Star Money
Grimm’s Fairy Tales
(Ideal for 5-6 Year Olds)

There was once upon a time a little girl whose father and mother
were dead, and she was so poor that she no longer had a room to
live in, or bed to sleep in, and at last she had nothing else but
the clothes she was wearing and a little bit of bread in her
hand which some charitable soul had given her. She was good and
pious, however. And as she was thus forsaken by all the world,
she went forth into the open country, trusting in the good God.
Then a poor man met her, who said, ah, give me something to eat,
I am so hungry. She handed him the whole of her piece of bread,
and said, may God bless you, and went onwards. Then came a child
who moaned and said, my head is so cold, give me something to
cover it with. So she took off her hood and gave it to him. And
when she had walked a little farther, she met another child who
had no jacket and was frozen with cold. Then she gave it her
own, and a little farther on one begged for a frock,
and she gave away that also. At length she got into a forest
and it had already become dark, and there came yet another child,
and asked for a shirt, and the good little girl thought
to herself, it is a dark night and no one sees you, you can very
well give your shirt away, and took it off, and gave away that
also. And as she so stood, and had not one single thing left,
suddenly some stars from heaven fell down, and they were nothing
else but hard smooth pieces of money, and although she had just
given her shirt away, she had a new one which was of the very
finest linen. Then she put the money into it, and was rich all
the days of her life.

Hansel and Gretel
Grimm’s Fairy Tales
(Ideal for 5-6 year old)

Hard by a great forest dwelt a poor wood-cutter with his wife
and his two children. The boy was called Hansel and the
girl Gretel. He had little to bite and to break, and once when
great dearth fell on the land, he could no longer procure even daily
bread. Now when he thought over this by night in his bed, and
tossed about in his anxiety, he groaned and said to his wife, what
is to become of us. How are we to feed our poor children, when
we no longer have anything even for ourselves. I’ll tell you what,
husband, answered the woman, early to-morrow morning we
will take the children out into the forest to where it is the
thickest. There we will light a fire for them, and give each of
them one more piece of bread, and then we will go to our work and
leave them alone. They will not find the way home again, and we
shall be rid of them. No, wife, said the man, I will not do that.
How can I bear to leave my children alone in the forest. The wild
animals would soon come and tear them to pieces. O’ you fool, said
she, then we must all four die of hunger, you may as well plane the
planks for our coffins, and she left him no peace until he
consented. But I feel very sorry for the poor children, all the
same, said the man.

The two children had also not been able to sleep for hunger, and
had heard what their step-mother had said to their father. Gretel
wept bitter tears, and said to Hansel, now all is over with us.
Be quiet, Gretel, said Hansel, do not distress yourself, I will soon
find a way to help us. And when the old folks had fallen asleep,
he got up, put on his little coat, opened the door below, and crept
outside. The moon shone brightly, and the white pebbles which lay
in front of the house glittered like real silver pennies. Hansel
stooped and stuffed the little pocket of his coat with as many as he
could get in. Then he went back and said to Gretel, be comforted,
dear little sister, and sleep in peace, God will not forsake us, and
he lay down again in his bed. When day dawned, but before the
sun had risen, the woman came and awoke the two children, saying
get up, you sluggards. We are going into the forest to fetch
wood. She gave each a little piece of bread, and said, there is
something for your dinner, but do not eat it up before then, for you
will get nothing else. Gretel took the bread under her apron, as
Hansel had the pebbles in his pocket. Then they all set out
together on the way to the forest. When they had walked a short
time, Hansel stood still and peeped back at the house, and did so
again and again. His father said, Hansel, what are you looking at
there and staying behind for. Pay attention, and do not forget how
to use your legs. Ah, father, said Hansel, I am looking at my
little white cat, which is sitting up on the roof, and wants to say
good-bye to me. The wife said, fool, that is not your little cat,
that is the morning sun which is shining on the chimneys. Hansel,
however, had not been looking back at the cat, but had been
constantly throwing one of the white pebble-stones out of his pocket
on the road.

When they had reached the middle of the forest, the father said,
now, children, pile up some wood, and I will light a fire that you
may not be cold. Hansel and Gretel gathered brushwood together,
as high as a little hill. The brushwood was lighted, and when the
flames were burning very high, the woman said, now, children,
lay yourselves down by the fire and rest, we will go into the forest
and cut some wood. When we have done, we will come back and
fetch you away.

Hansel and Gretel sat by the fire, and when noon came, each ate
a little piece of bread, and as they heard the strokes of the
wood-axe they believed that their father was near. It was not the
axe, however, but a branch which he had fastened to a withered tree
which the wind was blowing backwards and forwards. And as they had
been sitting such a long time, their eyes closed with fatigue, and
they fell fast asleep. When at last they awoke, it was already dark
night. Gretel began to cry and said, how are we to get out of the
forest now. But Hansel comforted her and said, just wait a little,
until the moon has risen, and then we will soon find the way. And
when the full moon had risen, Hansel took his little sister by the
hand, and followed the pebbles which shone like newly-coined silver
pieces, and showed them the way.

They walked the whole night long, and by break of day came
once more to their father’s house. They knocked at the door, and
when the woman opened it and saw that it was Hansel and Gretel,
she said, you naughty children, why have you slept so long in the
forest. We thought you were never coming back at all. The father,
however, rejoiced, for it had cut him to the heart to leave them
behind alone.

Not long afterwards, there was once more great dearth throughout
the land, and the children heard their mother saying at night to
their father, everything is eaten again, we have one half loaf left,
and that is the end. The children must go, we will take them
farther into the wood, so that they will not find their way out
again. There is no other means of saving ourselves. The man’s
heart was heavy, and he thought, it would be better for you to share
the last mouthful with your children. The woman, however, would
listen to nothing that he had to say, but scolded and reproached
him. He who says a must say b, likewise, and as he had yielded the
first time, he had to do so a second time also.

The children, however, were still awake and had heard the
conversation. When the old folks were asleep, Hansel again got up,
and wanted to go out and pick up pebbles as he had done before, but
the woman had locked the door, and Hansel could not get out.
Nevertheless he comforted his little sister, and said, do not cry,
Gretel, go to sleep quietly, the good God will help us.
Early in the morning came the woman, and took the children out of
their beds. Their piece of bread was given to them, but it was
still smaller than the time before. On the way into the forest
Hansel crumbled his in his pocket, and often stood still and threw a
morsel on the ground. Hansel, why do you stop and look round.
Said the father, go on. I am looking back at my little pigeon
which is sitting on the roof, and wants to say good-bye to me,
answered Hansel. Fool. Said the woman, that is not your little
pigeon, that is the morning sun that is shining on the chimney.
Hansel, however, little by little, threw all the crumbs on the path.
The woman led the children still deeper into the forest, where they
had never in their lives been before. Then a great fire was again
made, and the mother said, just sit there, you children, and when
you are tired you may sleep a little. We are going into the forest
to cut wood, and in the evening when we are done, we will come and
fetch you away. When it was noon, Gretel shared her piece of
bread with Hansel, who had scattered his by the way. Then they
fell asleep and evening passed, but no one came to the poor
children. They did not awake until it was dark night, and Hansel
comforted his little sister and said, just wait, Gretel, until the
moon rises, and then we shall see the crumbs of bread which I have
strewn about, they will show us our way home again. When the moon
came they set out, but they found no crumbs, for the many thousands
of birds which fly about in the woods and fields had picked them all
up. Hansel said to Gretel, we shall soon find the way, but they did
not find it. They walked the whole night and all the next day too
from morning till evening, but they did not get out of the forest,
and were very hungry, for they had nothing to eat but two or three
berries, which grew on the ground. And as they were so weary that
their legs would carry them no longer, they lay down beneath a tree
and fell asleep.

It was now three mornings since they had left their father’s house.
They began to walk again, but they always came deeper into the
forest, and if help did not come soon, they must die of hunger and
weariness. When it was mid-day, they saw a beautiful snow-white
bird sitting on a bough, which sang so delightfully that they stood
still and listened to it. And when its song was over, it spread its
wings and flew away before them, and they followed it until they
reached a little house, on the roof of which it alighted. And when
they approached the little house they saw that it was built of
bread and covered with cakes, but that the windows were of clear
sugar. We will set to work on that, said Hansel, and have a good
meal. I will eat a bit of the roof, and you Gretel, can eat some
of the window, it will taste sweet. Hansel reached up above, and
broke off a little of the roof to try how it tasted, and Gretel
leant against the window and nibbled at the panes. Then a soft
voice cried from the parlor –
nibble, nibble, gnaw
who is nibbling at my little house.

The children answered –
the wind, the wind,
the heaven-born wind,
and went on eating without disturbing themselves. Hansel, who
liked the taste of the roof, tore down a great piece of it, and
Gretel pushed out the whole of one round window-pane, sat down, and
enjoyed herself with it. Suddenly the door opened, and a woman
as old as the hills, who supported herself on crutches, came
creeping out. Hansel and Gretel were so terribly frightened that
they let fall what they had in their hands. The old woman, however,
nodded her head, and said, oh, you dear children, who has brought
you here. Do come in, and stay with me. No harm shall happen to
you. She took them both by the hand, and led them into her little
house. Then good food was set before them, milk and pancakes,
with sugar, apples, and nuts. Afterwards two pretty little beds
were covered with clean white linen, and Hansel and Gretel lay down
in them, and thought they were in heaven.

The old woman had only pretended to be so kind. She was in reality
a wicked witch, who lay in wait for children, and had only built the
little house of bread in order to entice them there. When a child
fell into her power, she killed it, cooked and ate it, and that
was a feast day with her. Witches have red eyes, and cannot see
far, but they have a keen scent like the beasts, and are aware when
human beings draw near. When Hansel and Gretel came into her
neighborhood, she laughed with malice, and said mockingly, I have
them, they shall not escape me again. Early in the morning before
the children were awake, she was already up, and when she saw both
of them sleeping and looking so pretty, with their plump and rosy
cheeks, she muttered to herself, that will be a dainty mouthful.

Then she seized Hansel with her shrivelled hand, carried
him into a little stable, and locked him in behind a grated door.
Scream as he might, it would not help him. Then she went to
Gretel, shook her till she awoke, and cried, get up, lazy thing,
fetch some water, and cook something good for your brother, he is
in the stable outside, and is to be made fat. When he is fat, I
will eat him. Gretel began to weep bitterly, but it was all in
vain, for she was forced to do what the wicked witch commanded.
And now the best food was cooked for poor Hansel, but Gretel
got nothing but crab-shells. Every morning the woman crept to the
little stable, and cried, Hansel, stretch out your finger that I may
feel if you will soon be fat. Hansel, however, stretched out a
little bone to her, and the old woman, who had dim eyes, could not
see it, and thought it was Hansel’s finger, and was astonished that
there was no way of fattening him. When four weeks had gone by,
and Hansel still remained thin, she was seized with impatience and
would not wait any longer. Now, then, Gretel, she cried to the
girl, stir yourself, and bring some water. Let Hansel be fat or
lean, to-morrow I will kill him, and cook him. Ah, how the poor
little sister did lament when she had to fetch the water, and how
her tears did flow down her cheeks. Dear God, do help us, she
cried. If the wild beasts in the forest had but devoured us, we
should at any rate have died together. Just keep your noise to
yourself, said the old woman, it won’t help you at all.

Early in the morning, Gretel had to go out and hang up the
cauldron with the water, and light the fire. We will bake first,
said the old woman, I have already heated the oven, and kneaded
the dough. She pushed poor Gretel out to the oven, from which
flames of fire were already darting. Creep in, said the witch,
and see if it properly heated, so that we can put the bread in.
And once Gretel was inside, she intended to shut the oven and let
her bake in it, and then she would eat her, too. But Gretel saw
what she had in mind, and said, I do not know how I am to do it.
How do I get in. Silly goose, said the old woman, the door is big
enough. Just look, I can get in myself, and she crept up and
thrust her head into the oven. Then Gretel gave her a push that
drove her far into it, and shut the iron door, and fastened the
bolt. Oh. Then she began to howl quite horribly, but Gretel ran
away, and the godless witch was miserably burnt to death.
Gretel, however, ran like lightning to Hansel, opened his little
stable, and cried, Hansel, we are saved. The old witch is dead.
Then Hansel sprang like a bird from its cage when the door is
opened. How they did rejoice and embrace each other, and dance
about and kiss each other. And as they had no longer any need to
fear her, they went into the witch’s house, and in every corner
there stood chests full of pearls and jewels. These are far better
than pebbles. Said Hansel, and thrust into his pockets whatever
could be got in, and Gretel said, I, too, will take something home
with me, and filled her pinafore full. But now we must be off, said
Hansel, that we may get out of the witch’s forest.

When they had walked for two hours, they came to a great
stretch of water. We cannot cross, said Hansel, I see no
foot-plank, and no bridge. And there is also no ferry, answered
Gretel, but a white duck is swimming there. If I ask her, she
will help us over. Then she cried –
little duck, little duck, dost thou see,
Hansel and Gretel are waiting for thee.
There’s never a plank, or bridge in sight,
take us across on thy back so white.

The duck came to them, and Hansel seated himself on its back,
and told his sister to sit by him. No, replied Gretel, that will be
too heavy for the little duck. She shall take us across, one after
the other. The good little duck did so, and when they were once
safely across and had walked for a short time, the forest seemed to
be more and more familiar to them, and at length they saw from
afar their father’s house. Then they began to run, rushed into the
parlor, and threw themselves round their father’s neck. The man
had not known one happy hour since he had left the children in the
forest. The woman, however, was dead. Gretel emptied her
pinafore until pearls and precious stones ran about the room, and
Hansel threw one handful after another out of his pocket to add to
them. Then all anxiety was at an end, and they lived together in
perfect happiness. My tale is done, there runs a mouse, whosoever
catches it, may make himself a big fur cap out of it.

Snow-White and Rose Red
Grimm’s Fairy Tales
(Ideal for 5-6 Year Olds)
*Audio file at the end

There was once a poor widow who lived in a lonely cottage. In
front of the cottage was a garden wherein stood two rose-trees,
one of which bore white and the other red roses. She had two
children who were like the two rose-trees, and one was called
snow-white, and the other rose-red. They were as good and happy,
as busy and cheerful as ever two children in the world were, only
snow-white was more quiet and gentle than rose-red. Rose-red
liked better to run about in the meadows and fields seeking
flowers and catching butterflies, but snow-white sat at home
with her mother, and helped her with her house-work, or read to
her when there was nothing to do.

The two children were so fond of one another that they always
held each other by the hand when they went out together, and
when snow-white said, we will not leave each other, rose-red
answered, never so long as we live, and their mother would
add, what one has she must share with the other.

They often ran about the forest alone and gathered red berries,
and no beasts did them any harm, but came close to them
trustfully. The little hare would eat a cabbage-leaf out of
their hands, the roe grazed by their side, the stag leapt
merrily by them, and the birds sat still upon the boughs, and
sang whatever they knew.

No mishap overtook them, if they had stayed too late in the
forest, and night came on, they laid themselves down near one
another upon the moss, and slept until morning came, and their
mother knew this and did not worry on their account.
Once when they had spent the night in the wood and the dawn
had roused them, they saw a beautiful child in a shining white
dress sitting near their bed. He got up and looked quite kindly
at them, but said nothing and went away into the forest. And
when they looked round they found that they had been sleeping
quite close to a precipice, and would certainly have fallen into
it in the darkness if they had gone only a few paces further.
And their mother told them that it must have been the angel who
watches over good children.

Snow-white and rose-red kept their mother’s little cottage so
neat that it was a pleasure to look inside it. In the summer
rose-red took care of the house, and every morning laid a wreath
of flowers by her mother’s bed before she awoke, in which was
a rose from each tree. In the winter snow-white lit the fire and
hung the kettle on the hob. The kettle was of brass and shone
like gold, so brightly was it polished. In the evening, when
the snowflakes fell, the mother said, go, snow-white, and bolt
the door, and then they sat round the hearth, and the mother
took her spectacles and read aloud out of a large book, and the
two girls listened as they sat and spun. And close by them lay
a lamb upon the floor, and behind them upon a perch sat a white
dove with its head hidden beneath its wings.

One evening, as they were thus sitting comfortably together,
someone knocked at the door as if he wished to be let in. The
mother said, quick, rose-red, open the door, it must be a traveler
who is seeking shelter. Rose-red went and pushed back the bolt,
thinking that it was a poor man, but it was not. It was a
bear that stretched his broad, black head within the door.
Rose-red screamed and sprang back, the lamb bleated, the dove
fluttered, and snow-white hid herself behind her mother’s bed.
But the bear began to speak and said, do not be afraid, I will
do you no harm. I am half-frozen, and only want to warm myself
a little beside you.

Poor bear, said the mother, lie down by the fire, only take
care that you do not burn your coat. Then she cried, snow-white,
rose-red, come out, the bear will do you no harm, he means well.
So they both came out, and by-and-by the lamb and dove came
nearer, and were not afraid of him. The bear said, here,
children, knock the snow out of my coat a little. So they
brought the broom and swept the bear’s hide clean, and he
stretched himself by the fire and growled contentedly and
comfortably. It was not long before they grew quite at home,
and played tricks with their clumsy guest. They tugged his
hair with their hands, put their feet upon his back and rolled
him about, or they took a hazel-switch and beat him, and when he
growled they laughed. But the bear took it all in good part, only
when they were too rough he called out, leave me alive, children,
snow-white, rose-red,
will you beat your wooer dead.

When it was bed-time, and the others went to bed, the mother
said to the bear, you can lie there by the hearth, and then you
will be safe from the cold and the bad weather. As soon as day
dawned the two children let him out, and he trotted across
the snow into the forest.

Henceforth the bear came every evening at the same time, laid
himself down by the hearth, and let the children amuse themselves
with him as much as they liked. And they got so used to him that
the doors were never fastened until their black friend had arrived.
When spring had come and all outside was green, the bear said
one morning to snow-white, now I must go away, and cannot come
back for the whole summer. Where are you going, then, dear bear,
asked snow-white. I must go into the forest and guard my treasures
from the wicked dwarfs. In the winter, when the earth is frozen
hard, they are obliged to stay below and cannot work their
way through, but now, when the sun has thawed and warmed the
earth, they break through it, and come out to pry and steal. And
what once gets into their hands, and in their caves, does not
easily see daylight again.

Snow-white was quite sorry at his departure, and as she unbolted
the door for him, and the bear was hurrying out, he caught against
the bolt and a piece of his hairy coat was torn off, and it
seemed to snow-white as if she had seen gold shining through
it, but she was not sure about it. The bear ran away quickly,
and was soon out of sight behind the trees.

A short time afterwards the mother sent her children into the
forest to get fire-wood. There they found a big tree which lay
felled on the ground, and close by the trunk something was
jumping backwards and forwards in the grass, but they could
not make out what it was. When they came nearer they saw a dwarf
with an old withered face and a snow-white beard a yard long. The
end of the beard was caught in a crevice of the tree, and the
little fellow was jumping about like a dog tied to a rope, and did
not know what to do.

He glared at the girls with his fiery red eyes and cried, why do
you stand there. Can you not come here and help me. What are
you up to, little man, asked rose-red. You stupid, prying
goose, answered the dwarf. I was going to split the tree to get
a little wood for cooking. The little bit of food that we people
get is immediately burnt up with heavy logs. We do not swallow
so much as you coarse, greedy folk. I had just driven the
wedge safely in, and everything was going as I wished, but the
cursed wedge was too smooth and suddenly sprang out, and the tree
closed so quickly that I could not pull out my beautiful white
beard, so now it is tight in and I cannot get away, and the silly,
sleek, milk-faced things laugh. Ugh. How odious you are.

The children tried very hard, but they could not pull the
beard out, it was caught too fast. I will run and fetch someone,
said rose-red. You senseless goose, snarled the dwarf. Why
should you fetch someone. You are already two too many for me.
Can you not think of something better. Don’t be impatient, said
snow-white, I will help you, and she pulled her scissors out of
her pocket, and cut off the end of the beard.

As soon as the dwarf felt himself free he laid hold of a bag which
lay amongst the roots of the tree, and which was full of gold,
and lifted it up, grumbling to himself, uncouth people, to cut
off a piece of my fine beard. Bad luck to you, and then he swung the
bag upon his back, and went off without even once looking at
the children.

Some time afterwards snow-white and rose-red went to catch a
dish of fish. As they came near the brook they saw something
like a large grasshopper jumping towards the water, as if
it were going to leap in. They ran to it and found it was the
dwarf. Where are you going, said rose-red, you surely don’t
want to go into the water. I am not such a fool, cried the
dwarf. Don’t you see that the accursed fish wants to pull
me in. The little man had been sitting there fishing, and
unluckily the wind had tangled up his beard with the fishing-line.
A moment later a big fish made a bite and the feeble
creature had not strength to pull it out. The fish kept the
upper hand and pulled the dwarf towards him. He held on to
all the reeds and rushes, but it was of little good, for he
was forced to follow the movements of the fish, and was in
urgent danger of being dragged into the water.

The girls came just in time. They held him fast and tried to
free his beard from the line, but all in vain, beard and line
were entangled fast together. There was nothing to do but to
bring out the scissors and cut the beard, whereby a small part
of it was lost. When the dwarf saw that he screamed out,
is that civil, you toadstool, to disfigure a man’s face. Was
it not enough to clip off the end of my beard. Now you have
cut off the best part of it. I cannot let myself be seen by
my people. I wish you had been made to run the soles off your
shoes. Then he took out a sack of pearls which lay in the
rushes, and without another word he dragged it away and
disappeared behind a stone.

It happened that soon afterwards the mother sent the two children
to the town to buy needles and thread, and laces and ribbons. The
road led them across a heath upon which huge pieces of rock lay
strewn about. There they noticed a large bird hovering in the
air, flying slowly round and round above them. It sank lower and
lower, and at last settled near a rock not far away. Immediately
they heard a loud, piteous cry. They ran up and saw with horror
that the eagle had seized their old acquaintance the dwarf, and was going
to carry him off.

The children, full of pity, at once took tight hold of the little
man, and pulled against the eagle so long that at last he let
his booty go. As soon as the dwarf had recovered from his
first fright he cried with his shrill voice, could you not have
done it more carefully. You dragged at my brown coat so that it
is all torn and full of holes, you clumsy creatures. Then he
took up a sack full of precious stones, and slipped away again
under the rock into his hole. The girls, who by this time
were used to his ingratitude, went on their way and did their
business in the town.

As they crossed the heath again on their way home they surprised
the dwarf, who had emptied out his bag of precious stones in
a clean spot, and had not thought that anyone would come there
so late. The evening sun shone upon the brilliant stones.
They glittered and sparkled with all colors so beautifully that
the children stood still and stared at them. Why do you stand
gaping there, cried the dwarf, and his ashen-gray face became
copper-red with rage. He was still cursing when a loud
growling was heard, and a black bear came trotting towards them
out of the forest. The dwarf sprang up in a fright, but he
could not reach his cave, for the bear was already close. Then
in the dread of his heart he cried, dear mr. Bear, spare me, I
will give you all my treasures, look, the beautiful jewels
lying there. Grant me my life. What do you want with such a
slender little fellow as I. You would not feel me between
your teeth. Come, take these two wicked girls, they are tender
morsels for you, fat as young quails, for mercy’s sake eat them.

The bear took no heed of his words, but gave the wicked creature
a single blow with his paw, and he did not move again.
The girls had run away, but the bear called to them, snow-white
and rose-red, do not be afraid. Wait, I will come with you.
Then they recognised his voice and waited, and when he came up
to them suddenly his bearskin fell off, and he stood there,
a handsome man, clothed all in gold. I am a king’s son, he said,
and I was bewitched by that wicked dwarf, who had stolen my
treasures.

I have had to run about the forest as a savage bear until I was
freed by his death. Now he has got his well-deserved punishment.
Snow-white was married to him, and rose-red to his brother,
and they divided between them the great treasure which the dwarf
had gathered together in his cave. The old mother lived
peacefully and happily with her children for many years. She took
the two rose-trees with her, and they stood before her window, and
every year bore the most beautiful roses, white and red.

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