The Tinder Box

The Tinder Box

short stories

The Tinder Box By Hans Christian Andersen Listen to the story  The Tinder Box A soldier came marching along the high road: “Left, right- left, right.” He had his knapsack on his back and a sword at his side; he had been to the wars and was now returning home. As he walked on, he met a very frightful-looking old witch on the road. Her underlip hung quite down on her breast, and she stopped and said, “Good evening, soldier; you have a very fine sword and a large knapsack, and you are a real soldier, so you shall have as much money as ever you like.” “Thank you, old witch,” said the soldier. “Do you see that large tree,” said the witch, pointing to…

The Swineherd

The Swineherd

short stories

The Swineherd By Hans Christian Andersen Listen to the story The Swineherd once upon a time lived a poor prince; his kingdom was very small, but it was large enough to enable him to marry, and marry he would; it was rather bold of him that he went and asked the emperor’s daughter will you marry me? But he ventured to do so for his name was known far and wide, and there were hundreds of princesses who would have gladly accepted him, but would she do so? Now we shall see. On the grave of the prince’s father grew a rose tree, the most beautiful of its kind that bloomed only once in five years, and then it had only one single rose upon it, but…

The Brave Tin Soldier

The Brave Tin Soldier

short stories

THE Brave Tin Soldier By Hans Christian Andersen Listen to the story THE Brave Tin Soldier there were once five-and-twenty tin soldiers who were all brothers what they had been made out of the same old tin spoon. They shouldered arms and looked straight before them and wore a splendid uniform of red and blue, the first thing in the world they ever heard were the words of tin soldiers uttered by a little boy who clapped his hands with delight when the lid of the box in which they lay was taken off, they were given to him for a birthday present, and he stood at the table to set them up. The soldiers were all exactly alike except one who had only one…

The Nightingale

The Nightingale

short stories

THE NIGHTINGALE By Hans Christian Andersen Listen to the story THE NIGHTINGALE In China, as you know, the Emperor is a Chinaman, and all the people around him are Chinamen too. It is many years since the story I am going to tell you happened, but that is all the more reason for telling it, lest it should be forgotten. The emperor’s palace was the most beautiful thing in the world; it was made entirely of the finest porcelain, very costly, but at the same time so fragile that it could only be touched with the very greatest care. There were the most extraordinary flowers to be seen in the garden; the most beautiful ones had little silver bells tied to them, which tinkled perpetually…

the Red Shoes

The Red Shoes

short stories

The Red Shoes By Hans Christian Andersen Listen to the story THE RED SHOES There was once a little girl who was very pretty and delicate, but in summer, she was forced to run about with bare feet; she was so poor and in winter wore very large wooden shoes, which made her little insteps quite red, and that looked so dangerous! In the middle of the village lived old Dame Shoemaker; she sate and sewed together, as well as she could, a little pair of shoes out of old red strips of cloth; they were very clumsy, but it was a kind thought. They were meant for the little girl. The little girl was called Karen. On the very day her mother was buried,…

The selfish giant

The Selfish Giant

short stories

The Selfish Giant By Oscar Wilde Listen to the story The Selfish Giant Every afternoon as they were coming from school, the children used to go and play in the Giants garden; it was a large lovely garden with soft green grass here and there; over the grass, two beautiful flowers like stars, and there were twelve peach trees that, in the springtime, broke out into delicate blossoms of pink and pearl and in the autumn, bore rich fruit. The birds sat on the trees and sang so sweetly that the children used to stop their games in order to listen to them, “how happy are we here.” they cried to each other one day; the giant came back. He had been to visit his…

The Golden Touch

The Golden Touch

short stories

The Golden Touch By Nathaniel Hawthorne Listen to the story The Golden Touch ONCE upon a time, there lived a very rich man and a king beside, whose name was He and Midas had a little daughter, whom nobody but myself ever heard of and whose name I either never knew or have entirely forgotten. So, because I love odd names for little girls, I choose to call her Marygold. This King Midas was fonder of gold than of anything else in the world. He valued his royal crown chiefly because it was composed of that precious metal. If he loved anything better or half so well, it was the one little maiden who played so merrily around her father’s footstool. But the more Midas…

The Last Dream of an Oak Tree

short stories

The Last Dream of an Oak Tree By Hans Christian Anderson Listen to the story The Last Dream of an Oak Tree In the forest high up on the steep shore and not far from the open sea coast stood a very old oak tree; it was just 365 years old, but that long time was to the tree as the same number of days might be to us; we wake by day in sleep by night and then we have our dreams; it is different with the tree; it is obliged to keep awake through three seasons of the year and does not get any sleep until winter comes. Winter is its time for rest; it’s the night after the long day of spring,…

The fisherman and his wife

The Fisherman and His Wife

short stories

The Fisherman and His Wife By Brothers Grimm Listen to the story The Fisherman and his Wife There was once a fisherman who lived with his wife in a pigsty close to the seaside. The fisherman used to go out all day long a-fishing, and one day, as he sat on the shore with his rod, looking at the sparkling waves and watching his line; all of a sudden, his float was dragged away deep into the water: and in drawing it up, he pulled out a great fish. But the fish said, ‘Pray let me live! I am not a real fish; I am an enchanted prince: Put me in the water again, and let me go!’ ‘Oh, ho!’ said the man, ‘you need…

The Two Sisters

The Two Sisters

short stories

The Two Sisters Listen to the story The Two Sisters Once upon a time, there were two sisters who were as like each other as two peas in a pod; but one was good, and the other was bad-tempered. Now their father had no work, so the girls began to think of going to service. “I will go first and see what I can make of it,” said the younger sister, ever so cheerfully, “then you, sis, can follow if I have good luck.” So she packed up a bundle, said goodbye, and started to find a place, but no one in the town wanted a girl, and she went farther afield into the country. And as she journeyed, she came upon an oven in…