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About

This is part of the collection I've started for my children, my future grandchildren (hopefully), and fellow folklorists to enjoy. To the best of my knowledge, all the versions I have gathered here are in the public domain and able to be freely posted. If you find one that is not in the public domain in the United States, please contact me and we will address the issue.

When I was growing up, we had a very thick hardcover book called Best-Loved Folktales of the World by Joanna Cole. Yes, Joanna Cole of Ms. Frizzle and the Magic School Bus. Two hundred stories and 780 pages of fairytales from all six inhabited continents. I have always had a fondness for fairytales, nursery rhymes, and old stories, and such a thick book fueled that. I know that bedtime and campfire stories are often told from a point of "romantic patriotism" and are often dismissed as being too unrealistic to be relevant, but, you know what? Maybe that's not a inherently bad thing. It's easy to get caught up in all the negative and hateful ways around us until we feel we can't trust our neighbors or even ourselves, and then some people never leave the house because of it. The scary people and situations are still in folktales, but they teach us how to stand up to the monsters with wit and courage, endure hardship with determination, have a love for life with the love of our life, receive plenty of lessons about humility and kindness along the way, and the fantasy element allows us to escape the world for just a moment to gather ourselves. They also show us that around the world are wonderful lands, brave warriors, and benevolent strangers.

Whether you're here to reminisce on childhood tales, go on a daring adventure, escape from reality, or are just bored and looking for something to read to pass time, I hope you find something that tickles your fancy.

About the Webmistress

Ashe Skyler is a martial / artist from the rural Appalachian foothills. In addition to reading, writing, and drawing she also enjoys cooking, gardening, martial arts, crafts, and increasing her collection of folklore, fables, fairy tales, and classic literature. Extended bio.