**Please use your own judgement before sharing these stories with children. Although I do my best to keep the language friendly, the content may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Summary

The three sons of a man with peculiar eyes wonder at their father’s condition. When the youngest learns the source of his sadness, they set out to retrieve their father’s stolen object: a magical vine that produces a full cask of wine every hour. Quickly they split up, and the youngest son is left on his own. Through kindness, he gains the help of a limping fox who advises him through many adventures.

Questions or Comments?

Email: StoriesWeLoveToTell@gmail.com

Or Fill out this Google Form

Book

The Grey Fairy Book by Andrew Lang

Music

"Princess (Instrumental Version)" by Josh Woodward.

Free download: https://www.joshwoodward.com/

Content warning: Violence and death.

**Please use your own judgement before sharing these stories with children. Although I do my best to keep the language friendly, the content may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Summary

When their parents leave to travel, they tell their seven daughters not to leave the house or open the door to anyone for three years. After the six eldest daughters do not listen and are eaten by a witch, the youngest is adopted by an ogre.

She is well taken care of and given the keys to six rooms in his castle. Determined to find out what is in the mysterious seventh room she devises a plan and steals the key. In the mostly bare room she finds a window overlooking the neighboring prince’s garden. Caring for the garden is an ox who tells the girl that her father, the ogre, plans to eat her. Upset by this, the girl tells her father and he teaches her how to respond- with a spell that incapacitates the ox for seven days.

Untended, the prince’s garden falls to shambles. Displeased, he kills the ox and replaces it with another. The scenario repeats, but this time the ox begs for his life, and tells the prince about the girl in the ogre’s castle.

The prince is intrigued, and hides in a tree where he is able to observe the next exchange between the ox and the girl. He is immediately smitten and makes a plan to ask the ogre for her hand.

The ogre consents, but as the girl is leaving he tells her she must not speak to the prince unless he swears “by the head of Buk Ettemsuch”. She agrees.

Frustrated by his wife’s silence, the prince takes a series of new brides, whom she tricks into killing themselves.

Finally, the prince discovers the key to his wife’s silence and they live happily to the end of their days.

Questions or Comments?

Email: StoriesWeLoveToTell@gmail.com

Or Fill out this Google Form

Book

The Grey Fairy Book by Andrew Lang

Music

"Princess (Instrumental Version)" by Josh Woodward.

Free download: https://www.joshwoodward.com/

**Please use your own judgement before sharing these stories with children. Although I do my best to keep the language friendly, the content may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Summary

A woman is gifted a child by the Sun Ball. She promises to return the girl, Letico, after her twelfth birthday. When that time comes and goes, the Sun Ball reclaims the child.

After some time, the Sun Ball notices how sad the child is, and realizes that she misses her mother. He then assigns two hares to guard her on her journey home.

Along the way, the hares stop to find food. They leave Letico in a tree, where she is found by a monster who tries to lure her down and eat her.

Letico manages to outwit and outrun the monster. With the help of the hares she makes it back home where she is joyfully reunited with her mother.

Poll/Question/Links

https://forms.gle/9XZt9kPrSXvHSziU8

Book

The Grey Fairy Book by Andrew Lang

Music

"Princess (Instrumental Version)" by Josh Woodward.

Free download: https://www.joshwoodward.com/

**Please use your own judgement before sharing these stories with children. Although I do my best to keep the language friendly, the content may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Summary

A king, afraid to lose his only daughter, keeps her shut up in the castle. With the help of her nurse, secretly a witch, she manages to escape. Riding an enchanted wheel-barrow and disguised in a bear skin, she flees to the forest.

Soon she is found by a prince, and assuming her to be a talking bear, he takes her to his palace.

Some time later, a royal ball is thrown in a neighboring kingdom. There, the prince dances with a beautiful stranger with whom he is immediately taken with. Twice more this happens, before the prince finally learns her true identity.

The two live happily and reign wisely for many years.

Points to Ponder

Did you notice any similarities between this story and a well known fairytale? What were they? What’s different?

Poll/Question/Links

https://forms.gle/9XZt9kPrSXvHSziU8

Book

The Grey Fairy Book by Andrew Lang

Music

"Princess (Instrumental Version)" by Josh Woodward.

Free download: https://www.joshwoodward.com/

**Please use your own judgement before sharing these stories with children. Although I do my best to keep the language friendly, the content may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Summary

During a great drought the animals get together to dig a spring. The jackal, who refused to help, is banned from drinking. The Jackal uses his best tricks to outwit the appointed guards, until he is stymied by the humble tortoise.

Poll/Question/Links

https://forms.gle/9XZt9kPrSXvHSziU8

Book

The Grey Fairy Book by Andrew Lang

Music

"Princess (Instrumental Version)" by Josh Woodward.

Free download: https://www.joshwoodward.com/

**Please use your own judgement before sharing these stories with children. Although I do my best to keep the language friendly, the content may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Summary

In this concluding chapter of the Story of the Three Sons of Hali, the fair Circassians share their story. They tie up loose ends as they explain how their paths and destinies were shaped by the mysterious Dervish, who set in motion and intertwined the many events in the lives of the sons of Hali, daughters of Sirocco, and the three Jewish brothers.

Edit

I will admit, there was a line towards the end of the story that I chose to cut when editing the recording. The line, presented as part of the happy ending to the tale, is about the Jewish characters converting away from their faith. It was a personal choice not to include that, and perhaps one day, we can discuss it.

Poll/Question/Links

https://forms.gle/9XZt9kPrSXvHSziU8

Book

The Grey Fairy Book by Andrew Lang

Music

"Princess (Instrumental Version)" by Josh Woodward.

Free download: https://www.joshwoodward.com/

**Please use your own judgement before sharing these stories with children. Although I do my best to keep the language friendly, the content may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Summary

The story of Neangir continues as he is reunited with his family and more of their mysterious tale is revealed.

Poll/Question/Links

https://forms.gle/9XZt9kPrSXvHSziU8

Book

The Grey Fairy Book by Andrew Lang

Music

"Princess (Instrumental Version)" by Josh Woodward.

Free download: https://www.joshwoodward.com/

**Please use your own judgement before sharing these stories with children. Although I do my best to keep the language friendly, the content may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Summary

After turning eighteen, Neangir is sent from home to seek his fortune. Upon arriving in Constantinople he is invited home by a stranger, who gives him a magical potion to drink and a miniature painting of one of his missing daughters. Neangir immediately falls in love with the girl in the image. To find her, he is directed to a particular stall in the Jewish Bazaar. There he is sold a beautiful silver watch.

Overnight, the watch disappears under mysterious circumstances. Furious, Neangir returns to the bazaar and takes the brother of the merchant to the Cadi (judge) for justice.

There, a cast of characters assemble and the mysterious surrounding Nenagirs existence are slowly unwravelled.

Poll/Question/Links

https://forms.gle/9XZt9kPrSXvHSziU8

Book

The Grey Fairy Book by Andrew Lang

Music

"Princess (Instrumental Version)" by Josh Woodward.

Free download: https://www.joshwoodward.com/