Grimms’ Fairy Tales


Illustration by Walter Crane for ‘Snow White’ (1882)

The Brothers Grimm were Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, German professors of linguistics, who became best known for collecting folk and fairy tales.

In the course of their work on linguistics which included an analysis of how words change their sounds over the course of time, they found that one of the best ways to get older people to talk to them and share the sounds of their dialects was to ask them to tell the stories that had been passed down to them. The brothers kept a record of these stories and eventually published them in 1812. They followed this with an update in 1814.

The Grimms’ collection of tales consists mainly of Germanic tales but includes a number of French tales as well. The stories were not intended primarily for children. They contain witches, trolls, goblins, and wolves who prowl dark forests. Some of the tales were quite explicit and were rewritten by the brothers to better reflect what was considered appropriate for their time. Many English translations exist, but most of these are attempts to make the stories into harmless entertainments for children. The original tales are often very dark and do not make any attempt to avoid frightening their listeners, regardless of age.

The tales collected by the Brothers Grimm underlie much of what we are familiar with today in children’s literature and cinema. The entire history of the Disney company is a major example of the Grimms’ influence beginning with the company’s first animated feature film, ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.’

The tales are a magical, scary, comedic, and often violent journey into the forests of ancient Germany and France where every path leads to mystery and adventure.

CONTENT NOTICE:
Grimm’s Fairy Tales are not all appropriate for very young children. Some the of the tales contain violence and prejudice. Unfortunately, they do reflect some of the less admirable qualities of the people who told the tales and spread them from one region to another. Some of the prejudice in evidence still exists today and cannot be viewed as entirely historical in nature. Quite frankly, there are some great things about these tales, but their antisemitism and racial hatred is just absurdly evident. Germany was quite obviously headed down a terrible road much earlier than is often supposed. Please exercise care when reading these stories to young children. Try reading the story you are interested in first, then decide if it is appropriate material for your young listener.

Illustrations on this page in order of appearance:
‘Snow White’ by Walter Crane (1882)
‘Little Red Riding Hood’ by Walter Crane (1875)

See below for more Grimms’ Fairy Tale illustrations.

Listen to our 1/2-hour audio version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

The Complete Grimms’ Fairy Tales

The Margaret Hunt Translation (published in 1884):

We are adding live links to the this list since we changed our site design.  They will appear as posts in the blog and links here.  Thank you for your patience.

If you want the complete list of stories, visit the page on our old site.

  • THE FROG KING OR IRON HENRY
  • CAT AND MOUSE IN PARTNERSHIP
  • OUR LADY’S CHILD
  • THE STORY OF THE YOUTH WHO WENT FORTH TO LEARN WHAT FEAR WAS
  • THE WOLF AND THE SEVEN LITTLE KIDS
  • FAITHFUL JOHN
  • THE GOOD BARGAIN – with an introduction about the story’s obvious prejudice
  • THE WONDERFUL MUSICIAN
  • THE TWELVE BROTHERS
  • THE PACK OF RAGAMUFFINS
  • LITTLE BROTHER AND LITTLE SISTER
  • RAPUNZEL
  • THE THREE LITTLE MEN IN THE FOREST
  • THE THREE SPINNERS
  • HANSEL AND GRETEL
  • THE THREE SNAKE LEAVES
  • THE WHITE SNAKE
  • STRAW, COAL AND BEAN
  • THE FISHERMAN AND HIS WIFE
  • THE BRAVE LITTLE TAILOR
  • CINDERELLA
  • THE RIDDLE
  • THE MOUSE, THE BIRD, AND THE SAUSAGE
  • MOTHER HOLLE
  • THE SEVEN RAVENS
  • LITTLE RED-CAP
  • THE BREMEN TOWN MUSICIANS
  • THE SINGING BONE
  • THE DEVIL WITH THE THREE GOLDEN HAIRS
  • LITTLE LOUSE AND LITTLE FLEA
  • THE GIRL WITHOUT HANDS
  • CLEVER HANS
  • THE THREE LANGUAGES
  • CLEVER ELSIE
  • THE TAILOR IN HEAVEN
  • THE WISHING TABLE, THE GOLD ASS, AND THE CUDGEL IN THE SACK
  • THUMBLING
  • THE WEDDING OF MRS. FOX
  • THE ELVES
  • THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM
  • HERR KORBES
  • THE GODFATHER
  • FRAU TRUDE
  • GODFATHER DEATH
  • THUMBLING AS JOURNEYMAN
  • FITCHER’S BIRD
  • THE JUNIPER TREE
  • OLD SULTAN
  • THE SIX SWANS
  • LITTLE BRIAR-ROSE
  • FOUNDLING BIRD
  • KING THRUSHBEARD
  • SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS
  • THE KANPSACK, THE HAT, AND THE HORN
  • RUMPELSTILTSKIN
  • SWEETHEART ROLAND
  • THE GOLDEN BIRD
  • THE DOG AND THE SPARROW
  • FREDERICK AND CATHERINE
  • THE TWO BROTHERS
  • THE LITTLE PEASANT
  • THE QUEEN BEE
  • THE THREE FEATHERS
  • THE GOLDEN GOOSE
  • ALLERLEIRAUH
  • THE HARE’S BRIDE
  • THE TWELVE HUNTSMEN
  • THE THIEF AND HIS MASTER
  • JORINDE AND JORINGEL
  • THE THREE CHILDREN OF FORTUNE
  • HOW SIX MEN GOT ON IN THE WORLD
  • THE WOLF AND THE MAN
  • THE WOLF AND THE FOX
  • GOSSIP WOLF AND THE FOX
  • THE FOX AND THE CAT
  • THE PINK
  • CLEVER GRETHEL
  • THE OLD MAN AND HIS GRANDSON
  • THE WATER NIX
  • THE DEATH OF THE LITTLE HEN
  • BROTHER LUSTIG
  • GAMBLING HANSEL
  • HANS IN LUCK
  • HANS MARRIED
  • THE GOLD CHILDREN
  • THE FOX AND THE GEESE
  • THE POOR MAN AND THE RICH MAN
  • THE SINGING, SPRINGING LARK
  • THE GOOSE GIRL
  • THE YOUNG GIANT
  • THE GNOME
  • THE KING OF THE GOLDEN MOUNTAIN
  • THE RAVEN
  • THE PEASANT’S CLEVER DAUGHTER
  • OLD HILDEBRAND
  • THE THREE LITTLE BIRDS
  • THE WATER OF LIFE
  • DR. KNOW ALL
  • THE SPIRIT IN THE BOTTLE
  • THE DEVIL’S SOOTY BROTHER
  • BEARSKIN
  • THE WILLOW WREN AND THE BEAR
  • SWEET PORRIDGE
  • WISE FOLKS
  • STORIES ABOUT SNAKES
  • THE POOR MILLER’S BOY AND THE CAT
  • THE TWO TRAVELLERS
  • HANS THE HEDGEHOG
  • THE SHROUD
  • THE JEW AMONG THORNS – with an introduction about the story’s obvious prejudice
  • THE SKILFUL HUNTSMAN
  • THE FLAIL FROM HEAVEN
  • THE TWO KINGS’ CHILDREN
  • THE CUNNING LITTLE TAILOR
  • THE BRIGHT SUN BRINGS IT TO LIGHT – with an introduction about the story’s obvious prejudice
  • THE BLUE LIGHT
  • THE WILFUL CHILD
  • THE THREE ARMY SURGEONS
  • THE SEVEN SWABIANS
  • THE THREE APPRENTICES
  • THE KING’S SON WHO FEARED NOTHING
  • DONKEY CABBAGES
  • THE OLD WOMAN IN THE WOOD
  • THE THREE BROTHERS
  • THE DEVIL AND HIS GRANDMOTHER
  • FERDINAND THE FAITHFUL
  • THE IRON STOVE
  • THE LAZY SPINNER
  • THE FOUR SKILFUL BROTHERS
  • ONE-EYE, TWO-EYES, AND THREE-EYES
  • FAIR KATRINELJE AND PIF PAF POLTRIE
  • THE FOX AND THE HORSE
  • THE SHOES THAT WERE DANCED TO PIECES
  • THE SIX SERVANTS
  • THE WHITE BRIDE AND THE BLACK ONE
  • IRON JOHN
  • THE THREE BLACK PRINCESSES
  • KNOIST AND HIS THREE SONS
  • THE MAID OF BRAKEL
  • DOMESTIC SERVANTS
  • THE LAMBKIN AND LITTLE FISH
  • SIMELI MOUNTAIN
  • GOING A-TRAVELLING
  • THE DONKEY
  • THE UNGRATEFUL SON
  • THE TURNIP
  • THE OLD MAN MADE YOUNG AGAIN
  • THE LORD’S ANIMALS AND THE DEVIL’S
  • THE BEAM
  • THE OLD BEGGAR WOMAN
  • THE THREE SLUGGARDS
  • THE TWELVE IDLE SERVANTS
  • THE SHEPHERD BOY
  • THE STAR MONEY
  • THE STOLEN FARTHINGS
  • THE BRIDES ON THEIR TRIAL
  • ODDS AND ENDS
  • THE SPARROW AND HIS FOUR CHILDREN
  • THE STORY OF SCHLAURAFFEN LAND
  • THE DITMARSH TALE OF WONDERS
  • A RIDDLING TALE
  • SNOW WHITE AND ROSE RED
  • THE WISE SERVANT
  • THE GLASS COFFIN
  • LAZY HARRY
  • THE GRIFFIN
  • STRONG HANS
  • THE PEASANT IN HEAVEN
  • LEAN LISA
  • THE HUT IN THE FOREST
  • SHARING JOY AND SORROW
  • THE WILLOW WREN
  • THE SOLE
  • THE BITTERN AND HOOPOE
  • THE OWL
  • THE MOON
  • THE DURATION OF LIFE
  • DEATH’S MESSENGERS
  • MASTER PFRIEM
  • THE GOOSE GIRL AT THE WELL
  • EVE’S VARIOUS CHILDREN
  • THE NIXIE OF THE MILL POND
  • THE LITTLE FOLKS’ PRESENTS
  • THE GIANT AND THE TAILOR
  • THE NAIL
  • THE POOR BOY IN THE GRAVE
  • THE TRUE SWEETHEART
  • THE HARE AND THE HEDGEHOG
  • THE SPINDLE, THE SHUTTLE, AND THE NEEDLE
  • THE PEASANT AND THE DEVIL
  • THE CRUMBS ON THE TABLE
  • THE SEA HARE
  • THE MASTER THIEF
  • THE DRUMMER
  • THE EAR OF CORN
  • THE GRAVE MOUND
  • OLD RINKRANK
  • THE CRYSTAL BALL
  • MAID MALEEN
  • THE BOOTS OF BUFFALO LEATHER
  • THE GOLDEN KEY


Grimm’s Fairy Stories
Title Page from Published Book
Published by Cupples and Leon Company (1922)
Illustrated by John B. Gruelle and R. Emmett Owen


The Frog King
Margaret Evans Price (1921)


Hansel and Gretel
Kay Nielsen (1925)


Rumpelstiltskin
George R. Halkett (1882)


Sleeping Beauty
Gustave Dore (1867)

“Grimms’ Fairy Tales” translations by Margaret Hunt (1884) are in the Public Domain

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