Fairy tales in German

Retold by The Fable Cottage

Children's stories translated into German with optional English translation and slow audio from a native German speaker. Great for kids... and adults too! Enjoy!

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Der Glückliche Prinz
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27:58

A haughty Vogel is flying to Ägypten when he meets a regretful Statue seeking redemption. A longer, intermediate-level story with sad parts — Have some Taschentücher handy!

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Die kleine rote Henne
audio
video
5:57

One day a hard-working Henne sees a bush full of Himbeeren, and decides to make a cake. Will her friends help? A harvest-tinged story with lots of repetition and baking vocabulary, told in the present tense.

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Die Eiche
updated!
audio
video
3:27

Two Wanderer get stuck in some bad weather, and discover that even a "nutzlose" oak tree can have its uses. A short story in the present tense, with weather and basic feelings vocabulary.

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Der Bär und die Biene
updated!
audio
video
4:21

Herr Bär is hungry for Honig. Unfortunately he has no talent for negotiating with bees... A short, cautionary tale about losing your temper, told in the present tense.

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Jack und die Bohnenranke
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audio
video
16:06

Der Winter is coming. Jack goes to market to sell their Kuh, and comes back with eine Handvoll Bohnen. Will those beans make him reicher als der reichste Mann auf der Welt?

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Der Wind und die Sonne
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audio
video
4:00

The wind and the sun want to find out who is the strongest, and so they throw a whole bunch of weather vocabulary at an unsuspecting man. Told in the present tense.

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Das Mädchen und der Eiswagen
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audio
video
2:05

A little girl stares out her bedroom window, longing for summer. Then… she sees an ice cream truck. A short story inspired by “The Spendthrift and the Swallow”, told in the present tense. 

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Die Stadtmaus und die Landmaus
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audio
video
4:48

A Stadtmaus tells wonderful tales of city life, so the Landmaus decides to visit. But there are some things the city mouse hasn't mentioned... A short story in the present tense with a good moral for the Instagram generation.

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Der Hund und sein Knochen
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audio
video
2:37

A dog finds a bone and feels like the luckiest dog in the world —until he sees another dog... A short story in the present tense with lots of question words and city vocabulary.

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Der ängstliche Löwe
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audio
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3:28

Lion is getting ready for bed, when he hears ein Geräusch. What could it be? Is it ein Monster? A short story in the present tense.

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Der Fuchs und die Krähe
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audio
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4:02

A hungry Fuchs is walking through the forest one morning when she sees unKrähe with some Käse in his Schnabel. But how can the fox get the cheese? A short story in the present tense.

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Henry Hühnchen
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audio
video
6:27

Chicken Little for the Facebook era: In this cautionary tale, Henry Hühnchen sees a scary story on the internet. It says: DER HIMMEL STÜRZT EIN! He quickly runs to warn everyone.

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Herr Vogel und Frau Wal
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audio
video
6:18

A bird and a whale fall in love one summer, but then the weather turns cold. If a whale can't fly and a bird can't swim, where will they live together?

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Rumpelstilzchen
updated!
audio
video
17:16

When a rich Hutmacher tells people that his daughter can turn Heu into gold, the king makes him prove it (or be fed to the Krokodile!)

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Schneewittchen
updated!
audio
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15:38

Once there was a girl with Haut so weiß wie Schnee who was un klitzekleines bisschen more beautiful than the queen. A story of magic mirrors, multiple dwarfs, apples, and Mensch ärgere Dich nicht.

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Des Kaisers neue Kleider
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audio
video
10:45

A vain Kaiser loves bragging about his own intelligence. But when a dishonest Schneider sells him some fantastic new Kleider, the emperor discovers who the real Schwachkopf is.

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Rapunzel
updated!
audio
video
12:33

A story about a girl with langen, langen Haaren who lives in a großen Turm with no stairs. But it's also about different kinds of Helden, and the things we do to live glücklich bis ans Ende aller Tage.

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Aschenputtel
updated!
audio
video
15:18

Cinderella is schlau und nett, but she's also sehr unglücklich. Will she go to the Sommerball des Königs and meet der Prinz?

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Die drei Ziegenböcke
updated!
audio
video
10:14

Three hungry Ziegenböcke leave the Schnee-covered mountains to find das hohe, grüne Gras in the meadow. But as they're crossing die Brücke, they hear a strange, terrifying noise...

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Hänsel und Gretel
updated!
audio
video
17:01

Hansel and Gretel get lost in den Wald and find a cottage made of Zitronenkekse and Bonbons. But then they also meet eine böse Hexe...

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