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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 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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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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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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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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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 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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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...
10) The Witch
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A widowed peasant man was left to raise his two twin children, a boy and a girl. He tried his best but nothing seemed to go right without a woman's touch. And so, he remarried and had more children but things were still not right - the stepmother was very mean to the twins, beating and starving them. This wasn't enough for the wicked stepmother and she decided to send them off into the woods where an evil witch lived. She tells the twins they are...
11) The White Duck
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Shortly after the queen and her new husband are married, he is forced to leave to fight in a war. He advises her that she must always remain inside and never to trust any visiting women. She listens at first, but when an old woman appears at her window and entices her to sit in her garden, she gives in and goes outside. The old woman is actually an evil witch who quickly tricks the queen and turns her into a white duck, then taking the form of the...
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The King and Queen, getting older in years, found it important that their son, Prince Sigurd, find a lady to marry. His father had a certain princess in mind and Sigurd set off to find her. This king eagerly granted his daughter's hand to Sigurd, but he made the condition that Sigurd must stay to help him govern his kingdom, as he was failing in health. Sigurd agreed, but said that he must return home when he received news of his father's death. When...
13) The Golden Crab
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There once was a fisherman who sold all of 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. The fisherman delivered this wish to the King, who realized that the golden crab was likely an enchanted...
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A village was being plagued by a witch in the form of a hawk, and three brothers tried to stop her. The older two failed, but the youngest was able to shoot down the hawk. He found a strange abyss where the hawk was shot down. With the help of his brothers, he descends into the abyss and finds a palace full of beautiful princess and boundless treasure. He discovers that the witch is their mother and she must be killed in order for the princesses to...
15) 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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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...
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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...
18) 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...
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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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