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Folk stories

Storytelling is the cornerstone of civilization. Thanks to stories, humans have preserved and passed on intellectual achievements and moral values for millennia. Let’s celebrate the diversity of humankind by reading those stories to our kids.

The Rooster, the Cat, and the Club

Slovak Tale

The Rooster, the Cat, and the Club

11
 min
5
+
4.58

Patience pays off, and waiting for the right opportunity will bring results in the end. This is a story about three brothers who get a really modest inheritance from their father: a cat, a rooster, and a club. However, thanks to being smart, all three manage to make their fortunes using only the seemingly ordinary and almost useless things.

Folk stories
The Enormous Turnip

Folk Tale

The Enormous Turnip

11
 min
3
+
4.72

All together we can overcome even the most difficult obstacles. A well-known tale about a grandfather who grows such an enormous turnip from a small seed in the garden that he can't even pull it out of the ground. Luckily, he has good helpers and they manage to pull out the turnip all together.

Folk stories
The Three Trees

Pavol Dobsinsky

The Three Trees

15
 min
5
+
4.63

Looking for the easiest path doesn’t always pay off. The three brothers go out into the world to look for brides. The two older ones always choose only the easiest path. But the youngest one doesn’t avoid any obstacles. In the end, he is the one who sets the cursed land free and wins the heart of the princess.

Folk stories
The Daisy

Hans Christian Andersen

The Daisy

12
 min
8
+
3.9

This story of the little flower points to what is really important in life: love, humility, gratitude and consideration for everything around us. The little daisy doesn’t mind not being counted among the favourite flowers in the garden. She enjoys the sun and the singing of the skylark. However, life takes a turn for the worse when she gets trapped with the skylark in a cage - simply for the amusement of the children.

Folk stories
The Three Coins

Pavol Dobsinsky

The Three Coins

10
 min
5
+
4.7

A folk tale about wisdom and modesty from Pavol Dobšinský’s collection. The king meets a simple farmer who has been working hard every day for many years, and only gets paid three coins at the end of the day. When he explains how he can manage with so little money, the king is more than surprised.

Folk stories
The Three-Blossomed Rose

Pavol Dobsinsky

The Three-Blossomed Rose

17
 min
5
+
4.82

The story, adapted from Pavol Dobšinský’s collection, tells us that love is not about beauty but about being kind and human.

Folk stories
Hey, Ho – Ground, Open Up!

Pavol Dobsinsky

Hey, Ho – Ground, Open Up!

15
 min
3
+
4.64

A Slovak folk tale by Pavol Dobšinský about how being smart and skillful wins over brute force. A well-known tale about two brothers and twelve bandits. The elder brother is greedy. After their father’s death, he keeps all the inheritance for himself. The younger brother is a modest and kind-hearted lad. He’s hardworking and smart which helps him to deal with the bandits.

Folk stories
The Glass Hill

Slovak Tale

The Glass Hill

13
 min
5
+
4.67

A story which shows us that greed and longing for wealth do not lead to a happy life. A Slovak folk tale about two different brothers. The elder is evil and greedy. He has money in abundance, but he will not help out the younger, poorer brother, who is brave and good, even in the most difficult moments.

Folk stories
The Story of Wood

Slovak Tale

The Story of Wood

4
 min
5
+
4.0

Laziness never pays off. A legend tells us that a long time ago, people didn’t have to drag the wood from the mountains. It just simply came by itself to the right place. But one day a woman wanted to make her way home easier, and got onto the wood so that it carried her. However, it didn’t move. From that time on, people have had to work hard to take wood home from the mountains.

Folk stories
An Egg Goes on a Trip

Slovak Tale

An Egg Goes on a Trip

10
 min
5
+
4.56

Together you can do much more. This traditional folk tale tells us of an egg’s adventure. On its way, the egg finds animal friends and together they defeat scary bandits.

Folk stories
Wise Matthew and the Fools

Pavol Dobsinsky

Wise Matthew and the Fools

11
 min
5
+
4.56

A witty tale based on a work by Pavol Dobšinský about human foolishness. One day, wise young Matthew sets out in search of a bride. But as he wanders across the world, he chances upon only mad and foolish people. With his wisdom, he will eventually find his bride, but also a good deal of money.

Folk stories
Sweet Porridge

Karel Erben

Sweet Porridge

9
 min
3
+
4.75

The story is about the magic words “Thank you”! One day Johnny goes to the mountain to collect something to snack on. Then he hears a cry for help. He ends up helping out an old lady who has fallen into a swamp. To repay him, she gives Johnny a clay pot. It’s not an ordinary pot, though - as Johnny will soon discover.

Folk stories
The Wooden Boy

Slovak Tale

The Wooden Boy

11
 min
3
+
4.51

A folk tale about a boy who was carved from a log. When the wooden boy grows up, an evil witch and her husband want to bake him for dinner. But the young lad deals with them well and returns home safe and sound, flying on a wild goose.

Folk stories
The Golden Craft

Folk Tale

The Golden Craft

8
 min
5
+
4.92

An old folk tale, the lessons of which are valid to this day. While the royal family is sailing, a strong wind rises and their ship sails far away to an unknown land. There no one knows who they are. To survive, they have to learn how to herd sheep. The king quickly realises: if he had mastered a craft, they wouldn’t have ended up this way.

Folk stories
The Horned Servant

Pavol Dobsinsky

The Horned Servant

13
 min
5
+
4.67

A story from a collection of fairy tales compiled by the famous storyteller Pavol Dobšinský. This is a story about a devil who steals the last piece of bread from a woodcutter. When Lucifer finds it out, he punishes the devil, making him serve the woodcutter the whole year.

Folk stories
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