One of my favorite things about loving fairy tales is always having something to read. Always. There’s an endless supply of stories and countless versions from all around the world, many of which are being retold to this day. If you’re on the hunt for fresh tales or the original classics, there’s no better place to go than well-curated fairy tale databases.
These days, most fairy tales are just a click away. The real question is which websites will give you the best reading experience and the easiest time finding stories you’ll enjoy. To help you dive in, here are my four all-time favorite fairy tale databases to find something old or something new to read:
1. Fairytalez.com
Fairytalez.com is my favorite destination right now. It’s got a beautiful design, killer navigation, and random fairy tale picks on its homepage every day. And for the record, they’re never stories I’ve seen before.
My favorite aspect of this site is just how addicting it is. No matter which page you visit, there are always suggestions for authors, collections, countries, most popular fairy tales, and stories similar to the one you’re reading. BEWARE: you might need three hours to explore Fairytalez.com for the first time. I’m just saying.
2. SurLaLune Fairy Tales
This website is absolutely divine. SurLaLune has a robust collection of thousands of tales, but it offers much more than just that. The site also features its own unique collection of fairy tale artwork, a great forum where fans discuss their questions, and a highly active blog filled with book suggestions of retold fairy tales.
But my favorite aspect of SurLaLune is its collection of annotated fairy tales. The site has historical information for 49 of the most popular stories. It also provides different versions from around the world, famous illustrations of the tale, and recommended modern retellings. Welcome to endless hours of educational joy.
3. Project Gutenberg
If you’ve never explored Project Gutenberg, you’re about to discover a treasure trove of stories in the public domain. This collection boasts over 60,000 free eBooks for you to download without paying a cent. Most of Gutenberg’s collection is classic literature, but you can also search for a particular fairy tale author or fairy tales in general.
Gutenberg has collections of tales from around the world and all the most famous fairy tale books too. You can read right there on the site, or you can download your favorites onto any device. So if you want to spend your next cross-country flight reading fairy tales, you totally can. And you totally should.
4. University of Pittsburgh Database
The University of Pittsburgh’s fairy tale database is both fantastic and quite exhaustive. Here you’ll find many different versions of fairy tales, folktales, legends, and myths. The site also has links to original texts and other database suggestions.
This database is pretty bare bones, but its strength lies in its organization. Because all the tales are grouped by theme and version, you can look up a particular story element or a particular fairy tale and read tons of versions with no work on your part. This is the perfect place for finding obscure, weird, yet delightful versions to read. ❧
