Myth-Folklore Unit: Aesop's Fables (English)

Overview. This reading unit gives you another chance to experience the very popular tradition of Aesop's fables. The fables in this unit are in both prose and verse, coming from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries! The 17th-century fables are by Sir Roger L'Estrange, whose monumental collection of Aesop's fables — Fables of Aesop and Other Eminent Mythologists — is the biggest and best book of Aesop's fables in English. From the 18th century, there are the fables of the Roman poet Phaedrus translated into rhyming English couplets by Christopher Smart. From the 19th-century, there are more verse fables from Sir Brooke Boothby and James Davies. There are also many illustrations which in turn come from many different sources. If you like to read out loud, this would be a wonderful unit to choose: poetry always sounds good when read out loud, and L'Estrange's hilarious, hyperbolic English prose is as good as poetry for reading aloud!

Language. L'Estrange's 17th-century prose is very old-fashioned but it is also very fun to read out loud. The verse fables by Davies, Smart and Boothby all have rhyme, which makes them fun to read out loud too.

Story Length. Most of the fables are quite short, with several fables on a single page, grouped by the type of animal.

Navigation. You will find the table of contents below, and you can also use this link to see the story posts displayed on two pages total: Aesop's Fables (English). Click "Older Posts" at the bottom of that page to see the second page.

Additional Resources. There is an Aesop Index page for all the fables in the various Aesop units in this course, and you can use this link to see the four different Aesop units listed on a single page. If you would like to see all 600 of the fables that are part of the Greek and Roman Aesop tradition, you can find a listing at Aesopica.net.

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READING A:

1. The Gods (Davies)
2. More Gods (Smart)
3. Fables about People (Boothby)
4. More Fables about People (L'Estrange)
5. Apes (L'Estrange)
6. Foxes (Smart)
7. More Foxes (L'Estrange)
8. Lions (Boothby)
9. A Lion and a Man (L'Estrange)
10. Lions and Asses (Smart)
11. Asses (Boothby)
12. More Asses (L'Estrange)

READING B:

1. Wolves (Smart)
2. More Wolves (L'Estrange)
3. Dogs (Smart)
4. More Dogs (Boothby)
5. Yet More Dogs (L'Estrange)
6. Cats and Weasels (Smart)
7. Birds (Smart)
8. More Birds (Boothby)
9. Yet More Birds (L'Estrange)
10. Insects (Smart)
11. Insects, Fishes, and Frogs (Boothby)
12. More Frogs (Smart)

(illustration by Arthur Rackham)

Myth-Folklore Unit: Nursery Rhymes

Overview. There are many collections and editions of the English nursery rhymes, but this particular edition — The Nursery Rhyme Book by Andrew Lang, with plentiful illustrations by L Leslie Brooke — is my own personal favorite. It is full of wonderful rhymes, and Lang has organized them into some helpful categories, as you will see in the table of contents. Before you begin reading this unit, try writing out a list of all the nursery rhymes you can think of, and then check them off as you read. My guess is that you will find all your old favorites here, along with many delightful new rhymes that perhaps you have never heard before. There are also riddles and games: did your parents play "This Little Piggy" with your fingers or your toes when you were little? That's one of the nursery rhyme games you will find here, along with many more!

Language. As you can guess, the nursery rhymes all... rhyme, and so they are wonderfully fun to read out loud.

Story Length. The nursery rhymes are all very short, with each page containing a selection of rhymes.

Navigation. You will find the table of contents below, and you can also use this link to see the story posts displayed on two pages total: Nursery Rhymes. Click "Older Posts" at the bottom of that page to see the second page.

Read More. The chapters of Lang's book included below are all complete, but there are three chapters I omitted for reasons of space. If you want more rhymes, you can read them online! Here are the links to the chapters that I omitted: Historical Rhymes, Literal and Scholastic Rhymes, and Gaffers and Gammers.

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READING A:

1. Nursery Rhymes: Tales
2. Nursery Rhymes: Proverbs
3. Nursery Rhymes: Songs, Part 1
4. Nursery Rhymes: Songs, Part 2
5. Nursery Rhymes: Riddles
6. Nursery Rhymes: Paradoxes
7. Nursery Rhymes: Charms and Lullabies
8. Nursery Rhymes: Games

READING B:

1. Nursery Rhymes: Jingles
2. Nursery Rhymes: Love and Matrimony
3. Nursery Rhymes: Natural History, Part 1
4. Nursery Rhymes: Natural History, Part 2
5. Nursery Rhymes: Accumulative Stories
6. Nursery Rhymes: Relics

Myth-Folklore Unit: English Fairy Tales

Overview. The readings for this unit come from English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs, published in 1890, which he followed with More English Fairy Tales in 1894. In these two volumes, Jacobs set out to find folktales and fairy tales that could be considered "native" to England and the Lowlands of Scotland. He undertook the project in what he considered a patriotic spirit, hoping that English children would enjoy reading English fairy tales, in addition to French fairy tales told by Perrault or the German stories of the Brothers Grimm. Here in this first volume, you will meet Tom Tit Tot, who is the English equivalent of Rumpstiltskin, while Mr. Fox is something like an English Blue Beard. You will find familiar stories here, like The Three Pigs, along with some wonderful stories I would guess you have never heard before, such as The Laidly Worm of Spindleston Heugh, which is not about an earthworm; no, this "laidly worm" is a "loathesome dragon" ("laidly" being a Scottish dialect word).

Language. Jacobs tells the fairy tales in modern literary prose, so it is not difficult reading.

Story Length. The stories in this unit are all single-page stories.

Navigation. You will find the table of contents below, and you can also use this link to see the story posts displayed on two pages total: English Fairy Tales. Click "Older Posts" at the bottom of that page to see the second page.

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Free audiobook available!

READING A:

1. Tom Tit Tot
2. The Rose-Tree
3. The Old Woman and Her Pig
4. Binnorie
5. Mouse and Mouser
6. Cap O' Rushes
7. The Story of the Three Little Pigs
8. The Master and His Pupil

READING B:

1. Henny-Penny
2. Molly Whuppie
3. Mr Fox
4. Johnny-Cake
5. Mr Miacca
6. The Laidly Worm of Spindleston Heugh
7. The Ass, The Table and the Stick
8. Fairy Ointment

Myth-Folklore Unit: More English Fairy Tales

Overview. The readings for this unit come from More English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs, published in 1894 as a sequel to his English Fairy Tales of 1890. In these two volumes, Jacobs set out to find folktales and fairy tales that could be considered "native" to England and the Lowlands of Scotland. He undertook the project in what he considered a patriotic spirit, hoping that English children would enjoy reading English fairy tales, in addition to French fairy tales told by Perrault or the German stories of the Brothers Grimm. Here in this second volume, you will find several "Cinderella-type" stories such as Tattercoats, Rushen Coatie, and Catskin. There are tragic stories, such as The Children in the Wood, and comical tales like Johnny Gloke or The Three Wishes. And the opening story is one I am sure you know: The Pied Piper, which is told here with wonderfully vivid details!

Language. Jacobs tells the fairy tales in modern literary prose, so it is not difficult reading.

Story Length. These are all single-page stories.

Navigation. You will find the table of contents below, and you can also use this link to see the story posts displayed on two pages total: More English Fairy Tales. Click "Older Posts" at the bottom of that page to see the second page.

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READING A:

1. The Pied Piper
2. The Golden Ball
3. Tattercoats
4. Johnny Gloke
5. Scrapefoot
6. The Old Witch
7. The Three Wishes

READING B:

1. The Children in the Wood
2. King John and the Abbot of Canterbury
3. Rushen Coatie
4. The King o' the Cats
5. The Stars in the Sky
6. The Little Bull-Calf
7. Old Mother Wiggle-Waggle
8. Catskin

Myth-Folklore Unit: Welsh Fairy Book (Thomas)

Overview. The readings for this unit come from a book by W. Jenkyn Thomas published in 1908: The Welsh Fairy Book. Thomas was a schoolmaster in South Wales and wanted to share with his students the storytelling traditions that were native to the country of Wales, one of the most important centers of Celtic storytelling in the British Isles. You will find stories here about King Arthur and about Merlin, along with other historical and legendary rulers of Wales such as King March and Prince Llewelyn. There are stories of haunted lakes and buried treasure, supernatural monsters and magical spells, as well as many tales about the "fair family," the Tyleth Teg as the fairy folk are called in Welsh. And if you are wondering about how to pronounce all those Welsh names, Thomas provides a helpful pronunciation guide. Yes, those are the same Roman letters used in writing English, but they are used rather differently in Welsh writing!

Language. Thomas tells the fairy tales in modern literary prose, so it is not difficult reading.

Story Length. The stories in this unit are all single-page stories.

Choosing Between Units. This book of Welsh stories contains literary fairy tales, while the Welsh unit by Emerson contains stories that are closer to the oral storytelling tradition, more like folktales.

Navigation. You will find the table of contents below, and you can also use this link to see the story posts displayed on two pages total: The Welsh Fairy Book (Thomas). Click "Older Posts" at the bottom of that page to see the second page.

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READING A:

1. Arthur in the Cave
2. Why the Red Dragon is the Emblem of Wales
3. Einion and the Lady of the Greenwood
4. March's Ears
5. The Stray Cow
6. Bala Lake
7. Tudur ap Einion
8. Dick the Fiddler's Money
9. Einion and the Fair Family
10. St Collen and the King of Fairy
11. Helig's Hollow

READING B:

1. Owen Goes A-Wooing
2. The Fairy Reward
3. Why Deunant has the Front Door in the Back
4. The Bride from the Red Lake
5. John Gethin and the Candle
6. Melangell's Lambs
7. The Men of Ardudwy
8. Hu Gadarn
9. The Devil's Bridge
10. The Martyred Hound

Myth-Folklore Unit: Welsh Fairy Tales (Emerson)

Overview. These Welsh Fairy-Tales and Other Stories were collected by Peter Emerson in Anglesea during the winter of 1891-1892. He records the stories just as they were told to him, which gives each story a distinct personality and a strongly oral quality, very different from the more literary editorial style that is typical of most 19th-century story collections. The majority of the stories here are about the fairies with their fairy rings, their music and dancing, the rewards they give to those in their favor, and the punishment of anyone who dares to betray their secrets. Especially fascinating are the stories of fairies who are healers and exorcists able to work counter-spells against witches and witchcraft. You will also find a marvelous version of the story Prince Llewellyn and his dog Gelert, along with an account of "Brutus of Troy" who gave "Britain" its name.

Language. Emerson tells the fairy tales in modern literary prose, so it is not difficult reading.

Story Length. The stories in this unit are mostly single-page stories, with a few stories that are two pages in length.

Choosing Between Units. This book of Welsh stories contains stories that are still quite close to the oral storytelling tradition, more like folktales than the literary fairy tales in the Welsh unit by Thomas.

Navigation. You will find the table of contents below, and you can also use this link to see the story posts displayed on two pages total: Welsh Fairy Tales (Emerson). Click "Older Posts" at the bottom of that page to see the second page.

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Free audiobook available!

READING A:

1. The Fairies of Caragonan
2. The Fairies of Caragonan (cont.)
3. Three Short Tales of Fairies
4. The Old Man and the Fairies
5. The Story of Gelert
6. Origin of the Welsh
7. Crows
8. The Fairy of the Dell
9. The Fairy of the Dell (cont.)

READING B:

1. More Short Tales of Fairies
2. The Pellings
3. The Long-Lived Ancestors
4. Short Tales of Wonder
5. Billy Duffy and the Devil
6. Billy Duffy and the Devil (cont.)
7. The Story of John O'Groats
8. The Fishermen of Shetland
9. The Fishermen of Shetland (cont.)

(illustration by John Batten)

Myth-Folklore Unit: Celtic Fairy Tales

Overview. Joseph Jacobs published his first volume of Celtic Fairy Tales in 1892, followed by More Celtic Fairy Tales in 1895. Both books draw on a wide range of Celtic sources (primarily Irish, Scottish, and Welsh, but also Cornish!), and they feature many different story genres. In this reading unit, you will find tales of fairies and of leprechauns, like The Brewery of Eggshells and The Field of Boliauns, along with ghost stories like The Horned Women or the story of Andrew Coffey. There is the tragic tale of Beth Gellert, and also humorous stories like Munachar and Manachar or the story of King O'Toole and Saint Kavin. You will also find fairy tale adventure stories like The Shee An Gannon and the Gruagach Gaire (i.e. the Gannon Fairy and the Laughing Goblin) or the story of Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree, which is a sort of Celtic Snow White tale.

Language. Jacobs tells the fairy tales in modern literary prose, so it is not difficult reading.

Story Length. These stories are all single-page stories.

Navigation. You will find the table of contents below, and you can also use this link to see the story posts displayed on a single page: Celtic Fairy Tales.

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Free audiobook available!

READING A:

1. Connla and the Fairy Maiden
2. The Field of Boliauns
3. The Horned Women
4. The Shepherd of Myddvai
5. The Sprightly Tailor
6. Munachar and Manachar
7. Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree

READING B:

1. King O'Toole and his Goose
2. The Shee An Gannon and the Gruagach Gaire
3. Beth Gellert
4. The Tale of Ivan
5. Andrew Coffey
6. Brewery of Eggshells

Myth-Folklore Unit: More Celtic Fairy Tales

Overview. Joseph Jacobs published his first volume of Celtic Fairy Tales in 1892, followed by More Celtic Fairy Tales in 1895. Both books draw on a wide range of Celtic sources (primarily Irish, Scottish, and Welsh), and they feature many different story genres. This reading unit starts out with the mythological legend of The Fate of the Children of Lir which takes place during the era of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the legendary kings and heroes of Ireland's distant past. There are comical stories here too, like The Dream of Owen O'Mulready or the hilarious Story of the McAndrew Family. You will see what happens when the devil in human form is employed as a ploughman by The Farmer of Liddesdale, and of course there are several stories here about the fairy folk, such as the wonderful Legend of Knockgrafton which is about the fairy music, or Elidore, which is about a boy's journey into the land of the fairy folk.

Language. Jacobs tells the fairy tales in modern literary prose, so it is not difficult reading.

Story Length. This units contains stories of varying length: some are single-page stories, some are two pages long, and some are three pages long.

Navigation. You will find the table of contents below, and you can also use this link to see the story posts displayed on two pages total: More Celtic Fairy Tales. Click "Older Posts" at the bottom of that page to see the second page.

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READING A:

1. The Fate of the Children of Lir
2. The Fate of the Children of Lir (cont.)
3. The Fate of the Children of Lir (end)
4. The Vision of MacConglinney
5. The Vision of MacConglinney (cont.)
6. Dream of Owen O'Mulready
7. The Story of the McAndrew Family
8. The Story of the McAndrew Family (cont.)

READING B:

1. The Farmer of Liddesdale
2. The Legend of Knockgrafton
3. The Legend of Knockgrafton (cont.)
4. Elidore
5. How Cormac Mac Art went to Faery
6. The Ridere of Riddles
7. The Ridere of Riddles (cont.)