6 h 18 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 6 h 18 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What does courage look like when witches and kings hold the power?
In Belgian Fairy Tales, William Elliot Griffis gathers folk stories from a land of farms, canals, forests and walled cities. Witches, kings, clever poor people and brave children share this world. These are separate tales, each offering a short path into Belgium’s folk imagination.
The collection explores how ordinary people face powers greater than themselves. Witches bring hidden, strange and often unfair forces; kings bring another kind of pressure. Courage here is small and practical, rarely a matter of fighting dragons with swords. The stories invite you to look closely at what bravery can mean.
What you’ll discover
- Folk tales rooted in place Explore stories shaped by Belgium’s landscape, between the sea, the Ardennes hills and great rivers.
- Witches, kings and common folk Meet ordinary people whose lives press against strange forces and powerful figures.
- Small acts of courage Discover bravery that takes practical forms rather than the familiar sword raised against a dragon.
- A world close together Enter a setting where farms, canals, forests and walled cities sit near one another.
- Stories worth sharing aloud Enjoy short tales with plain steps, clear turns and shapes that reward slow reading.
Who will love it
This book suits readers who love folk tales, legends and the stories behind flags, flowers, bells and customs. It is a joy for families who read aloud and for anyone curious about Belgium.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Loyalty survives separation and war
- Kindness brings a promise to keep
- Fairies give natural forces a face
- Courage gains strength from a plan
- Flowers keep a nation's memories
- Belgium grows from many roots
- Magic makes everyday work visible
- Different colors can share one purpose
- Many tales build one shared picture
Who’s who
- EmileA farm boy from the Ardennes who raises his colt Baldy, serves in a dog-drawn machine gun battalion, and wants to defend Belgium.
- BaldyA strong young horse who recognizes Emile's voice and his familiar trick with a palm full of clover.
- Princess ElsjeA captive princess who feeds seven swans and must keep silent for seven months to save them.
- The Silver KnightA brave knight in silver-steel armor who rescues Elsje and asks one promise of her.
- QuirinaA king's daughter skilled in riding and swordplay who rides out to face the magician Halwyn.
- Mynheer MolenaarA Flemish miller and crusader who wants a windmill that can turn with every wind.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet or computer, once the book texts are online.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, once the book texts are online.
- Audiobook
- Read by Lucas Linden, complete. It opens once the recording is online.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 14 minutes, to read today.
- 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.
Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout. The eBook and the audiobook open when the book texts go online.
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 USD 0.14 a day in your first year on the yearly plan and USD 0.27 a day after, or USD 0.66 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
Belgian Fairy Tales in 25 languages, side by side, paragraph by paragraph, once the book texts are online: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Belgian Fairy Tales
by William Elliot Griffis · 1919
A weeping dragon waters the graves of crusaders, and from the soil rises the tulip.
Medium level2–5 hours to read2 languages
Learn a language with medium classicsSpanishFrenchGermanItalianJapanesePortugueseEnglishHow we measure levels
Excellent
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then USD 0.14 a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
In short
What would you do if the horse you raised from a colt were sold to a German dealer, and then you met him again in the middle of a battle? That is how Belgian Fairy Tales begins, with a farm boy named Emile, his horse Baldwin, his dog Goldspur, and the German invasion of August 1914.
Belgian Fairy Tales at a glance
- Reading time
- About 3 h 30 min2 h 50 min fast, 4 h 10 min slow
- Length
- 50,500 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1919by William Elliot Griffis
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A boy and his horse meet again in war
The book opens with a small true story. Emile, a farmer's son from the Ardennes hills, raises a colt named Baldwin, called Baldy, as his own pet. Horse and boy trust each other completely.
Poor crops force Emile's father to sell Baldy to a German horse dealer. Soon Emile is called up to the army at Ypres, where his dog Goldspur walks in harness beside him. Then Germany demands passage through Belgium, and King Albert refuses.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
You looked at
Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1919
- Language
- English
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Griffis, William Elliot. Belgian Fairy Tales. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/belgian-fairy-tales.
Griffis, W. E. (2026). Belgian fairy tales. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/belgian-fairy-tales (Original work published 1919)
Griffis, William Elliot. Belgian Fairy Tales. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/belgian-fairy-tales.
@book{griffis2026belgian,
author = {Griffis, William Elliot},
title = {Belgian Fairy Tales},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/belgian-fairy-tales},
note = {First published 1919}
}
Free gifts
USD 580 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
USD 170FREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
USD 120FREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
USD 60FREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
USD 60FREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
USD 170FREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about Belgian Fairy Tales
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 Belgian Fairy Tales about?
It is a collection of fairy tales, folk legends and playful sketches about Belgium. Each one explains a flower, flag color, animal, tower, custom or food, from the tulip and the windmill to the mince pie.
Who are the Kabouters, Wappers and Klabbers?
They are Belgian fairy folk. Kabouters work underground at forges and mines, Wappers stretch their long legs and play tricks in old Antwerp, and Klabbers wear red caps with green or blue faces and hands.
Why is the Belgian flag black, yellow and red?
The book says the colors come from Brabant and Lyderic's banner, and from a fairy's opal. Black stands for the steadfast king, yellow for law that protects property, and red for blood given in defense of liberty.
The author
William Elliot Griffis
1843–1928 · American minister and Japan scholar
William Elliot Griffis (1843–1928) was an American Protestant minister and writer on Japan. He was born in Philadelphia and lived in Japan from 1870 to 1874, working as a teacher. He wrote The Mikado’s Empire (1876) and The Religions of Japan (1895), as well as collections of fairy tales.
More by William Elliot Griffis
See all their booksMore like this
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
