Showing results by publisher "Spoken Realms" in Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths

This story may help explain why the word "grim" is often connected to stories collected by the Brothers Grimm. This short tale feels like a traditional children's story, but is much more grim and foreboding. Memorable with a dash of creepy.

A little fir tree stands in the woods. All he can think about is growing up into a big tree. When a hare hops over him, emphasizing how small he is, he is embarrassed. Children call him the baby of the forest. Find out what happens to the little fir tree in this far from happily-ever-after tale for older children.

This odd little nursery rhyme is familiar to us all but have you ever wondered, like I have, about what Miss Muffet was thinking as she sat dreamily eating her curds and whey? And what are curds and whey, anyway? Her tuffet? Would that be a piece of furniture or a piece of her anatomy? And of course the large spider, what was she thinking?

Enjoy listening to this timeless classic Mother Goose by WW Denslow. This unique version includes lesson plans and activities designed to engage the pre-school to second-grade listener and bring out all the nuance in these beloved nursery rhymes. There is also a brief bio at the end on both Laura Schreiber and WW Denslow.

What if the pond in the park was a gateway to another world? What if there really were faeries in the rose garden? Within this book are contained: a dryad mistaken for a gardener, a bit of good old-fashioned frog kissing, gnomes in love, a heroic faerie prince, hot chocolate, and an elk named Bianca. Four original fairytales, a short novella, and more—inspired by the author’s love of fairytales.

Homer's epic poem in plain English, from the origin of the Siege of Troy, the deaths of Hector, Achilles, and Paris through to the Trojan Horse and the rescue of Helen, "the face that launched a thousand ships." Children and adults alike will enjoy this re-telling of this classic Greek legend of the Trojan War.

Peter Pan, the boy that never grew up. Peter's timeless adventures with Wendy, John, Michael, and the lost boys. Does Peter eventually defeat his dark and sinister foe, Captain James Hook? Do Wendy, John, and Michael forget their parents and stay with Peter and Tinkerbell in Neverland? J.M. Barrie's fun-filled adventure begins.

First, we learn that Queen Silver-Bell has lost her fairy, Temper, and that Fairyland has begun to melt away. How will it end? Then we hear that Mother Rook has abandoned her nest. A little girl, Winnie, comes to the rescue. What will happen next?

This classic tale is enhanced by musical collaboration with Mike Hall, film composer, and warm narration by Kathy Verduin. Feel the children's excitement as Sugar Plums dance in their heads, hear Santa as he wishes all a Merry Christmas, and sense Poppa's excitement as he accidentally runs into Santa in the living room! Children of all ages will love this new twist on Clement Clarke Moore's classic tale!

Frances Hodgson Burnet's 1911 novel is about Mary Lennox, an unloved orphan who journeys from India to Yorkshire to live at Misselthwaite Manor, the home of her uncle Archibald Craven. Under the influence of the beautiful countryside and its kind inhabitants, Mary begins to blossom. She soon discovers there are secrets of many kinds both inside and outside her uncle's estate. In particular, she longs to discover the key to a hidden garden that has been shut away for 10 years.

Given the time and location in which it was written, the original Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi contains many events and episodes which, today, many consider unsuitable for a modern children's audience. The Disney animated version was changed in many ways to reflect this - and so is this adaptation. Chris MacDonnell and Spoken Realms have re-imagined and re-written the more unsuitable sections to reflect contemporary expectations of children's literature. However, it is still truly a children's classic and the story is largely unchanged.

This short story is taken from Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit by Joel Chandler Harris. Uncle Remus is a collection of animal stories, songs, and oral folklore collected from southern black Americans. Many of the stories are didactic, much like those of Aesop's Fables and Jean de La Fontaine's stories. Uncle Remus is a freedman who serves as a story-telling device, passing on the folktales like the traditional African griot to children gathered around him. Award-winning audiobook narrator and producer Mike Vendetti portrays the kindly old gentleman telling the story.

In this collection of 16 short stories, Peter Rabbit learns how many of his neighbors in the Green Forest and the Green Meadows have come to have the attributes they have. Sometimes Grandfather Frog will tell Peter a story but there are other neighbors who also share their "knowledge" with him. For example, Peter wants to know why Mr. Weasel is an outcast. Peter would also like to know why Johnny Chuck sleeps all winter and gets so fat before he goes to sleep.

The Fir Tree, a classic tale by Hans Christian Andersen. Masterfully narrated by award-winning narrator Mike Vendetti, the fir tree finds that you don't always get what you want and you don't always want what you get.

"Jack and the Beanstalk" is an English fairy tale that appeared as "The Story of Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean" in 1734 and as Benjamin Tabart's moralized "The History of Jack and the Bean-Stalk" in 1807. Henry Cole, publishing under pen name Felix Summerly, popularized the tale in The Home Treasury (1845), and Joseph Jacobs rewrote it in English Fairy Tales (1890). Jacobs' version is most commonly reprinted today, and is believed to be closer to the oral versions than Tabart's because it lacks the moralizing.

"The Ugly Duckling" was first published in 1843, and the tale has been adapted to various media including opera, musical, and animated film. This story has stood the test of time and become an inspiration to those who are bullied or picked upon.

Award-winning narrator Mike Vendetti reads "Cinderella or The Little Glass Slipper", a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression and triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune. A very "feel good" story.

In 1913, Arthur Ransome traveled to Russia to explore Russian folklore. The result of his studies was the publication of retellings (rather than translations) of a number of stories, including The Soldier and Death, which first appeared in 1920.

This fantastical story chronicles the adventures of a young farm girl named Dorothy in the magical Land of Oz, after she, her pet dog Toto, and her home are all swept away from Kansas by a tornado. To get back to her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry in Kansas, she must follow the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City to ask the Wonderful Wizard for help, something she couldn't do without the help of the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion, and several other friends she meets along the way.

This beautiful collection contains five fairy tales by the celebrated British writer Oscar Wilde: "The Happy Prince", "The Nightingale and the Rose", "The Selfish Giant", "The Devoted Friend", and "The Remarkable Rocket." These timeless tales are performed by a full cast, and will delight listeners of all ages with their whimsical characters, moving situations, and touches of ironic humor. Presented by The Online Stage.