Bedtime stories for kidsEvery story read aloud, in English and Chinese
Grimms' fairy tales, Andersen, Aesop's fables and Chinese idiom stories, each with a native English narration, plus a Chinese version with Mandarin narration. Free to listen online, no sign-up.
Tonight's storyGrimms' Fairy TalesAges 3-7
Little Red Riding Hood小红帽
On the way to her sick grandma's house, Little Red Riding Hood leaves the path, and a wolf gets there first. With native English narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
English narration0:00 / 2:28
Grimms' Fairy Tales
格林童话 · in English and Chinese, read aloud
- Ages 3-73 min
Little Red Riding Hood小红帽
On the way to her sick grandma's house, Little Red Riding Hood leaves the path, and a wolf gets there first. With native English narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
- Ages 3-83 min
Cinderella灰姑娘
Grimm's Cinderella: a white bird in a hazel tree gives her a gown, and a golden shoe leads the prince to her. With native English narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
- Ages 4-83 min
Snow White白雪公主
Grimm's Snow White: a jealous queen, seven dwarfs, a poisoned apple, and a prince who takes her home. With native English narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
- Ages 3-73 min
The Frog Prince青蛙王子
A frog fetches the princess's golden ball, and the king makes her keep her promise. The first Grimm tale. With native English narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
- Ages 4-83 min
Hansel and Gretel糖果屋
In this Grimm tale, Hansel and Gretel get lost in the forest, find a house of bread, cake and sugar, and outwit the witch inside. With native English narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
- Ages 3-63 min
The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats狼和七只小山羊
In this Grimm tale, the wolf disguises his voice and paw to trick seven little goats, but the youngest hides in the clock. With native English narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales
安徒生童话 · in English and Chinese, read aloud
- Ages 5-93 min
The Little Match Girl卖火柴的小女孩
On New Year's Eve, a barefoot girl lights her unsold matches to keep warm and sees a stove, a goose and her grandma. By Andersen. With native English narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
- Ages 5-93 min
The Little Mermaid海的女儿
Andersen's original, not the Disney film: the little mermaid trades her voice for legs and becomes a daughter of the air. With native English narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
- Ages 3-72 min
The Princess and the Pea豌豆公主
Andersen's short tale: a rain-soaked girl says she is a real princess, so the queen hides a pea under twenty mattresses. With native English narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
- Ages 4-83 min
The Emperor's New Clothes皇帝的新装
In Andersen's tale, two tricksters sell an emperor cloth that fools can't see, and only a child dares to say he has nothing on. With native English narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
- Ages 3-73 min
Thumbelina拇指姑娘
A girl no bigger than a thumb saves a frozen swallow, and it carries her to a land of flowers. By Andersen. With native English narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
- Ages 5-93 min
The Steadfast Tin Soldier坚定的锡兵
Andersen's one-legged tin soldier loves a paper dancer and stands straight through a fall, a paper-boat voyage and a fish. With native English narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
Aesop's Fables for Kids
伊索寓言 · in English and Chinese, read aloud
- Ages 3-72 min
The Tortoise and the Hare龟兔赛跑
A boastful hare naps in the middle of a race, and the slow tortoise keeps going and wins. Aesop’s fable in simple English with narration, plus the Chinese version read in Mandarin.
- Ages 3-72 min
The Boy Who Cried Wolf狼来了
A bored shepherd boy shouts “Wolf!” twice as a joke. When a real wolf comes, nobody believes him. Aesop’s fable in simple English with narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
- Ages 3-72 min
The Fox and the Grapes狐狸和葡萄
A hungry fox can’t reach the grapes, so he says they must be sour. The fable behind “sour grapes,” in simple English with narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
- Ages 3-72 min
The North Wind and the Sun北风和太阳
The North Wind and the Sun compete to get a traveler’s coat off. The wind blows hard and fails; the gentle sun wins. Aesop’s fable in simple English and in Chinese, both with narration.
- Ages 3-72 min
The Crow and the Pitcher乌鸦喝水
A thirsty crow can’t reach the little water left in a pitcher, so he drops in pebbles one by one until it rises. Aesop’s fable in simple English and in Chinese, both with narration.
- Ages 4-82 min
The Farmer and the Viper农夫和蛇
On a freezing day a kind farmer warms a frozen snake inside his coat, and when it wakes up, it bites him. Aesop’s fable, gently told, in simple English and in Chinese, both with narration.
Chinese Idiom Stories for Kids
成语故事 · in English and Chinese, read aloud
- Ages 4-82 min
Marking the Boat to Find the Sword刻舟求剑
A man drops his sword into a river, cuts a mark on the moving boat, and jumps in under the mark once the boat lands. The idiom story 刻舟求剑 in English and Chinese, with narration.
- Ages 4-82 min
The Fox Borrows the Tiger's Power狐假虎威
A tiger catches a fox, and the fox claims Heaven made him king of the animals. He walks ahead, the tiger follows, and every animal runs. The idiom story 狐假虎威 in English and Chinese, with narration.
- Ages 4-82 min
Mending the Pen After Losing a Sheep亡羊补牢
A shepherd loses a sheep through a hole in his pen but won’t fix it. When a second sheep goes, he mends it at once. The idiom story 亡羊补牢 in English and Chinese, with narration.
- Ages 4-82 min
Drawing Legs on a Snake画蛇添足
Helpers race to draw a snake for a pot of honey water. The fastest one finishes, then adds feet to his snake and loses the prize. The idiom story 画蛇添足 in English and Chinese, with narration.
- Ages 4-82 min
Waiting by the Tree Stump守株待兔
A farmer gets a free rabbit when it runs into a tree stump, so he stops working and waits by the stump for another. The idiom story 守株待兔 in English and Chinese, with narration.
- Ages 4-82 min
The Frog in the Well井底之蛙
A little frog thinks his shallow well is the best place in the world, until a big sea turtle tells him how vast the sea is. The idiom story 井底之蛙 in English and Chinese, with narration.
Read this story to your child in your own voice
- Record your voice and confirm it's really you
- Pick any story, in English or Chinese
- A few minutes later, hear it in your voice; you can also download the MP3
From about $1.05 a story, or $1.99 for a first-order taster. Reading and listening are always free, and failed generations are refunded.
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About the stories, pricing and your own voice.
Tonight, tell your child a story in your own voice
Record a little of your voice, pick any story, and hear it read in your voice, in English or Chinese. On nights you're away or working late, your child can still hear you.