Grimms' Fairy Tales
Grimms' Fairy Tales are German folk tales collected by the brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm and first published in 1812; every story here is our own bedtime retelling, in English and Chinese, with narration in both languages, free to read and listen to.
Grimms' Fairy Tales (6 stories)
- 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.
About Grimms' Fairy Tales
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm began collecting German folk tales in 1806 and published the first volume of Children's and Household Tales (Kinder- und Hausmärchen) in 1812. They revised the collection many times, and the seventh edition of 1857 contains more than 200 stories. Some of the original tales are frightening, so in our retellings we kept each story's main plot and ending and left out the gory details that don't belong at bedtime.
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.
Questions about Grimms' Fairy Tales
- How many Grimm fairy tales are there?
- The final edition of the Brothers Grimm's Children's and Household Tales, the seventh edition of 1857, contains more than 200 stories. This collection is a selection of the best-known ones, such as Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White and Cinderella, retold for bedtime.
- Are Grimm fairy tales appropriate for kids?
- Some of the originals do have frightening scenes. Our retellings keep each story's main plot and ending but leave out the details that aren't right for bedtime, and the source note on each story says what we changed.
- What age are Grimm fairy tales for?
- Our retellings suit children aged 3 to 8. Children of 3 to 5 enjoy them most with a grown-up listening along. Each story page shows a suggested age.
- What is the difference between Grimm and Andersen fairy tales?
- Grimms' fairy tales are German folk tales that the Brothers Grimm collected and wrote down, such as Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White. Andersen's fairy tales are stories the Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen made up himself, such as The Ugly Duckling and The Little Match Girl.
- Can I listen to Grimms' fairy tales for free?
- Yes. Every story has an English version with a native-English narration and a Chinese version with a Chinese narration, and the sentence being read is highlighted so children can read along. Reading and listening are free, with no sign-up.