Bedtime Stories For Kids

Free bedtime stories for kids to read online. Browse short and longer stories by age and reading time, with read-aloud audio on many tales.

Discover gentle fairy tales and calming original stories for evening reading. Choose a quick story for busy nights or a longer read-aloud when you have more time. Many stories include audio so children can listen and follow along on screen.

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Fairy Tales
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Cover art for Aladdin and the Magic Lamp showing Aladdin and the princess with the magic lamp in a palace setting as the genie appears behind them.

Aladdin and the Magic Lamp: Arabian Folktale

The Fox and the Grapes audio read aloud story for children

The Fox and the Grapes – Classic Aesop Fable

El Gallo Kiriko - (Kiriko the Rooster)

El Gallo Kiriko – Kiriko the Rooster

The emperor reaches toward the real nightingale while the mechanical bird rests nearby in The Emperor and the Nightingale

The Emperor and the Nightingale

La Ratita Presumida

La Ratita Presumida (The Vain Little Mouse): Spanish Folktale

A girl in a blue dress dancing in sparkling red shoes surrounded by ethereal figures and a winged angel - The Red Shoes

The Red Shoes: A Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tale

A tiny boy in a green hat with his parents, a giant fish in a net, and a large brown cow - The Little Chickpea (Garbancito)

Garbancito the Little Chickpea: Spanish Folk Tale

Maria Makiling Book Cover. This filipino legend shows Maria standing next to a river with a boy in the background and birds flying overhead.

Maria Makiling | Philippine Legend

The mouse and the Sky Bird beneath the high sky in Why the Sky Is High

Why the Sky Is High: Filipino Folktale

Three goats of different sizes walking across a wooden bridge with a green troll peeking from underneath - The Three Billy Goats Gruff

The Three Billy Goats Gruff: Norwegian Folktale

The First Rainbow Story | Filipino Folktale for Kids (Ages 6–12)

The First Rainbow Story: Filipino Folktale

A smiling Snow White with a red bow surrounded by seven cheerful dwarfs in a sunlit forest - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Grimm’s Fairy Tale

Illustration from The Little Match Girl showing the child, her grandmother and a glowing Christmas tree

The Little Match Girl: Hans Christian Andersen

A cheering green tortoise crossing a red finish line ahead of a surprised brown hare - The Tortoise and the Hare

The Tortoise and the Hare: Aesop Fable

Worn pink ballet slippers next to a glowing trapdoor with dancing silhouettes under a full moon - The Twelve Dancing Princesses

The Twelve Dancing Princesses: Grimm’s Fairy Tale

A mermaid with long blonde hair and a teal tail sitting on a rock under a full moon - The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen

The Little Mermaid: Hans Christian Andersen

Hansel-and-Gretel-arrive-at-candy-house

Hansel and Gretel: Brothers Grimm

A woman in a red gown and a horned Beast in a regal coat sharing a candlelit meal in a stone hall - Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast: Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve

Puss in boots goes to see the king

Puss in Boots: French Fairy Tale by Charles Perrault

A tiny girl with wavy brown hair in a pink petal dress standing among giant pink flowers - Thumbelina by Hans Christian Andersen

Thumbelina: Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tale

A goblin-like man with spiky hair and a red vest spinning straw into gold at a wooden spinning wheel - Rumpelstiltskin by the Brothers Grimm

Rumpelstiltskin: Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale

Robert the Bruce in a blue tartan kilt watching a spider spin a web in a cave - Traditional Scottish Folklore

Robert Bruce and the Spider: Scottish Folktale

Boy-Shouting-Wolf

The Boy Who Cried Wolf: Aesop Fable

A man in a teal Korean hanbok and a crown with long donkey ears standing in a bamboo forest - King Donkey Ears

King Donkey Ears: Korean Folktale

Two children in traditional Korean hanbok standing before a giant glowing moon with a tiger nearby - The Sun and the Moon

The Sun and the Moon: Korean Folktale

Two joyful boys standing by a glowing orange magical millstone surrounded by massive ocean waves - Why the Sea is Salty

Why the Sea Is Salty: Korean Folktale

A joyful blonde girl splashing happily in bright turquoise water - The Light Princess by George MacDonald

The Light Princess: Scottish Fairy Tale

A tall golden statue of a prince holding a ruby-hilted sword with a small blue bird flying nearby - The Happy Prince

The Happy Prince: Irish Story

Ilustración del cuento El zapatero y los duendes para niños

The Elves and the Shoemaker | Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale

A person in a colorful diamond-patterned hat and cloak playing a white flute - The Pied Piper of Hamelin

The Pied Piper of Hamelin

A fluffy dark grey duckling with blue eyes sitting in a cracked eggshell - The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen

The Ugly Duckling: Hans Christian Andersen

Frog wearing a golden crown sitting regally on a cushion

The Frog Prince

A portly emperor in white underpants and an ornate teal cape standing proudly in a palace - The Emperor's New Clothes

The Emperor’s New Clothes

A slender fairy with dark hair, pointed ears, and branch-like antlers wearing a sparkling navy gown - Whuppity Stoorie

Whuppity Stoorie: A Traditional Scottish Folktale

A young hero Oisin with curly orange hair and green eyes leading a group of warriors in a green valley - The Legend of Tir na nOg (Irish Mythology)

Legend of Tír na nÓg: The Story of Niamh and Oisín: Irish Folktale

Four elegant white swans swimming together on a calm lake with a small gold bell on one swan's leg - The Children of Lir

The Children of Lir: Irish Folktale

A powerful red-bearded giant named Finn MacCool (Fionn Mac Cumhaill) lifting two large boulders while standing in the ocean - Finn MacCool and the Giant's Causeway. : Irish Folktale

Finn MacCool and the Giant’s Causeway: Irish Folktale

Portrait of a man with a long, vibrant blue beard and eyebrows in an orange coat - Bluebeard by Charles Perrault

Bluebeard: A French Folktale

An ornate golden harp with intricate carvings and mystical figures - The Fairies' Harp also known as the Golden Harp (Welsh Folktale)

The Fairies Harp: Welsh Folktale

A woman with long blonde hair in a white dress standing by a lake with sheep and snow-capped mountains - The Lady of the Lake at Llyn y Fan Fach Brings Sheep

The Lady of Lake at Llyn y Fan Fach: Welsh Folktale

A young boy in suspenders looking up at a massive, twisting green beanstalk against a blue sky - Jack and the Beanstalk

Jack and the Beanstalk: English Folktale

Three smiling pink pigs wearing green overalls and white shirts standing together - The Three Little Pigs

The Three Little Pigs: English Folktale

A young man in medieval clothing walking a large, shaggy white dog through a mountain landscape - Gelert the Faithful Dog

The Tale of Gelert the Faithful Hound: Welsh Folktale

A red-haired princess lying on top of a very high stack of colorful patterned mattresses - The Princess and the Pea

The Princess and the Pea

A girl with long auburn hair sleeping peacefully in a white gown within a dark floral archway - Sleeping Beauty

Sleeping Beauty

A smiling Gingerbread Man with blue eyes and red buttons jumping - Traditional English Folk Tale

The Gingerbread Man

Rapunzel with long flowing brown hair leaning out of a stone tower window - Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale

Rapunzel: German Fairy Tale

A young black girl with a green backpack and a stuffed lion walking toward a colorful feathered door - Open the Door by Book Dash

Open the Door: A Classic Folktale for Kids

A smiling mud character with large white eyes, tiny twigs, and green leaves - Mud by Book Dash

Mud: Fun Story

Two long-tailed monkeys with dark faces playing in a soft watercolor jungle landscape - Monkey Business Monkey by Book Dash

Monkey Business: Fun & Creative Activities for Kids