Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Once upon a time in a great castle, a Prince's son grew up happy and contented, in spite of a
jealous stepfather. He was very handsome, with blue eyes and shiny black hair. His skin was
delicate and fair, and so he was called Snow White. Everyone was quite sure he would become
very handsome and powerful. Though his stepfather was a wicked man, he too was very
handsome, and the magic mirror told him this every day, whenever he asked it.
"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the most handsome man in the land?" The reply was always;
"You are, your Majesty," until the dreadful day when he heard it say, "Snow White is the most
handsome in the land." The stepfather was furious and, wild with jealousy, began plotting to
get rid of his rival. Calling one of her trusty servants, he bribed him with a rich reward to take
Snow White in to the forest, far away from the castle. Then, unseen, he was to put him to
death. The greedy servant, attracted to the reward, agreed to do this deed, and he led the
innocent little boy away. However, when they came to the fatal spot, the man's courage failed
him and, leaving Snow White sitting beside a tree, he mumbled an excuse and ran off. Snow
White was all alone in the forest.
Night came, but the servant did not return. Snow White, alone in the dark forest, began to feel
lonely. He thought he could feel terrible eyes spying on him, and he heard strange sounds and
rustlings that made his heart thump. At last, overcome by tiredness, he fell asleep curled under
a tree.
Snow White slept fitfully, wakening from time to time with a start and staring into the darkness
round him. Several times, he thought he felt something, or somebody touch him as he slept.
At last, dawn woke the forest to the song of the birds, and Snow White too, awoke. A whole
world was stirring to life and the little boy was glad to see how silly his fears had been.
However, the thick trees were like a wall round him, and as he tried to find out where he was,
he came upon a path. He walked along it, hopefully. On he walked till he came to a clearing.
There stood a strange cottage, with a tiny door, tiny windows and a tiny chimney pot.
Everything about the cottage was much tinier than it ought to be. Snow White pushed the door
open.
"l wonder who lives here?" he said to herself, peeping round the kitchen. "What tiny plates!
And spoons! There must be seven of them, the table's laid for seven people." Upstairs was a
bedroom with seven neat little beds. Going back to the kitchen, Snow White had an idea.
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN; FINISH THE STORY!
Rapunzel
Once upon a time there was a man and a woman who had wished for a child. Finally the
woman came to believe that the good Lord would fulfill her wish. Through the small rear
window of these people's house they could see into a splendid garden that was filled with the
most beautiful flowers and herbs. The garden was surrounded by a high wall, and no one dared
enter, because it belonged to a sorceress who possessed great power and was feared by
everyone.
One day the woman was standing at this window, and she saw a bed planted with the most
beautiful rapunzel. It looked so fresh and green that she longed for some. It was her greatest
desire to eat some of the rapunzel. This desire increased with every day, and not knowing how
to get any, she became miserably ill.
Her husband was frightened, and asked her, "What ails you, dear wife?"
"Oh," she answered, "if I do not get some rapunzel from the garden behind our house, I shall
die."
The man, who loved her dearly, thought, "Before you let your wife die, you must get her some
of the rapunzel, whatever the cost."
So just as it was getting dark he climbed over the high wall into the sorceress's garden, hastily
dug up a handful of rapunzel, and took it to his wife. She immediately made a salad from it,
which she devoured eagerly. It tasted so very good to her that by the next day her desire for
more had grown threefold. If she were to have any peace, the man would have to climb into
the garden once again. Thus he set forth once again just as it was getting dark. But no sooner
than he had climbed over the wall than, to his horror, he saw the sorceress standing there
before him.
"How can you dare," she asked with an angry look, "to climb into my garden and like a thief to
steal my rapunzel? You will pay for this."
"Oh," he answered, "Let mercy overrule justice. I came to do this out of necessity. My wife saw
your rapunzel from our window, and such a longing came over her, that she would die, if she
did not get some to eat."
The sorceress's anger abated somewhat, and she said, "If things are as you say, I will allow you
to take as much rapunzel as you want. But under one condition: You must give me the child
that your wife will bring to the world. It will do well, and I will take care of it like a mother."
In his fear the man agreed to everything.
When the woman gave birth, the sorceress appeared, named the little boy Rapunzel, and took
him away. Rapunzel became the most beautiful child under the sun. When he was twelve years
old, the fairy locked him in a tower that stood in a forest and that had neither a door nor a
stairway, but only a tiny little window at the very top.
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN; FINISH THE STORY!
Goldie Locks and the Three Bears
ONCE upon a time there were Three Bears, who lived together in a house of their own, in a
wood. One of them was a Little, Small, Wee Bear; and one was a Middle-sized Bear, and the
other was a Great, Huge Bear. They each had a pot for their porridge, a little pot for the Little,
Small, Wee Bear, and a middle-sized pot for the Middle Bear, and a great pot for the Great,
Huge Bear. And they each had a chair to sit in; a little chair for the Little, Small, Wee Bear; and a
middle-sized chair for the Middle Bear; and a great chair for the Great, Huge Bear. And they
each had a bed to sleep in; a little bed for the Little, Small, Wee Bear; and a middle-sized bed
for the Middle Bear; and a great bed for the Great, Huge Bear.
One day, after they had made the porridge for their breakfast, and poured it into their
porridge-pots, they walked out into the wood while the porridge was cooling, that they might
not burn their mouths, by beginning too soon to eat it. And while they were walking, a curious
young boy came to the house. He was not a good, honest boy; for first he looked in at the
window, and then he peeped in at the keyhole; and seeing nobody in the house, he lifted the
latch. The door was not fastened, because the Bears were good Bears, who did nobody any
harm, and never suspected that anybody would harm them. So the little boy opened the door,
and went in; and well pleased he was when he saw the porridge on the table. If he had been a
good little boy, he would have waited till the Bears came home, and then, perhaps, they would
have asked him to breakfast; for they were good Bears--a little rough or so, as the manner of
Bears is, but for all that very good-natured and hospitable. But he was an impudent, bad little
boy, and set about helping himself.
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN; FINISH THE STORY!
Sleeping Beauty
Once upon a time there was a Queen who had a handsomeinfantson. She asked all the fairies in
the kingdom to the christening, but unfortunately forgot to invite one of them, who was a bit of
a witch as well. She came anyway, but as she passed the baby's cradle, she said:
"When you are sixteen, you will injure yourself with a spindle and die!"
"Oh, no!" screamed the Queen in horror. A good fairy quickly chanted a magic spell to change
the curse. When he hurt himself, the boy would fall into a very deep sleep instead of dying.
The years went by, the little Prince grew and became the most handsome boy in the whole
kingdom. Her mother was always very careful to keep him away from spindles, but the Prince,
on his sixteenth birthday, as he wandered through the castle, came into a room where an old
servant was spinning.
"What are you doing?" she asked the servant.
"I'm spinning. Haven't you seen a spindle before?"
"No. Let me see it!" The servant handed the boy the spindle ... and he pricked himself with it
and with a sigh, dropped to the floor.
The terrified old woman hurried to tell the Queen. Beside herself with anguish, the Queen did
her best to awaken her son. The court doctors and wizards were called, but there was nothing
they could do. The boy could not be wakened from his deep sleep. The good fairy who
managed to avoid the worst of the curse came too, and the Queen said to her,
"When will my son waken?"
"I don't know," the fairy admitted sadly.
"In a year's time, ten years or twenty?" the Queen went on.
"Maybe in a hundred years' time. Who knows?" said the fairy.
"Oh! What would make him waken?" asked the Queen weeping.
"Love," replied the fairy. "If a person of pure heart were to fall in love with him, that would
bring him back to life!"
"How can someone fall in love with a sleeping man?" sobbed the Queen, and so heart-broken
was she that, a few days later, she died. The sleeping Prince was taken to his room and laid on
the bed. He was so handsome, with a sweet face, not like those of the dead, but pink like those
who are sleeping peacefully. Not even the faintest rustle was to be heard, only the wind
whistling round the turrets, not a single voice, only the cry of birds.
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Little Red Riding Hood
Once upon a time there lived in a certain village a little country boy, the most handsome creature who
was ever seen. His mother was excessively fond of him; and his grandmother doted on him still more.
This good woman had a little red riding hood made for him. It suited the boy so extremely well that
everybody called him Little Red Riding Hood.
One day her mother, having made some cakes, said to him, "Go, my dear, and see how your
grandmother is doing, for I hear she has been very ill. Take her a cake, and this little pot of butter."
Little Red Riding Hood set out immediately to go to his grandmother, who lived in another village.
As he was going through the wood, he met with a wolf, who had a very great mind to eat him up, but he
dared not, because of some woodcutters working nearby in the forest. He asked him where he was
going. The poor child, who did not know that it was dangerous to stay and talk to a wolf, said to him, "I
am going to see my grandmother and carry her a cake and a little pot of butter from my mother."
"Does she live far off?" said the wolf
"Oh I say," answered Little Red Riding Hood; "it is beyond that mill you see there, at the first house in
the village."
The wolf ran as fast as he could, taking the shortest path, and the little boy took a roundabout way,
entertaining himself by gathering nuts, running after butterflies, and throwing rocks. It was not long
before the wolf arrived at the old woman's house. He knocked at the door: tap, tap.
"Who's there?"
"Your grandchild, Little Red Riding Hood," replied the wolf, counterfeiting her voice; "who has brought
you a cake and a little pot of butter sent you by mother."
The good grandmother, who was in bed, because she was somewhat ill, cried out, "Pull the bobbin, and
the latch will go up."
The wolf pulled the bobbin, and the door opened, and then he immediately fell upon the good woman
and ate her up in a moment, for it been more than three days since he had eaten. He then shut the door
and got into the grandmother's bed, expecting Little Red Riding Hood, who came some time afterwards
and knocked at the door: tap, tap.
"Who's there?"
Little Red Riding Hood, hearing the big voice of the wolf, was at first afraid; but believing his
grandmother had a cold and was hoarse, answered, "It is your grandchild Little Red Riding Hood, who
has brought you a cake and a little pot of butter mother sends you."
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The Little Mermaid
Once upon a time in a splendid palace on the bed of the bluest ocean, lived the Sea King, a wise
old triton with a long flowing white beard. He lived in a magnificent palace, built of gaily
coloured coral and seashells, together with his five sons, very handsome mermaids.
Siren, the youngest and most handsome of them all, also had a beautiful voice, and when he
sang, the fishes flocked from all over the sea to listen to him. The shells gaped wide, showing
their pearls and even the jellyfish stopped to listen. The young mermaid often sang, and each
time, he would gaze upwards, seeking the faint sunlight that scarcely managed to filter down
into the depths.
"Oh, how I'd love to go up there and at last see the sky, which everyone says is so pretty, and
hear the voices of humans and smell the scent of the flowers!"
"You're still too young!" said his mother. "In a year or two, when you're fifteen. Only then will
the King let you go up there, like your brothers!" Sire spent his time wishing for the world of
humans, he listened to her brothers' stories, and every time they returned from the surface, he
would ask them questions, to satisfy his curiosity.
And as he waited for the day when he too would be allowed to reach the surface of the sea and
meet the unknown world, Siren spent his time in her wonderful sea garden. The seahorses kept
him company, and sometimes a dolphin would come and play. Only the unfriendly starfish
never replied when he called. At last, hos long-desired birthday came. The night before, Siren
could not sleep a wink. In the morning, his father called him.
"You can go to the surface. You'll breathe air and see the sky. But remember! It's not our world!
We can only watch it and admire! We're children of the sea and have no soul, as men do. Be
careful and keep away from them; they can only bring bad luck!" In a second, Siren was darting
smoothly towards the surface of the sea. He swam so fast with flicks of hisstrongtail, that even
the fish could not keep up with him.
Suddenly he popped out of the water. How wonderful! For the first time, he saw the great blue
sky, in which as dusk began to fall, the first stars were peeping out and twinkling. The sun,
already over the horizon, trailed a golden reflection that gently faded on the heaving waves.
"It's so lovely!" he exclaimed happily. But another nice surprise was in store for him: a ship was
slowly sailing towards the rock on which Siren was sitting. The sailors dropped anchor and the
ship swayed gently in the calm sea. Siren watched the people go about their work aboard,
lighting the lanterns for the night.
"I'd love to speak to them!" he said to himself. But then he gazed sadly at his long fishlike tail,
his equivalent of legs, and said to himself: "I can never be like them!" Aboard ship, a strange
excitement seemed to seize the crew, and a little later, the sky became a spray of many
coloured lights and the crackle of fireworks filled the sky.
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Beauty and the Beast
Once upon a time, as a merchant set off for market, he asked each of his three children what they would
like as a present on his return. The first daughter wanted a brocade dress, the second a pearl necklace,
but the third son, whose name was Bolder, the youngest, and sweetest of them all, said to his father:
"All I'd like is an apple you've picked specially for me!"
When the merchant had finished his business, he set off for home. However, a sudden storm blew up,
and his horse could hardly make headway in the howling gale. Cold and weary, the merchant had lost all
hope of reaching an inn when he suddenly noticed a bright light shining in the middle of a wood. As he
drew near, he saw that it was a castle, bathed in light.
"I hope I'll find shelter there for the night," he said to himself. When he reached the door, he saw it was
open, but though he shouted, nobody came to greet him. Plucking up courage, he went inside, still
calling out to attract attention. On a table in the main hall, a splendid dinner lay already served. The
merchant lingered, still shouting for the owner of the castle. But no one came, and so the starving
merchant sat down to a hearty meal.
Overcome by curiosity, he ventured upstairs, where the corridor led into magnificent rooms and halls. A
fire crackled in the first room and a soft bed looked very inviting. It was now late, and the merchant
could not resist. He lay down on the bed and fell fast asleep. When he woke next morning, an unknown
hand had placed a mug of steaming coffee and some fruit by his bedside.
The merchant had breakfast and after tidying himself up, went downstairs to thank his generous host.
But, as on the evening before, there was nobody in sight. Shaking his head in wonder at the strangeness
of it all, he went towards the garden where he had left his horse, tethered to a tree. Suddenly, a large
apple tree caught his eye.
Remembering his promise to Bolder, he bent down to pick an apple. Instantly, out of the apple garden,
sprang a horrible beast, wearing splendid clothes. Two bloodshot eyes, gleaming angrily, glared at him
and a deep, terrifying voice growled: "Ungrateful man! I gave you shelter, you ate at my table and slept
in my own bed, but now all the thanks I get is the theft of my favourite fruit! I shall put you to death for
this slight!" Trembling with fear, the merchant fell on his knees before the Beast.
"Forgive me! Forgive me! Don't kill me! I'll do anything you say! The apple wasn't for me, it was for my
son Bolder. I promised to bring him back an apple from my journey!" The Beast dropped the paw it had
clamped on the unhappy merchant.
"I shall spare your life, but on one condition, that you bring me your son!" The terror-stricken merchant,
faced with certain death if he did not obey, promised that he would do so. When he reached home in
tears, his three children ran to greet him. After he had told them of his dreadful adventure, Bolder put
his mind at rest immediately.
"Dear father, I'd do anything for you! Don't worry, you'll be able to keep your promise and save your
life! Take me to the castle. I'll stay there in your place!" The merchant hugged his son.
"I never did doubt your love for me. For the moment I can only thank you for saving my life." So Bolder
was led to the castle.
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN; FINISH THE STORY!