a less whimsical illustration that encapsulates the fun of searching an archive of over 15

The Archive...

Have a wander through the Fireside folktale archive below, and see what you stumble into. Use the filters to narrow the world down, or fling the doors wide and browse by country, region, theme, collector, or whatever takes your fancy, then let the table do the rest. A few clicks can carry you from storm-tossed coasts to mountain villages, from clever tricksters to quiet miracles, and you will often find that the story you meant to read is not the one that chooses you.

Archive under construction...

Structured Filters

Use these drop down lists to choose one or more filters to select groups of tales to investigate in more detail

Other than my own versions of tales (as indicated), the stories in this archive are in the public domain

Stories in this view:

3988

Title	Book	Author / Collector	Country	Subject	Year
The Straw Ox (2)	Cossack Fairy Tales and Folk Tales	R. Nisbet Bain	Ukraine	The Straw Ox: peasant cunning, trapped predators, and comic bargaining.	1916
Ivan The Fool And St Peter's Fife	Cossack Fairy Tales and Folk Tales	R. Nisbet Bain	Ukraine	Ivan The Fool And St Peter’s Fife: holy intervention, simple faith, and miraculous good fortune.	1916
The Sparrow And The Bush	Cossack Fairy Tales and Folk Tales	R. Nisbet Bain	Ukraine	The Sparrow And The Bush: persistence, chain-reaction justice, and cumulative comic repetition.	1916
The Girl Who Plaited The Devil's Beard	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	The Girl Who Plaited The Devil’s Beard: courage faces evil through wit and endurance.	1903
The Devil Turns Pigeon	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	The Devil Turns Pigeon: evil disguises itself in harmless form.	1903
The Man Who Could Not Keep Secrets	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	The Man Who Could Not Keep Secrets: boastfulness betrays hidden knowledge and invites revenge.	1903
Which One Was Most Greedy	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	Which One Was Most Greedy: greed contests greed, exposing selfishness.	1903
Mr Spider Wins A Wife	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	Mr Spider Wins A Wife: courtship, rivalry, and cunning self-advancement.	1903
A Case Of Tit For Tat	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	A Case Of Tit For Tat: revenge answered by revenge in comic balance.	1903
With The Spirits Of The Wood	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	With The Spirits Of The Wood: unseen spirits shape human danger and destiny.	1903
Mr Turtle Makes A Riding-Horse Of Mr Leopard	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	Mr Turtle Makes A Riding-Horse Of Mr Leopard: cunning humiliates strength, though tricksters may suffer later.	1903
The New Version Of Eve And The Apple	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	The New Version Of Eve And The Apple: temptation, disobedience, and humanity’s fall.	1903
The Wicked Is Taken In His Own Snare	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	The Wicked Is Taken In His Own Snare: evil collapses into self-made ruin.	1903
An Old Man Turns Elephant	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	An Old Man Turns Elephant: transformation, power, and uncanny change.	1903
Mr Chameleon Is Transformed Into A Boat	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	Mr Chameleon Is Transformed Into A Boat: transformation serves survival and trickery.	1903
The Devil's Magic Eggs	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	The Devil’s Magic Eggs: temptation, magic riches, and disastrous curiosity.	1903
Spider, Elephan' En Pawpawtámus	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	Spider, Elephan’ En Pawpawtámus: wit defeats brute strength through deception.	1903
Mr Spider Initiates The Fowls	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	Mr Spider Initiates The Fowls: trickery exploits ritual, fear, and obedience.	1903
Mr Leopard Fools The Other Animals	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	Mr Leopard Fools The Other Animals: cunning briefly triumphs over the gullible.	1903
Toothache Entailed	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	Toothache Entailed: small suffering leads to larger trouble.	1903
Mr Spider Secures A Powerful Witch	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	Mr Spider Secures A Powerful Witch: trickery seeks supernatural power for advantage.	1903
Watch-Pot And Greedy	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	Watch-Pot And Greedy: cunning outwits greed in a battle of appetites.	1903
A Stone That Wore A Beard	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	A Stone That Wore A Beard: marvel, absurdity, and deceptive appearances.	1903
Why Mr Spider's Waist Is Small	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	Why Mr Spider’s Waist Is Small: greed and punishment explain a creature’s form.	1903
Goats Of The Wood And Of The Town	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	Goats Of The Wood And Of The Town: wildness and domestication explained through tale.	1903
Which Twin Restored His Father To Life	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	Which Twin Restored His Father To Life: filial devotion and miraculous restoration.	1903
Mr Spider Creates A Frightful Tornado	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	Mr Spider Creates A Frightful Tornado: trickery unleashes chaos and fear.	1903
Goro, The Wonderful Wrestler	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	Goro, The Wonderful Wrestler: heroic strength tested through contest and fame.	1903
Mr Leopard Shows His Hand	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	Mr Leopard Shows His Hand: vengeance reveals true nature and hidden intent.	1903
Mr Spider Gets Into Trouble Again	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	Mr Spider Gets Into Trouble Again: habitual trickery brings fresh trouble.	1903
Mr Spider Sold A Very Fine Dog	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	Mr Spider Sold A Very Fine Dog: trickery turns danger into profit.	1903
Mr Spider "Pulls" A Supply Of Meat	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	Mr Spider “Pulls” A Supply Of Meat: cunning secures food by deception.	1903
Cunning Rabbit And His Well	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	Cunning Rabbit And His Well: cleverness turns scarcity into advantage.	1903
Marry The Devil, There's The Devil To Pay	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	Marry The Devil, There’s The Devil To Pay: dangerous unions bring bitter consequences.	1903
The Origin Of The Axe	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	The Origin Of The Axe: invention, usefulness, and the cost of labour.	1903
Spider Discovers The Wax Girl	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	Spider Discovers The Wax Girl: greed and pride trap the trickster himself.	1903
Cunning Rabbit Becomes A King	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	Cunning Rabbit Becomes A King: trickery, ambition, and improbable rise to power.	1903
Spider Tries To Brush The Devil's Farm	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	Spider Tries To Brush The Devil’s Farm: greed drives perilous bargains with evil.	1903
The Dancing Bird	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	The Dancing Bird: enchantment, beauty, and dangerous fascination.	1903
Dr Spider's Fatal Prescriptions	Cunnie Rabbit, Mr. Spider and the Other Beef	Florence M. Cronise	Generic	Dr Spider’s Fatal Prescriptions: false expertise turns healing into disaster.	1903
The Elves And Their Antics	Dutch Fairy Tales for Young Folks	William Elliot Griffis	Netherlands	The Elves And Their Antics: mischief, hidden folk, pranks, and household disorder.	1918
The Goblins Turned To Stone	Dutch Fairy Tales for Young Folks	William Elliot Griffis	Netherlands	The Goblins Turned To Stone: mischief punished, petrifaction, and supernatural justice.	1918
The Boar With The Golden Bristles	Dutch Fairy Tales for Young Folks	William Elliot Griffis	Netherlands	The Boar With The Golden Bristles: heroic quest, marvel, danger, and reward.	1918
Why The Stork Loves Holland	Dutch Fairy Tales for Young Folks	William Elliot Griffis	Netherlands	Why The Stork Loves Holland: belonging, migration, gratitude, and national myth.	1918
Santa Klaas And Black Pete	Dutch Fairy Tales for Young Folks	William Elliot Griffis	Netherlands	Santa Klaas And Black Pete: gift-giving, winter tradition, discipline, and festive folklore.	1918
The Woman With Three Hundred And Sixty-Six Children	Dutch Fairy Tales for Young Folks	William Elliot Griffis	Netherlands	The Woman With Three Hundred And Sixty-Six Children: pride, divine judgement, and miraculous punishment.	1918
The Golden Helmet	Dutch Fairy Tales for Young Folks	William Elliot Griffis	Netherlands	The Golden Helmet: treasure, status, deception, and contested power.	1918
The Farm That Ran Away And Came Back	Dutch Fairy Tales for Young Folks	William Elliot Griffis	Netherlands	The Farm That Ran Away And Came Back: enchantment, instability, homecoming, and rustic humour.	1918
The Boy Who Wanted More Cheese	Dutch Fairy Tales for Young Folks	William Elliot Griffis	Netherlands	The Boy Who Wanted More Cheese: greed, gluttony, foolishness, and comic consequence.	1918
When Wheat Worked Woe	Dutch Fairy Tales for Young Folks	William Elliot Griffis	Netherlands	When Wheat Worked Woe: labour, hardship, scarcity, and the cost of bread.	1918

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