Romanian fairy tales and bedtime stories

Romanian fairy tales and stories for children of all ages. Read short and long fairy tales from Romanian authors such as Ion Creanga, Petre Ispirescu, Ioan Slavici and popular fairy tales from Romanian folklore. Read the best and most beautiful Romanian fairy tales and bedtime stories for children, kids and babies in english.


Stan Bolovan - A Romanian fairy tale by Ioan Slavici
Once upon a time, something happened. If it hadn't happened, it wouldn't be told. At the edge of the village, where the peasants' oxen break through the hedges and the neighbors' hogs wallow in the ground under the fences, there once stood a house. In this house lived a man, and the man had a wife; but the wife grieved all day long... read the whole fairy tale.


The Wonderful Bird - A Romanian fairy tale by Petre Ispirescu
There was a good, pious emperor, who had three sons. Among many other benefits bestowed upon the inhabitants of his empire he built a church, about which marvelous stories were told, for he adorned it with gold, precious stones and every thing the workmen of that country regarded as beautiful and valuable. Within and in front of this church were... read the whole fairy tale.

The Twins With the Golden Star - A Romanian fairy tale by Ioan Slavici
Anna, the oldest sister, was so beautiful that the sheep stopped feeding when she went among them; Stana, the second, was so lovely that the wolves watched the herd when she was the shepherdess, but Laptitza, the youngest, who had a skin as white as the foam of milk, and hair as soft as the wool of the lambkins, was as beautiful as both of her sisters put together, beautiful as only... read the whole fairy tale.

Youth Without Age and Life Without Death - A Romanian fairy tale by Petre Ispirescu
Once upon a time something happened whose like never occurred before—if it had not happened it would not be told—since the flea had one foot shod with ninety-nine pounds of iron and jumped into the skies to get us fairy tales... read the whole fairy tale.

The Little Purse with two Half-pennies - A Romanian fairy tale by Ion Creanga
There was once an old man and an old woman. The old woman had a hen and the old man had a rooster; the old woman's hen laid two eggs a day and she ate a great many, but she would not give the old man a single one. One day the old man lost patience and said: "Listen, old crony, you live as if you were in clover, give me a couple of eggs so that I... read the whole fairy tale.

Mogarzea and His Son - A Romanian fairy tale by Petre Ispirescu
There was once a young lad who had neither father nor mother. Every thing his parents had left him was in the care of guardians, and at last he could bear their unjust reproaches no longer, but went out into the wide world, entered a path leading to a glade in the forest, and followed it a... read the whole fairy tale.

Cunning Ileane A Romanian fairy tale by Ioan Slavici
There was once an emperor who had three daughters; the oldest was beautiful, the middle one more beautiful, but the youngest, Ileane, was so fair that even the sun stopped to gaze at her and admire her charms... read the whole fairy tale.

The Princess and the Fisherman - a Romanian fairy tale (read and download PDF)
There was once a fisherman, neither very well off nor very poor, but he was young, with a mustache that curled fiercely at the ends, you know, and a fine-looking fellow. Whenever he passed the imperial palace, the emperor's daughter sent for him, bought his fish, and gave him ten times as much money as they were... read the whole fairy tale


Little Wild-Rose - a Romanian fairy tale (read and download PDF)
There was once a man, my dear good friends. This man would now—I am telling no lie—this man would now be a hundred years old, if not twenty more to boot; his wife, too, was older than any body I know; she was like the Friday-goddess (Venus), and from youth to age had never had a single child. Only those who... read the whole fairy tale


The Voice of Death - A Romanian Fairytale by Petre Ispirescu
There was once a man who prayed daily to God to grant him riches. One day his numerous and frequent prayers found our Lord in the mood to listen to them. When the man had grown rich he did not want to die, so he resolved to go from country to country and settle wherever he heard that the people lived forever. He prepared for... read the whole fairy tale


The story of Harap Alb A Romanian Fairytale by Ion Creanga
Once upon a time in a beautiful kingdom there lived The Old King who had three sons. He had an even older brother who was called The Green Emperor. This one was the emperor of another country, far away, and separated by desolated lands, lying at the margins of the earth. This remote brother didn’t have any sons, but only three beautiful... read the whole fairy tale


The Old Woman and the Old Man A Romanian Fairytale
Once upon a time there was an old man and an old woman, who had not a single child in their old age, and it was very hard for them, because they had no help, not even to light the fire; when they came home from working in the fields, they were obliged to begin with lighting the fire and then prepare their... read the whole fairy tale


The Pea Emperor - A Romanian Fairytale by Petre Ispirescu
There was once a good for nothing fellow, who was so poor and needy that he had not even enough to eat to be able to drink water after it. When he had wandered through all the countries in the world, he returned home somewhat more sensible. He had passed through many perils abroad, knocked his head against the top of the door, been sifted through the coarse and the... read the whole fairy tale



The Morning Star and The Evening Star - A Romanian Fairytale by Petre Ispirescu
Once upon a time something extraordinary happened. If it had not happened it would not be told.

There was once an emperor and empress who were childless. So they sought out all the wizards and witches, all the old women and astrologers; but their skill proved vain, no one knew how to help them. At last the royal pair devoted themselves to almsgiving, praying, and fasting...read the whole fairy tale

The Two Step-Sisters - A Romanian fairy tale
Once upon a time there was an old widower, who had one daughter; he married again and took for his wife a widow, who also had a daughter. The widow's daughter was ugly, lazy, obstinate and spiteful; yet as she was her mother's own child, the latter was delighted with her and pushed every thing upon her husband's daughter. But the old man's child was beautiful, industrious, obedient and... read the whole fairy tale

The Poor Boy - A Romanian fairy tale by Ioan Slavici
There was once a poor widow, so poor that even the flies would not stay in her house, and this widow had two children, a boy and a girl. The boy was such a brave fellow that he would have torn the snakes' tongues out of their mouths, and the girl was so beautiful that the emperor's sons and handsome princes of every land were waiting impatiently for her to grow up, that they... read the whole fairy tale

Mother's Darling Jack
There was once a man who had a child. This child was the youngest of seven which the Lord had given him, so it was destined from its birth to be lucky. It was christened John, because all dunces and upstarts are named John. The father loved little Jack like the very apple of his eye. It could not have been otherwise, since the boy was the youngest of seven children and... read the whole fairy tale

Tellerchen
There was once a husband and wife. The husband had a son by a former marriage, and the wife had a daughter by her first husband. This wicked woman could not bear the sight of her husband's son. One day she said: "Husband! If you don't send that boy away, I can't eat at the same table with... read the whole fairy tale

The Fairy Aurora - A Romanian fairy tale by Ioan Slavici
There was once a great and mighty emperor, whose kingdom was so large that no one knew where it began and where it ended. Some believed it was boundless, others said that they dimly remembered having heard from very old people that the emperor had formerly engaged in war with his neighbors, some of whom had proved greater and... read the whole fairy tale