and asks to marry one of his two daughters, the girls are terrified, and each tries to pass him on to the other. Eventually he talks the younger daughter into visiting him, and after hosting a wonderful banquet, he persuades her to marry him. After the ceremony, she goes to live with him in his castle. Very shortly after, Bluebeard announces that he must leave the country for a while; he gives all the keys of the château to his new wife, telling her they open the doors to rooms which contain his treasures. He tells her to use the keys freely and enjoy herself whilst he is away. However, he also gives her the key to one small room beneath the castle, stressing to her that she must not enter this room under any circumstances. She vows she will never enter the room. He then goes away and leaves the house in her hands. Immediately, she is overcome with the desire to see what the forbidden room holds; and, despite warnings from her visiting sister, Anne, the girl abandons her guests during a house party and takes the key to the room... - -"
Charles Perrault (Author), Katie Haigh (Narrator)
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"Tom Thumb is a character of English folklore, and a best classic fairy tale. The History of Tom Thumb was the first fairy tale printed in English. Tom is no bigger than his father's thumb, and his adventures include being swallowed by a cow, tangling with giants, and becoming a favourite of King Arthur. The History of Tom Thumbe tells that in the days of King Arthur, old Thomas of the Mountain, a plowman and a member of the King's Council, wants nothing more than a son, even if he is no bigger than his thumb. He sends his wife to consult with Merlin and in three months time she gives birth to the diminutive Tom Thumb. The 'Queene of Fayres' and her attendants act as midwives. She provides Tom with an oak leaf hat, a shirt of cobweb, a doublet of thistledown, stockings of apple rind, and shoes of mouse's skin... - -"
The Brothers Grimm (Author), Katie Haigh (Narrator)
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"A peasant girl named Karen is adopted by a rich old lady after her mother's death and grows up vain and spoiled. Before her adoption, Karen had a rough pair of red shoes; now she has her adoptive mother buy her a pair of red shoes fit for a princess. After Karen repeatedly wears them to church, they begin to move by themselves, but she is able to get them off. One day, when her adoptive mother becomes ill, Karen goes to attend a party in her red shoes. A mysterious soldier appears and makes strange remarks about what beautiful dancing shoes Karen has. Soon after, Karen's shoes begin to move by themselves again, but this time they can't come off. - -"
Hans Christian Andersen (Author), Katie Haigh (Narrator)
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The story of pretty Goldilocks
"'The Story of Pretty Goldilocks' is a French tale written by the Countess d'Aulnoy. Well-known for her elegant and charming stories, the Countess is remembered today as the one who actually coined the term 'fairy tale'. Goldilocks is a princess so beautiful that a King falls in love with her at the mere sight of her picture; he then sends a prince to bring her back to him, so as to marry her. But the Prince, who goes by the name of Charming, will be the one winning the heart of the damsel despite himself. What follows is a tale of loyalty and perseverance; it will inspire little children around the world and teach them about the value of affection. This tale will make for a perfect bedtime story, or entertain your children at any hour of the day. - -"
Robert Southey (Author), Katie Haigh (Narrator)
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The Snowman, a Classic Fairy Tale
"The Snowman is maybe one of the most touching stories by Hans Christian Andersen. It is a tale about unrequited love, and an occasion of reflection on the mysteries of existence and passion. In a small winter garden, a snowman glimpses a stove glowing by the window of the nearby house. He soon falls in love, and longs for the stove's companionship despite the warnings of his friend, the dog, who say the stove's heat would melt him. Poignant and lyrical, this tale explains how it feels to be lovesick; it is a musing on impossible liaisons, and gives the occasion of an explanation why it is that we may be drawn to someone in particular. This classic story will inspire the imagination of young children and prepare them to understand the subtleties of attachment. Narrated in a warm and lively way, it will make for a perfect bedtime story, or entertain your children at any hour of the day. - -"
Hans Christian Andersen (Author), Katie Haigh (Narrator)
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The Jellyfish and the monkey, a myth of Japan
"Here is one of the best Japanese stories. This fairy tale tells of the creation of the modern jellyfish, which is such a strange transluscent creature; according to the legend, it was not always the case, and the jelly fish owns its peculiar appearance to a punishment inflicted by the Dragon King of the Sea. Delve into the legends and fables of old Japan, with a myth that will delight children and adults alike, and discover the riches of Japanese culture through its most authentic tales. Not unlike the western folk tales compiled by the Brothers Grimm, this myth is part of a series of stories faithfully preserving the spirit of medieval Japan; it is a peculiar travel through space and time, which will delight children and adults alike. - -"
J. M. Gardner (Author), Jonathan Waite (Narrator)
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