Short Stories Fairy Tales

It's a question as old as time itself: which is better, the zombie or the unicorn? In this anthology, edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (unicorn and zombie, respectively), strong arguments are made for both sides in the form of short stories. Half of the stories portray the strengths - for good and evil - of unicorns and half show the good (and really, really bad-ass) side of zombies.

A ship bearing the souls of sinful sailors drifts upon a ghostly sea. An abbey looms as the final defense between mortals and ghouls of the underworld. In the stillness of a throne room, statues stand forever frozen in a moment of terror. Monsters and men stalk their prey deep in the jungle's shadows. A rose blooms in the dead of winter, sheltered in the ruins of an ancient Scottish castle.

“The People Could Fly,” the title story in Virginia Hamilton’s prize-winning American Black folktale collection, is a fantasy tale of the slaves who possessed the ancient magic words that enabled them to literally fly away to freedom. And it is a moving tale of those who did not have the opportunity to “fly” away, who remained slaves with only their imaginations to set them free as they told and retold this tale.

Ozzee the cat always dreams of a life away from his present misery. When someone appears to come to the rescue, should Ozzee take a chance or play it "safe" where he is? The unexpected find of a witch's broomstick could mean uncertainty and danger, or could it lead to excitement and adventure? Will Ozzee find new horizons and friends, or will his decisions lead to disaster? Click the "buy now" button at the top, and enter Ozzee's world today.

The events of the story occupy a single June day in post-World War I Central London, as wealthy and fashionable society hostess Clarissa Dalloway is preparing for a party she is to give that evening. Through her thoughts and memories, the voices of others who have touched on her life and will attend her party, Virginia Woolf shows her genius as a writer who is both accessible and popular.

John Updike reads six stories he has selected from the 100-odd he has published. Mr. Updike, when asked to described his method of reading aloud, said "I try to picture the things described and to speak the words distinctly, and to let the emotion come through on its own." The method works beautifully.

Fairy Story Shorts offer beautiful retellings of traditional tales, and are especially suitable for listening to at bedtime! This tale is taken from the collection Fairy Stories and Fairy Stories: Traditional Tales for Children, Contemporary Tales for Adults by Clive Johnson, also published by Labyrinthe Press.

Fairy Story Shorts offer beautiful retellings of traditional tales, and are especially suitable for listening at bedtime! This tale is taken from the collection Fairy Stories and Fairy Stories: Traditional Tales for Children, Contemporary Tales for Adults by Clive Johnson, also published by Labyrinthe Press.

Many questions surround the origin of these sentient beings who are stronger than humans, eat differently, and live longer. But they were created just as we were, maybe even before us. It is from them we obtain our fairy tales - and our nightmares. They are the reason we believe in superheroes - and monsters. Because...they exist. In the past, creatus kept the human race safe from an anonymous distance. But now, one creatus will endanger them all by falling in love - with a human.

I'm Tamlir Kynthelig, mercenary. I lost my home, my family was slaughtered, and my kingdom was usurped. And then things really got bad. I saved King Mynogin and won the honor of a likely-fatal run through the Temple of Cocidius to gain him its treasure. Trust me when I say this isn't a change in my luck. Gathering the temple's eight artifacts has never been accomplished, and a thousand men have perished to its beasts and puzzles.

Discover the secret world between the trees where fairies, unicorns and even monsters dwell. Take a stroll through enchanted woods and dance with pixies and dryads by the light of the stars. Escape Baba Yaga and fall in love with a prince in disguise. Taste the fruit at the goblin market and be whisked away on a magical adventure.

This selection of stories and tales is perfect for that cold winter night to cosy up around fireplace and enter magical world of far away lands or kingdoms of the past. This volume opens with two tales from Beatrix Potter: 'The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse' and 'The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin', followed by 'Puss in Boots' by Charles Perrault. And in the second half we have Anton Chekhov's story, 'A Gentleman Friend', followed by William Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night'. Read in English, unabridged.

A selection of stories about love and romance from the best storytellers of the world including Shakespeare, Chekhov, and Turgenev trying to express love in all its forms. This volume opens with iconic Romeo and Juliet's tragic love story dating back to antiquity, followed by very passionate and quite unusual love between a doctor and his patient in 'The District Doctor' by Ivan Turgenev. And last, but not least, a story from the master of human relationship and psychology, Anton Chekhov and his story of 'The Man in a Case'. Read in English, unabridged.

Penguin presents the audio download edition of The Puffin Book of Five-minute Stories, read by Sophie Aldred and Christopher Timothy. A lively collection of nineteen short, snappy stories, some old, some new, to make you gasp, laugh, frown or giggle.

Sit back, turn the lights down low, and get ready for the scare of your life with 20 Short Stories from '31 Horrifying Tales from the Dead' by Drac Von Stoller. Immerse yourself in some of the most horrifying short stories ever told....

Award-winning, best-selling author Neil Gaiman demonstrates why he’s one of the hottest stars in literature today with “The Thing About Cassandra,” a subtle but chilling story of a man who meets an old girlfriend he had never expected to see .International blockbuster bestselling author Diana Gabaldon sends a World War II RAF pilot through a stone circle to the time of her Outlander series in “A Leaf on the Winds of All Hallows.”

When it comes to stress and relaxation, your children's needs are no different than yours. When bed time comes, children have an essential need for a comfortable and safe space, so they can shed away their worries and feel loved and happy, so they can doze off faster and sleep better. Meditation can help your little one process concerns, find comfort at night, and release excess energy. And that is what the Children Story Group’s audiobook, Bedtime Meditation Stories for Kids Collection, aims to do.

Mimei Ogawa, a prolific author of short stories nearly 100 years ago, is considered to be one of the founding figures of modern Japanese children’s literature. He has also been called the Hans Christian Andersen of Japan because of how his works were influenced by Andersen. This collection contains a fresh, modern translation of one of Mimei Ogawa’s most famous works, "The Mermaid and the Red Candles", as well as several other stories that have never been translated and published in English before.

In the tradition of Calvino’s Italian Folktales, Greg Sarris, author of the award-winning novel Grand Avenue, turns his attention to his ancestral homeland of Sonoma Mountain in Northern California. In 16 interconnected original stories, the twin crows Question Woman and Answer Woman take us through a world unlike yet oddly reminiscent of our own: one that blooms bright with poppies, lupines, and clover; one in which Water Bug kidnaps an entire creek; in which songs have the power to enchant; in which Rain is a beautiful woman who keeps people’s memories in stones.

Fantasy icon Jane Yolen is adored by generations of readers and listeners of all ages. Now she triumphantly returns with this inspired gathering of fractured fairy tales and legends. Yolen breaks open the classics to reveal their crystalline secrets: a philosophical bridge that misses its troll, a spinner of straw as a falsely accused moneylender, the villainous wolf adjusting poorly to retirement. Each of these offerings features a new author note and original poem, illuminating tales that are old, new, and brilliantly refined.