6 h 6 minAudiobook4 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 do clever heroes, hard tasks, and enchanted places reveal about the hopes and fears we share?
In Tales of Folk and Fairies, Katharine Pyle brings together traditional stories from Scotland, Russia, Persia, Arabia, Bengal, and beyond. These tales begin in the spoken traditions of different lands. Spirits and enchanted places fill their worlds, while clever heroes face tests that call for more than strength.
The collection includes tales from these varied regions, each told in clear, simple English. Familiar patterns return with local colors: a person of low standing meets a test, and a story carries advice about how to live. Alongside the wonder, you can trace the hopes and fears that connect people across lands.
What you’ll discover
- Stories across many lands Explore tales from Scotland, Russia, Persia, Arabia, and Bengal, with familiar patterns in different settings.
- Clever heroes under pressure Meet people of low standing whose difficult tests give these traditional stories their pull.
- Spirits and enchanted places Enter folklore worlds where hard tasks and strange encounters bring wonder into a simple tale.
- Wisdom carried by stories Discover how memorable tales carry advice about living alongside the pleasure of a good story.
- One tale at a time Enjoy a short story before bed, or share its turns and wonders aloud with others.
Who will love it
For parents and teachers who love tales to read aloud, and anyone curious about how folklore travels between lands. For readers who enjoy clever heroes, spirits and enchanted places.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Stories gathered from many lands
- Familiar patterns with local colors
- What the tales quietly teach
- How to read and hear the book
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
- 6 h 6 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 4 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
- 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, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then 0,14 USD a day in your first year on the yearly plan and 0,27 USD a day after, or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
25 languages, side by side
Read and hear Contes populaires et contes de fées 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.
Contes populaires et contes de fées
by Katharine Pyle · 1919
Clever heroes face trials amid spirits and enchanted places in tales that carry shared hopes and fears across lands.
Easy read5–10 hours to read25 languages
Excellent
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then 0,14 USD a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
In short
Tales of Folk and Fairies is a collection of traditional stories gathered from many countries and retold in clear, simple English by Katharine Pyle, an American writer and illustrator. It was published early in the twentieth century for children, though it suits any listener who likes a story told plainly.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Stories gathered from many lands
The first thing to notice is the range. Katharine Pyle drew on the oral traditions of several regions, and the book's title promises both folk and fairies. Folk tales usually deal with ordinary people, such as farmers, travelers, poor youths and clever daughters. Fairy tales bring in spirits, charms and strange powers.
By putting stories from Scotland beside stories from Russia, Persia, Arabia and Bengal, the book lets you hear several voices in one sitting. Each land has its own landscape and its own customs. Cold northern forests feel different from the bright courts of the East, and the stories keep that flavor.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. 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 - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about Contes populaires et contes de fées
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 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.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is Tales of Folk and Fairies about?
It is a collection of traditional folk and fairy tales from many countries, including Scotland, Russia, Persia, Arabia and Bengal, retold by Katharine Pyle in simple language for young readers and for reading aloud.
Who wrote Tales of Folk and Fairies?
Katharine Pyle, an American writer and illustrator who died in 1938. She was the sister of the artist Howard Pyle and produced many children's books, often illustrating them herself.
Are the stories in this book original?
The tales are traditional, passed down by word of mouth in their home cultures long before they were written. Pyle retold them in her own words, so she is the reteller rather than the inventor.
The author
Katharine Pyle
1863–1938 · American writer and illustrator
American writer and illustrator.
More like this
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
Popular in fairy tales
See all
Free
Free
Free
Free
Free
