Fairy Tales & Folklore Audiobooks

Myths and stories from the Slavs

The Prince is the most famous of Machiavelli's works; it gives very clear, precise and realistic instructions on how to gain and maintain power, fortune, and glory, sometimes at the expense of others. Written in 1513, it is one of the most feared and hated political treatises, taken to be the first work in which the effect the leader desires to achieve is taken as more important than any abstract ideal or ethical value that might prevent him from taking immoral action. We have selected for you 100 of the best quotes from The Prince, trusting that you will be able to use their efficiency and cleverness to direct your own affairs in a powerful way without falling into a moral trap.

Folktale (Author), Jonathan Waite (Narrator)

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The Ugly Duckling, a fairytale

For ages, the ancient myths of Greece and Rome have delighted and inspired the people of the world. Great legendary heroes and mysterious gods come together in those charming stories, which will unleash imagination and all the pleasures we owe the ancient art of storytelling. This timeless selection of the richest legends will make you travel in the time and thoughts of ancient life. Enjoy the stories of Midas; Orpheus; Pandora; Pyramus and Thisbe; Philemon and Baucis; Atalanta; and Cadmus.

Hans Christian Andersen (Author), Katie Haigh (Narrator)

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A Kidnapped Santa Claus

Prince Darling : An aged king who is a widower lavishes indulgence on his only son, who the people consequently call 'Prince Darling.' He fears he will die before the child is of age and confesses his concern to his friend, the Fairy of Truth. The fairy promises to grant the boy a boon such as beauty, wealth or military success, but the king asks only that the fairy make the boy a good person. The fairy says she cannot change the boy's character, but she can give him advice and correct him when he errs...The imagery in fairy tales (such as personified animals, adults represented as giants and allegorical magic vegetables) allows the child to explore their fears in remote and symbolic terms. Fairy tales allow the reader to explore each virtue and path of action through the different characters' fates. The child decides their own personal stance after deliberating each consequence. Fairy tales provide answers to what the world is really like and the child's place within it.

L. Frank Baum (Author), Katie Haigh (Narrator)

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The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods

'Snow Drop and the Seven Dwarfs' also known as 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarves'is a German fairy tale, written by Brothers Grimm, known across much of Europe and is today one of the most famous fairy tales worldwide. A queen gives birth to a baby daughter, a girl with skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony. She is named 'Snow White'. Sadly, the Good Queen, Snow White's mother, dies during childbirth. After a year has passed, Snow White's father, the King, takes a new and second wife, who is very beautiful, but a wicked and vain woman. The new queen, Snow White's evil stepmother, possesses a magic mirror, which she asks every morning, 'Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?' The mirror always replies: 'My Queen, you are the fairest one of all.' The Queen is always pleased with that, because the magic mirror never lies. But as Snow White grows up, she becomes more beautiful each day and even more beautiful than the Queen, and when the Queen asks her mirror, it tells her that Snow White is the fairest. This gives the queen a great shock. She becomes yellow and green with envy and from that hour on, her heart turns against Snow White, and she hates her more and more each day. Envy and pride, like ill weeds, grow in her heart taller every day, until she has no peace day or night. Eventually, the Queen orders a huntsman to take Snow White into the deepest woods to be taken...

Charles Perrault (Author), Katie Haigh (Narrator)

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The Story of the Youth who went forth to learn what Fear was

The Nightingale (Danish: 'Nattergalen') is a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen about an emperor who prefers the tinkling of a bejeweled mechanical bird to the song of a real nightingale. Well received upon its publication in Copenhagen in 1843 in New Fairy Tales, the tale is believed to have been inspired by the author's unrequited love for opera singer Jenny Lind, the 'Swedish nightingale'. The story has been adapted to opera, ballet, musical play, television drama and animated film.

The Brothers Grimm (Author), Katie Haigh (Narrator)

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Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves

Charles Baudelaire is one of the greatest French poets. His most famous work, Les Fleurs du Mal (The Flowers of Evil), was deemed scandalous at the time because of its themes of sex and death, lesbianism, corruption, wine, and the oppressiveness of living. Its powerful imagery and ravaging use of the senses had many name him an unequaled master; the effect on fellow artists was 'immense, prodigious, unexpected, mingled with admiration and with some indefinable anxious fear', while the regime of the Second Empire had Baudelaire prosecuted and fined for his 'insult to public decency'. Baudelaire's style had a tremendous influence on French poetry, and also on English writers; he was a pioneering translator, and created strong ties with the Anglo-Saxon literature. We have selected for you 16 of his most striking poems, indispensable masterpieces of passion that will take your breath away: Correspondences, Exotic Perfume, The Sick Muse, The Tempation, and many others.

The Arabian Nights (Author), Katie Haigh (Narrator)

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Thumbelina, a fairytale

Philosophy in the Bedroom (La philosophie dans le boudoir) was written in 1795 by the Marquis de Sade, while imprisoned in the Bastille. It is a work of extreme pornography, laced with socio-political suversion. The main characters are libertines, who decided to give a young maiden their own brand of sex education. They explain to her that pleasure is the most important goal of all, and then proceed with affirming that she will not be able to feel 'true pleasure' without pain. Then they get down to the practical lessons. This book is full of extremely graphic and shocking descriptions, willfully obscene and violent to the reader; it is also an argument in favour of libertinism, with a demonstration on how it is the only way of thinking reinforcing the recent French Revolution, and that if it fails to penetrate the people of France, they are in grave danger of returning to a monarchic state.

Hans Christian Andersen (Author), Katie Haigh (Narrator)

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The Nightingale, a fairytale

We have selected for you 100 great quotes of Lao Tzu perfect for meditation. Lao-Tzu was a philosopher and poet of ancient China. He is known as the reputed author of the Tao Te Ching and the founder of philosophical Taoism, and as a deity in religious Taoism and traditional Chinese religions. A central figure in Chinese culture, Lao Tzu is claimed by both the emperors of the Tang dynasty and modern people. Some of his great quotes are: 'When goodness is lost, it is replaced by morality.' 'Without Darkness, there can be no Light.' 'The usefulness of a pot comes from its emptiness.' 'The best people are like water, which benefits all things and does not compete with them. It stays in lowly places that others reject. This is why it is so similar to the Way.' 'When people see some things as beautiful, other things become ugly. When people see some things as good, other things become bad.' 'Try to change it and you will ruin it. Try to hold it and you will lose it.''Those who know do not say. Those who say do not know.''A journey of a thousand miles starts under one's feet.' A great quote is very similar to a great thinking and a small poem. It can encapsulate a large web of ideas, thoughts, reflections, emotions in a few words. The reader of a great quote is forced to think about what he just heard. He has to think about those words and what they mean. An excellent quote requires the reader to pause to contemplate the real meaning and poesy of a few words. A great thought reaches a level of universality. Quotes hit hard into the essence of being human. The right quote can help us to see some invisible meanings of things or subjects.

Hans Christian Andersen (Author), Katie Haigh (Narrator)

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Jack the giant killer, a classic fairytale

Alfred North Whitehead once noted: 'the safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato.' Plato is indeed considered the most pivotal figure in the development of philosophy, along with his teacher, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle. But his writings are often light, fresh and funny; it was Plato who invented the dialogue in philosophy, which make a point very easy to follow and the occasion of various scenic arrangements. Plato is one of the most dazzling writers ever known; we have selected for you one hundred of his best quotes, for you to find inspiration and get acquainted with this fondamental part of our culture.

Jm Gardner (Author), Katie Haigh (Narrator)

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Best indian tales and stories

Discover the endless fascination of Indian culture with five tales, selected for you for their power of evocation, wisdom and humor. The Alligator and the Jackal is a tale of wit and cleverness, about which will defeat the other. Singh Rajah and the Cunning Little Jackals is another example of how cleverness can overcome even the most powerful. The Farmer and the Money-Lender shows the eternal struggle between class, and a way to trick the tricker; Who Killed the Otter's Babies? will bring you deep reflections about causality and responsibility; and Tit for Tat is a powerful lesson about the dangers of habits.

Jm Gardner (Author), Katie Haigh (Narrator)

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Indian stories: 5 famous tales

Shakespeare is regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's best dramatist. His plays have been translated into every major language, and are the most performed ever. His work contains stunningly modern insight, witty jokes and soaring passion; it is an endless source of amazement and inspiration. Romeo and Juliet is perhaps his most famous and beloved; this heartbreaking tale of impossible love has marked every generation since its publication, and it is an essential part of Western culture. This lively adaptation is a convenient summary meant to bring to you Shakespeare's magic in an actual, clear and precise way; recorded by the greatest storytellers, it will bring to you the fundamentals of English culture in a most enjoyable format.

Folktale (Author), Katie Haigh (Narrator)

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Prince Darling, a tale for kids

The Adventures of a Jackal is a classic children's short story : ' In a country which is full of wild beasts of all sorts there once lived a jackal and a hedgehog, and, unlike though they were, the two animals made great friends, and were often seen in each other's company. One afternoon they were walking along a road together, when the jackal, who was the taller of the two, exclaimed: 'Oh! there is a barn full of corn; let us go and eat some.' 'Yes, do let us!' answered the hedgehog. So they went to the barn, and ate till they could eat no more. Then the jackal put on his shoes, which he had taken off so as to make no noise, and they returned to the high road. After they had gone some way they met a panther, who stopped, and bowing politely, said: 'Excuse my speaking to you, but I cannot help admiring those shoes of yours. Do you mind telling me who made them?' 'Yes, I think they are rather nice,' answered the jackal; 'I made them myself, though.' 'Could you make me a pair like them?' asked the panther eagerly...

Jm Gardner (Author), Katie Haigh (Narrator)

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