English Fairy Tales
The folklorist Joseph Jacobs gathered these stories so that English children would have their own book of tales to set beside Grimm and Andersen. Here are the versions many readers first meet: Jack and the Beanstalk, The Three Little Pigs, Tom Tit Tot, Henny-Penny, and the giant-killing Jack, told in a plain, spoken style close to how they were passed down aloud. Jacobs collected and gently reshaped them from older printed and oral sources, keeping the rhythm and repetition that make them a pleasure to read out loud. The result is one of the cornerstones of English children’s literature. Free to download as a PDF or EPUB.
About the Author
Joseph Jacobs (1854-1916) was an Australian-born folklorist, literary critic, and historian who spent much of his career in England. He edited English Fairy Tales, Celtic Fairy Tales, and other collections, becoming one of the most influential compilers of folk stories in the English language.
See all books by Joseph Jacobs →
Listen to English Fairy Tales Audiobook Free
Listen to English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs free online. The full audiobook (5 hr 35 min, 44 chapters, read by Joy Chan) streams free on this page.
English Fairy Tales (1890) is a public domain work.
| # | Chapter | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 00 – Preface | 9:28 | |
| 2 | 01 – Tom Tit Tot | 11:19 | |
| 3 | 02 – The Three Sillies | 8:50 | |
| 4 | 03 – The Rose Tree | 6:57 | |
| 5 | 04 – The Old Woman and Her Pig | 5:22 | |
| 6 | 05 – How Jack Went to Seek His Fortune | 4:56 | |
| 7 | 06 – Mr. Vinegar | 8:04 | |
| 8 | 07 – Nix Nought Nothing | 11:42 | |
| 9 | 08 – Jack Hannaford | 4:43 | |
| 10 | 09 – Binnorie | 5:47 | |
| 11 | 10 – Mouse and Mouser | 2:53 | |
| 12 | 11 – Cap o’ Rushes | 8:48 | |
| 13 | 12 – Teeny-tiny | 3:02 | |
| 14 | 13 – Jack and the Beanstalk | 15:08 | |
| 15 | 14 – The Story of the Three Little Pigs | 6:06 | |
| 16 | 15 – The Master and His Pupil | 5:11 | |
| 17 | 16 – Titty Mouse and Tatty Mouse | 5:33 | |
| 18 | 17 – Jack and His Golden Snuff-Box | 19:22 | |
| 19 | 18 – The Story of the Three Bears | 8:02 | |
| 20 | 19 - Jack the Giant-Killer | 22:55 | |
| 21 | 20 - Henny Penny | 5:25 | |
| 22 | 21 - Childe Rowland | 11:11 | |
| 23 | 22 - Molly Whuppie | 9:18 | |
| 24 | 23 - The Red Ettin | 9:35 | |
| 25 | 24 - The Golden Arm | 2:05 | |
| 26 | 25 - The History of Tom Thumb | 11:20 | |
| 27 | 26 - Mr. Fox | 6:45 | |
| 28 | 27 - Lazy Jack | 4:31 | |
| 29 | 28 - Johnny-Cake | 5:39 | |
| 30 | 29 - Earl Mar's Daughter | 6:56 | |
| 31 | 30 - Mr. Miacca | 4:17 | |
| 32 | 31 - Whittington and His Cat | 18:12 | |
| 33 | 32 - The Strange Visitor | 4:46 | |
| 34 | 33 - The Laidly Worm of Spindleston Heugh | 7:53 | |
| 35 | 34 - The Cat and the Mouse | 2:45 | |
| 36 | 35 - The Fish and the Ring | 7:02 | |
| 37 | 36 - The Magpie's Next | 3:12 | |
| 38 | 37 - Kate Crackernuts | 7:28 | |
| 39 | 38 - The Cauld Lad of Hilton | 2:58 | |
| 40 | 39 - The Ass, the Table, and the Stick | 7:07 | |
| 41 | 40 - Fairy Ointment | 4:56 | |
| 42 | 41 - The Well of the World's End | 6:34 | |
| 43 | 42 - Master of All Masters | 2:30 | |
| 44 | 43 - The Three Heads of the Well | 8:56 |
Prefer reading? Read English Fairy Tales online free or download the PDF and EPUB above.
