This is a collection of famous classical short stories for kids that are available online. We have selected a variety of stories from different authors. The links go directly to the stories where they can be read online. You might also be interested in the poems for kids page.
Short Stories
- "The Lion and the Mouse" by Aesop
The Lion and the Mouse is a classic Aesop fable. A lion generously spares a mouse it was about to kill. The mouse promise to repay the lion some day. - "The Three Little Pigs" by Unknown
This fairy tale originates in England. Three pigs build homes but only one builds a home strong enough to withstand wolf attacks. - "Hansel and Gretel" by Brothers Grimm
"Hansel and Gretel" is a classic fairy tale about two abandoned children who encounter a witch in the forest. The witch lures the children in to her home with delicious food but she really intends to eat them. - "The Princess and the Pea" by Hans Christian Andersen
This fairy tale from by Hans Christian Andersen tells the story of a special test that can identify a real princess. The sensitivity test involves placing a pea underneath a stack of mattresses. - "The Ants and the Grasshopper" by Aesop
This classic Aesop fable is set in late fall. It follows a group of hardworking ants drying out the grain they had stored during the summer. They encounter a grasshopper who foolishly failed to store any food for the winter. - "How the Camel Got His Hump" by Rudyard Kipling
This tale from Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories tells how the camel, fond of saying "Humph!", got his hump from an encounter with a djinn. - "A Kidnapped Santa Claus" by L. Frank Baum
The Land of Oz creator L. Frank Baum wrote this story about deamons that kidnap Santa Claus. Fortunately, Santa Claus has some help completing his toy deliveries. - "The Snow Image" by Nathaniel Hawthorne
A brother and sister make a snow girl that comes to life - a snow sister. She is so lifelike that their father insists on bringing the snow girl inside, which is a mistake. - "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" by Mark Twain
Mark Twain wrote this short story in 1865. It was included in a short story collection. The story covers jumping frogs, cheating and betting. - "The Frog Prince" by Brothers Grimm
This classic Grimm fairy tale follows the story of a talking frog and a spoiled princess. - "The Reluctant Dragon" by Kenneth Grahame.
This tale tells the story of a boy who befriends a dragon. The dragon is discovered by the townspeople who send for St. George to slay it. The story was published in Grahame's Dream Days book. - "The Remarkable Rocket" by Oscar Wilde
This humorous short story tells the tale of an arrogant and boisterous rocket. The rocket thinks he is remarkable and better than all the other fireworks. - "The Bundle of Sticks" by Aesop
There are no animals in this Aesop fable. A father uses the concept of a bundle of sticks to teach the importance of unity and working together to his young sons. - "The Elves and the Shoemaker" by Brothers Grimm
This fairy tale tells the story of a group of little elves that help a cobbler make shoes. There are multiple variations and translations of the tale. - "The Kite That Went to the Moon" by Evelyn Sharp
The story is part of Evelyn Sharp's short story collection, The Other Side of the Moon. A boy makes a giant kite and his friend draws a moon and stars on it. They are embarrassed when the kite doesn't fly. - "Snow White" by Brothers Grimm
The are variations on this fairy tale that was first published in 1812. As many children already know it involves a wicked, vain stepmother queen who is jealous and envious of the King's daughter, Snow White. - "The Ugly Duckling" by Hans Christian Andersen
This is a very clever fairy tale invented by Andersen that tells the story of a little bird that does not fit in and is teased by the other birds in the barnyard. - "The Dog and His Refection" by Aesop
This Aesop fable teaches the foolishness of greed. A dog looking at his reflection in the water spies a bigger bone than the bone is carrying. - "The Bogey-Beast" by Flora Annie Steel (retold
This is an entertaining fairy tale about an optimistic poor, old woman who unknowingly encounters the Bogey-Beast when she finds a perfectly good black pot lying in a ditch.
