The Clever Rabbit and the Patient Crocodile is a folktale about intelligence, careful thinking, and survival. The story uses animals to reflect human traits and teach important life lessons. It is loved for its simple yet meaningful message, passed down through many generations.
During a dry season, a wild rabbit ventured out of the forest, weakened by hunger. He crept into a vegetable garden at dusk but was caught and injured by the farmer, leaving him with a lame leg. Limping toward the river, he met a young blind deer grazing nearby. The deer was strong and fast, but constantly at risk because it could not see the dangers around the riverbank. The rabbit proposed a partnership: he would be the eyes, spotting danger early, while the deer would provide speed and strength. Recognizing the advantage of cooperation, the blind deer agreed.
How Young Thomas Edison Saved His Mother is a well known educational story inspired by the childhood of Thomas Alva Edison, one of America’s greatest inventors. The story highlights creative thinking, quick problem solving, and love for family, showing how a young boy’s intelligence and calm reasoning helped save his mother in a moment of great danger.
One evening, Edison had just left for the train station when his mother was suddenly struck by severe abdominal pain at home. His father was still at work, and the house fell into panic. When his sister Tania returned from visiting a friend, she rushed to her mother’s side in alarm.
Who Deserves More Praise is a gentle moral story that focuses on obedience, kindness, and true goodness. Through the actions of two siblings given the same task, the story shows that doing good is not about seeking praise, but about thinking of others and helping when help is needed.
In a quiet home, two Gray Rabbit brothers lived with their mother. Their father worked far away, so both brothers wanted to prove they were the most loving and obedient child. The older brother was more mature and often gave in to his younger sibling. The younger one, however, always wanted more praise from their mother and tried to stand out.
The Brave Purple Toad is a traditional Vietnamese folktale that celebrates courage, intelligence, and quick thinking. The story shows how a small and seemingly weak creature outsmarts a powerful tiger, teaching a timeless lesson that wisdom can overcome strength and bravery does not depend on size.
Deep in the forest lived a fierce and cruel tiger. Every animal feared him, and he believed himself to be untouchable. One day, as the tiger passed by the cave of Purple Toad, the toad decided it was time to teach the arrogant tiger a lesson using intelligence instead of strength.
The Price of a Cooked Chicken is a traditional Chinese folktale that highlights the power of logic, fairness, and common sense in everyday life. The story follows a poor farmer who faces an unreasonable debt and shows how wisdom can expose greed and injustice. Through a simple conflict, the tale delivers a clear moral about honesty and the true meaning of justice.
Long ago, a poor farmer bought a cooked chicken on credit from a shopkeeper. He planned to pay later once he had enough money. After some time, the farmer returned to settle the debt. The shopkeeper pulled out his abacus and pretended to calculate for a long while. At last, he said the farmer owed three hundred coins.
This story explores the timeless theme of loyalty, kindness, and the true measure of character. It highlights how actions reveal a person’s heart, showing that wealth or status does not determine who is genuinely good. Readers of all ages can reflect on the importance of integrity, family bonds, and recognizing true virtue in others.
Long ago, there were two brothers who lost their parents at a young age. They lived together in the same house, shared everything, and worked side by side. Life was simple and peaceful, and their bond was very strong.
This story is a well-known Vietnamese folktale that highlights cleverness, honesty, and the consequences of greed. It shows how quick thinking and integrity can outsmart those who are selfish and arrogant. Readers of all ages can enjoy the humor and moral lessons it offers.
Long ago, there was a wealthy man who was extremely greedy and miserly. When the Lunar New Year approached, he craved some wine but refused to give any money. He ordered his farmhand, the plowman, to go to the market and buy a bottle without paying for it.
This story comes from a classic collection of Vietnamese folktales. It explores timeless lessons about choices, consequences, and the value of living with honesty and integrity. Readers of all ages can appreciate the wisdom it offers about life, responsibility, and moral guidance.
Long ago, there was a wealthy merchant family known for their cunning and deceit. The father had crafted a special scale filled with mercury, cleverly designed so that it would weigh heavier or lighter depending on his benefit. When selling goods, the scale tipped to his advantage, making the products appear lighter and the money larger. When buying, the scale worked the opposite way. Through this trickery, he always profited, and his wealth grew quickly. The family was blessed with two handsome and intelligent children who excelled in their studies, and people admired them as a household of great fortune.
This story comes from a traditional Vietnamese folktale. It highlights values that have been admired for generations, such as hard work, intelligence, and gratitude. It is a timeless tale that shows how personal effort and respect for others are celebrated in culture and society.
Long ago, there was a young man from a very poor family who spent his days gathering firewood to earn money for food and schooling. He was intelligent, hardworking, and deeply passionate about learning. That year, the king announced a royal examination to select the brightest minds in the kingdom. The young scholar studied day and night, often forgetting to eat, completely absorbed in his books. Sometimes, when mealtime came, he would wait until his neighbors finished eating and then borrow their cooking pot to cook his food, always returning it spotless after use.
This story is a classic fable about a clever horse and a hungry wolf. Set in a quiet meadow, it shows how wisdom and careful thinking can protect you from danger. The tale teaches important lessons about patience, cleverness, and the risks of trusting appearances, making it a timeless story for readers of all ages.
A hungry Wolf once wandered near a quiet meadow, searching for something to fill his empty stomach. After hours of finding nothing, he spotted a strong Horse grazing peacefully in the tall grass. The Wolf paused, knowing the Horse was much larger and far more powerful than he was. He realized that attacking the Horse directly would be extremely dangerous. Instead, he began thinking of a trick that might give him the upper hand.
In this traditional Vietnamese tale, two brothers face very different fates after one chooses greed and the other chooses kindness. At the heart of the story is a humble starfruit tree, a mysterious golden bird, and a journey that reveals the true cost of selfishness and the quiet strength of generosity.
Long ago, two brothers lived together after losing their parents when they were still very young. The older brother grew up with a greedy and selfish nature. He always wanted more for himself and rarely cared about anyone else. The younger brother was very different. He was gentle, honest, and ready to make sacrifices if it meant helping others.
In a quiet Hungarian village, a young calico kitten wandered a little too far from home and quickly found herself lost in the deep woods. Unsure of which path to follow, she met several woodland animals who each tried, in their own way, to help her. What began as an innocent adventure soon turned into a journey of courage, kindness, and finding her way back to where she truly belonged.
One quiet afternoon in a small Hungarian village, a curious little calico kitten wandered too far from home. At first everything felt exciting, but when she turned around and could no longer recognize the path, fear slowly crept in. The forest seemed larger with every step, and the kitten began to realize that she was completely lost. She called for her mother, but the only sounds were rustling leaves and distant birdsong.
This is a well-known folktale that highlights the values of kindness, gratitude, and family love. Although the story is simple, the message it carries is powerful and timeless. It reminds readers that true generosity often appears in the quietest moments and that the strongest bonds are built through actions rather than words.
Two brothers once inherited a rice field after their parents passed away. The older brother was married with several children, while the younger brother lived alone in a small house by the edge of the village. When harvest season came, they worked side by side under the sun, cutting the rice, tying the stalks into bundles, and stacking everything into two piles of equal size in the middle of the field. Both were tired, but they felt grateful that the season had been generous to them.
This simple classroom story follows a talkative boy named Son who learns an important lesson about paying attention. After disrupting the class one too many times, his teacher pauses the lesson to explain why people have two ears, two eyes, but only one mouth. Through a gentle but meaningful conversation, Son begins to understand the value of listening more and speaking less.
Son was a bright but mischievous student who loved to talk. During class, instead of focusing on the lesson, he kept turning from side to side, whispering and chatting with his classmates. His constant talking distracted the entire row and even caused a few students to get scolded along with him. Although Son found it fun, the others were clearly annoyed.
Why the Sea is Salt is a Norwegian fairy tale about a poor younger brother who comes into possession of a magical hand-mill that can produce anything he desires. By using the mill wisely, he discovers how careful decisions and patience lead to safety and prosperity, while greed and impatience can bring disaster. The story also explains how the magical mill ultimately ends up at the bottom of the sea, revealing the magical origin of the ocean’s saltiness.
Long ago in Norway, there were two brothers living in a poor village. The older brother was rich, greedy, and selfish, with plenty of everything but never willing to help anyone. The younger brother was poor, kind, and generous, living with his wife in constant hardship. As Christmas approached, the younger brother had nothing to eat, not even a small piece of bread or meat. In desperation, he went to his rich brother asking for some food. The rich brother reluctantly gave him a smoked piece of pork, but only on the condition that the younger brother would never ask him for anything again.
The Tale of the Rabbit and the Fox is a traditional fable about a clever rabbit and a sly fox living in a Norwegian forest. The fox constantly hunts for prey, while the rabbit uses intelligence and quick thinking to stay safe. The story teaches important lessons about caution, cleverness, and survival.
In a quiet Norwegian forest, a clever rabbit lived peacefully, enjoying fresh vegetables and sweet wild berries. The forest was beautiful, but it was not without danger. A sly and hungry fox prowled the woods, always looking for an opportunity to catch unsuspecting animals.
The Troll’s Daughter is a Norwegian fairy tale about a young man who encounters the daughter of a terrifying troll. The troll had long terrorized a small village, kidnapping children and destroying crops. Brave and clever, the young man sets out on a dangerous journey to rescue the troll’s daughter, who is kind and intelligent, and to protect the villagers from her father’s threats.
Once upon a time, in a remote village surrounded by towering mountains and dense forests, there lived a young man named Thorbjørn. He was the son of a poor farmer, but despite his humble background, he was brave, clever, and kind-hearted. The villagers admired his courage, yet they rarely ventured far from home because their lives were overshadowed by a terrifying giant troll who lived in a dark, jagged cave high on the mountain. For many years, this troll had kidnapped children and destroyed the villagers’ crops whenever it pleased.
The Boy Who Wanted More Than the World Could Give Him is a classic Norwegian folktale about a restless young boy who is never satisfied with what he has. As he chases bigger dreams and greater pleasures, his endless desires lead him into unexpected trouble. The story highlights the dangers of greed and reminds us that true happiness comes from appreciating what we already have.
In a peaceful region of Norway, a boy named Per grew up in a comfortable farming family. He never had to worry about food, shelter, or warmth. His parents loved him deeply, and his life was far easier than most. But instead of feeling grateful, Per believed he deserved more. He looked beyond his family’s land and imagined a world filled with glittering treasures and grand adventures. In his heart, he believed that true happiness could only be found in wealth, power, and everything bigger than what he already had.
The Stone-Cutter is a well-known Norwegian folktale about a humble worker who dreams of having more power and an easier life. As a series of magical wishes turns him into different forces of nature, he slowly learns that each new form comes with its own limits. In the end, he realizes that true strength doesn’t come from status or power, but from perseverance, self-acceptance, and pride in one’s own work. The story offers a timeless reminder that the greatest power we hold is already within us.
Long ago in the granite mountains of Norway lived a hardworking stonecutter named Knut. Every day he carved massive blocks of stone from the cliffs using only a hammer and chisel. The sun burned his skin, his clothes were soaked with sweat, and his body ached from endless labor. Whenever exhaustion caught up with him, Knut could not help but complain about his difficult life and wonder why he had been given such a harsh fate.
The Master-Thief is a classic Norwegian folktale about a brilliant young man whose talent for clever tricks makes him both feared and admired. In the story, he is challenged by the King to complete a series of impossible thefts to earn his freedom. Through wit, creativity, and quick thinking, the Master-Thief proves that intelligence can outshine strength and that even the most difficult obstacles can be overcome with a sharp mind.
Long ago in Norway there lived a young man named Anders, known throughout the kingdom as the Master Thief. Although he was a thief, his heart was not wicked. He never stole to get rich. He simply enjoyed the challenge of outsmarting complex security systems and proving his exceptional skill. People feared his talent, yet they could not deny that Anders had a brilliant and clever mind.
.png "The Stone-Cutter (Stenhuggeren)")
.png "The Master-Thief (Mester Tyven)")