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The Red Fairy Book (1890) is a collection of fairy tales by Scottish folklorist Andrew Lang. Published in time for Christmas, The Red Fairy Book was the second volume out of 25 in the Lang's Fairy Books series, compiled, written, and edited by Lang and his wife, Leonora Blanche Alleyne. Using such sources as the Brothers Grimm and Madame d'Aulnoy, they selected culturally significant stories from all over Europe, crafting carefully organized and beautifully...
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There was once upon a time a peasant-woman who had a daughter and a step-daughter. The daughter had her own way in everything, and whatever she did was right in her mother's eyes; but the poor step-daughter had a hard time. Let her do what she would, she was always blamed, and got small thanks for all the trouble she took; nothing was right, everything wrong; and yet, if the truth were known, the girl was worth her weight in gold...
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Once upon a time there lived a King and Queen who had two beautiful sons and one little daughter, who was so pretty that no one who saw her could help loving her. When it was time for the christening of the Princess, the Queen-as she always did-sent for all the fairies to be present at the ceremony, and afterwards invited them to a splendid banquet...
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In a certain kingdom there lived a Prince Ivan. He had three sisters. The first was the Princess Marya, the second the Princess Olga, the third the Princess Anna. When their father and mother lay at the point of death, they had thus enjoined their son: Give your sisters in marriage to the very first suitors who come to woo them...
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There were once a Scotsman and an Englishman and an Irishman serving in the army together, who took it into their heads to run away on the first opportunity they could get. The chance came and they took it. They went on travelling for two days through a great forest, without food or drink, and without coming across a single house, and every night they had to climb up into the trees through fear of the wild beasts that were in the wood. On the second...
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Once upon a time there lived a King and Queen who had one charming daughter. She was so graceful and pretty and clever that she was called Graciosa, and the Queen was so fond of her that she could think of nothing else. Every day she gave the Princess a lovely new frock of gold brocade, or satin, or velvet, and when she was hungry she had bowls full of sugar-plums, and at least twenty pots of jam...
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There was once upon a time a couple of folks who had a son called Halvor. Ever since he had been a little boy he had been unwilling to do any work, and had just sat raking about among the ashes. His parents sent him away to learn several things, but Halvor stayed nowhere, for when he had been gone two or three days he always ran away from his master, hurried off home, and sat down in the chimney corner to grub among the ashes again...
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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 later 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...
10) Magic Ring
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There lived an older couple with one son, Martin. When the husband died, he left behind only a small amount of money for his wife and Martin. Finding themselves without food, the wife, although she had wanted to keep the money for a rainy day, sent Martin into town with half of their money to buy grain for a year. When he walked into town, he found a dog that had been tied up and was being beaten for eating a pig of the butcher. Martin, unable to...
11) The Six Swans
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A king who was a fantastic hunter one day got himself lost in the forest. Unable to find his way back home, an old woman appeared and said she would help him get home, provided that he married her daughter. Although her daughter was beautiful and the king agreed, he did not trust his new wife. And so he hid away in a palace in the woods his seven children, six sons and a daughter, from his previous wife. The new queen began to suspect something was...
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A young princess, Fairer-than-a-Fairy, is kidnapped by a jealous, mean, old fairy named Lagree, who locks her away because none of the fairies can stand to have a mortal girl said to be more beautiful than them. Lagree locks her away in a palace, with her dog and cat, and tells her to tend to a fire and to never let it burn out. In her solitude, she one day meets a prince whom Lagree has captured and changed into the form of a rainbow that she discovers...
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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. They leave him to die, but...
14) Prince Ring
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Prince Ring was a prince but 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. He gets separated from the rest of his hunting party and discovers a woman who has a large barrel, with another beautiful gold ring at the bottom. While inspecting it, the woman pushes Prince Ring into the...
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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...
16) The Glass Axe
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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 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...
17) The Nixy
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The miller had always led a very prosperous life, but one day found himself down on his luck and without any money. While he is fretting, a nixy (a siren-like being) emerges from the mill-pond and strikes a deal with him. He can become prosperous once more, but he must give to her the youngest thing in his house. He agrees, thinking it will be a puppy or a kitten, but soon discovers his wife has just given birth to a son. Greatly despaired, he tells...
18) The Wizard King
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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...
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Alphege was born the son of a King, whose mother died in childbirth. His father mourned for several years, but eventually remarried to a beautiful, but evil, 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. Alphege was safe so long as he remained in his father's kingdom, thanks to the protection of his godmother. One day, however,...
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The Dragon of the North is an Estonian fairy tale of a terrible dragon who devoured all in his path on his way from the north. One brave man sets out to find a way to conquer him and protect the people of his home. The man consults a magician, who tells him to seek the aid of birds. With the help of the birds, he discovers a witch-maiden who can help him, but whom he mistakenly crosses. The young man must then deal with the consequences of his actions....
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