By the Brothers Grimm. This wonderful story has it all: the maiden in the tower, the baby taken at birth by a wicked witch, and an enchanted but forbidden garden. In addition you can relish the iconic image of a maiden lowering her long tresses of golden hair down to her prince, so that he can climb up to her. Fortunately she had strong roots.The colour picture is by Johnny Gruelle, and the black and white picture lower down is by Walter Crane.
Proofread by Claire Deakin. Read by Natasha. Duration 12 minutes.
There were once a man and a woman who had long wished for a child – but without any luck. At last, the woman hoped that God was about to grant her desire. They had a little window at the back of their house from which a splendid garden could be seen, which was full of the most beautiful flowers and herbs. It was, however, surrounded by a high wall, and no one dared to go into it because it belonged to an enchantress, who had great power and was dreaded by all the world.
One day the woman was standing by this window and looking down into the garden, when she saw a bed which was planted with the most beautiful plant called a rapunzel, and it looked so fresh and green that she longed for it; she quite pined away, and began to look pale and miserable. Then her husband was alarmed, and asked, “What troubles you, dear wife?”
“Ah,” she replied, “if I can’t eat some of the rapunzel, which is in the garden behind our house, I shall die.”
The man, who loved her, thought, “Sooner than let your wife die, better bring her some of the rapunzel – let it cost you what it will.”
The Ugly Duckling
Download the audio of the Ugly Duckling (right click, save as)
This is the classic story of somebody who is a “bit different”. We probably all know somebody at school is isn’t quite accepted by the class. That is exactly what the “Ugly Duckling” in this story has to live with.
The duckling her isn’t cute and yellow like the other baby ducks. Instead, he is tall, gray and awkward. The farmyard ducks don’t like him – and he is so upset that he sets out on a journey across the moors all on his own, until, at the wonderful ending he finds his true self.
This story is a little longer than our usual audio – so sit back and let Hans Christian Andersen’s wonderful writing – and Natasha’s reading – transport you the countryside. This story has some out-door sound-effects to complete the atmosphere.
Read by Natasha. Duration 29. 18 Minutes.
It was summer in the land of Denmark, and though for most of the year the country looks flat and ugly, it was beautiful now. The wheat was yellow, the oats were green, the hay was dry and delicious to roll in, and from the old ruined house which nobody lived in, down to the edge of the canal, was a forest of prickly plants called burdocks so tall that a whole family of children might have dwelt in them and never have been found out.
It was under these burdocks that a duck had built herself a warm nest, and was not sitting all day on six pretty eggs. Five of them were white, but the sixth, which was larger than the others, was of an ugly grey colour. The duck was always puzzled about that egg, and how it came to be so different from the rest. Other birds might have thought that when the duck went down in the morning and evening to the water to stretch her legs in a good swim, some lazy mother might have been on the lookout , and have popped her egg into the nest. But ducks are not clever at all, and are not quick at counting, so this duck did not worry herself about the matter, but just took care that the big egg should be as warm as the rest.
Snow White
This is the classic story of somebody who is a “bit different”. We probably all know somebody at school is isn’t quite accepted by the class. That is exactly what the “Ugly Duckling” in this story has to live with.The duckling her isn’t cute and yellow like the other baby ducks. Instead, he is tall, gray and awkward. The farmyard ducks don’t like him – and he is so upset that he sets out on a journey across the moors all on his own, until, at the wonderful ending he finds his true self.
This story is a little longer than our usual audio – so sit back and let Hans Christian Andersen’s wonderful writing – and Natasha’s reading – transport you the countryside. This story has some out-door sound-effects to complete the atmosphere.
Read by Natasha. Duration 29. 18 Minutes.
It was summer in the land of Denmark, and though for most of the year the country looks flat and ugly, it was beautiful now. The wheat was yellow, the oats were green, the hay was dry and delicious to roll in, and from the old ruined house which nobody lived in, down to the edge of the canal, was a forest of prickly plants called burdocks so tall that a whole family of children might have dwelt in them and never have been found out.
It was under these burdocks that a duck had built herself a warm nest, and was not sitting all day on six pretty eggs. Five of them were white, but the sixth, which was larger than the others, was of an ugly grey colour. The duck was always puzzled about that egg, and how it came to be so different from the rest. Other birds might have thought that when the duck went down in the morning and evening to the water to stretch her legs in a good swim, some lazy mother might have been on the lookout , and have popped her egg into the nest. But ducks are not clever at all, and are not quick at counting, so this duck did not worry herself about the matter, but just took care that the big egg should be as warm as the rest.
Snow White
By the Brothers Grimm
Download Snow White
The tale of Snow White features one of the most fabulous baddies of all time in the form of the Wicked Queen, vainly peering into her mirror and asking – Who is the fairest of us all? Her motivations of vanity and envy are so very human, and that is what gives the tale its power.
Disney followed the Brothers Grimm quite closely in his beautiful 1937 film. The Seven Dwarfs were not the invention of Walt (though their names were). It is a wintry tale, with a chilly beauty, but still it manages to warm the heart until the final lines where the Wicked Queen meets her just deserts. A word of warning: grown-ups may find her punishment rather horrid.
Proofread by Claire Deakin. Read by Natasha.
A very long time ago, in midwinter, when the snowflakes were falling like feathers from heaven, a beautiful queen sat sewing at her window, which had a frame of black ebony. As she worked, she looked sometimes at the falling snow, and it happened that she pricked her finger with her needle, so that three drops of blood fell upon the snow. How pretty the red blood looked upon the dazzling white! The queen said to herself as she looked it, “Ah me! If only I had a dear little child who had skin as white as the snow, lips as rosy as the blood, and hair as black as the ebony window frame.”
Soon afterwards she had a little daughter, with skin white as snow, lips rosy as blood, and hair as black as ebony – and she was therefore called “Little Snow White.”
But alas! When the little one was born, the good queen died.
A year passed by, and the king took another wife. She was a beautiful woman, but proud and haughty, and she could not bear that anyone else should surpass her in beauty. She had a mirror and when she stood in front of it and asked,
Download Snow White
The tale of Snow White features one of the most fabulous baddies of all time in the form of the Wicked Queen, vainly peering into her mirror and asking – Who is the fairest of us all? Her motivations of vanity and envy are so very human, and that is what gives the tale its power.Disney followed the Brothers Grimm quite closely in his beautiful 1937 film. The Seven Dwarfs were not the invention of Walt (though their names were). It is a wintry tale, with a chilly beauty, but still it manages to warm the heart until the final lines where the Wicked Queen meets her just deserts. A word of warning: grown-ups may find her punishment rather horrid.
Proofread by Claire Deakin. Read by Natasha.
A very long time ago, in midwinter, when the snowflakes were falling like feathers from heaven, a beautiful queen sat sewing at her window, which had a frame of black ebony. As she worked, she looked sometimes at the falling snow, and it happened that she pricked her finger with her needle, so that three drops of blood fell upon the snow. How pretty the red blood looked upon the dazzling white! The queen said to herself as she looked it, “Ah me! If only I had a dear little child who had skin as white as the snow, lips as rosy as the blood, and hair as black as the ebony window frame.”
Soon afterwards she had a little daughter, with skin white as snow, lips rosy as blood, and hair as black as ebony – and she was therefore called “Little Snow White.”
But alas! When the little one was born, the good queen died.
A year passed by, and the king took another wife. She was a beautiful woman, but proud and haughty, and she could not bear that anyone else should surpass her in beauty. She had a mirror and when she stood in front of it and asked,
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