Children perceive new information differently than adults. Study of any foreign language It’s much easier for them than for us. And the younger the child. the easier it is for him to integrate into a new environment and understand his foreign peers.
Of course, teaching a child English with the help of fairy tales will make the whole process much more interesting and make it easier to remember new words and phrases. How to use fairy tales in the process of teaching a child English?
Be consistent
You should not immediately memorize grammatical rules and basic spelling in English with your child. There should be a time for each stage! Start getting acquainted with a language unfamiliar to your child with the help of simple rhymes or sayings. And only then can you move on to correcting grammatical errors and clarifying pronunciation. Fairy tales should be approached after many words and phrases have been learned.
Everything has its time!
You shouldn’t put off learning a foreign language until school, especially if you have the opportunity to start studying earlier. You just need to organize the classes correctly, and not force the child to cram anything if he doesn’t want to. Only in this case the baby will not feel any stress. However, you still have to wait until the age when the little person masters the rules of his native language; usually, by the age of 4-5, speech is already sufficiently developed to be able to move on to learning a foreign language.
Use different techniques
If something is difficult for your child during the learning process, try to find a different approach. For example, not only using textbooks or memorizing phrases, but also watching cartoons in English, reading fairy tales and various games.
Read fairy tales in English for children:
On this page you can find interesting fairy tales in English for children, both original and folk. If desired, you can print them out and read them not only at home, but also take them with you. Fairy tales in English will help replenish a child’s vocabulary, introduce him to creativity and move away from ordinary memorization.
Learning English in childhood is not only a complex and quite labor-intensive process, but also a process subject to change. Today, experts insist on a comprehensive presentation of linguistic aspects, selecting the best points from various methods, manuals and techniques. In the modern variety of educational materials, fairy tales in English for children still remain relevant.
A fairy tale is a whole linguistic layer, including not only the lexical and grammatical, but also the cultural aspect. Reading and analyzing genre texts fairy tale, you can fully understand not only the linguistic features, but also English traditions and the subtleties of mentality. That is why fairy tales in English can be offered for study not only to schoolchildren and preschoolers, but also to adult students.
English fairy tales: interest, outlook, benefit
The inclusion of fairy tales in the curriculum remains relevant for most modern methods. Their use is absolutely justified due to the following advantages:
- Engagement and motivation. Children are more interested in studying material presented in the form of a fairy tale, thanks to which they themselves strive to read and understand the text.
- Erudition and horizons. By reading English children's fairy tales, the child simultaneously studies the characteristics and traditions of other peoples and countries, learns to distinguish and feel the nuances of different languages, which allows him to develop linguistic inclinations and replenish his knowledge.
- Studying several aspects of language at once. Fairy tales for children in English allow you to master grammar and vocabulary in an unobtrusive form, study tense forms and sentence construction, and expand your vocabulary.
- Development of perseverance and concentration. Children are ready to spend much more time studying and translating an interesting story than on a boring text that requires the same processing.
Russian fairy tales translated into English: is it worth using?
The answer here is clear: of course, it’s worth it. And first of all, due to stronger motivation: many children are incredibly interested in reading Russian folk tales familiar to them from childhood in English. In addition, the inclusion of Russian texts translated into English helps to effectively develop the following skills:
- Language intuition. By reading famous Russian fairy tales in English, children more easily grasp the meaning and grasp the meaning of unfamiliar words and expressions.
- Lexicon. When, while reading, a child intuitively understands English words and expressions, he remembers them much faster - the secret lies in deep cognitive interest.
- Erudition. Translating a fairy tale from Russian into English helps you take a fresh look at familiar phenomena and traditions, and feel the difference in the formation of idioms and phraseological units in different languages.
Russian fairy tales in English can be offered for study in two versions: immediately with translation for beginners or in an already translated version without the original for children with more advanced language training.
An example of a Russian fairy tale with translation
Fox and Crane
Once upon a time, the Fox and the Crane were close friends. One day the Fox invited the Crane to dinner and said to him:
Come, my friend! Come, dear! I will treat you from the bottom of my heart!
The Crane came to the Fox for lunch. The fox prepared semolina porridge and spread it on the plate. He serves it on the table and treats the guest.
Help yourself to a delicious lunch, kumanek. I prepared this myself!
The crane tapped and tapped with its beak, knocking and knocking, but couldn’t pick up a single crumb of food. And the Fox licked the plate until she had eaten all the porridge.
When the porridge was over, the Fox said:
Don't be offended, my friend. There is nothing more to treat you with.
And thank you for that, dear,” answers the Crane. - Now it’s your turn to come visit me.
The next day the Fox came, and the Crane prepared okroshka, poured it into a tall jug with a narrow neck, and served it to the Fox:
Treat yourself to a delicious lunch, dear godfather. Really, I have nothing more to offer you.
The fox circles around the jug, licks it and sniffs it, but couldn’t even get a drop of the soup. My head won't fit into the jug.
Meanwhile, the Crane swallowed all the soup with its long beak. When he had eaten everything, he said to the Fox:
Don't be offended, dear. There is nothing more to treat you with.
The fox was very angry, because she wanted to eat for the week ahead. And so she left, slurping unsaltedly.
As it comes back, so will it respond! And since then, the Fox and the Crane are no longer friends.
The Fox and The Crane
It was long, long ago when the Fox and the Crane were close friends. One fine day the Fox invited the Crane to dinner with her and said to him:
“Come, buddy! Come, my dear! I’ll treat you heartily!”
And so the Crane came to the Fox for the dinner party. The Fox had cooked semolina for the dinner and smeared it over the plate. Then she served it and treated her guest.
“Help yourself to tasty dinner, my dear godfather. That was me who cooked it!”
The Crane went peck-peck with his beak, knocked and knocked but couldn’t pick even a bit of fare. The Fox kept licking the cereal until she had eaten it all.
When there's no cereal at all, the Fox said,
“Don’t feel offended, buddy. There’s nothing more to treat you.”
“And thanks hereon, dear,” the Crane said, “now it’s your turn to visit me.”
Next day the Fox came, and the Crane made okroshka and poured in into a tall pitcher with a narrow neck and treated the fox.
“Help yourself to tasty dinner, my dear godmother. Honestly, there’s nothing more to entertain you.”
The Fox spinned around the pitcher and licked it and sniffed it but couldn’t extract even a drop of the soup. Her head wouldn’t fit the pitcher at all.
Meanwhile the Crane sucked the soup with his long bill. When everything had been eaten, he said to the Fox,
“Don’t feel offended, dear. There’s nothing more to treat you.”
The Fox got very angry as she hoped to be full up for the whole week along. So she left empty-handed.
And that was a tit for tat! So, the Fox and the Crane hadn’t been friends anymore since then.
Choosing fairy tales for effective learning English
When choosing English fairy tales for children for classes, you need to focus on the following criteria:
- Age-appropriate complexity of texts. Today they are usually divided into several groups - adapted fairy tales in English for beginners with translation, fairy tales of elementary, intermediate and advanced levels of complexity. When choosing a text, it is necessary to take into account both the age and level of preparation of students.
- Moderate volume. A long text of a fairy tale can frighten children; too short one can seem light and boring to an older student. The golden mean in volume is no less important. . An interesting plot, the presence of morality, the opportunity for discussion - all this is necessary to hold the child’s attention and involve him in an active dialogue that promotes the development of oral speech.
Today, in addition to ordinary fairy tales presented in the form of texts, it is recommended to include animated storytellers in the language teaching program, watch videos and listen to audio fairy tales. A variety of genre material not only increases interest in English, but also helps to develop all language skills at once - reading, writing, speaking and listening comprehension.
Teaching English through fairy tales: important nuances
Fairy tales for children in English how they can be like effective means learning a language, as well as an additional and interesting, but not always useful load. In order for learning to follow the first scenario, when offering a fairy tale, you should follow a few simple rules:
- There's no rush. A child can read a fairy tale as long as he needs to understand the content. To do this, it is important to create a calm environment that promotes concentration.
- Mandatory removal of barriers. If the text of the fairy tale talks about realities that have no analogues in the native country, or there are any idioms or sayings, it is extremely important to explain their meaning in detail. This approach promotes better understanding and memorization, as well as deepening into the language environment.
- Indispensable repetition. English fairy tales should be reread at least once - this helps not only to understand the content more deeply, but also to pay attention to the nuances of grammar.
- Monitoring understanding of content. Guiding questions about the plot of the fairy tale, the translation of new words and expressions are the best way to make sure that children have really mastered the text.
- Mandatory analysis of what you read. In addition to leading questions, it is equally important to discuss the moral of the fairy tale, the author’s, and people’s message. Through dialogue, children learn to express their opinions and develop English speech.
Another important aspect in the study of fairy tales is the variety of material. You should not use only fairy tales and children's stories in English with translation: video fairy tales, authentic texts, and audio recordings will help keep students' interest longer.
Examples of fairy tales for English lessons
The list of English folk tales is very wide, and finding texts suitable for study in it is not so difficult. Below are short tales with translations and possible questions for monitoring and analyzing the story read.
Fairy tale No. 1
The Ant and the Grasshopper
One summer’s day a Grasshopper was hopping about in the field, singing and chirping to its heart’s content. An Ant passed by, carrying with great effort an ear of corn he was taking to his home.
"Why not come and have a chat with me," the Grasshopper said, "instead of fussing all day long?" “I am busy saving up food for the winter,” the Ant said, “and that would be better for you to do the same.” "Why bother about cold?" the Grasshopper answered; “we have got a lot of food at present.”
But the Ant went on its supply. When the winter came the Grasshopper got very cold and hungry while it kept watching the ants replete with corn and grain from the stores they had collected and saved in the summer.
Then the Grasshopper understood…
Ant and Grasshopper
One summer day, the Grasshopper was jumping around the field, singing songs and having fun with all his heart. An Ant walked by, laboriously dragging an ear of corn to his home.
Why not come and chat with me, asked the Grasshopper, - instead of fussing around all day?
“I’m preparing supplies for the winter,” answered the Ant. - And I advise you to do the same.
Why worry about cold weather? - answered the Grasshopper. - After all, now we have so much food.
However, the ant continued to stockpile. And when winter came, the frozen, hungry Grasshopper watched as the ants were fed thanks to the grain from the storehouses that they had been collecting all summer.
And only then did the Grasshopper understand everything...
Questions:
Fairy tale No. 2
The Lion and the Mouse
Once a Lion decided to have a rest. While he’d been asleep a little Mouse started to run up and down upon him. The Lion woke up because of that, put his huge paw upon the Mouse and opened his awful mouth to swallow him.
“I beg your pardon, my King!” the little Mouse cried, “Forgive me please.” I shall never do it again and I shall never forget how kind you were to me. And who knows, maybe one day I’ll do you a favor in turn?”
The Lion found the idea of the Mouse being able to help him so funny, that he let him go.
Sometime later the Lion was captured by hunters. They tied him to a tree and they went away for a while searching for a wagon to carry him on.
Just then the little Mouse happened to pass by, and the Lion in trouble. At once he ran up to him and soon gnawed away the ropes that tied the King. "Wasn't I really right?" the little Mouse said, being very proud of his role of the Lion’s saviour.
Lion and Mouse
One day Leo decided to rest. While he was sleeping, the little Mouse began to run back and forth across him. This woke the Lion, he grabbed the Mouse with his huge paw and opened his terrible mouth to swallow him.
Forgive me, my King! - shouted the Mouse. Please forgive me! I will never do that again and I will never forget how kind you were to me. And who knows, maybe someday I will do you a favor in return?
The idea that the Mouse could help him seemed so funny to Lev that he let him go.
A little later, the Lion was caught by hunters. They tied him to a tree and walked away briefly to find a wagon to take him away.
Just at this time, the Mouse ran past and saw the Lion in trouble. He immediately rushed towards him and quickly chewed through the ropes entangling the King of Beasts.
Well, was I wrong? - asked the Mouse, proud that he became the savior of the Lion.
Questions:
Fairy tale No. 3
The golden goose
Once upon a time there lived a man and his wife who were happy to own a goose that laid a golden egg daily. In spite of their luck, however, they soon stopped being satisfied with their fortune and wanted even more.
They imagined that if the goose can lay golden eggs, it must be made of gold inside. So they thought that if they could get all that precious metal at once, they would get very rich immediately. Then the couple decided to kill the bird.
However, when they cut the goose open, they were shocked to find that its innards were just like any other goose has got!
golden goose
Once upon a time there lived a husband and wife who were lucky enough to have a goose that laid golden eggs every day. Despite this luck, one day they felt dissatisfied with their condition and wanted more.
They imagined that if a goose could lay golden eggs, then it was made of gold inside. And if you get all the precious metal at once, you can immediately become very rich. And then the couple decided to kill the bird.
However, when they cut the bird open, they were horrified to see that its insides were exactly the same as those of any other goose!
Fairy tales in English for adults and children. The section includes classic fairy tales authored by Oscar Wilde, as well as Scottish and English fairy tales that are suitable for reading by both adults learning English and children.
Fairy tales in English for children:
Fairy tales in English for adults:
Little Pip goes to London! The mouse will help the children preschool age love the English language.
Main character books - curious mouse Pip loves adventures and goes to explore London. Every day Pipa travels is a new lesson.
The book “English in the Footsteps of Pip” is English for children of preschool and primary school age. Learn English with Pip the mouse!
Book "English in the Footsteps of Pip"- a fascinating journey into the world of learning English, this is English for children of preschool and primary school age. The main character of the book, the curious mouse Pip, loves adventure and goes to explore London. Every day Pipa travels is a new lesson.
In Pip's footsteps...
Pip the mouse accidentally ends up on a ship that is preparing to sail. There he meets the girl Katie and her family, the ship weighs anchor - and the fun begins. The girl becomes his teacher - and instead of Pip, little readers in an easy, playful way throughout the book study such important topics: “Great Britain and its parts with capitals”, “Family”, “Acquaintance”, “Food and Drinks”, “Disease” " and many others.
©All rights reserved
Published in the section, |
Would you like to read to your child? 25 funny stories in English the wonderful children's writer Jane Thayer? The stories are kind and funny. The text of each story is provided with a commentary and exercises. The text is for beginners level. To begin with, I suggest you familiarize yourself with excerpts from the first 10 stories, the publication of which will continue a little later. Those interested can purchase the book in the meantime. And the first story about the cat Timofey can be read right now on our website.
This is a short English story for children and grown-ups. It may remind you about your childhood or your velveteen rabbit. Or it may be a velveteen bear or some other toy. The story is adapted for pre-intermediate. You can also enjoy and its Russian translation.
Touching story in English, which is called "Teddy Bunny". This story is adapted and will be interesting to adults and children. Voiced over video and A translation into Russian with a detailed analysis of the text is attached. Another story from Majeri Williams for those learning English on our website!
Fairy tales in English are suitable for learning English and, above all, because the words are repeated in them. And this Scottish tale is no exception. The second part of it is absolutely similar to the first, exactly the opposite. This fairy tale is similar to a Russian fairy tale, in which it is about a good and an evil girl. The text of the fairy tale belongs to the level intermediate. However, in the fairy tale there are difficult-to-understand expressions that are in italics.
This fairy tale in English for young children. After reading this fairy tale to your child, you and he will remember 10 words on the topic “Danger.” In this case, this danger is represented by a dragon spewing fire. Pay attention to expressions 3-6. These are the so-called “verb be + adjective with preposition” constructions. These constructions are translated into Russian using a verb (sometimes the preposition remains, sometimes it disappears), so these stable constructions must be memorized along with the preposition. You don't need to learn words to understand! You can find out the translation of a word by double-clicking on it. A translation into Russian is offered for the tale.
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Many fairy tales in English for children about animals. The British love animals. Here we suggest reading a fairy tale about a horse with the beautiful name Reginald and the dog Chernysh. The events of this tale, as expected, took place a long time ago in England, when houses there were heated with coal and milk was transported on a cart. So, Reginald and Chernysh had a cherished dream: Reginald dreamed of becoming a racehorse, and Chernysh - a hound dog.
Just starting to learn English? We invite you to read and listen online fairy tale Oscar Wilde's "The Nightingale and the Rose" from books in English for beginners.
English for children
Children's stories in English - for training reading techniques and independent translation.
A total of ten stories in English for children:
JUMBO THE LITTLE ELEPHANT
Once upon a time a baby elephant named Jumbo used to live in a forest. He always used to dream that one day he would be able to swim. His mother tried hopelessly to make him believe that he is very heavy in weight thats why he could not swim. But he never listened.
He would reach by the river and happily look at his glance in it.
Once he slept early and then he dreamed that he was swimming deep in the river. He was swimming here and there and frolicking happily. He made friendshp with some small but harmless fishes. He even found a place to take the rest in nights. He was very happy. He could see the colors of different lights that were flickering ceaselessly. The lights were coming out from some fishes that were very beautiful and colorful.
After seeing him, the colorful fishes went to him and they asked his name. He said his name was Jumbo and from the very next day he became friends with them.
Now they would daily play hide and seek together. But in the meantime Jumbo could not realize the mischievous plan of those fishes. The fishes were actually very amused at the look of Jumbo. They wanted to make his big ears there home. They thought how would it like be if they play hide and seek in Jumbo’s big fans like ears and his mouth.
One day when Jumbo was fast asleep after playing, all those colorful fishes arrived and entered his mouth and making exit fom his ears. They were playing and making fun of Jumbo. When Jumbo woke up he realized that he made a big mistake by making friendship with them.
He cried but nobody came for his help. At last his mother woke him up from his dream. Seeing his mother in front of him, Jumbo cried inconsolably and promised that he would never ever think of swimming in the future. That made mother his happy and she served him hot delicious food
©2009 Renuka Singh Saxena
THE CROCODILE
There was once a baby crocodile. He had a beautiful shiny tail and all the other crocodiles were horrible to him because they were jealous of him.
One day the little baby crocodile counted all his beautiful shiny scales and there were a thousand. A lot more than he thought. So he counted all the other crocodiles and there were twenty and that was including the grown up crocodiles. He decided that he had many scales and could spare forty from his tummy so he wished for forty of his scales to be on his pillow by morning, but there weren’t any. Even three weeks later there weren’t any.
Then one day a magic crocodile granted him a wish. He wished for forty of his scales to be on his pillow when he woke up in the morning.
He woke up and there were forty beautiful shiny scales on his pillow. So he gave all twenty crocodiles, including his parents two scales each.
From then on everyone was kind to the little baby crocodile who had given away forty of his beautiful shiny scales.
©2001 Steph Skellorn
HONEY NUT CARROT CAKE
Joseph hurried to finish his breakfast. It was a bright and sunny day and he wanted to go outside and play.
He swallowed a mouthful of cereal. "Bye, Mom," he said. "I'm going outside to play ball."
“Not before you get your chores done,” his mother said. I’m baking a pie for dessert and I want you to go pick some raspberries.”
Joseph’s mouth watered as he thought about taking a delicious bite of pie.
“I love to pick raspberries,” he said, grabbing a basket and skipping out the door.
Walking through the meadow, he came upon a rabbit munching on a carrot.
"Hello, Mr. Rabbit," Joseph said. "Would you be so kind to tell me where I might find some raspberries?"
“I couldn’t be much help finding raspberries,” the rabbit said, wiggling his nose. “My carrots have an excellent crunch, why don’t you try a bunch?”
Joseph pulled some carrots out of the ground and put them in his basket. “Thank you, Mr. Rabbit,” Joseph said, and skipped away whistling.
Hearing a noise high up in a tree, Joseph stopped and saw a squirrel gathering nuts and storing them in a hole.
“Pardon me, Mr. Squirrel, but would you be so kind to tell me where I might find some raspberries?”
“Oh, little boy, there are no raspberries up here. There are only nuts to pick from the trees. Try some nuts before you leave, and you’ll forget about raspberries.”
Joseph picked some nuts from the tree and dropped them in the basket. He waved goodbye to Mr. Squirrel and continued his journey.
He entered the dark forest and was scared…just a little. But maybe he would find raspberries. He heard a noise ahead of him. Walking slowly towards the noise, he found a black bear sitting on a log eating something gooey.
“P-p-pardon me, M-M-Mr. B-b-ear, do you know where I might find some raspberries?”
“Little boy, come closer to me and I’ll give you something tasty called honey,” the bear smiled.
Joseph stepped closer to the bear and dipped his hand in the honey. It tasted delicious and sweet.
The bear leaned towards Joseph and roared. “The honey tastes good, but not as good as you will little boy.”
Joseph screamed and ran out of the forest. He jumped over rocks and ran through the meadow all the way home. He looked behind him and was happy to find that the bear didn’t follow him. Looking down at his basket he frowned. He had carrots, nuts, and some of the bear’s honey that dripped in the basket, but no raspberries.
Walking into the kitchen he had an idea. With his mother’s help, Joseph baked a surprise dessert using his carrots, nuts, and honey. At dessert, he ate every crumb of his honey-nut carrot cake and it was the best cake he ever tasted.
© 2000 Sherry Pittinger
THE LITTLE FISH WHO SWAM TO THE BIG OCEAN
Once upon a time, there was a fish named George. He lived in the water, as all fish did but something was different about George, he did not like the water. He swam and swam around in the water, and every place he swam, he would find something that he did not like. First, he said that the rocks were to big, then he said that the rocks were too small. Nothing would please him. The other fish in his school, all fish belong to a school, would try to cheer him up. They did not understand why he was unhappy. They loved swimming around in the shallow water and being together.
The school lived in the inter-coastal waters of South Florida. This water was full of life and warmth. There was always plenty of food and activity and there was never a dull moment for these fish. However, for some reason, George felt restless and discontent and he wanted more. One day, a big, old and wise fish came to visit his school. He listened intently. The old and wise one was telling of vast waters and limitless swimming. He was telling of great whales and big fish. He was also telling about great light and darkness. Suddenly George wanted to experience this too. The other fish in his school were not interested but George was eager. He swam with the big fish towards these vast waters with great dreams. He did not know where he was going but he trusted the older and wiser fish..
Soon the water began to feel cold and he was seeing giant fish that looked very hungry. He would have been afraid for his life, but he was much too excited by the new sights. Soon they came to a cave and they found a safe place for the night with food nearby.
George liked it in the cave. It was very quiet and he could hear calming sounds. Melodious sound seemed to be coming from a long distance. Even when the big fish swam away, George decided to remain. This was against all normal fish instinct, as fish wants to be with other fish. However, as I said earlier, George was not a normal fish. The melodious sound fascinated him and he could not stop listening to it. He even began to distinguish the different tones and types of sound. He listened and he listened. He did not eat or move because he was so busy listening. The more he listened, the more he began to understand about who he really was. The more he listened, the more he fell into a different awareness and soon he forgot that he was a fish and that he did not like the water.
One day the big and wise fish was swimming by the cave and he thought about George, so he went into the cave. There he found George just where he had left him quite some time ago. George had changed however, and did not look the same at all. He was shining in a special way and his breathing was extremely slow. George recognized the old and wise fish and welcomed him.
George was now also old and wise and the two left the cave together.
By Acharya E.T.
A WINTER NIGHT IN THE FOREST
It was a winter night and the cool breeze is making animals seek some shelter and a cover on their bodies. The sparrows entered their nests, the rabbits went into their burrows, the parrots went into the holes on the tree trunks, the squirrels hide into the shoots of the coconut tree. Thus all those birds and animals settled down to face the chill night. Dr.Dove was watching all these animals in the bright moon light from its whole on the nearby rocky hill.
By mid night the chilliness increased and a couple of crows had fallen seriously ill for the exposure to the severe cold.
As the Sun rises all the animals and birds started coming out and assembled at the bottom of the rocky hill.
What a cold it was last night. The winter has just begun now. By January it would be very cold. If the cold winds blow like this we will certainly reduce in number – said a crane that lives on the nearby thorn bushes.
I could hear the sound of my teeth as I shivered in the night – said a dog.
Though we are big we too feel the cold said an elephant.
Though I am in my Den I felt it too.
Here comes an idea – said Dr. .Dove by landing on a big stone.
We all know that the Lion lives in a big den in this hill. I have seen another small day that can comfortably accommodate our Lion. It is just on the other side of this Hill. I feel that the Lion can leave this big den and occupy the small one so that those animals that have no home can take shelter in the big den. Thus they can protect themselves from exposing to the severe cold.
As soon as Dr. Dove completed telling this, the lion roared and rejected the idea. I need this big den let animals seek shelter in the small den that you had located.
Looking at the elephants Dr .Dove said – Dear Lion this is only for the winter months and rainy days the rest of the time you can use this big den. The elephants trumpeted in support of this statement and encouraged the lion to agree.
Seeing the unity and the support Dr. Dove got from the herd of Elephants the Lion said: OK I agree.
The animals are disbursed in search of food.
It was night again. All those animals that have no home gathered in the big den and felt good to be there. As the night advances the cold winds blew more frequently and making the animals shiver even in the Den. Some how they spent the night and gathered again at the bottom of the hill to share their experiences.
Since the day is not so deep it can protect us partially from the severe cold. We have to live with it – opined the deer.
Having listened to this discussion, Dr. Dove said: I have another idea to help you keep warm. You all can collect the twigs and our elephant friends can bring dried logs in the forest to the den. As mid night one of you can make these twigs and dried logs into a small heap and set fire. Then the day gets the warmth from this fire.
Great idea jumped a monkey.
That night the animals made their own hearth and felt the warmth and slept comfortably.
The animals make it a practice.
©2007 IVNS Raju
MARVIN THE CURIOUS MOUS
Marvin was a little white mouse about two years old. He was one of a litter of 29 other mice. His mom was always worried that he was going to get hurt. He was so curious about the world “Curiosity killed the cat,” she warned. Marvin never really listened to his mother’s warnings. The world was just too big to be ignored.
Marvin lived in a small hole in a wall of a house. The owners of the house just moved out and new humans moved in. The little mouse ran around curiously. He never saw so many wonderful new things. The old humans that lived here didn’t own so much stuff.
There were so many treasures to explore. Where to start, Marvin didn’t know. Then he saw it! He never saw anything like it before. What was it?
It was big and black and round. It had three holes on the top. Marvin the little mouse wanted to explore more. “What was it used for? he thought to himself. He's closer. He crawled to the top of the strange object.
Then something terrible happened to poor Marvin. He fell into one of those big holes.
It was so dark and scary. Poor Marvin did not know what to do. He tried to come out but the inside was so slippery he couldn’t climb out.
It wasn’t until a human picked up the object that Marvin found a way to escape. You see who ever picked it up made the holes face the floor and Marvin slide right out.
“That was neat,” thought Marvin after he got over being afraid. He thought it was so neat he decided to do more exploring.
The next thing Marvin found was weird looking. It was big, really big and odd shaped too. Marvin remembered the shape of a human foot. It kind of looked like that, but Marvin knew that humans couldn’t’ take their feet off. So what was it?
Marvined crawled inside, it was wet and smelly. Marvin didn't want to stay very long inside of it. Marvin tried to get out as fast as he could. There was one problem though. A human was near the thing he was in. The human screamed when she saw Marvin. Marvin hated when humans did that, it hurt his ears.
Marvin knew that the scream would cause the other humans to bring the CAT! Marvin knew that meant he had to run. That is exactly what Marvin did, he ran. Poor little Marvin ran as fast as his little feet could take him.
“Whew,” he thought once he was in a safe place. "That was a close one." Marvin made a silent promise to avoid humans at all cost. He also needed to avoid the CAT. Marvin wasn’t stupid, for a mouse cats meant bad news.
Well, that was over. Time for Marvin to explore more. So Marvin slowly crawled out of his hiding spot and found something he new well. It was cheese and it was sitting on a wood thing. "The humans must have dropped it," thought Marvin.
So Marvin walked up to the cheese and quickly grabbed it. Before Marvin knew what was happening he heard a loud SNAP! Poor Marvin’s tail was caught under a metal bar and boy did it hurt.
Marvin didn't know what to do. All he could do was cry. He was scared and alone. Most of all, Marvin was in pain. At first he thought he could maybe wiggle his way out. That didn't work. Next he tried to pick up the bar. That didn't work. The he saw a human and knew it was the end.
The human picked up the trap with Marvin in it. “Poor little guy,” the man said. He lifted up the bar and freed Marvin. Then he patted Marvin on the head and let him go.
Marvin couldn't believe it. He was free. He wasn’t going to be fed to the CAT. He was so happy he walked playfully away. He would always remember the kind man that saved his life.
Most of all Marvin would remember to be a little less curious.
©2004 Christy Ann Robinson
PUFFER BUNNY AND THE ESCAPE TO THE MEADOW
Once upon a time, there was a little bunny named Puffer Bunny. He was so fluffy that everyone wanted to cuddle him. He lived with some children in a comfortable bungalow. The kids were named BoBo, Bobby, and Kit. Bobby was especially fond of little Puffer because he had raised him from a baby.
One day they were playing in the back yard and Puffer Bunny took off jumping and prancing. He wiggled under the fence and headed off through the pasture behind the house. By the time the kids could get over the fence, Puffer was long gone.
Meanwhile, Puffer had scurried down into a hole and was crawling through a long tunnel. He felt something wet and cold. He held his breath in fear, but when his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he realized he was nose to nose with another little bunny! He let out a sigh of relief! The new little bunny whispered, “My name is Doodlebug.” Doodlebug took Puffer by the paw and led him down through more passages and into a cozy little burrow. His brothers and sisters were snuggled together, all warm and safe. There was Dipsy, Dapper, and Dolly and the baby twins, Digger and Dodger. Puffer was thrilled to see a whole family of bunnies!
However, outside of the little burrow, the kids were worried sick about their little bunny. They saw a little fox trot off into the deep woods. They just knew that the fox had gotten their little Puffer. Bobby cried quietly while Bobo and Kit tried to figure out what to do. BoBo said, "Guys, it's time we headed home."
All the kids climbed back over the fence and trudged home. The night was long with worry.
Back in the bunny burrow, Puffer was really enjoying himself. He and Doodlebug slipped out for a little mischief. See Puffer was always exploring and Doodlebug could never say no to an adventure. The two frisky bunnies frolicked towards the woods. Just as they were approaching a rotten log, a rattle-snake slithered up. The two bunnies froze. The snake had the bunnies cornered. Their hearts were pounding so loud that the earth shook. The snake said, “Yum, dinner!” And his body lurched forward at Doodlebug. Quickly, Puffer Bunny jumped over the snake, grabbed the rattle, and shook it with all his might! What a sound it made! That snake jumped up in surprise-which gave the two buddies just enough time to bound on outa’ there.
Doodlebug’s mom rang the dinner bell just as they were coming back to the rabbit hole. She saw the looks on their faces and gave them each a hearty hug. She had fixed a dinner of cabbage and carrots, and they ate all they could eat. When the fluffy little bunnies finished their dinner, they invited Puffer to spend the night. He was delighted!
The next morning, Puffer pranced on home to his little bungalow. The kids were overjoyed that he was safe!
© Copyright 1999 Francis Allgood
THE MISSING PICNIC FOOD
Once upon a time there was a forest fire in a big, big forest. All the little animals that lived there early as fast as they could get away from the hot flames. Squirrels, raccoons, foxes, snakes, turtles, rabbits, mice and many other animals had to find new homes. Some of them went to other forests, some of them went to parks, and some of them actually had to make their little homes in the yards of human beings, or, people.
Far, far away from the fire was a house where three little children lived. Their names were Thomas, Kathy, and Carrie. They all went to school but on this September day it was Saturday. They had been playing all morning. Now it was lunchtime. They were hungry. They asked their mom if they could have lunch, and she said, “Why don’t you have a picnic in the yard”?
That sounded like a great idea, but WHERE in the yard? So Mom told them to lay a picnic cloth in the green grassy grass near the scruffy old juniper bushes. While they were doing that, she would make some celery sticks, carrot sticks, and some yummy peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
When the kids had spread out the picnic blanket, they ran into the kitchen and asked if lunch was ready. Mom told them to take the carrot sticks and plates out to the blanket, and to take their drinks also. So Thomas, Kathy and Carrie took these things out to the blanket and arranged them carefully. Then they ran as fast as they could, huffing and puffing, back to the kitchen and said to Mom, “What else have you done so far”? So she said, “I’ve got your celery sticks cut up for you now – run these out to your picnic blanket.” So out ran the three kids as fast as they could go to add these to the carrots on their plates.
But when they got to the blanket, something was wrong. Where were the carrot sticks? They were all gone! "This must be a trick," said Kathy. “Let’s leave the celery sticks here and see what happens!”
Then they ran as fast as they could back to Mom, who by now was making the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. They told her that someone had stolen the carrot sticks. She said, "You're kidding!" and they said “Come on – we’ll show you!”
Mom hurried out with them to the picnic blanket. But now, not only were the carrot sticks missing, but the celery sticks were gone, too! Mom said, “Maybe one of your neighbor friends is hiding them just to be silly.”
So everyone spread out and looked behind trees, bushes, and just about everywhere. Unfortunately, they couldn’t find the carrots, the celery, or anyone hiding.
Finally Mom said, “Well, your drinks are still out here. Let's get your sandwiches. You guys go ahead and eat them out here and maybe something will turn up.”
So Thomas, Kathy and Carrie sat down to their picnic and they ate their sandwiches. Of course, while they sat there, they couldn’t help but look around for the sneaky celery and carrot thief.
They were just about finished eating when Carrie looked over at the juniper bushes and saw something move. She softly said, “Shshsh!” to Thomas and Kathy. “There’s something wiggling over there! See the bushes moving? So everyone sat very still, and a little brown animal came to the edge of the bushes and looked at them. It was a rabbit. Quietly it went back into the bushes.
“I have an idea,” said Thomas. “Let’s get more celery and carrots, and see if that rabbit is our thief. We’ll put them at the edge of the bushes, and watch from the window.”
They quietly went back into the house and got Mom to cut up more celery and carrots. They carefully put them down near the bushes and walked back to the house. As they watched, the little rabbit came out and grabbed the vegetables in his mouth and carried them back into the juniper bushes. Mom had watched, too, and she said that she had never seen a rabbit in the yard before. She thought that maybe because of the forest fire, he had needed to look for a new home.
“Maybe we can keep feeding this rabbit, and he will stay here for a long time,” Mom said.
That is just what they did. They fed the little rabbit every day. A few weeks went by. The weather turned cooler and finally winter came and they didn’t see the rabbit. Sometimes they would take food out to the edge of the bushes, and sometimes the food would disappear, and other times it just stayed there. All winter they worried about the rabbit – was he cold, was he scared, did he move somewhere else?
Finally, spring came. They watched for the rabbit day after day. In early April, the day before Easter, when the trees had just a few leaves, Thomas, Kathy, and Carrie took the food out to the bushes, and as they watched, the little rabbit came out and grabbed it! Whatever he had done during the winter, he was OK now!
The kids continued to feed him, and one day, the little rabbit came out to get his food, and he had four little rabbits with him! Their rabbit was a Mommy rabbit!
So from that time on, the kids fed the rabbits, and year after year, there was always a little rabbit family that lived in their scruffy old juniper bushes.
By Paula Fayad
A SQUIRREL IN A WINTER NIGHT
You are aware that during winter the trees shed leaves and make the birds and other small animals that live on them to face cold nights.
One cold night a squirrel found it difficult to bear the cold. It was on a search for a place that can protect it from the cold. It ran into the parasol of a hut that belongs to an old man who lives on the outskirts of the forest.
As soon as the squirrel started moving in the parasol of his hut the old man heard the sound of it, came out and found the squirrel shivering with cold. He extended his hand and waved his fingers to come on to it. The squirrel for a moment kept quite and it remembered what all it had seen this old man doing earlier. It appeared from this recalling that this old man is a good one. It slowly moved onto the hand of the old man who caressed it with his another hand and took it crawling in side.
It was very warmth inside the hurt and it made the squirrel stop shivering soon and fall asleep. It slept for more than three hours and woke up with the sound of the cupboard door opened by the old man. The old man noticed this and came near the squirrel with a hot cup of tomato soup. He fed the squirrel with the spoon and emptied the cup.
The squirrel became active and found the holes in the roof of the hut. The old man slept again. As the day breaks out, the old man woke up and found searched for the squirrel in vain. He thought that it had gone back to the forest. He became busy with his daily chores.
As he was about to rest for a nap after the lunch, he heard a noise on the top of the roof. He looked up and found that the holes on the roof are being filled with a lump of fiber. He went out to find out who was at work and saw the squirrel seriously filling the holes one after the other first with the fiber and topping it with a big leaf meticulously.
The old man came inside and started doing some thing. The squirrel on the top of the roof completed its job and entered the hut to find out if it missed any hole. The old man thanked the squirrel and offered a cup of hot milk. The squirrel drank it merrily.
The old man asked, ‘how did get the fiber and the leaves to fill all the holes at once?’
I came out in the morning when you were still sleeping, started collecting the fiber and leaves from the nearby creeper in small quantities and brought them to the rooftop. Once I felt I had enough material to fill the holes I started doing the job that I know well.
Though you are a small animal you have a big mind to think and great strength to do the job. I thank you for your kind help. You can live with me, if you want – said the old man.
The squirrel agreed to it by waving its tail and the head in joy.
Indeed the holes were well filled and the rainfall that occurred a couple of days later made it further firm and there was no leakage in the hut.
They lived together for a long time in the same hut.
©2007 IVNS Raju
THE TIGER AND THE LION
One day a tiger felt that it was more powerful than the lion and wanted to challenge the lion. It went near the lion’s den and started shouting and making all kids of sounds. It was noon and the lion was fast asleep after a meal. The sounds created by the tiger woke up lion.
Who is there? Shouted the lion.
There was no reply but the shouts of the tiger increased.
The lion came out of its den and stood in front of the tiger that was shouting continuously.
Staring deep into the tiger's eyes the lion asked: Why are you disturbing me, you can go to any other place in the forest and shout as loudly as you can. But I never allow you to disturb me any more.
The tiger looked furiously at the lion and said: Look this forest belongs to all and so is this place too. You have no right to ask me to vacate this. I shall continue to be here and shout, as I like.
In the meantime an elephant that was passing by noticed the argument between the tiger and the lion and came.
‘Stop quarrelling. What is the problem. Let me know,’ demanded the elephant.
The lion explained the reason and the tiger stood to its stance. The elephant felt helpless to resolve their conflict.
Then came Dr.Dove. It has inquired from the elephant: What is going on here? Generally I don't see a tiger and a lion together?
The elephant reported the matter briefly.
That's the entire problem? Yelled Dr. Dove.
The elephant was surprised at the casual attitude of Dr.Dove.
Don’t you think it is not a problem at all? : The elephant asked.
Yes it is very much a problem but not at all a difficult one to solve. The elephant got further perplexed with this response from Dr.Dove.
Dr.Dove now took the lead and starting flying in-between the tiger and the lion.
The tiger and the lion got disturbed with this.
Seeing them giving a pause to their loud arguments, Dr. Pigeon proposed: Dear friends you can solve the problem.
How both the tiger and the lion shouted.
Very simple the tiger can continue to shout and the lion can continue to sleep: said Dr. Pigeon.
You stupid Dr. Dove. You are fit only to pull out the thorns from the feet, clear dust from the eyes and treat cut injuries of the animals but not the problems like this – yelled the lion.
The tiger joined the lion and said: leave us alone we shall solve our problems ourselves.
No my dear friends, please listen to me.
Dr. Pigeon requested the lion to follow and enter the day quickly. The lion thought for a while and then followed Dr.Dove. As the lion entered the den, Dr. Dove took out two lumps of cotton from his kit and approached the Lion.
Mr. Lion please listen to me these lumps of cotton help you proof yourself from the sound pollution being made by the Tiger. Please place these lumps one each in to your ears and experience for yourself.
The lion did as suggested and both the lion and Dr.Dove came out the den silently.
Dr. Dove told the tiger: Mr. Tiger please shout as loudly as you can you will have no objections from the Lion.
The tiger shouted loudly and the lion felt no disturbance.
The lion retuned to its day greeting the Pigeon by waving its paw. The tiger got furious at this gesture and continue shouting at its best – also puzzled as to why the lion has become so calm.
Seeing this confused state of the tiger Dr. Dove told: Mr. Tiger I told the tiger of your power and advised him not to quarrel with you. You are more powerful than the lion. See the lion itself has agreed to it.
Tiger felt very happy and gently stroked by Dr. Dove with his claw in appreciation of his help. Then Dr. Dove told: Mr. Tiger you should not stay here that too before a lion’s den. Because seeing you here other animals might feel that you are serving the lion. So I suggest that you should to that hilltop and live there.
Yes, Dr. Dove I shall follow your advice and I thank you for this: saying this the tiger proceeded to the hilltop.
The elephant was thrilled at this sudden change and looked astonishingly at Dr. Dove.
Dr.Dove fluttered its wings and flew towards south.
On this page you will find the kindest, most informative and interesting fairy tales in English for children. Learning English by reading fairy tales in English is great fun. After all, a fairy tale is a journey, and a fairy tale in English is a journey into the world of the English language. Thanks to fairy tales in English, you will make learning English fun and interesting for your child.
Fairy tale "Sleeping Beauty" in English will tell you about a kind, cheerful princess who at one point, due to circumstances, falls asleep for the rest of her life. In the fairy tale there are a lot of useful phrases in English that can be applied in real life. Also, the fairy tale “Sleeping Beauty” will help you hone your English pronunciation.
Fairy tale "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" in English is a popular English fairy tale for children. The fairy tale tells about a girl who went into the forest and got lost, and then events unfolded more and more interestingly. The tale is adapted into English and is easy to read. You get a large vocabulary and good English practice.
Fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood in English will tell you about an interesting and educational story that is easy to read in English and contains many useful words in English that can very often be found in the modern world.
Fairy tale "The Three Little Pigs" in English in English is one of the most popular fairy tales. From the fairy tale you will learn that you should always be prudent when solving issues and not be careless. And after reading the fairy tale The Three Little Pigs in English, you will learn a lot of new vocabulary and practice your English well.
Fairy tale Cinderella in English will tell you about one of the kindest and sweetest girl heroines in the world of fairy tales. The moral of the story is very simple and accessible even to children. In the fairy tale you will find many new English words.