25+ Best Free Folk Tales, Fairy Tales, and Tales from History and Literature (Free Online in the Public Domain)

In my estimation, there is no better "curriculum" to help children cope with real-world fears and anxieties than the myths and stories that have been told to generations of children and adults around the world.

Throughout these tales, regular people undertake impossible quests; heroes and monsters battle to the death; the clever and kind outsmart the wicked and selfish. Sometimes the ending isn't fair in a particular story, but overall we see the powers of good triumph over evil.

Some tales from history simplify historical events to distill powerful lessons, which if not entirely true, inspire us to be our best selves. And literature tales can make the most exciting stories of our literary past enjoyable and accessible without dumbing down the language or the complex characters for younger listeners.

I can't think of a better time than now, with so much uncertainty in the air, and so much time at home, to choose any one of these collections and read just one story a day. They appeal to all ages and can provide a rich seasoning to imaginative play. And they are all free in the public domain!

Of course, there are many more titles out there to enjoy, but I've limited myself to ones where I have extensive experience with the authors or where I have personally read the ebooks or reprints. These tales often contain violence or language that you may find inappropriate or might be too intense for certain children, so be prepared to edit on the fly or preread.

This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure to learn more.

How to get and read ebooks

The most enjoyable way to read free ebooks is by using an app like the Kindle app or the Google Play Books app (my preference). But, if you don't want to use an app, you can also download a PDF and use a PDF reader to read it on a phone, tablet, or computer or you can read it within your browser. You can also print it out and read it, but that will usually cost as much as buying a used copy.

To put a free ebook on your Kindle app, download a book for any source (either kindle/mobi file or PDF) and email it to your personal Kindle address. To find your personal kindle address, go to Manage your Content and Devices, click on Preferences, and scroll down to Personal Document Settings. I recommend using the kindle/mobi files on Project Gutenberg when available.

To put a free ebook on your Google Play Books app, click +Add to my library then hover over the book in your library and choose eBook - FREE. Alternatively, you can download a PDF from ANY source and visit your Google Play Books Library to UPLOAD or drag and drop it there.

Google Books just recently changed its look, for instructions in classic view, click here.

On to the list . . . if you are reading in a blog reader and can't see the embedded books, click on over to the post!

Best Free Folk Tale and Fairy Tale Collections:

Old Peter's Russian Tales by Arthur Ransome also on Project Gutenburg. Reprint available here.


Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs also on Project Gutenberg. Dover reprint of selected stories available here.


More Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs also on Project Gutenberg. Dover reprint of selected stories available here.


Wonder Tales from Scottish Myth and Legend Reprint available here.


The Japanese Fairy Book by Yei Teodora Ozaki also on Project Gutenberg (warning, a few tales are particularly violent, especially toward animals) Reprint available here.


Danish Fairy Tales by Svend Grundtvig Facsimile reprint available here.


East O' the Sun and West O' the Moon with Other Norwegian Folk Tales also on Project Gutenberg. Reprint available here.

Round the Yule Log, Norwegian Folk and Fairy Tales also on Project Gutenberg.


The Arabian Nights Entertainments also available on Project Gutenberg. Dover reprint of selected stories available here.


The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang also available on Project Gutenberg. Dover reprint available here.


Best Free Greek, Roman, and Norse Myth Collections:

The Golden Fleece and the Heroes who lived before Achilles by Padraic Colum also on Project Gutenberg. Reprint available here.

A Wonder Book for Girls and Boys by Nathanial Hawthorne also available on Project Gutenberg. Reprint available here.


Tanglewood Tales: Another Wonder-Book by Nathaniel Hawthorne also available on Project Gutenberg. Yesterday's Classics reprint available here.


The Age of Fable by Thomas Bullfinch (aka Bullfinch's Mythology) Also on Project Gutenberg. Reprint available here.


The Children of Odin: The Book of Northern Myths by Padraic Colum also available on Project Gutenberg. Reprint available here.


The Heroes of Asgard: Tales from Scandinavian Mythology by A. Kearn also on Project Gutenberg. Reprint available here.


Best Free History and Literature Tales: 

Stories from the History of Rome by Mrs. Beesly Reprint available here.


Fifty Famous Stories Retold by James Baldwin also available on Project Gutenberg. Reprint available here.


An Island Story: A History of England for Boys and Girls by H.E. Marshall Reprint available here.


The Adventures of Odysseus and the Tale of Troy by Padraic Colum also on Project Gutenberg Reprint available here.


Tales of Troy and Greece by Andrew Lang also on Project Gutenberg. Reprint available here.


Some Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle also on Project Gutenberg. Reprint available here.


The Story of King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle also on Project Gutenberg. (others in the series on my Howard Pyle booklist) Reprint available here.


Age of Chivalry: Legends of King Arthur by Thomas Bullfinch Also on Project Gutenberg. Reprint available here.


Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb also on Project Gutenberg. Reprint available here.


The Children's Shakespeare by E. Nesbit also on Project Gutenberg. Reprint available here.


If you are looking for more modern titles, especially for after the libaries are open again, check out this great mythology booklist from Humility and Doxology that includes many of my favorites that are not in the public domain.

As always, let me know if any of your favorites are missing from the list!

You may also enjoy:

3 comments:

  1. Thank you... I like how you provided a nice view and navigation for each book. I have a post that offers a similar genre of freely available older books, located here:
    70 Classic Story Books for Young People to Read and Enjoy:
    https://bestedlessons.org/2019/04/07/70-classic-story-books-for-young-people-to-read-and-enjoy/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for sharing. I'll have to check some of them out!

      Delete
  2. What a helpful post, Jen! I often forget to check the public domain before buying books!

    ReplyDelete