The Emperor’s New Clothes

The Emperor lived in a magnificent city filled with travelers from every corner of the world, yet nothing fascinated him more than clothing. He ignored important matters of the kingdom and spent his wealth obsessively on extravagant outfits. People often joked that instead of sitting on the throne, the Emperor spent most of his time in the wardrobe. His passion for fashion became so well known that it attracted all kinds of visitors, including two cunning strangers who arrived one day claiming to be master weavers.

Thumbelina

Once upon a time, a lonely woman longed deeply for a child of her own. After visiting a kind fairy, she was given a magical seed with the promise that something wonderful would grow from it. When she planted the seed, a warm and glowing flower blossomed, and inside it was a tiny girl no bigger than a thumb. The woman named her Thumbelina and cherished her with all her heart. Thumbelina’s days were filled with sunlight, music, and gentle joy as she lived inside a peaceful cottage surrounded by nature.

The Little Mermaid

Beneath the shimmering waves of a vast and mysterious ocean, there existed a kingdom of coral castles and glowing sea life. In this underwater realm lived a young mermaid named Ariel, the youngest daughter of the Sea King. Unlike her sisters, Ariel was endlessly curious about the human world above. She collected human artifacts, loved music, and spent hours listening to stories from sea creatures about life on land. Her heart longed for adventure and the unknown.

The Ugly Duckling

On a peaceful farm tucked beside fields of tall grass and quiet streams, a mother duck waited patiently for her eggs to hatch. After many days of sitting and warming her nest, the shells finally began to crack one bright morning. Tiny yellow ducklings tumbled out, fluffy and cheerful, gathering around their mother with soft chirps. Only one egg was left, and it was noticeably larger than the rest. Hours passed before it finally opened, revealing a duckling very different from his siblings. He was gray, oversized, awkward and clearly did not fit the typical image of a cute little duck. The mother duck loved him anyway, but the rest of the farmyard was not as kind.

The Princess and the Pea

Long ago, in a peaceful kingdom, the king and queen lived with one constant worry. Their only son, the prince, still had not found a bride who truly felt right for him. Many princesses had been introduced to him over the years, yet every meeting ended the same way. One spoke in a sharp, unpleasant tone. Another grew irritated at the smallest things. Another seemed careless or lazy. No matter how hard everyone tried, none of the young women ever touched the prince’s heart.

The Frog Prince

Long ago in a distant kingdom, a king had several daughters, and all of them were beautiful, but the youngest princess was admired the most. People often said her beauty was so pure and bright that she looked like she came from the heavens. Not far from the royal palace, deep inside a shadowy forest, there was a cool, peaceful pond. On hot days, the young princess often wandered into the woods, sat near the water and played with her favorite toy, a golden ball she loved tossing into the air and catching again.

Rumpelstiltskin

Once upon a time, there was a young girl who lived with her poor father in a small village. Her father was a humble baker and very proud of his only daughter. In his desire to boast, he told the king that his daughter had the magical ability to spin straw into gold. When the king heard this, he became extremely greedy and curious. Without delay, he commanded that the girl be brought to the castle and ordered her to turn all the straw in the royal barn into gold before sunrise, threatening that she would be executed if she failed.

Rapunzel

There once lived a poor couple who longed for a child. Behind their home was a beautiful garden filled with rare herbs and fragrant flowers. The garden belonged to a witch, and everyone knew better than to step inside. One day, the wife saw a fresh patch of rampion growing there and craved it so intensely that she became pale and weak. Frightened for her health, her husband decided to sneak into the garden at dusk to gather some for her. She ate it eagerly, but her craving grew stronger, forcing the husband to return for more. This time, the witch caught him. After threatening him, she softened when she heard his explanation and made a terrible bargain. She would allow him to take all the rampion he wanted, but the child his wife would soon give birth to must be given to her. Overwhelmed and terrified, he agreed.

Hansel and Gretel

Once upon a time, there lived a brother and sister named Hansel and Gretel. They lived with their father and stepmother in a small house near a dense forest. The family was so poor that they barely had enough food to survive. One day, their stepmother cruelly suggested abandoning the children in the forest, so she and their father would have fewer mouths to feed. Though heartbroken, their father reluctantly agreed because of their desperate circumstances.

Little Red Riding Hood

Once upon a time, there was a sweet little girl loved by everyone. Her favorite person in the world was her grandmother, who one day gave her a beautiful red hooded cloak. She loved it so much that she wore it everywhere, and soon everyone called her Little Red Riding Hood. One morning, her mother asked her to take a basket of goodies to her grandmother, who was feeling sick, and warned her carefully, “Go straight to Grandma’s house and do not go through the forest. A wolf lives there, and he could hurt you.”

Beauty and the Beast

Once upon a time, a wealthy merchant lived with his three daughters in a large and comfortable home. Among them, the youngest daughter, Belle, stood out for her gentle nature and kind heart. Even when the family lost everything and had to move to a poor countryside village, Belle remained optimistic and continued to comfort her father and sisters, proving that her inner beauty was her greatest strength.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, snowflakes fell like tiny white feathers across the sky. A queen sat by a black ebony window, sewing. As she watched the snow, her needle pricked her finger, and three drops of bright red blood fell onto the pure white snow. She sighed and made a wish: “I wish I could have a daughter with skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony.” Soon after, the queen gave birth to a beautiful baby girl who perfectly matched her wish. She named her Snow White. Sadly, the queen died when Snow White was still very young, leaving her father to care for the child.

Cinderella

Long ago, a wealthy man lost his wife and was left with a single daughter. Eventually he remarried a woman who was harsh and cruel, and she had two daughters just like her. Meanwhile, his own daughter was kind, gentle, and naturally lovable, earning everyone’s admiration more than her selfish stepsisters. Jealous of her goodness, the stepmother forced the girl to do all the hard labor in the house, from carrying water and cooking to cleaning every room. She slept in a dusty attic while the stepsisters enjoyed elegant bedrooms with soft white beds and polished mirrors. Despite her suffering, she never complained because her father was too afraid to stand up to his new wife. Every evening, covered in ashes from the fireplace, she earned the nickname Cinderella.

Sleeping Beauty

Long ago, a king and queen longed for a child. One day, while the queen was bathing, a frog appeared and told her that her wish would soon come true, and by the end of the year she would give birth to a daughter. The prophecy came true, and the queen delivered a beautiful princess who captured every heart. To celebrate her birth, the king held a magnificent feast and invited everyone he could, including twelve of the thirteen fairies in the kingdom. The thirteenth fairy was left out simply because the king did not have enough golden plates for all of them. During the celebration, the fairies stepped forward and blessed the princess with beauty, grace, virtue, kindness and every gift they could offer. But suddenly, the thirteenth fairy appeared in anger and cast a terrible curse: when the princess reached fifteen, she would prick her finger on a spindle and die. The last invited fairy could not undo the curse, but she softened it so the princess would not die but fall into a deep sleep lasting one hundred years.

The Wise Farmer and the False Accusation

During the Lê dynasty in Vietnam, at the foot of Mount Hồng Lĩnh, there lived a poor man. In his youth, he had learned just enough literacy to sign contracts when borrowing money, but his family’s land and home were eventually lost to debt. As he grew older, he earned a living herding cattle for villagers. Each morning he led the cows into the hills and each evening returned them to their owners. While the animals grazed, he often waded into streams to catch eels for food.

Seryozha and the Canary

Seryozha had a wonderful birthday. He received many gifts such as a toy wolf, a horse, and even some picture books. But the present he loved the most was a bird trap that his cousin sent him. The trap worked like this: at the entrance of the net there was a small wooden plate. If Seryozha scattered some grain on it and left it in the yard, the moment a bird landed to peck at the seeds, the plate would tilt, and the net would drop down, capturing the bird. Excited, Seryozha ran to show his mother. She frowned and said, “That is not a good toy. Why catch birds? Why cause them harm?”

The Legend of the Cockscomb Flower

Long ago, every hen proudly wore a bright red comb on her head, just like the roosters do today. One early morning, a little speckled hen named Mei admired her reflection in a farmyard puddle. She was delighted to see the crown of red feathers glowing like a cluster of flowers on her head. Flapping her wings, she happily sang her familiar tune: “Cluck, cluck, cluck! My comb has bloomed! Cluck, cluck, cluck!” The other animals on the farm stopped to look at her and exclaimed with admiration, “What a lovely crown you have! So charming and elegant.”

The Greedy Bear Cubs

Once upon a time, in a deep forest untouched by humans, there lived a mother bear and her two young cubs. The mother bear was already old, but every day she still worked tirelessly to find food and take care of her children.

Seeing their mother struggle, the cubs said, “Mom, we are grown up now. Tomorrow, please let us go out and find food on our own.” The mother bear was overjoyed to hear her children’s words. She hugged them tightly and gave them many instructions before letting them go. Although her heart was filled with worry, she also felt proud and happy that her children wanted to become independent.

Heungbu and Nolbu

In ancient Korea, there lived two brothers who could not have been more different. The older brother, Nolbu, was rich, selfish, and harsh, while the younger brother, Heungbu, was poor but gentle and kindhearted. After their father’s death, Nolbu inherited everything and forced his younger brother out, leaving Heungbu and his family in poverty. Although Heungbu often had nothing to eat, he never let bitterness change his heart. He chose kindness over anger, even toward the brother who wronged him.

The Greek Myth of Roses: A Story of Love and Sacrifice

Long ago, on a drifting island that floated gently on the waves, a baby boy was born. His life began with tragedy, as his mother suddenly fell ill and passed away. Without her milk, the infant cried endlessly, and his sorrowful wails reached the heavens. Zeus, king of the gods, heard the cries and took pity on the orphaned child. He ordered the divine blacksmith to mold a kind woman from earth and water, sending her down to care for the boy. From that day on, mother and child lived together in a simple home made of seaweed and delicate plants. Goats offered him milk, the forest trees rustled to lull him to sleep, and bees carried honey from nearby mountains to nourish him.