8 h 54 minAudiobook7 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if your only hope lies in strange beans, a dangerous bargain, or the wit to fool a giant?
In English Fairy Tales, Flora Annie Webster Steel retells old English folk stories with quick action and a storyteller's ear. Jack trades the family cow for strange beans and enters a giant's world. In Tom Tit Tot, a young woman bargains with a small black imp, then needs her wits to face the terms.
Elsewhere, Henny Penny sets off to warn the king that the sky is falling, while Dick Whittington heads to London hoping to make his fortune. Molly Whuppie faces danger with courage and cunning. Beneath the magic lie familiar worries: too little food, leaving home for work, and promises that carry a price.
What you’ll discover
- Bargains with a bite Meet strange helpers whose tempting offers turn an ordinary problem into a dangerous test.
- Small heroes, huge enemies Follow Jack into a giant's house, where a poor boy's courage faces an enormous challenge.
- Courage and quick thinking Discover girls like Molly Whuppie and Cap o' Rushes, who meet hardship with good sense.
- Folly worth laughing at Enjoy foolish husbands, frightened animals, and people whose cleverness leads them in the wrong direction.
- The rhythm of storytelling Feel the pull of short sentences, swift action, tricks, and the familiar test of three.
Is it for you?
This book suits parents and teachers who want read-aloud stories, anyone curious about where Jack and the Beanstalk and similar tales come from, and listeners who enjoy short tales with a clear shape. Readers wanting deep character study may find it thin.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Bargains with strange creatures carry a price
- A poor boy can climb into a giant's world
- Clever fools and foolish clever folk
- Humble heroes win by wit and kindness
- What the tales are really about
- How the tales are told
Who’s who
- JackA poor boy who trades the family cow for strange beans and finds his courage tested in a giant's house above the clouds.
- The girl in Tom Tit TotA young woman who strikes a hard bargain with a small black imp and must use her wits to meet its terms.
- Henny PennyA hen who believes the sky is falling and sets out to warn the king, gathering followers along the road.
- Dick WhittingtonA poor boy who goes to London hoping to make his fortune, and whose cat becomes part of his story.
- Molly WhuppieA quick and brave girl who relies on cunning to outwit a dangerous enemy and protect those she loves.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 8 h 54 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 7 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
eBooks and audiobooks open right away. Download EPUB or PDF, or send the book to your Kindle. Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout.
How it works · 60-day guarantee
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, for the whole household.
- We remind you first. We email you 7 days before your first payment. Then your first year is 50% off: 0,14 USD a day, then 0,27 USD a day, never raised. Or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
60-day money-back guarantee. If the library is not for you, ask within 60 days of your first payment and we refund it in full.
25 languages, side by side
Read and hear Englische Märchen in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Read it side by side
Englische Märchen
by Flora Annie Webster Steel· 1918
Ordinary people face giants, strange bargains, and tests of wit.
Excellent
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- The whole household
Starts right away, on any device
Read free60-day money-back guaranteeRenews every yearCancel anytimeHow it works
Language: Deutsch
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 6
Bargains with strange creatures carry a price
Many tales in the English tradition begin with a promise made in a hurry. A girl or a poor family is in trouble, and a strange helper appears with an offer that seems too good to refuse. Tom Tit Tot is the best-known example. A girl is shut in a room with a heavy task before her, and a small black imp arrives who can do it for her.
The imp does not give his help for nothing. He names a price, and the price is a heavy one. The girl agrees because she sees no other way out. This is how the tale sets up its whole plot in only a few lines.
Renews every year · Cancel anytime
The author
Flora Annie Webster Steel
1847–1929 · British novelist
Flora Annie Steel, born Webster, was a British writer born in England in 1847. She lived in India from 1867 to 1889, then returned to Britain. She wrote novels, stories, and works about Indian history. Her books include On the Face of the Waters (1896) and English Fairy Tales (1918). She died in 1929.
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, for the whole household. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
170 USDFREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
120 USDFREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
60 USDFREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
60 USDFREE - The whole householdUp to 5 readers
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
More like this
Free
Free
Free
Free
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
Questions about Englische Märchen
Can I read it free?
Yes. The beginning, from the first page to the end of chapter 1, and the first 5 minutes of the audiobook are free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 90 days, with the eBook to keep. After that, your first year is 50% off. You also get 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
Can my family read too?
Yes. The whole household reads and listens: up to 5 readers, each with their own shelf and their own place in every book.
What if it is not for me?
Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. If you have paid and the library is not for you, ask within 60 days of your first payment and we refund it in full.
What is English Fairy Tales by Flora Annie Steel about?
It is a collection of traditional English folk tales retold in simple, lively language. The stories involve giants, imps, clever girls, poor boys and foolish animals, and they follow old patterns such as bargains, tests of three and small heroes beating big enemies.
Who illustrated the Flora Annie Steel English Fairy Tales?
The 1918 edition was illustrated by the English artist Arthur Rackham. His pen drawings and coloured plates gave the tales a wild, slightly eerie look that many readers still link with the book.
Are these English fairy tales true stories?
No. They are folk tales that were passed on by word of mouth for generations before being written down. They carry the beliefs, fears and humour of ordinary country people, and different tellers gave each tale its own details.
Popular in fairy tales
See all
Free
Free
