Showing results by narrator "Katie Haigh" in All Categories

The beautiful Sheherazade, threatened with death, manages to postpone the fatal day by telling one marvellous story every night. The stories themselves are folk tales, fairy tales and poems collected over many centuries, from ancient and medieval Arabic, Persian, Mesopotamian, Indian, and Egyptian folklore and literature. This makes The Arabian Nights a priceless treasure, as it takes us to the very roots of our culture in a delightful and passionate way...

"The Mutineers of the Bounty" is a short story by Jules Verne, part of the series The Extraordinary Voyages. It is based on a true story a mutiny that occured on the Royal Navy vessel HMS Bounty in 1789. The ship had been sent to Tahiti, and the relations between Captain William Bligh and his crew quickly deteriorated, leading to increasingly harsh punishments and abuse. A cabal formed between the men, and one night, they overpowered the captain, seized the ship, and sent him and 18 of his loyalists out at sea to die.

"Thumbelina" is a charming fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, and it has been called "the most delightful fairy tale you could wish for". The story is about quite a tiny, little girl, and her adventure with toads, moles, and cockchafers. "Thumbelina" is the first of Andersen's tales to focus on the sufferings of someone who is different, as at the beginning of the tale, Thumbelina is the only one her tiny size. It reflects on mockery and powerlessness, before a happy ending in which Thumbelina finds love and empowerment.

Once upon a time, when the Queen gave birth to a baby princess, Angels came down and gave the infant blessings. However one evil Angel set a curse that would make the princess prick her finger on a spindle of a spinning wheel and die. Another Angel set a magic on the princess that she would sleep, instead of dying, for a hundred years until a prince comes and awakes her from her sleep. At the age of 16, the princess gets her finger pricked by the sprindle, and falls asleep. After 100 years, a prince hears about a beautiful princess sleeping in the castle...

Henry V is one of the most famous monarchs England ever had. His story is one of incredible rise against overwhelming odds: as heir to the throne, he began as a complete failure, his reputation very low, as he was an insecure ruler and victim to plots and cabals to remove him from power. While England was at war with France, everything seemed to go from terrible to terribly worse. The Battle of Agincourt was one of the most impressive gambles ever taken in military history.

Classic fairy tales and stories are an essential part of children's development. Our audiobook collection means to bring together the fairy tales, stories, myths and legends which have fed the children of many generations in the years when the imagination is awakening and craving stimulus and material to work upon. The classic stories in this compilation all have in common the use of powerful imagery, to feed children's dreams, ignite their imagination and stir healthy emotions into light; let your children discover the love of these fundamental parts of our culture and share the pleasure of narration.

"The Adventures of Pinocchio" is an Italian novel for children, by Carlo Collodi. A poor carpenter, Geppetto, wants to build a marionette from a piece of wood. But it begins to talk and whine; soon, the marionette runs away, and begins a life of mischievous adventures. The adventures of Pinocchio are considered a canonical piece of children's literature; they have inspired countless adaptations, such as Walt Disney's classic animation. It is one of the most translated and widely read works of literature ever written, and gave birth to popular pieces of wisdom such as a liar's long nose.

Little children need tales and stories, for they play an essential part in their development by awakening their imagination, introducing them to symbolic imagery, and bringing forth emotions in a healthy, constructive way. Our audiobook collection means to bring together the fairy tales, stories, myths and legends which have fed the children of many generations in the years when the imagination is awakening and craving stimulus and material to work upon.

"The toad" is a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. A very exciting story of a little toad, who motivated by the excitement for adventure, leaves his home at the bottom of a well, and his curiosity leads him into some very interesting adventures. He bears inside his head a most precious jewel, the ceaseless longing for a higher experience. In the end he is carried as far up on a stork's mouth as he ever could be. This tale imparts the thought that our finest possession is not what we own, but what we are.

On a cold New Year's Eve, a young, poor girl tries to sell matches in the street. She is already shivering from cold. She shelters in a nook and sits down. The girl lights the matches to warm herself. In their glow she sees several lovely visions, including a Christmas tree and a holiday feast. The girl looks skyward and sees a shooting star; she then remembers her grandmother saying that such a falling star means someone is dying and is going to Heaven. As she lights the next match, she sees a vision of her grandmother, the only person to have treated her with love and kindness. She strikes one match after another to keep the vision of her grandmother alive for as long as she can.

"The Fairies" is a classic folk tale by Charles Perrault. Once upon a time there was a widow who had two daughters. The elder was often mistaken for her mother, so like her was she both in nature and in looks. Both of them were so disagreeable and arrogant that no one could live with them. The younger girl, who was a true likeness of her father in the gentleness and sweetness of her disposition, was also one of the most beautiful girls imaginable. The mother doted on the elder daughter naturally enough, since she resembled her so closely; and she disliked the younger one just as intensely.

Bluebeard is a wealthy aristocrat, feared and shunned because of his ugly, blue beard. He has been married several times, but no one knows what became of his wives. He is therefore avoided by the local girls. When Bluebeard visits one of his neighbours and asks to marry one of his two daughters, the girls are terrified, and each tries to pass him on to the other. Eventually he talks the younger daughter into visiting him, and after hosting a wonderful banquet, he persuades her to marry him.

A father had two sons. The younger, when asked by his father what he would like to learn to support himself, said he would like to learn to shudder. A sexton told the father that he could teach the boy. After teaching him to ring the church bell, he sent him one midnight to ring it and came after him, dressed as a ghost. The boy demanded an explanation. When the sexton did not answer, the boy, unafraid, pushed him down the stairs, breaking his leg.

Montaigne might well be one of the most sympathetic writers ever known. He is known for popularizing the essay as a literary genre; his style merges casual anecdotes and autobiography with deep intellectual insights. His "Essays" are among the most influential ever written; one can recognize Montaigne's direct influence on great literary figures all over the world, from René Descartes to Nietzsche, Isaac Asimov, and possibly William Shakespeare.

This collection brings together the best tales and stories for little boys. It includes folk tales, classic tales by Charles Perrault and Hans Christian Andersen, stories from Danmark, France, Italy, England, and the Arabian Nights; all these stories from around the world respond to boys' desire for exploration, feed their imagination, and help them develop their intelligence with timeless wisdom from every country.

Hans Christian Andersen was a prolific Danish writer, fondly remembered for his fairy tales and stories. They are so elegant, evocative and efficient that they soon began culturally embedded in the West's collective consciousness; Andersen's stories are readily accessible to children, but present lessons of virtue and resilience in the face of adversity that are enjoyable and profitable for mature readers as well.

We have selected for you nine of the best Japanese myths and fairy tales. Not unlike the western folk tales compiled by the Brothers Grimm, these stories faithfully preserve the spirit of medieval Japan, while rendered in a translation accessible to all ages.

Shakespeare is regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's best dramatist. His plays have been translated into every major language, and are the most performed ever. His work contains stunningly modern insight, witty jokes and soaring passion; it is an endless source of amazement and inspiration.

The health benefits of meditation have been scientifically proven time and again. This series of meditation exercises is designed to teach quick, efficient and proven techniques which will help you learn to meditate and achieve a state of relaxed focus easily. Each script will guide you and provide simple tools you will be able to use anytime you need as you practice meditation. The techniques you will learn have been shown to improve focus, mental control and one's powers of visualization.

"The Snowman" is maybe one of the most touching stories by Hans Christian Andersen. It is a tale about unrequited love, and an occasion of reflection on the mysteries of existence and passion. In a small winter garden, a snowman glimpses a stove glowing by the window of the nearby house. He soon falls in love, and longs for the stove's companionship despite the warnings of his friend, the dog, who say the stove's heat would melt him.