Folk Myths

Relates episodes from the life of Johnny Appleseed, a peaceful man who roamed the West for fifty years planting and tending to the trees that bore his favorite fruit, the apple.

The Pied Piper pipes a village free of rats, and when the villagers refuse to pay him for the service he pipes away their children as well.

Retells some of the legends of John Henry, an African-American hero who raced against a steam drill to lay railroad tracks on a mountain.

Lucas Torres is the smallest kid in his grade. But when he meets Trevor, the very best giant, Lucas realizes that his small size just might save the day. Follow the new friends as they use teamwork and discover that there is no right or wrong size.

Revisit the tale of Sleeping Beauty. Cursed by a bad fairy, the princess sleeps for a hundred years. Will she wake up, or stay in a deep sleep until the end of time?

Revisit the tale of Red Riding Hood. A visit to her grandmother turns dangerous with the addition of a wolf! Will Red Riding Hood make it there safely, or fall victim to the wolf's traps?

Think there's just one fairy tale with a girl who meets danger in disguise? Think again! Cultures all around the world have their own Little Red Riding Hood stories.

Revisit the tale of Rapunzel. The princess in the tower longs for friends—and she finds one, in the shape of a curious prince. Will the princess get her happily ever after, or grow old at the top of the tower?

Detective Princess King is taking on her toughest case yet: find the "pea"—a priceless emerald that's disappeared from Mrs. Snell's jewelry collection. But as Princess searches for clues, she discovers that Snell Manor holds many mysteries—from secret passageways to a towering bed of stacked mattresses.

Shailey loves bedtime, especially reading with her dad. But her dad starts a new job, and it gets in the way of their bedtime routine. So Shailey takes action! She fires her dad, posts a Help Wanted sign, and starts interviews immediately. She is thrilled when her favorite characters from fairytales line up to apply. But Sleeping Beauty can't stay awake, the Gingerbread Man steals her book, and Snow White brings along her whole team.

Think there's just one fairy tale with two children sent into the woods? Think again! Cultures all around the world have their own Hansel and Gretel stories. Visit Germany, Russia, Italy, and Japan, and find out who follows a line of ashes instead of breadcrumbs, and who escapes the witch using a handkerchief that turns into a river. Listen to the Spanish audio.

Tor is adjusting to life with the power of the Night Witch, especially with his best friends, Engle and Melda, by his side. But when a mysterious girl washes up on shore claiming a band of cursed pirates is on their way to Emblem Island, life changes fast. The girl, Gemma, is from an underwater city that was destroyed by the terrible Calavera pirates, and she warns Tor they are now on their way to his home. The trio of friends must come up with a plan to stop the pirates from getting an ancient relic that would give them the ability to control the high seas.

The rain hasn't stopped for a week, and the 12 guests of the Blue Vein Tavern are trapped by flooded roads and the rising Skidwrack River. Among them are a ship's captain, tattooed twins, a musician, and a young girl traveling on her own. To pass the time, they begin to tell stories - each a different type of folklore - that eventually reveal more about their own secrets than they intended. As the rain continues to pour down - an uncanny, unnatural amount of rain - the guests begin to realize that the entire city is in danger, and not just from the flood.

In this Yiddish folk tale, the Rabbi of Chelm is sick of everyone coming to him to kvetch. Every day, he must listen to them complain about their daily plights, even before he has had his breakfast! To lessen his burden, he comes up with a solution to fix everyone’s problems—all they need is a new pickle.

Atalanta, a young huntress, answers the call of the kingdom of Calydon, who is being tormented by a mythical boar. Upon arrival, her skills are doubted by the great heroes of Greece because she is a young girl. Will Atalanta be able to prove herself to be a great hunter?

In this Korean folktale, a greedy merchant sells the shade from his tree to a passing traveler. What he doesn’t realize, however, is just how clever this traveler is! What happens when the merchant’s ploy backfires and the traveler decides to stay in the shade?

Tam and Cam are stepsisters who are supposed to work together, but Cam sees Tam as her rival and always leaves all the work for her to do. When a festival comes to town, will Tam succeed in catching the eye of the king? Follow along on this Cinderella-esque tale from Vietnam and find out!

Chen Boshi was rich, but his money had made him its slave. To prove to his wife that it is money that brings problems, Boshi gives his neighbor Li 50 pieces of silver.

The bad-tempered sultan of Kenya is angry because a peasant boy's garden will grow, while his own will not. The boy Imani teaches him that feeding the plants meat of the tongue—singing, laughter, and love—will help them to grow.

What happens to a fox that won't stop teasing the others animals? Listen to this Peruvian tale to find out. Some lessons can change everything.