First Fairy Tales

When Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published their Children's and Household Tales in 1812, followed by a second volume in 1815, they had no idea that such stories as "Rapunzel", "Hansel and Gretel", and "Cinderella" would become the most celebrated in the world. Yet few people today are familiar with the majority of tales from the two early volumes, since in the next four decades the Grimms would publish six other editions, each extensively revised in content and style.

All legends are born of truths. And just as much lies. These are mine. Judge me for what you will. But you will hear my story first. I buried the village of Ampur under a mountain of ice and snow. Then I killed their god. I've stolen old magics and been cursed for it. I started a war with those that walked before mankind and lost the princess I loved and wanted to save. I've called lightning and bound fire. I am legend. And I am a monster. My name is Ari. And this is the story of how I let loose the first evil.

Ladybird presents First Favourite Tales audio, a fabulous collection of classic stories for toddlers, brought to life through the magic of audio. Produced with enchanting sound effects and lively music that will delight children and introduce them to the world's most famous stories.

Bayr of Saylok, bastard son of a powerful and jealous chieftain, is haunted by the curse once leveled by his dying mother. Bartered, abandoned, and rarely loved, she plagued the land with her words: From this day forward, there will be no daughters in Saylok. Raised among the Keepers at Temple Hill, Bayr is gifted with inhuman strength. But he’s also blessed with an all-too-human heart that beats with one purpose: to protect Alba, the first girl child born in nearly two decades and the salvation for a country at risk.

The Pied Piper pipes a village free of rats, and when the villagers refuse to pay him for the service he pipes away their children as well.

Step into a world where fantasy and desire collide in the most tantalizing ways imaginable. Erotic Fantasy Fairy Tales for Men is a collection of 100 bold, steamy stories that take you on a journey through enchanted forests, magical kingdoms, and forbidden realms. From seductive fairies and lustful sorceresses to daring threesomes and captivating femdom journeys, each tale is crafted to ignite your imagination and awaken your deepest desires. These aren't your childhood fairy tales-they're thrilling adventures of passion and ecstasy that will leave you breathless.

An ancient malevolence that will threaten the very existence of the Great Ga’Hoole Tree has been loosed from the past. With his dying breath, Ezylryb tells Soren and Coryn to read the legends of Ga’Hoole hidden in his private library. There they find a world of treachery and magic in which a young king and queen struggle to keep peace while Grank, their most loyal friend and supporter, studies embers and flames in a distant land. Then a desperate plea comes from the king, and Grank rushes to the aid of his noble friends.

Smart, headstrong Kirabo is raised by her grandparents in rural Uganda. But as she enters her teens, she starts to feel overshadowed by the absence of the mother she has never known. At once epic and deeply personal, The First Woman is the bold and piercing story of one young girl’s discovery of what it means to be a woman in a family, a community and a country that seem determined to silence her. Steeped in the rich folklore of Uganda but with an eye firmly on the future, Jennifer Makumbi has written a sweeping, effervescent tale of longing, femininity and courage.

Anger and disappointment burn within Fionna Allán following the Grail Quest. Her family still remain captives of a rival clann, and King Arthur Pendragon's kingdom continues to wither and die. Now Fionna's sworn enemy brings war to Arthur's shores with Morgan la Fay at his side - a battle Arthur and Caerleon can ill afford. Especially as one of Arthur's knights has gone rogue, leaving their group weak and devastated. With his kingship in question and his people suffering to the point of rebellion, Arthur and his knights are forced to seek help from the gods.

When the animals all get together in the jungle, they discover that the noise that they have been making is indeed music. Dylan Pritchett weaves a tale that helps us disover that we all have music inside just waiting to come out. Illustrated by Erin Bennett Banks.

When hard-working animals complain to "the magic desert watcher" about camel's laziness, the watcher agrees to make things more fair.

Four Jack Tales from the Appalachian oral tradition, recorded by a nationally accalimed storyteller. In this collection, Jack has a little trouble adjusting to the workaday world and to personal financial management. Eventually he works hard enough, but his fortunes do not seem to parallel his productivity. Jack finally has to go a bit out of his way to prove himself, meanwhile dealing with a prospective father-in-law who plays hard to get.

A classic fable from Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories, read by Johnny Morris. Have you ever wondered how and why the animals came to be as they are? In these magical tales, drawn from stories he heard as a child in India as well as on folk traditions he later collected all over the world, Rudyard Kipling gives some wonderfully imaginative explanations.

Stories included in this season: Humpty Dumpty, Little Bo-Peep, Jack and Jill, Wee Willie Winkie, Old King Cole, Goober and I, Peter Piper, Cat and the Fiddle, Little Miss Muffet, & Old Mother Goose.

At just 18 years old, Arthur is on the verge of being crushed under the weight of his great destiny. The mighty castle at Tintagel has fallen. King Uther Pendragon lies dead. The mad King Vortigern sits upon the throne with a dragon at his command. And Merlin, having turned traitor, stands at the new king's side. Now Arthur, with the help of the mysterious sword in the stone and his loyal mentors, Gawain and Percival, embarks on a daring mission to retake the crown.

Cade has never met his uncle, the infamous ‘descender’ Nate Quarter, who years ago committed heresy by lowering himself over the cliff-face of the Edge. But Nate has returned, and the Academy of Flight are looking for revenge against all of his supporters - including Cade. So now he has to run. With no money and nowhere else to go, Cade’s only option is to stow away aboard the Xanth Filatine - a mighty sky-ship bound for the city of Hive. But getting onto the ship is only the beginning of his troubles....

Were the Egyptian gods fanciful imaginings of primitive people or something more? Some believe they once walked the Earth as mortals, that they warred and loved just as any of their worshippers. This is their story--the tale of how Isis gained the power of shaping. How mighty Osiris died and lived again. How they discovered the fabled First Ark, a structure older than man. It is the tale of us all, the story that shaped our race from cave dwellers into the people we are today.

I'm Tamlir Kynthelig, mercenary. I lost my home, my family was slaughtered, and my kingdom was usurped. And then things really got bad. I saved King Mynogin and won the honor of a likely-fatal run through the Temple of Cocidius to gain him its treasure. Trust me when I say this isn't a change in my luck. Gathering the temple's eight artifacts has never been accomplished, and a thousand men have perished to its beasts and puzzles.

Rinni and her brother have raised by their grandmother ever since the violent death of their parents at the hands of the Shadows, creatures who lurk beyond the walls and kill anyone who attempts to leave. But the biggest threat lies within their own village. Everyone and everything is dying, slowly and without hope of salvation. When a series of disturbing events leads her to question the intentions of their leaders, Rinni discovers just how far some will go to cover up the truth. The history of their beginnings is starting to unravel, the threads hopelessly bound up with the fate of those who left the village long ago.

Some stories are so timeless we can't wait to share them with our children. You'll find five such classics in this collection from PlainTales, including the tales of the naughty Gingerbread Boy, the clever Billy Goats Gruff, the enchanted Frog Prince, the stalwart Little Red Hen, and the courageous Bremen Town Musicians. All are told with simple, engaging language perfect for the littlest listeners.