Hi to all you Story-Lovers...
This growing public domain collection features stories and images from days long gone by—as long ago as the late 1800s—and as far away as the other side of the world. We regularly add new stories, along with the accompanying original illustrations (when they are available). These stories are not "adapted and retold" but appear exactly as they do in the vintage books (where, of course, they were already adapted). Sometimes it feels good just to immerse yourself in the beautiful language!

Grandma (that's me...Jackie) will be happy to respond to requests or include any of YOUR stories, sources, comments, suggestions and experiences in telling your own public domain stories. Just send an e-mail and let me know what you'd like to include here... and whoosh! it's done! (well, if it's at all possible...)

Since Story-Lovers has specialized in the last ten years in vintage stories and art, everything that appears here is in the public domain. I want us all to to share that with each other. Please feel free to download all the stories and even the illustrations (if your computer will let you) and use them freely in your work and your life. At the end of each story, I have included further references to help you find sources and other versions of the stories.

As it was...so shall it ever be!
Jackie Baldwin

List of stories:
1) Urashima—Japan—1904
2) The Tongue-Cut Sparrow—Japan—1904
3) The Goose Girl—Germany (Grimm Brothers)—1917
4) The King Who Loved Stories—England?—early 1900s
5) Shin-ge-bis Fools the North Wind—Native American—1921
6) The Little Boy and Girl in the Clouds—Native American—1921
7) The Fairy Bride—Native American—1921
8) The Singing Bird of Heaven—Japan—1910
9) The Moon Maiden—Japan—1910
10) Mayor Rat's Niece—1914
11) Meadow Lark's Concert—1914
12) The Pert Fire Engine—USA—1899
13) The Three Wishes—Spain—1920
14) The Fisherman Who Caught the Sun—Hawaii—1920
15) Pigling and Her Proud Sister—Korea—1911
16) Brownie and the Cook—England—1872
17) How the First Bears Came—USA (Native American?)—1920
18) The Surprise in the Freight Car—USA–1920
19) The Greedy Shepherd—England—1857
20) The Friar and the Boy—England—1916
21) Bertha with the Big Foot—France—1920
22) The Apparition of the Prophet Khizr—Persia—1919
23) The Story of the King and the Two Blind Beggars—Persia—1919
24) The Story of the Fate of the King's Only Son—Persia—1919
25) Prince Hyacinth and the Dear Little Princess—France—1920
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(This web page created 4/9/06; updated continuously since.)