Folk stories

Storytelling is the cornerstone of civilization. Thanks to stories, humans have preserved and passed on intellectual achievements and moral values for millennia. Let’s celebrate the diversity of humankind by reading those stories to our kids.

The Rooster, the Cat, and the Club

Slovak Tale

The Rooster, the Cat, and the Club

Patience pays off, and waiting for the right opportunity will bring results in the end. This is a story about three brothers who get a really modest inheritance from their father: a cat, a rooster, and a club. However, thanks to being smart, all three manage to make their fortunes using only the seemingly ordinary and almost useless things.

The Enormous Turnip

Folk Tale

The Enormous Turnip

All together we can overcome even the most difficult obstacles. A well-known tale about a grandfather who grows such an enormous turnip from a small seed in the garden that he can't even pull it out of the ground. Luckily, he has good helpers and they manage to pull out the turnip all together.

The Three Trees

Pavol Dobsinsky

The Three Trees

Looking for the easiest path doesn’t always pay off. The three brothers go out into the world to look for brides. The two older ones always choose only the easiest path. But the youngest one doesn’t avoid any obstacles. In the end, he is the one who sets the cursed land free and wins the heart of the princess.

The Daisy

Hans Christian Andersen

The Daisy

This story of the little flower points to what is really important in life: love, humility, gratitude and consideration for everything around us. The little daisy doesn’t mind not being counted among the favourite flowers in the garden. She enjoys the sun and the singing of the skylark. However, life takes a turn for the worse when she gets trapped with the skylark in a cage - simply for the amusement of the children.

The Three Coins

Pavol Dobsinsky

The Three Coins

A folk tale about wisdom and modesty from Pavol Dobšinský’s collection. The king meets a simple farmer who has been working hard every day for many years, and only gets paid three coins at the end of the day. When he explains how he can manage with so little money, the king is more than surprised.

The Three-Blossomed Rose

Pavol Dobsinsky

The Three-Blossomed Rose

The story, adapted from Pavol Dobšinský’s collection, tells us that love is not about beauty but about being kind and human.

Hey, Ho – Ground, Open Up!

Pavol Dobsinsky

Hey, Ho – Ground, Open Up!

A Slovak folk tale by Pavol Dobšinský about how being smart and skillful wins over brute force. A well-known tale about two brothers and twelve bandits. The elder brother is greedy. After their father’s death, he keeps all the inheritance for himself. The younger brother is a modest and kind-hearted lad. He’s hardworking and smart which helps him to deal with the bandits.

The Glass Hill

Slovak Tale

The Glass Hill

A story which shows us that greed and longing for wealth do not lead to a happy life. A Slovak folk tale about two different brothers. The elder is evil and greedy. He has money in abundance, but he will not help out the younger, poorer brother, who is brave and good, even in the most difficult moments.

The Story of Wood

Slovak Tale

The Story of Wood

Laziness never pays off. A legend tells us that a long time ago, people didn’t have to drag the wood from the mountains. It just simply came by itself to the right place. But one day a woman wanted to make her way home easier, and got onto the wood so that it carried her. However, it didn’t move. From that time on, people have had to work hard to take wood home from the mountains.

An Egg Goes on a Trip

Slovak Tale

An Egg Goes on a Trip

Together you can do much more. This traditional folk tale tells us of an egg’s adventure. On its way, the egg finds animal friends and together they defeat scary bandits.

Wise Matthew and the Fools

Pavol Dobsinsky

Wise Matthew and the Fools

A witty tale based on a work by Pavol Dobšinský about human foolishness. One day, wise young Matthew sets out in search of a bride. But as he wanders across the world, he chances upon only mad and foolish people. With his wisdom, he will eventually find his bride, but also a good deal of money.

Sweet Porridge

Karel Erben

Sweet Porridge

The story is about the magic words “Thank you”! One day Johnny goes to the mountain to collect something to snack on. Then he hears a cry for help. He ends up helping out an old lady who has fallen into a swamp. To repay him, she gives Johnny a clay pot. It’s not an ordinary pot, though - as Johnny will soon discover.

The Wooden Boy

Slovak Tale

The Wooden Boy

A folk tale about a boy who was carved from a log. When the wooden boy grows up, an evil witch and her husband want to bake him for dinner. But the young lad deals with them well and returns home safe and sound, flying on a wild goose.

The Golden Craft

Folk Tale

The Golden Craft

An old folk tale, the lessons of which are valid to this day. While the royal family is sailing, a strong wind rises and their ship sails far away to an unknown land. There no one knows who they are. To survive, they have to learn how to herd sheep. The king quickly realises: if he had mastered a craft, they wouldn’t have ended up this way.

The Horned Servant

Pavol Dobsinsky

The Horned Servant

A story from a collection of fairy tales compiled by the famous storyteller Pavol Dobšinský. This is a story about a devil who steals the last piece of bread from a woodcutter. When Lucifer finds it out, he punishes the devil, making him serve the woodcutter the whole year.

John’s Fable

Slovak Tale

John’s Fable

This is a story from a collection of Slovak folk tales. The resourceful servant John wins a chest of coins from his master. His master, being bored, had offered it to anyone who could make up a story so unbelievable that they wouldn’t even believe themselves as they spoke. Everyone who tried had left without success. John, his servant, is the last one to give it a try.

The King of the Wind

Pavol Dobsinsky

The King of the Wind

If we go after our goal and are not discouraged by obstacles, we will always find someone to help us. A young lad sets out in search of his sister, who has been stolen by the king of the wind.. But when he finds her after a long journey to the wind castle, he must complete several of the king's tasks to get his sister back. How will he deal with them?

The Surly Snail and the Radiant Rosebush

Hans Christian Andersen

The Surly Snail and the Radiant Rosebush

A story by a world-famous storyteller about the meaning of life, which aptly points out various character traits. When the snail begins talking to the garden rose, he seems fully determined to move forward. And he can’t help criticizing the rose for its inaction. However, his plan of moving forward ends in nothing but empty words.