Showing results by narrator "Bert Stauff" in All Categories

“The Twelve Brothers” is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm. It tells the story of twelve brothers who are forced to flee their home after their father decrees they must die if their next child is a girl. They are eventually reunited with their sister, but their reunion is short-lived when they are transformed into ravens by a magical curse. Their sister bravely endures a period of silence and laughter for seven years to break the curse and ultimately rescue them.

The Little Brother and Sister is a tale from the Brothers Grimm about two siblings escaping their abusive, witch stepmother. She enchants all water sources in the forest to transform anyone who drinks from them into an animal.

“Faithful John,” a Brothers Grimm fairy tale, follows a loyal servant named John who promises a dying king to protect his son, the young prince, and keep him from harm. The king entrusts John with the secret of a forbidden room containing a portrait of a beautiful princess, warning that if the prince sees it, he will fall in love and face grave dangers. Despite John’s efforts, the prince discovers the portrait and insists on finding the princess to marry her.

In “The Musicians of Bremen,” four aging domestic animals—a donkey, dog, cat, and rooster—are neglected by their masters and decide to run away to Bremen to become town musicians. On their journey, they encounter a house inhabited by robbers. The animals work together to create a cacophony of noise, scaring away the robbers and claiming the house for themselves. Despite their initial goal, the animals decide to settle in the robbers’ house, finding happiness and contentment in their new home.

“The Frog Prince,” also known as “The Frog King, or Iron Henry,” is a German fairy tale. It was collected by the Brothers Grimm and is the first story in their collection of “Children’s and Household Tales,” published in 1812. The tale has captivated audiences for many years, offering moral lessons about keeping promises, looking beyond appearances, and the power of love and perseverance. A beautiful, but spoiled, princess often played with her golden ball by a well in the woods. One day, she dropped the ball into the well and began to cry.

“The Ugly Duckling” is a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. It tells the story of a mother duck whose eggs are hatching. The last of her baby birds to hatch is a larger bird than the other ducklings, and the other birds and animals around on the farm consider it to be “ugly.” The story is associated with Andersen’s own life, and the three trials of the ugly duckling correspond to the three stages of Andersen’s life. The duckling spent the winter in a marshy pond and finally, spring arrived.

“Hansel and Gretel” is a classic fairy tale about a brother and sister abandoned in a forest and encountering a witch. They are lured to a gingerbread house, but Gretel outsmarts the witch and helps Hansel escape, revealing the witch’s evil nature and ultimately destroying it. The story emphasizes themes of survival, resourcefulness, and sibling love.