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Stories children love. Full of wisdom and lessons for life.

Hundreds of fables from around the world. Read or listen in multiple languages. Find one by the value or theme they explore.

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For Story Seekers, Families and Classrooms

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A collection of timeless favourites with questions and activities. Buying a book also helps us bring more stories to more children.

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FableReads illustrated fable book covers

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Choose a value. Pick a fable.

KindnessCourageHonestyPerseverance

A lion gently releasing a tiny mouse caught beneath its paw

Kindness
Gratitude

The Lion and the Mouse

A lion spares a tiny mouse who promises to return the favor one day. How could such a small mouse possibly help a lion?

The North Wind blowing fiercely at a traveler's cloak while the sun watches warmly

Kindness
Strength

The North Wind and the Sun

The powerful North Wind and the gentle Sun try to make a traveler take off his cloak to prove who is stronger. Which one will succeed?

A grandfather sitting alone at a small wooden bowl set apart from the family table

Respect
Empathy

The Old Man and His Grandson

A grandfather is treated unkindly by his son and daughter-in-law. What will help them realize their mistake and change the way they treat him?

A proud man patting his strong ox in front of a curious crowd

Kindness
Respect

The Ox Who Won the Forfeit

A proud man's boastful claims about his strong Ox backfire, but after showing kindness and humility, the Ox proves its strength.

Mice gnawing through a hunter's net to free a group of trapped elephants

Teamwork
Empathy

The Elephants and the Mice

Mice ask elephants to avoid trampling their homes, and later rescue them from the hunters' trap.

Four animal friends working together to free a deer caught in a hunter's net

Friendship
Courage

The Four Friends and the Hunter

Four forest friends work together to save the deer from a hunter's trap, outwitting the hunter with their plan.

A group of hares standing before a pride of lions, asking for equal treatment

Equality
Preparedness

The Hares and The Lions

Hares sought equality with Lions but lacked means to defend themselves, realizing the need to be prepared to uphold their wishes.

An old, frail hound pleading with his master after failing to catch a boar

Courage
Respect

The Old Hound

Once a mighty hound, now old and frail, failed to catch a boar, pleading with his master to remember his former glory.

A shepherd boy shouting for help while villagers rush toward an empty field

Trust
Honesty

The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Bored and mischievous, a shepherd boy tricks villagers by yelling wolf. But what will happen when a real wolf finally appears?

A woodcutter pointing toward a hiding fox while pretending to help it

Trust
Deception

The Fox and The Woodcutter

A woodcutter helps a fox hide but secretly points out its hiding place. What do you think the fox felt afterward?

A donkey grinning as its heavy load grows lighter after slipping into a river

Consequences
Responsibility

The Trader and The Donkey

After slipping into the river, a donkey notices his heavy load feels lighter. But what happens when he starts doing it on purpose?

A spider spinning a road across a squirrel's farm to claim it as his own

Greed
Respect

The Squirrel and the Spider

A cunning spider steals a squirrel's farm by building a road and claiming ownership, but loses everything to a clever crow.

A slow tortoise steadily walking past a napping, overconfident hare

Arrogance
Perseverance

The Tortoise and the Hare

Steady and patient, a slow tortoise dares to race against a confident hare. Who will cross the finish line first?

A thirsty crow dropping pebbles into a tall pitcher to raise the water level

Problem-Solving
Perseverance

The Crow and the Pitcher

A thirsty crow finds a pitcher with water too low to reach. What clever trick will he use to get a drink?

An ant carrying food through a field while a grasshopper plays music and dances nearby

Consequences
Perseverance

The Ant and the Grasshopper

While the grasshopper dances through summer, the ant works hard, gathering food. Which one will survive when winter arrives?

Four aging farm animals stacked atop one another, braying and howling to scare off robbers

Resourcefulness
Perseverance

The Bremen Town-Musicians

Four aging animals escape their fate, scare off robbers, and happily settle in a house as self-made town musicians.

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Stories without borders

We’ve brought fables from around the world into 13 languages.

Read, listen and share, in the language that feels like home.

See All Languages

Loved by families & educators

What people are saying

I stumbled upon your site yesterday and I think it is absolutely amazing! I especially love how you have the stories at different English levels and also the rhyme versions of the stories. Amazing work!

MartinBritish English Teacher at Rock’N’Roll English

The platform immediately draws my attention because of its connection to literacy, values education, imagination, mother-tongue access, and the kind of reflective thinking that supports holistic child development.

Dr Ronald FortuneCAO, Christel House South Africa

My daughter really enjoy the stories, and we always end up talking about them after reading. Even during the day, sometimes she remembers something from a fable and connects it to something that’s happening.

GracielaParent, Germany

About FableReads

Stories children love. And more.

Stories have always helped us imagine, learn and make sense of the world. FableReads creates more ways to enjoy them together. Read. Listen. Build language. Spark curiosity. Explore feelings, choices and ideas. And open conversations that matter.

Our Vision & Mission

Why we exist, and where we're going

The world's fables belong to everyone. We're here to keep them free, share them in more languages, and help their wisdom reach every generation.

Learn more

Team & Story

Meet the people behind FableReads

One father’s search for stories his daughters could enjoy and carry with them grew into a small global team doing the same for children everywhere.

Meet the team

Real-World Initiatives

From free access to real-world reach

A new language added. Books in children’s hands. Programmes running in schools and communities. Starting in South Africa.

See the bigger picture

Books delivered to schools

Partners

What becomes possible together

FableReads collaborates with impact organisations, local expertise and linguistics across the world. Together, we expand access, shape new possibilities and bring more stories to life online and in real-world communities.

See who’s involved

Media & IRL Highlights

Stories, people and partnerships in action

Interviews. Ideas. New languages. Real moments. See what we’re creating, and the people helping bring it to life.

Watch and explore

Kaross Foundation
CEC Development
The Wireless
Nethisa iMvula NPO

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