20 Fairy Tale Stories for Kids

Ahoy there, mateys! Gather round and let me tell you about the magical world of fairy tales! Now, when you think of classic fairy tale stories for kids, what comes to mind? Mermaids, fairies, talking animals, and all sorts of enchanting things? But did you know that these tales are more than just a bunch of made-up stories? They’re also a treasure trove of valuable life lessons that can teach your little ones about kindness, endurance, and so much more! That’s why we have put together a list of 20 popular fairy tales for kids that will not only entertain but also educate your little adorable ones. So hoist the anchor and set sail on this whimsical journey with me! Arrr!

Also Read: Top 11 Short Panchatantra Stories for Kids

What Is a Fairy Tale?

Ah, the age-old question – what exactly is a fairy tale? Well, let me tell you. A fairy tale is a type of story that has been passed down from generation to generation, filled with magical elements, fantastical creatures, and often a dash of peril. These tales are meant to enchant and captivate young minds, transporting them to far-off lands filled with adventure and wonder. But fair warning, not all fairy tale stories for children have happy endings, so be prepared for a few tears from your little fairytale-loving little ones. Nevertheless, these stories have stood the test of time and continue to be a beloved form of entertainment and education for kids all over the world. So, let’s dive into the magical world of fairy tales, shall we?

Best Fairy Tale Stories for Kids in English

Here are some short fairy tale stories to share with your children:

1. Cinderella

The story of Cinderella tells of a kindhearted young woman who was treated cruelly by her stepmother and sisters, but, nevertheless, kept a humble attitude.

One day, the king decided to throw a ball and invited all the young maidens in the kingdom. While Cinderella’s sisters made her help them get ready for the ball, not once did they ask her if she would like to go with them.

Once they left, her Fairy Godmother appeared and helped Cinderella go to the ball with a bit of magic that would only last until midnight. At the ball, Cinderella caught the eye of the prince, as she was the most beautiful girl there, and they danced all night.

When midnight came, Cinderella had to leave the ball, and in her hurry, one of her glass slippers fell off her feet. The prince found this slipper and vowed to marry the girl to whom the slipper belonged.

The prince went from house to house, looking for the girl whose foot fit the slipper, and he reached Cinderella’s house. Though Cinderella’s stepsisters and stepmother tried to keep her from trying it on, the glass slipper was a perfect fit, and she was soon married to the prince and lived happily ever after.

Moral of the Story

Keeping a humble attitude will reap its rewards.

2. Beauty and the Beast

Originating in France, this is the story of Belle, a beautiful peasant girl who took the place of her father when he was taken prisoner by a fierce beast.

While things were uncomfortable and frightening for Belle at first, she soon grew fond of the beast, as he had done nothing but treat her with kindness. When Belle found out her father was sick, she begged the beast to let her go to him and promised to return, but she was held up by the evil Gaston, a famous hunter from the village who wanted to marry Belle. When the village found out about the beast, they vowed to kill him and stormed his castle. Though he nearly died, he was saved and turned into a handsome prince because of Belle’s love for him. It turns out that he had been a prince who, along with his entire household, was cursed by a witch because he did not treat her with kindness. Belle and the Prince marry and live a happy and peaceful life together.

From the prince’s curse, children can learn about the importance of being kind and that if they do not, they will suffer bad consequences.

Moral of the Story

Value what is in a person’s heart, rather than their outward appearance.

3. Sleeping Beauty

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This is the story of Princess Aurora, the much-awaited daughter of the king and queen, who was cursed by an evil witch to die by the prick from the spindle of a spinning wheel because her parents did not invite the fairy to her Christening.

Fortunately, one of the good fairies who had been invited to the Christening was able to help. Though the princess would still have to be pricked, she would not die, but sleep for a hundred years. She was blessed by the other good fairies, and so grew up to be a beautiful, kind and obedient young girl who was often called Briar Rose.

As predicted, on her sixteenth birthday, Aurora was pricked on her finger by a spinning wheel and fell into a deep sleep, along with every man, woman, child and animal in the castle.

A hundred years later, a young prince tried to get to the castle in order to see the famous beauty that had been asleep for so long. When he found her, he was stunned by her beauty and leaned in for a kiss. This broke the curse, and soon everyone in the castle was awoken from their long, hundred-year sleep. The prince and princess were married, and the kingdom was happy and peaceful once again.

Moral of the Story

Bad things happen, but kindness makes it better, and in the end, good wins.

4. Rapunzel

A poor couple got themselves into big trouble when they stole fruit from their neighbour’s garden. The neighbour, who was a witch, found out about the theft and demanded that they give her their child when she was born, to which the couple agreed.

The young girl, named Rapunzel by the witch, grew up to be very beautiful, but was kept locked away in the tower by the wicked witch, from which there was no way in or out. When the witch wanted to go in and see her, she would say, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair, so that I might climb the golden stair.”

One day, when Rapunzel was singing to pass the time, she happened to catch the attention of a young prince, who was so enchanted by her voice that he learned the secret of how to get to her. While Rapunzel was startled by him at first, they soon fell in love. It so happened that Rapunzel accidentally told the witch, “My, you are much heavier than my prince!” After which, the witch, infuriated, chopped off her hair and threw her out into the wilderness. The prince was blinded by thorns and roamed the land, lamenting his beloved Rapunzel.

When they found each other again, the prince, being lured by a beautiful voice, cried for joy, and the tears which fell from Rapunzel’s eyes went into the prince’s, cleansing them, enabling him to see again. The two lived together in peace for the rest of their lives.

Moral of the Story

One should never steal because it can have bad consequences.

5. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

A fair princess indeed, Snow White was named for the colour of her skin, which was white as snow, hair as black as ebony, and lips as red as a rose. Her father, having lost his wife, married again, and this new queen was as beautiful as she was proud. She would often consult her mirror and ask, “Mirror, mirror, on the wall; Who is the fairest of them all?”

As Snow White began to grow, she became more and more beautiful, and the queen’s magic mirror soon began to say so. Enraged and filled with jealousy, the queen sent a huntsman to kill Snow White and bring her heart.

The Huntsman, pitying the innocent Snow White, told her to run away and never come back. He, instead, delivered to the queen the heart of a pig. When the queen consulted her mirror and found that she had been tricked, she determined to kill Snow White herself and so began to prepare her poisoned apple.

Snow White, in the meantime, found a place with seven dwarfs, whom she lived with and cared for. One day, when they were at work in the mines, the queen went to see Snow White, disguised as an old peasant woman selling apples. Snow White was convinced to take a bite out of the apple and instantly fell down, as if dead. When the dwarfs found her, they were distraught and laid her in a glass coffin.

One day, as a prince was passing by, he noticed the dwarfs mourning over a beautiful sleeping girl (for she remained as beautiful as she ever was) and was mesmerised by her beauty. He kissed her hand to bid her farewell, and at that moment, the apple dislodged itself, and Snow White opened her eyes. The prince was so happy that he asked for her hand in marriage, and she accepted. There was a grand celebration, and they lived and reigned happily together. The evil queen became sick from her envy and eventually died.

Moral of the Story

Caring too much about your looks will just make you miserable. Being nice, however, is what really wins hearts.

6. The Little Mermaid

In the underwater kingdom of Atlantica, the home of the mer-people, lived a little mermaid who loved nothing more than to look at things on the surface and observe how the humans lived. She longed to be human, and when she ended up rescuing a handsome prince from drowning, she decided that she must become human at any cost, as she wanted to be with him. This led her to visit a sea witch who asked the mermaid to sacrifice her voice, in exchange for human legs, on the condition that the mermaid would return as a slave if the prince did not marry her. The mermaid then went to her prince, but faced a series of challenges, ranging from the prince not recognising her to other suitors coming forward to marry him. However, at the end, both the mermaid and the prince reunite, defeating the witch and living happily ever after.

Moral of the Story

Be brave enough to step into a different life to get what your heart longs for.

7. Goldilocks and the Three Bears

This one is sure to teach your children to be mindful and respectful of others, as it tells of a curious little girl called Goldilocks, who trespassed on the property of a family of three bears, who had gone out into the woods while their porridge cooled. She had been lost in the woods when she stumbled upon the cottage, and noticed through the window that there were three bowls of porridge on the table and that there was nobody home. If she had been more respectful, she would have waited for the bears to come home, but instead, she let her curiosity get the better of her and let herself into the house. In fact, not only does Goldilocks trespass, but she also eats baby bear’s porridge, breaks his chair, and sleeps in his bed. When they found her, she woke up and was so frightened by them that she jumped out the window and ran away.

Moral of the Story

Treating others and their belongings with respect is the first step to building friendships.

8. The Princess and the Pea

There was once a prince who was determined to marry only a princess. Though he travelled far and wide to seek eligible princesses, he could never make out if they were real princesses or just saying so. One stormy night, he and his mother were at home, when they heard a knock on the door. The prince opened the door, and there stood a girl, drenched, asking to seek shelter. His mother decided to test if she was indeed a princess. She kept a pea under 10 mattresses, asking the princess to sleep there. The next morning, the princess woke up complaining that the mattresses had been uncomfortable and she couldn’t sleep all night. Instantly, they knew this girl was indeed a princess, for how else would she have been so sensitive to feel the pea under the mattresses? Hence, the prince and princess got married and lived happily ever after.

Moral of the Story

Sometimes the smartest solutions come not from strength or rules, but from a creative mind willing to think differently.

9. The Ugly Duckling

This heart-warming tale, penned by Hans Christian Anderson, tells of a little duckling that was called ugly by everyone at the farm where he lived. He was bullied and mistreated by everyone until one day he was forced to run away. The miserable little duckling was mocked and scorned by everyone who met him, and found himself wandering through the frozen winter, alone and barely managing to survive. When he flew to a lake to swim, he met three beautiful swans who greeted him cheerfully. He was confused by their friendly greeting, for all this time, he had been chased away. When he looked down at his reflection in the water, he was surprised to see that he had grown into a beautiful swan! A little girl who was throwing breadcrumbs for the noble swans even said that he was the most beautiful of all.

Moral of the Story

Never judge by appearances. True beauty comes from within, and if you keep moving forward, you might just surprise everyone—including yourself.

10. The Frog Prince

There was once a king who had beautiful daughters. The youngest often liked to play with a golden ball near a pond, in the middle of a forest near the palace. One day, her ball fell into the pond, and it was much too deep for the princess to get out of, but she was given help by a kind frog who told her that her tears would even melt the stones. He told her that he would get her ball for her, if she allowed him to be her playmate and eat from her plate, drink from her cup and stay with her. She agreed, but she did not keep her word when the frog returned her ball to her. Instead, she ran home and left him behind.

The next morning, the frog showed up at her home, and he asked that she please keep her end of the bargain. The king, upon hearing what happened, ordered his beloved daughter to keep her promise. So, she was forced to allow the frog to eat from her plate, drink from her cup and stay with her.

The morning after, the frog told the princess that he would leave her forever if she did one last thing for him, which was to give him a kiss. She, being glad to be rid of him, agreed and kissed him immediately. At once, the frog turned into a handsome young prince. He had been cursed, and the only thing that could break the curse was the kiss of a princess.

Moral of the Story

Do not judge anyone by their appearance. Always keep your promises.

11. The Three Little Pigs 

Once upon a time, there were three little pigs who wanted to build houses. The first little pig decided to build his house out of straw. “This will be quick and easy!” he thought to himself. The second little pig decided to build his house out of sticks. “This will be sturdier than straw!” he thought. The third little pig, however, was a wise little fellow and decided to build his house out of bricks. “This will be the strongest house of them all!” he thought.

Now, all was well until a big, bad wolf came along. He saw the first little pig’s house made of straw and said, “Little pig, little pig, let me in!” But the clever little pig replied, “Not by the hair on my chinny chin chin!” The wolf then huffed and puffed and blew the house down! The little pig ran to his brother’s house made of sticks.

The wolf followed and said, “Little pigs, little pigs, let me in!” But the two clever little pigs replied, “Not by the hair on our chinny chin chins!” The wolf huffed and puffed again and blew the house down! The two little pigs ran to their brother’s house made of bricks.

The wolf followed and said, “Little pigs, little pigs, let me in!” But the three clever little pigs replied, “Not by the hair on our chinny chin chins!” The wolf huffed and puffed and tried to blow the house down, but it was too strong. So, the wolf climbed onto the roof and tried to climb down the chimney. But the little pigs had a pot of boiling water waiting for him. The wolf fell into the pot, and the pigs lived happily ever after.

Moral of the Story

Always be prepared and put in the hard work! So, next time you have a task to do, don’t take shortcuts and always do your best!

12. Jack and the Beanstalk

Once upon a time, there was a boy named Jack. He was a bit of a troublemaker, but he had a good heart. One day, Jack’s mother asked him to sell their cow at the market. On the way, Jack met a mysterious old man who offered to trade five magic beans for the cow. Jack, being the curious boy he was, agreed to the trade.

When Jack returned home with the beans, his mother was furious and threw them out of the window. But the next morning, Jack woke up to a giant beanstalk that had grown up to the sky! Being the adventurous lad he was, Jack climbed up the beanstalk to see where it led. When he reached the top, he found himself in the land of the giants.

Jack explored the land and stumbled upon a giant’s castle. He went inside and found a golden hen that laid golden eggs. Jack, being the clever boy he was, snatched the hen and ran down the beanstalk. The giant, however, followed him down, but Jack was too quick for him. He chopped down the beanstalk, and the giant fell to his death. Jack and his mother lived happily ever after with their newfound riches.

Moral of the Story

Be brave, curious, and quick-thinking. And remember, sometimes it pays to take risks and step outside of your comfort zone!

13. Red Riding Hood

Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Red Riding Hood. She loved wearing her bright red cape, so much so that everyone called her Little Red Riding Hood. One day, her mother asked her to take some food to her grandmother who lived in the forest. Little Red Riding Hood eagerly agreed and set off on her journey.

As she was walking through the forest, she met a big, bad wolf who asked her where she was going. Little Red Riding Hood, being the innocent little girl she was, told the wolf where she was headed. The wolf, being sly and cunning, suggested that Little Red Riding Hood pick some flowers for her grandmother along the way. Little Red Riding Hood agreed and went off to pick some flowers. While she was picking flowers, the wolf went to her grandmother’s house and gobbled her up! When Little Red Riding Hood arrived, the wolf pretended to be her grandmother and gobbled her up, too.

Moral of the Story

Always be cautious when talking to strangers, and never trust someone who looks suspicious.

14. Hansel and Gretel

Once upon a time, there were two siblings, Hansel and Gretel, who lived with their father and wicked stepmother. The stepmother suggested that they leave Hansel and Gretel in the woods, as they could not afford to feed them. The siblings overheard the plan and decided to leave a trail of breadcrumbs to find their way back home. However, the birds ate the breadcrumbs, and the siblings were lost in the woods. They found a house made of candy and began to eat it, but it belonged to an evil witch who tried to eat them. The siblings outsmarted the witch and returned home with treasures they found in her house.

Moral of the Story

Be brave and clever in difficult situations, and always trust your instincts.

15. The Emperor’s New Clothes

Once upon a time, there was an emperor who loved new clothes more than anything else in the world. Two swindlers arrived in town and promised to make him clothes that were so special, they would be invisible to anyone who was unfit for their position or simply stupid. The emperor paid the swindlers a fortune, and they pretended to weave the most beautiful fabric, though in reality, they were just pretending to weave.

The emperor put on his new clothes and paraded through the town, but nobody wanted to admit they couldn’t see them. Finally, a child spoke up and pointed out that the emperor was actually naked! The truth was revealed, and the emperor learned that it was better to be honest and true to yourself than to go along with what others think just to fit in.

Moral of the Story

Don’t be afraid to speak the truth, even if it goes against popular opinion.

16. The Pied Piper of Hamelin

Long ago in the town of Hamelin, there was a terrible problem with rats. The rats ran through the streets, ate the food, and frightened everyone in the town. The people did not know what to do.

One day, a mysterious man wearing bright clothes came to the town. He said he could get rid of all the rats if the townspeople paid him a bag of gold. The mayor agreed.

The man took out a magical pipe and began to play a strange tune. As he played, all the rats came running out from the houses, streets, and shops. They followed the Pied Piper all the way to the river, where they fell in and disappeared.

When the Piper returned to claim his reward, the mayor refused to pay him. Angry and disappointed, the Pied Piper left the town.

A few weeks later, he returned and played another magical tune. This time, all the children of the town followed him out of Hamelin and disappeared into the mountains. The townspeople were left full of regret for breaking their promise.

Moral of the Story

Always keep your promises and treat others fairly.

17. The Gingerbread Man

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Once upon a time, an old woman baked a gingerbread man. She decorated him with icing and candies and placed him in the oven.

When the gingerbread man was ready, she opened the oven door. Suddenly, the gingerbread man jumped out and ran away, shouting, “Run, run as fast as you can! You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!”

The old woman chased him, but he ran faster. Soon, a cow joined the chase, then a horse, and later a farmer. But the gingerbread man kept running and shouting his famous rhyme.

Finally, he reached a river where he could not cross. A clever fox offered to help him cross the river by letting him ride on his back. The gingerbread man trusted the fox and climbed on.

Halfway across the river, the fox tossed the gingerbread man in the air and ate him.

Moral of the Story

Do not trust strangers too easily.

18. The Elves and the Shoemaker

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There was once a poor shoemaker who had only enough leather to make one pair of shoes. He cut the leather at night and planned to finish the shoes the next day.

When he woke up in the morning, he was surprised to see a beautiful pair of shoes already finished on his workbench. A customer soon came and paid a good price for them.

With the money, the shoemaker bought more leather. Again, the next morning, he found perfectly finished shoes on the table. This continued for many days, and the shoemaker and his wife soon became prosperous.

One night, they decided to stay awake and see who was helping them. At midnight, two tiny elves appeared and quickly made the shoes.

The shoemaker and his wife were grateful. They made warm clothes and tiny shoes for the elves as gifts. When the elves found the gifts, they happily danced away and never returned—but the shoemaker continued to succeed.

Moral of the Story

Kindness and gratitude bring happiness and good fortune.

19. The Bremen Town Musicians

A donkey, a dog, a cat, and a rooster were all old and no longer useful to their owners. Instead of being mistreated, they decided to run away and become musicians in the town of Bremen.

On their way, they found a house where robbers were inside enjoying a feast. The animals were hungry and wanted the food.

They came up with a clever plan. The donkey stood at the bottom, the dog climbed on its back, the cat climbed on the dog, and the rooster perched on top. Then they made a terrible noise together.

The robbers were so frightened by the strange sight and sound that they ran away, thinking it was a monster. The animals happily entered the house and enjoyed the food.

They liked the house so much that they decided to live there forever instead of going to Bremen.

Moral of the Story

Teamwork and cooperation can overcome big problems.

20. Rumpelstiltskin

Once there was a miller who bragged to the king that his daughter could spin straw into gold. The greedy king locked the girl in a room full of straw and ordered her to turn it into gold by morning.

The girl cried because she did not know how to do such a thing. Suddenly, a strange little man appeared and offered to spin the straw into gold in exchange for her necklace. She agreed.

The next night, the king demanded even more gold. The little man returned and helped again, this time taking her ring.

On the third night, the girl had nothing left to give. The little man agreed to help one last time if she promised to give him her first child in the future. She sadly agreed.

Years later, when the queen had a baby, the little man returned to claim the child. The queen begged him to let her keep the baby. He agreed that if she could guess his name within three days.

After many guesses, a messenger heard the little man dancing and singing his name in the forest: “Rumpelstiltskin.” The queen guessed his name correctly, and the angry little man disappeared forever.

Moral of the Story

Be careful about promises made in desperation, and never let greed control decisions.

Benefits of Fairy Tales for Your Child

Here are some of the benefits of fairy tales for your children:

1. Fuels Imagination

Bedtime fairy tales for kids help to fuel the imagination of children, as they take them into another world that is so different from ours, where there are fairies, mermaids and magic.

2. Enhances Understanding of the Abstract

An abstract concept is the concept of an idea or thought. For example, the concept of free will is an abstract concept. It is because these short fairy tales for kids most often involve things that do not happen in reality that they help children learn to understand the concepts of things that are not concrete.

3. Teaches Values

We can see from the actions of the antagonists that wickedness, pride, and greed all have their consequences. Goldilocks is a good example of why we should have respect for others. In English fairy tales for kids, the concept of good conquers evil is prevalent and one worth holding on to.

4. Solving Problems

Most of the characters will go through something, and it is their quick thinking and ingenuity that help them to prevail. Young children need to learn this, as they will also follow these examples and learn how to solve problems.

5. Introduces Psychological Understanding

When reading the stories out to your children, you can always engage with them and ask them why they think certain people behave the way they do. For example, in Beauty and the Beast, we see that the Beast was cursed for being cruel, but later, he was transformed into a handsome prince. Your children can have a good mental workout, discussing what changes in his character enabled Belle to develop feelings for him and eventually break the curse.

6. Fuels Incidental Learning

Your child will learn new words, phrases, and other aspects of life as he/she reads the fairy tales. This is a form of incidental learning, which is when people learn without actually intending to learn anything. For example, when reading about the ugly duckling, one is introduced to the life of animals and learns about how swans migrate every winter, even though that was not the aim of reading the story.

7. Exposes the Harsh Realities of Life

Children often learn through fairy tales that the world is not such a beautiful and wonderful place, and that in order to do the right thing and be a good person, you need to be able to endure and keep a good attitude. Any parent would rather their child learn the reality of good and evil from stories, so that they can be strong when they experience difficult situations in their own lives.

8. Imbibes Cultural Literacy

Children are introduced to various cultures and lifestyles in different stories, as the authors would have been from different places and have different cultures and traditions. The Beauty and the Beast are French, while Hansel and Gretel are German.

9. Develops Emotional Resilience

Fairy tales often put characters through difficult and frightening situations—abandonment, danger, or betrayal. When children hear these stories in a safe environment, they experience these emotions from a distance. This helps them learn that fear, sadness, and worry are normal feelings that can be faced and overcome. They see that even when things look dark, hope and courage can lead to a happy ending.

FAQs

1. Which fairy tale story is the oldest?

Fairy tales have been passed down through generations for centuries, making it difficult to determine which one is the oldest. However, there are a few tales that have stood the test of time and remain beloved today. One of the most famous fairy tales is “Cinderella.” Another popular fairy tale is “Little Red Riding Hood.” There are also lesser-known fairy tales with important moral lessons. like, “The Tortoise and the Hare” and “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.” So, while it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact oldest fairy tale, there are certainly plenty of famous and lesser-known tales.

2. Do all fairy tales have morals?

While many famous fairy tales such as “Cinderella,” “Snow White,” and “The Three Little Pigs” have morals, not all fairy tales do. However, fairy tales often teach important life lessons, such as the value of hard work, honesty, and kindness. So, even if a fairy tale doesn’t have an obvious moral lesson, it can still help children learn important values and principles.

3. Do fairy tales contain truth?

Fairy tales may not be entirely true, but they do contain elements of truth. While they may not be based on real events or people, they often teach important life lessons that apply to everyone. Famous fairy tales teach us about the importance of patience, perseverance, and the dangers of being too trusting. So, while fairy tales may not be true in the literal sense, they can still teach us valuable lessons that we can apply in our everyday lives.

4. When is it a good time to read a fairy tale to kids?

The good time to read a fairy tale to kids is anytime! Fairy tales are great stories that can be enjoyed at any time of day or night. However, bedtime is often the most popular time to read fairy tales to children, as it helps them wind down and relax before going to sleep. Any fairy tale short story with a moral lesson is a good way to wind up the day. 

Fairy tale small story with moral lessons can help children learn important values and principles. By reading fairy tales to children at an early age, parents can help them develop critical thinking skills, empathy, and creativity. Don’t wait for a special occasion to read a fairy tale to your kids – start reading today!

As you read stories to your child, their listening and linguistic skills develop more quickly. To know more about other ‘smarts’ of your child, get FirstCry Intellikit – active learning for little ones.

Reading fairy tales to or with your kids is one of the best gifts you can give them.

Also Read: 

Tooth Fairy Story
Fairy Books for Kids
Moral Stories for Kids

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