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Showing 48 of 57 audiobooks, 48 of them with the narrator named.
East of the Sun and West of the Moon
"Andrew Lang (1844-1912) was a Scottish poet and novelist, best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales. "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" is a fairy tale from Norway. A poor family is visited one night by a white bear who promises to make them rich if they will give him their youngest daughter. At first the girl refuses, but over several days she is persuaded to go with the bear. She is carried away on his back to a marvellous castle, where she learns that the bear turns into a prince at night. Growing lonely at the castle, she persuades the bear to let her visit her family. The bear warns her not to let her Mother speak to her alone. But the girl is not able to resist her mother. The mother declares the bear must be a troll and gives her daughter a tallow candle with which to observe him at night - but on no account to spill any of the tallow. The girl waits until the prince is asleep and lights the candle. The prince is so handsome that she falls in love with him... but accidently spills three drops of tallow on his shirt. The prince wakes up and is horrified at what she has done. Now he must return to his stepmother's castle which lies east of the sun and west of the moon and marry the troll princess who has a nose three ells long. The girl, devastated, determines to follow him, if only she can find the way..."
Andrew Lang (Author), Cathy Dobson (Narrator)
"Peter Christen Asbjørnsen (1812-1885) was a Norwegian writer, scholar and collector of traditional folktales. "Peter Gynt" is the story of a hunter who gets the better of a group of trolls who like to take over peoples' farms."
Peter Christen Asbjörnsen (Author), Cathy Dobson (Narrator)
Six Fairy Tales by Maurice Baring
"Maurice Baring (1874-1945) was an English short story writer, children's writer, novelist, travel writer and war correspondent during the First World War. This is a collection of six of the magical fairy stories he wrote for children. The Glass Mender The Silver Mountain The Wise Princess The Cunning Apprentice The Minstrel The Blue Rose"
Maurice Baring (Author), Cathy Dobson (Narrator)
Audiobook · 1 hr 39 mins
"Andrew Lang (1844-1912) was a Scottish poet and novelist, best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales. "The Bronze Ring" is a story in which a princess falls in love with the son of the palace gardener, although her father wishes her to marry the son of his prime minister. The king devises a quest for the two suitors and attempts to engineer the situation so that the rich youth will win. But the gardener's son does a good deed to an old woman, who in return helps him win a magic ring which will grant wishes. But the youth's adventures are not over when he marries the princess. The ring is stolen and he must enlist the aid of some very clever mice to get it back."
The Curse of the Seven Children
"Thomas Frederick Crane (1844 - 1927) was an American folklorist. "The Curse of the Seven Children" is a fairy tale about a king and queen who already have six sons. When the seventh child is due, the king must travel away. He tells his wife that when the baby is born, she should hang a lance out of the window if it is a boy and a distaff if it is girl. Shortly after this the queen bears a daughter. But a mistake is made and a lance is hung out of the window. Desperate for a daughter, the king returns and curses his seven sons. When he realises his mistake it is already too late. Only the baby princess can save her brothers..."
Thomas Frederick Crane (Author), Cathy Dobson (Narrator)
"Andrew Lang (1844-1912) was a Scottish poet and novelist, best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales. "The Donkey Skin" is a strange fairy tale of a princess who escapes an unwanted marriage by running away from the palace dressed in a donkey skin, to a hard life of poverty as a hen-wife. When a young prince happens to catch a glimpse of her without her donkey skin, he falls in love with her. But how is he to find the beautiful maiden again?"
"Andrew Lang (1844-1912) was a Scottish poet and novelist, best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales. 'The Enchanted Knife' is the story of a young man who seeks to marry the princess. Her father sets him an impossible task to perform before he will grant the suit - but with the aid of the cunning princess and a magic knife, the youth is able to win his bride."
"Andrew Lang (1844-1912) was a Scottish poet and novelist, best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales. Three princes are sent on a quest by their father, to find who it is who steals the golden apples from the King's tree. The youngest son befriends a wolf who is in reality a magician. From the wolf he learns that a magical golden bird is the thief. In attempting to steal the golden bird, the prince is captured by its owner, the Emperor. The latter agrees to spare the prince's life if he can steal the golden horse from the ruler of the neighbouring kingdom. In attempting to do this the prince is again captured. This time the ruler agrees to spare the prince's life if he can capture the elusive and beautiful golden mermaid. With the aid of the wolf, the prince sets out to attempt this impossible task..."
The Great Fairy Tale Collection
"A fascinating collection of some of the great - but less well known - fairy tales of all time. The Glass Mender The Giant who had no Heart The Gifts of the Magician The Miller, his Son and their Ass Punchkin The Enchanted Knife The Minstrel The Stonecutter The Parrot The Alligator and the Jackal The Stag at the Pool The Cormorants of Udrost The Three Dogs The Brahman, the Tiger and the Six Judges The Pancake East of the Sun and West of the Moon The Stag in the Ox Stall The Lad and the Devil The Blue Rose The Man who was going to Mind the House The Golden Mermaid The Lads who met the Trolls in Hedale Woods The Curse of the Seven Children The Frog The Blind Man, the Deaf Man and the Donkey The Cunning Apprentice An Old Fashioned Christmas Eve The Eagle and the Jackdaw The Two Frogs The Silver Mountain The Donkey Skin Tit for Tat The Old Woman and the Physician The Wise Princess The Bronze Ring The Princess who was hidden Underground Matthias the Hunter's Stories The Language of Animals Mercury and the Workmen Peter Gynt"
Andrew Lang , Maurice Baring (Author), Cathy Dobson (Narrator)
Audiobook · 7 hrs 34 mins
"Thomas Frederick Crane (1844 - 1927) was an American folklorist. "The Parrot" is the tale of a newly-wed couple. Soon after the marriage, the husband must go away on business, so he gives his wife a parrot to keep her company while he is away. But another man sees the young wife at the window and falls in love with her. He engages the help of the woman who lives downstairs to try to seduce the young wife. But each time the woman is on the point of going with her neighbour, the parrot offers to tell her a story. So enchanting and absorbing are the parrot's tales that the young wife never leaves the house until her husband's return."
"Andrew Lang (1844-1912) was a Scottish poet and novelist, best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales. 'The Three Dogs' tells the story of a shepherd who trades his three sheep with a stranger for three dogs with magical powers. The dogs are able to help him slay a dragon and win a princess."
"Andrew Lang (1844-1912) was a Scottish poet and novelist, best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales. 'The Two Frogs' is the story of two amphibians who live in different cities in Japan. Each desires to see the world, so each sets out on a journey towards the other's home city. When they meet at the top of a mountain, the two frogs make friends and devise a plan to work out whether their journey is worthwhile - with unintended consequences."
"Maurice Baring (1874-1945) was an English short story writer, children's writer, novelist, travel writer and war correspondent during the First World War. "The Wise Princess" is a take on the traditional Russian fairy tale of the frog princess. Three princes are instructed by their father, the king, to fire their arrows at random and marry whichever maiden it lands near to. The youngest son's arrow lands in a marsh next to a frog. But the frog turns out to be a wise princess in disguise - and when the prince sees the princess in her true form he falls in love with her. One night when the princess is not wearing her frogskin, the princes takes it and burns it. The princess is forced to flee and the prince must embark on a long and difficult quest to find his lovely bride."
The Lads who met the Trolls in the Hedale Wood
"Peter Christen Asbjørnsen (1812 - 1885) was a Norwegian writer, scholar and collector of traditional folk tales. The Lads who met the Trolls in the Hedale Wood is one such folk story. Two teenage lads are stranded in the Hedale Wood overnight. Before long they hear heavy footsteps and sniffing. Three enormous trolls are on the scent of human flesh...how can they manage to escape?"
Peter Christen Asbjornsen (Author), Cathy Dobson (Narrator)
Tales of Folk and Fairies
"Katharine Pyle's masterly retelling of well-loved folk tales from around the world. The Meester Stoorworm - A Story from Scotland, Jean Malin and the Bull Man - A Louisiana Tale, The Widow’s Son - A Scandinavian Tale, The Wise Girl - A Serbian Story, The History of Ali Cogia - From the Arabian Nights, Oh! - A Cossack Story, The Talking Eggs - A Story from Louisiana, The Frog Princess - A Russian Story, The Magic Turban, the Magic Sword and the Magic Carpet - A Persian Story, The Three Silver Citrons - A Persian Story, The Magic Pipe - A Norse Tale, The Triumph of Truth - A Hindu Story, Life’s Secret - A Story of Bengal, Dame Pridgett and the Fairies."
Katharine Pyle (Author), Cathy Dobson (Narrator)
Audiobook · 5 hrs 10 mins
The Psammead Trilogy: Five Children and It, The Phoenix and the Carpet, The Story of the Amulet
"Edith Nesbit was to children in the early 20th century what J.K. Rowling is to today's young generation. Magic, mythical creatures, time travel, charms, words of power... Nesbit's stories have it all. This recording is the complete collection of Edith Nesbit's Psammead series, comprising three captivating stories: Five Children and It.The story begins when a group of five children - Robert, Anthea, Cyril, Jane, and their baby brother, the Lamb - move from London to the countryside of Kent. While playing in a gravel pit, they discover a rather grumpy, ugly and occasionally malevolent sand-fairy known as the Psammead who is compelled to grant one wish of theirs per day. The effects of each wish last until sundown. All the wishes granted to the children go hilariously wrong. When they wish to be beautiful, nobody recognises them and they are shut out of the house. When they wish to be rich, they get a stack of gold coins but nobody will take them. When they wish for wings they find themselves stuck on a tall tower at sunset. When they wish that their baby brother was older, he turns into a grown-up and bosses them about. When Robert wishes he was bigger than the baker's boy (who has beaten him in a scrap) he becomes eleven feet tall. There are many more adventures... but you will need to listen and find out for yourselves.... The Phoenix and the Carpet. This is the second story about Robert, Anthea, Cyril, Jane, and their baby brother, the Lamb - who live in London. One day their mother buys a new carpet for the nursery which mysteriously contains a stone egg. When the egg falls into the fire by accident, nobody can possibly imagine what adventures will be unleashed. The egg hatches the Phoenix who reveals that the carpet is in fact a magic wishing carpet, which will take the children on a rollercoaster ride of adventures, scrapes and mishaps. They end up stuck inside a tunnel with buried treasure, on a sunny Southern shore where their cook is made Queen of the Island, having tea with the Rania in India, and even when they are at home in Camden town they mysteriously and unexpectedly become the owners of an unfeasibly large number of cats. The Story of the Amulet. The magic Psammead is back! This time the four children are stuck in London for the Summer, when they come across the Psammead (or wish-giving sand-fairy), imprisoned in a pet shop. They manage to free him, and he tells them where they can get hold of a magic amulet which will bring them their hearts' desire. Unfortunately when the amulet is secured, it is incomplete. They and the Psammead must travel back into ancient history to see the part of the amulet which was lost. The children experience one breathtaking adventure after another in Babylon, Egypt, the lost city of Atlantis, Tyre..."
Edith Nesbit (Author), Cathy Dobson (Narrator)
Audiobook · 21 hrs 12 mins
The Bumper Book of Bedtime Stories
"A glittering collection of classic stories for children, which have delighted generations and continue to appeal. • The Green Door by Mary Wilkins-Freeman •Pussy Tales by Edith Nesbit •Raggedy Ann Stories by Johnny Gruelle •The Bee-Man of Orn by Frank Stockton •Granny's Wonderful Chair by Frances Browne "
Various Authors (Author), Cathy Dobson (Narrator)
Audiobook · 7 hrs 31 mins
"Letitia Hopkins has always been curious about the peculiar green door in her Aunt Peggy's cheese room. But whenever she asks about it, she is always forbidden to open it or go through it. And the door is always locked. But one day, she finds a small black key on a green ribbon. And when she is left alone in the house, she cannot resist the temptation to try the door. Immediately Letitia finds herself in a strange, unfamiliar world full of wild animals, hostile natives and a frontier life of hardship and hard work in the company of her pioneer ancesters. But how is she to find her way back to her own time? A splendid children's classic which still delights today's young generation."
Mary Wilkins-Freeman (Author), Cathy Dobson (Narrator)
"When a passing magician tells the old Bee-Man of Orn that he has at some time been transformed from another state, he sets off to discover his own origins. Was he formerly a nobleman? A dragon? A giant? After much searching and many adventures, where his faithful bees help him, he finally discovers the truth. And it is not what either he or the magician expected..."
Frank Richard Stockton (Author), Cathy Dobson (Narrator)
"A delightful collection of seven short stories narrated by cats, by the brilliant Edith Nesbit, each of which sheds a new light on our relationship with our furry friends. Too Clever By Half, The White Persian, A Powerful Friend, A Silly Question, The Selfish Pussy, Meddlesome Pussy, Nine Lives"
"Dear old Raggedy Ann! The beloved rag doll who comes to life and along with the other toys in the nursery has a series of exciting adventures. Generations of children have listened round eyed and open mouthed as Raggedy Ann flies away on a kite, rescues the family dog from the pound, helps the hens hatch out chicks and lands up in the paint pot. Johnny Gruelle (1880-1938) was an American artist, cartoonist and children's author. One day his daughter Marcella found a dusty, faceless rag doll in the attic. Gruelle drew a face on the doll and named her Raggedy Ann. Marcella played with the doll so much, Gruelle thought other children would like the doll too. He started a company making the Raggedy Ann dolls and wrote a series of popular books for children based on the adventures of Marcella and Raggedy Ann which became timeless classics for many generations."
Johnny Gruelle (Author), Cathy Dobson (Narrator)
Audiobook · 1 hr 45 mins
"Edred and Elfrieda Arden belong to an ancient noble family which has fallen on hard times. Orphaned and living with their aunt who takes in lodgers at the seaside, life is dull and frustrating. But when Edred suddenly inherits the title of Lord Arden - and a medieval ruined castle to go with it, the adventures are only just starting. The children discover a magic spell through which they meet the Mouldiwarp - a white mole who is also the emblem of the Ardens. They learn of a hidden treasure and discover powerful magic which allows them to travel back into the past to seek for it. One adventure follows another, as they encounter smugglers, highwaymen, plotters, prisoners in the tower, kings and witches... until finally they discover the treasure, which turns out not to be what they had expected - but much much better."
Audiobook · 7 hrs 36 mins
Granny's Wonderful Chair
"Frances Browne (1816-1879) was an Irish poet and novelist who is best remembered for her enchanting stories for children, published under the title of Granny's Wonderful Chair. The collection tells the story of Snowflower, a little girl left alone in the world with a magical chair belonging to her absent grandmother, which can take her wherever she wants to go and can tell her marvellous stories. She sets off and reaches the castle of a troubled king, where the nightly tales told by the magic chair serve to change both her fortune and those of all the court. Browne's superb tales rank her alongside the greatest fairy-tale writers of the age, such as Hans Christian Andersen and the Comtesse de Ségur. The stories are all the more remarkable for the fact that Frances Browne was blind from early childhood and her rich visual descriptions and vivid settings are all composed within her own mind's eye."
Frances Browne (Author), Cathy Dobson (Narrator)
Audiobook · 3 hrs 33 mins
Old French Fairy Tales
"Sophie, Countess of S'gur, was a Russian-born French writer who lived from 1799 to 1874. This collection of stories draws on the rich heritage of French medieval literature, courtly love, magic charms and gallant deeds. In each story, the hero or heroine must undertake a quest or overcome a series of impossible challenges in order to reach their goal - often with the aid of magic. The tests involve patience, endurance and hard physical labour, as well as overcoming character flaws or atoning for past misdeeds. The stories are remarkably vibrant and well written, containing many elements of surprise and humour as well as chivalry and courtly romance, and as such, reach across the ages and appeal to a modern audience. These stories will delight children and adults alike: 'Blondine, Bonne Biche and Beau Manon', 'Good Little Henry', "The Story of Rosette', 'The Little Grey Mouse', and 'Ourson'."
Sophie, Comtesse de Ségur (Author), Cathy Dobson (Narrator)
Audiobook · 6 hrs 23 mins
The Story Of The Treasure Seekers : Being the Adventures of the Bastable Children in Search of a Fortune
"First published in 1899, The Story of the Treasure Seekers tells the tale of the Bastable children, Dora, Oswald, Dickie, Noel, Alice, and H.O. (short for Horace Octavius) and their attempts to restore the fallen fortunes of their family. They devise a series of plans to find or make money, varying from digging for treasure to being bandits, from going into business to rescuing rich elderly gentlemen from deadly peril. Their schemes have varying degrees of success, but the real treasure turns out to come from a very different source than they imagined. Edith Nesbit's story has delighted generations of children and their parents - and will continue to entertain future generations to come."
Audiobook · 5 hrs 28 mins
The Fairy Tales Of Old Europe: Traditional Stories of Europe and Scandinavia
"A splendid collection of both well loved and little known fairy stories which have entertained and delighted children for many generations. "The Twelve Dancing Princesses", "The Golden Goose", "The King of Root Valley and His Curious Daughter", "The Horned Women", "East of The Sun, West of The Moon", "The Sleeping Beauty", In the Wood", "The Three Dwarfs", "The Nettle Spinner", "The Master Cat", "The Emperor's New Clothes", "The Lad with the Goatskin", "The Wonderful Birch", "The Enchanted Pig", "The Tinder Box", "The Frog Princess", "The Dragon of The North", "The Witch in the Stone Boat", and "The History of Whittington"."
Traditional (Author), Cathy Dobson (Narrator)
Audiobook · 6 hrs 37 mins
"First published in 1900, The Book Of Dragons is one of Edith Nesbit's best loved and most inventive children's books. Her heroes and heroines are children faced unexpectedly with real live dragons, which are fiery, fierce, ravenous, irritating, grumpy, furry and even gifted cooks! They appear from caves, from the pages of a magical book, at the North Pole or from mysterious dungeons where nobody dares enter. Her stories are superbly written and surprise and delight at every turn. Absolutely riveting. * I. The Book of Beasts * II. Uncle James, or The Purple Stranger * III. The Deliverers of Their Country * IV. The Ice Dragon, or Do as You Are Told * V. The Island of the Nine Whirlpools * VI. The Dragon Tamers * VII. The Fiery Dragon, or The Heart of Stone and the Heart of Gold * VIII. Kind Little Edmund, or The Caves and the Cockatrice"
Audiobook · 4 hrs 53 mins
The King Of Root Valley And His Curious Daughter
"Robert Reinick was a German painter and poet who lived from 1805 to 1852. He was the author of many well loved tales and fairy stories for children. One of his most enchanting works is the Story of the "King of Root Valley and his Curious Daughter", which tells the tale of a race of elves whose princess is curious about the ways of men. Realising that she cannot live among the big people, she vows only to marry someone her own size who resembles the human prince she fell in love with. When a toy-merchant's cart overturns next to a magic spring which can bring inanimate objects to life and a nutcracker and a harlequin puppet fall into the enchanted waters, the scene is set for a very unusual romance."
R. Reinick (Author), Cathy Dobson (Narrator)
The Big Book Of Bedtime Stories
"An enchanting collection of classic stories and rhymes for younger listeners. Warning - you may be tempted to stay up all night listening! "The Land of Storybooks", "Gold Tree and Silver Tree", "The Elephant's Child", "The Owl and the Pussy Cat", "How Beauty Contrived to Get Square with the Beast", "The Enchanted Pig", "The Beginning of the Armadillos", "The Embarrassing Episode of Little Miss Muffet", "The Frog Who Would a-Wooing Go", "The Cat That Walked by Himself", "Jack and his Comrades", "The Pied Piper of Hamelin", "Fair Brown and Trembling", "The Storyteller", "The Frog Princess", "The Magic Fishbone", "The Nettle Spinner", and "How Little Red Riding Hood Contrived to Be Eaten"."
Audiobook · 4 hrs 9 mins
The Enchanted Pig: A Traditional Fairy Story from Romania
"A delightful folk tale from Romania about a princess who is destined to marry a pig. When the pig arrives at her father's court to woo her, she submits to her fate - but the pig is in reality anything but what he seems. He is a prince who has been bewitched. Unfortunately the witch now tricks the princess into extending the spell - her fate is now to embark on a lengthy quest, hampered by iron sandals, to find her beloved husband and free him from the curse once and for all. Enchanting!"
The Nettle Spinner: A Traditional Fairy Story from Flanders
"A cruel nobleman grants permission for the marriage of two of his serfs only on condition that the bride spins her wedding gown and a death-shroud for himself from nettles - and that the wedding should not take place until after his death. Every time the girl spins the cloth for his shroud, he becomes violently ill - and his attempts to stop her are thwarted by strong magic. There are many twists to the tale as the magic spinning wheel steers the characters towards their destinies."
The Railway Children
"Edith Nesbit's classic story of three children whose lives are turned upside down when their father suddenly goes away and they have to move to the country. They are captivated by the local railway and make friends with the local station staff and the old gentleman who travels daily on the train.The children experience all kinds of adventures, but the biggest adventure is the one which they do not even understand themselves... the reason for their father's absence and the mysterious quest to bring him home. A captivating story for all ages. The Railway Children, published in book form in 1906 and never out of print since, has a special and enduring place in British children's literature."
Audiobook · 6 hrs 43 mins
The Story Of The Amulet
"The magic Psammead is back! This time the four children, Cyril, Robert, Anthea and Jane are stuck in London for the Summer, when they come across the Psammead (or wish-giving sand-fairy), imprisoned in a pet shop. They manage to free him, and he tells them where they can get hold of a magic amulet which will bring them their hearts' desire. Unfortunately when the amulet is secured, it is incomplete. They and the Psammead must travel back into ancient history to see the part of the amulet which was lost. The children experience one breathtaking adventure after another in Babylon, Egypt, the lost city of Atlantis, Tyre... Edith Nesbit was to children in the early 20th century what J.K. Rowling is to today's young generation. Magic, mythical creatures, time travel, charms, words of power... Nesbit's stories have it all. The Story Of The Amulet is the third and final book in this series. The first two are: Five Children and It, and The Phoenix And The Carpet."
Audiobook · 8 hrs 12 mins
Max And Maurice: A Juvenile History in Seven Tricks
"Wilhelm Busch's classic tale of two tearaways who play tricks on their neighbours and come to a sticky end."
Wilhelm Busch (Author), Cathy Dobson (Narrator)
The Phoenix And The Carpet
"First written in 1904, this is one of Edith Nesbit's best-loved children's stories. It it the second story about a group of five children - Robert, Anthea, Cyril, Jane, and their baby brother, the Lamb - who live in London. One day their mother buys a new carpet for the nursery which mysteriously contains a stone egg. When the egg falls into the fire by accident, nobody can possibly imagine what adventures will be unleashed. The egg hatches the Phoenix who reveals that the carpet is in fact a magic wishing carpet, which will take the children on a rollercoaster ride of adventures, scrapes and mishaps. They end up stuck inside a tunnel with buried treasure, on a sunny Southern shore where their cook is made Queen of the Island, having tea with the Rania in India, and even when they are at home in Camden town they mysteriously and unexpectedly become the owners of an unfeasibly large number of cats. There are many more adventures... but you will need to listen and find out for yourselves..."
Audiobook · 7 hrs 14 mins
Five Children And It
"First written in 1902, this is one of Edith Nesbit's best loved children's stories. It all begins when a group of five children - Robert, Anthea, Cyril, Jane, and their baby brother, the Lamb - move from London to the countryside of Kent. While playing in a gravel pit, they discover a rather grumpy, ugly and occasionally malevolent sand-fairy known as the Psammead who is compelled to grant one wish of theirs per day. The effects of each wish last until sundown. All the wishes granted to the children go hilariously wrong. When they wish to be beautiful, nobody recognises them and they are shut out of the house. When they wish to be rich, they get a stack of gold coins but nobody will take them. When they wish for wings they find themselves stuck on a tall tower at sunset. When they wish that their baby brother was older, he turns into a grown-up and bosses them about. When Robert wishes he was bigger than the baker's boy (who has beaten him in a scrap) he becomes eleven feet tall. There are many more adventures... but you will need to listen and find out for yourselves...."
Audiobook · 5 hrs 46 mins
The Frog Who Would A Wooing Go
"Charles Bennett's classic telling of the traditional story about a young frog who wants to woo a mouse - but he and his bride to be fall afoul of a cat and a duck."
Charles Bennet (Author), Cathy Dobson (Narrator)
"Written in 1867, The Magic Fishbone is one of Charles Dickens' best loved fairy tales for children. It tells the story of an impoverished King who can barely manage to keep his nineteen children, and it is a long time until pay day. One day he meets a Fairy Godmother who tells him to give his eldest daughter, Princess Alicia, a piece of salmon, and after she has eaten everything but the bone, she is to dry and polish the bone carefully because it has magic powers. The magic fishbone will grant one wish - but only if it is used at the exact right time. Various catastrophes befall the family, but Princess Alicia does not call upon the powers of the magic fishbone, much to her father's annoyance. Until finally one day, something happens which leaves her in no doubt that this really is the right time..."
Charles Dickens (Author), Cathy Dobson (Narrator)
"A.J. Glinski was to Poland what the Brothers Grimm were to Germany. He travelled the country and collected folk legends and fairy tales and wrote them down exactly as they were told to him by local peasants. This Frog Princess is part of the collection of traditional folk tales which he first published in 1862. A king has three sons and is determined that one shall be his heir - but which? He orders them to marry and decrees that the one who picks the best wife shall be the next king. The youngest finds himself marrying a frog, against his better judgement. But when it turns out that the frog is extraordinarily gifted in such skills as carpet weaving and baking, he looks like winning the contest to be king. His frog princess is indeed a real princess under a magic spell - but his attempt to break the spell and keep his bride in human form backfires. His bride transforms herself into a duck and flies away. A lengthy quest and many adventures follow before he is able to regain his lost bride. Absolutely enchanting!"
A.J. Glinski (Author), Cathy Dobson (Narrator)
Struwelpeter: Merry Stories and Funny Pictures
"Heinrich Hoffman's classic cautionary tales for children was first published in German in 1844, with this English edition following four years later in 1848. It has remained a popular childhood favourite ever since. The tales tell the stories of children whose disobedience or bad habits lead them to a sticky end. No childhood is complete without characters like Shock-Headed Peter who never cuts his fingernails or combs his hair, or Suck-a-Thumb or Fidgety Philip. The comically gruesome fates which befall the children is partly what makes Struwelpeter so appealing to young listeners."
Heinrich Hoffman (Author), Cathy Dobson (Narrator)
Favourite Poems For Children
"A delightful collection of classic poems that will delight young and old alike, including: "How Beauty Contrived to Get Square with the Beast" by Guy Wetmore Carryl, "How Little Red Riding Hood Contrived to Be Eaten" by Guy Wetmore Carryl, "How Rudeness and Kindness Were Justly Rewarded" by Guy Wetmore Carryl, "If No One Ever Marries Me" by Lawrence Alma TademaI'm, "Nobody, Who Are You?" by Emily Dickinson, "Lochinvar" by Sir Walter Scott, "The Akond of Swat" by Edward Lear, "The Eagle" by Alfred Lord Tennyson, "The Embarrassing Episode of Little Miss Muffet" by Guy Wetmore Carryl, "The Jumblies" by Edward Lear, "The Land of Storybooks" by Robert Louis Stevenson, "The Owl and the Pussy Cat" by Edward Lear, "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" by Robert Browning, "The Tiger" by William Blake, and "How They Brought the Good News from Ghent to Aix" by Robert Browning."
"A delightful and comprehensive collection of all the best known traditional children's rhymes."
Cathy Dobson (Author), Cathy Dobson (Narrator)
The Pied Piper Of Hamelin
"Robert Browning's classic tale about a magical rat catcher. When Hamelin is overrun by rats, only the magical music of the Pied Piper can solve the problem. The town council tries to trick the piper out of his agreed reward, and he wreaks terrible revenge."
Robert Browning (Author), Cathy Dobson (Narrator)
How They Brought The Good News From Ghent To Aix
"Robert Browning's classic adventure ballad. Three riders set off from Ghent to bring urgent news to Aix. They ride furiously through the night and the next day. Only one completes the journey and saves the fate of the town."
"Kipling's Just So Stories are among the most enduring classic children's tales. They follow the traditional genre of stories that explain how unusual natural phenomenon came about, often using fantastic and highly magical explanations. Kipling himself was born and spent his very early life in India, and some of the inspiration for these stories comes from traditional tales he heard from his ayah and the family's other servants. So Kipling's armadillo arises from the magical fusion of a hedgehog and a tortoise who practice swimming and curling up, respectively, until their shapes modify. The elephant's trunk is the result of a tussle with a hungry crocodile, and the kangaroo's shape and ability to jump came about when he was chased by a dingo for an entire day. The rhinoceros gets his loose skin and bad temper from the itching brought about by having cake crumbs under his hide. And the cat who walked by himself explains the independence of cats, which contrasts with the servility of other domesticated animals."
Rudyard Kipling (Author), Cathy Dobson (Narrator)
Audiobook · 2 hrs 56 mins
The Butterfly That Stamped
"Kipling's classic tale taken from the Just So Stories. How a butterfly's dispute with his wife catches the attention of a sultan, who in solving the insect's dilemma, manages to sort out a problem of his own too."
The Crab That Played With The Sea
"Kipling's classic tale taken from the Just So Stories. When all the other animals are learning their place in the world, the crab sneaks off and plays his own game. The havoc which ensues can only be put right with the help of a powerful magician."
How The Alphabet Was Made
"Kipling's classic tale taken from the Just So Stories. Neolithic cave girl Taffy and her father work out a new way of passing on messages - and find that they have invented the alphabet."
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