Ages 9-12
Stories suggested for ages 9–12, with longer journeys, competing motives and difficult choices. Some contain frightening scenes or violence described in the page’s guidance. These age suggestions support selection and discussion; they do not make every traditional story equally suitable for every reader.
Chinese Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
The Golden Canister
A slave-girl skilled with the sword slips into an enemy count’s bedroom by night and takes his golden canister, ending a war before it begins.
Chinese Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
The Flower-Elves
On a moonlit night a hermit scholar hosts four lovely sisters and their eighteen gusty aunts, then learns who his guests really are when a storm comes.
Chinese Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
The Fire-God
Dschu Yung taught people to use fire and became the Fire-God, who later rides along disguised as a girl in red and warns a polite rich man of a blaze.
Chinese Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
The Fairy Bonze
After a generous merchant's ruin and death, his son discovers the purpose of a monk's buried tiles and reunites with the woman who chooses him.
Chinese Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
The Favorite of Fortune and the Child of Ill Luck
An unlucky princess throws her marriage ball to a beggar she sees is destined for greatness, then waits eighteen years for him to return.
Chinese Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
The Eight Immortals (I)
Wilhelm's portraits of the Eight Immortals include Li of the Iron Crutch, Lü Dung Bin and Ho Sian Gu, with magical transformations and contrasting tests.
Chinese Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
The Constable
A constable shares a pipe with a stranger who turns out to be the Underworld’s constable, sent to fetch a man who betrayed his friend.
Chinese Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
The Bird with Nine Heads
A youth slays the bird with nine heads to free a princess, is betrayed and left in the cave, and wins a magic gourd from a grateful sea-dragon.
Chinese Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
Sky O’Dawn
A foundling who talks to the stars grows up to amaze Emperor Wu with magic dew, a horse of the gods, and tales of lands beyond the sun.
Chinese Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
Sam-Chung and the Water Demon
On his way to the land of the Immortals, the pilgrim Sam-Chung finds a village forced to feed its children to a river demon, and his helpers fight back.
Chinese Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
Retribution
A boy witnesses old Wang causing a death and concealing it; years later, a fatal stone throw is presented as supernatural repayment.
Chinese Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
The Dragon-Princess
An emperor sends three brothers with jade, wax, and roasted swallows into a dragon cave, and the dragon-princess repays him with pearls of wonderful power.