Courage & Bravery
Discover 138 folk tales about courage and bravery from around the world. These stories feature heroes who face monsters, tyrants, and impossible odds with unwavering determination. From young village boys confronting tigers to princesses defying cruel sorcerers, these stories about bravery for kids demonstrate that true courage is not the absence of fear, but the will to act despite it.
Chinese Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
The Magic Paintbrush of Ma Liang
The Magic Paintbrush of Ma Liang: In a remote village nestled among the misty mountains of ancient China, there lived a boy named Ma Liang. He was the youngest
Indian Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
Savitri and the Lord of Death
Savitri and the Lord of Death: In the kingdom of Madra, along the banks of the great Sutlej River, there lived a princess of unparalleled virtue and wisdom.
Korean Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
The Story of Chunhyang
The Story of Chunhyang: In the province of Jeolla, during the reign of the Joseon Dynasty, there lived a nobleman’s son named Lee Mong-ryong. He was of noble
Korean Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
General Hong Gil-dong
General Hong Gil-dong: In the realm of Joseon Korea, during a time when the hierarchical order of society seemed immutable and written into the very fabric of
Korean Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
The Rabbit’s Liver
The Rabbit's Liver: In ancient times, when the boundaries between the human world and the spirit world were more permeable, the Dragon King of the Sea ruled
Japanese Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
Princess Hase: The Bamboo Princess of Yamato
Princess Hase: The Bamboo Princess of Yamato: In the province of Yamato, where bamboo groves swayed like dancers and mountain mists clung to valleys like
Japanese Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
Issun-boshi: The One-Inch Boy
Issun-boshi: The One-Inch Boy: In a distant province of Japan, there lived an elderly couple who had no children. For decades they prayed at temples and left
Grimm's Fairy Tales
Ages 9-12
The Brave Little Tailor
The Brave Little Tailor: In a small cottage at the edge of a great city, there lived a tailor whose hands were as skilled as any craftsman in the kingdom, but
Grimm's Fairy Tales
Ages 9-12
Sleeping Beauty (Briar Rose)
Sleeping Beauty (Briar Rose): On the morning that the princess was christened, the entire kingdom gathered in the grand cathedral of the castle to celebrate
Norse Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
Ragnarok: The Twilight of the Gods
Ragnarok: The Twilight of the Gods: The seer stood before Odin in the great hall Asgard, and she spoke of a future that all the gods wished not to hear, yet
Norse Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
Sigurd and the Dragon Fafnir
Sigurd and the Dragon Fafnir: In the northern lands, in a place where mountains rose like the spears of giants and forests spread like dark green cloaks across
Norse Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
The Theft of Thor’s Hammer (Thrymskvida)
The Theft of Thor's Hammer (Thrymskvida): Thor, the mighty god of thunder, woke one morning in his hall Bilskirnir with a start of alarm that was rare for one