Justice & Fairness
Judgments, rewards, punishments and abuses of authority shape these stories. Some endings repair a wrong; others leave losses unresolved or impose a punishment readers may question. Follow whose testimony is heard, whose choices are respected and whether the powerful are held to the same standard as everyone else.
Norse Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
The Theft of Thor’s Hammer (Thrymskvida)
When the giant Thrym steals Thor’s hammer and demands Freyja as his bride, the gods come up with a plan that leaves Thor dressed in a wedding veil.
The Holy Quail
Left behind in the nest by his frightened parents as a forest fire roars closer, a young quail who cannot yet fly turns the flames back with an Act of Truth.
Jataka Tales
Ages 6-8
How the Monkey Saved His Troop
When a king’s archers surround a mango tree full of monkeys, their Chief stretches across the river and lets the whole troop run to safety over his back.
Southeast Asian Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
Si Tanggang: The Ungrateful Son and the Curse of Stone
A poor couple’s son sails away and comes home rich, but when he is too proud to welcome his parents aboard, his mother’s words turn his ship to stone.
Aesop's Fables
Ages 3-5
The Lion and the Mouse
A lion laughs when a tiny mouse promises to repay his mercy, until hunters trap him in a net and the mouse gnaws the ropes to set him free.
Grimm's Fairy Tales
Ages 6-8
Rumpelstiltskin
A miller’s boast traps his daughter in a room of straw; a strange little man spins gold—then claims her first child unless she learns his name.
Indian Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
Vikram and the Vampire: The King’s Ultimate Test
During one night in a cremation ground, a king repeatedly carries a talking corpse whose riddles delay a dangerous ceremony.
European Fairy Tales
Ages 9-12
The Three Golden Hairs of Grandfather Knowitall
A king tries everything to stop a charcoal-burner’s son from marrying his daughter, even sending him to fetch three golden hairs from the Sun himself.
Grimm's Fairy Tales
Ages 9-12
Pied Piper of Hamelin | German Legend of Promises Broken (9-12+)
A piper in a red and yellow coat rids Hamelin of its rats, but when the mayor breaks his promise to pay, the piper plays a different tune.
Chinese Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
Mulan, the Maiden Chief
Mulan rides her father's horse to the northern wars, wins glory and refuses a reward, then returns home, where removing her helmet reveals her identity.
Turkish Folk Tales
Ages 6-8
Nasreddin Hodja and the Smell of Soup
A poor man softens his dry bread in the steam from a cook's pot, and when the cook demands payment, Nasreddin Hodja finds a perfect way to pay him.
Chinese Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
The Ape Sun Wu Kung
A stone ape learns magic, steals Heaven’s peaches and pills of life and defeats whole armies of gods, until he makes a bet with Buddha he cannot win.