Fairy Tales & Folklore Audiobooks | Literature

The Man with the Glass Heart: A Fable Audiobook

"Not since the Little Prince fell in love with a rose has a book captured the magic of a world where love longs for what it cannot have, recovers what it has lost, and the unimaginable flutters with luminescent wings out of crystal caves. Panache, an exuberant road gypsy, is on her way to the mountains. Benjamin Pencil, the man with the glass heart, has no use for mountains. But their paths cross, their lives intertwine, and Benjamin follows her up, up, up to where hills are smothered in poppies and a man can reach out and write his name in the sky. As they travel, they first encounter the beautiful but predatory Woman with the Breeding, a collector of hearts who tries to add Benjamin's exquisite heart to her pitiable hoard. Next they meet the malicious Laughing Man, who lives only to create fear and kill dreams. Finally, and unpredictably, they meet Panache's iconoclastic, unreliable, and utterly irresistible father. Papa, who plays his saxophone with the same wild abandon with which he lives his life, cautions Panache that if the mountains are in a man, he will go there—and that mountains are in the man with the glass heart. It is in those mountains that they meet the melodious laughing bird. Melody, with her irresistible song and aquamarine eyes, lures Benjamin to an Arabian Nights world where hypnotizing creatures dance and sing late into the night. At what peril does Benjamin Pencil follow the melodious laughing bird? To what end? Can real hearts be broken? Is a shattered heart the end of all love, or can it be a new beginning?"

Shelly Reuben (Author), Carrington MacDuffie (Narrator)

Audiobook

Rose Daughter

"The New York Times bestselling author of Sunshine and The Hero and the Crown presents a beautiful retelling of Beauty and the Beast. When their father’s business fails, a young woman named Beauty and her two sisters leave their fine house in the city and move to a tiny cottage far away from everything they’ve ever known. The neglected cottage is engulfed by the long thorny stems of some unknown plant. Beauty patiently tends to them, and when, the following summer, the mysterious flowers are the most beautiful things the sisters have ever seen, an old woman tells Beauty: “Roses are for love. Not silly sweethearts’ love but the love that makes you and keeps you whole … There’s an old folk-tale that there aren’t many roses around any more because they need more love than people have to give them to make them flower …” When Beauty takes her father’s place in the terrifying beast’s palace, she discovers that his beloved rose garden is dying; and because she needs something to do to distract her from missing her family, because she loves roses—and because she pities the Beast—she determines to bring it back to life … “[A] heady mix of fairy tale, magic, and romance … dazzling … has the power to exhilarate.”—Publishers Weekly"

Robin McKinley (Author), Bianca Amato (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Spectre Bridegroom: A Traveler’s Tale

"The author of 'The Legend of Sleepy Hallow' and 'Rip Van Winkle,' Washington Irving perfected the American short story. His stories were written in an approachable tone and intended to entertain rather than enlighten. Originally published in 1819, 'The Spectre Bridegroom' is a ghost story about a baron and his daughter in historic Germany. The tale revolves around the daughter's betrothal to Count Van Altenburg and the strange occurrences that lead up to the wedding. One of the few Irving stories set outside of the United States, 'The Spectre Bridegroom' is often seen as a commentary on the differences between American and European society. Proceeds from sale of this title go to Reach Out and Read, an innovative literacy advocacy organization."

Washington Irving (Author), Robert Fass (Narrator)

Audiobook

Flower Queen's Daughter

"One day while a prince was riding through a meadow he came across an old woman trapped in a ditch. The prince rescued the old woman and assisted her out of the ditch, safely. In return, the old woman told the prince about the most beautiful woman in the world and where to find her. The prince decided to take her advice and journey to find this beautiful woman. After several years of traveling the prince finally finds the beautiful woman, but now it is up to him to save her from her kidnapper and return her home safely. Andrew Lang (1844- 1912) a Scottish novelist, critic, and poet is most known for his folk and fairy tale collections. The College of St. Andrew was later named after him and the year before his death he was named president of the Physical Research Society."

Andrew Lang (Author), Michelle Ford (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Story Big Klaus and Little Klaus

"Big Klaus and Little Klaus lived in the same village, but where Little Klaus only had one horse, Big Klaus had four. Little Klaus lent his one horse to Big Klaus all week, and Big Klaus lent his four horses on Sunday only to Little Klaus. When Little Klaus was in control of all five horses, he had the habit of calling them 'his five horses,' a thing which Big Klaus did not like. Big Klaus eventually strikes Little Klaus' one horse over the head with a blow that kills him. Upset and needing money, Little Klaus sets off to sell the horse skin in town but first stops by a farmhouse on his journey looking for a place to stay. He was at first turned away by the farmer's wife, as the farmer was away, but Little Klaus stows away and his noticed by the farmer when he returned. The farmer invites him in for dinner and to spend the night. Unbeknowst to the farmer, his wife had been entertaining the local sexton for dinner but had hidden both the food and the sexton as her husband returned home. Klaus had seen the food being hidden away, so he pretended he had a wizard in his sack and that the wizard conjured up an extravagant meal and had hidden it in the oven. The farmer believed the wizard story, which Little Klaus further embellished, and offered him a bushel of money for the wizard sack --but also state that he must take away the cabinet where the sexton had been hidden. Little Klaus does so, and then further extorts more money from the sexton. He then tricks Big Klaus into thinking he had received all the money from his horse skin, and Big Klaus proceeds to make a fool of himself. Enraged, Big Klaus goes to kill Little Klaus, but accidentally gets Little Klaus' recently dead grandmother instead. Little Klaus then pulls another prank using his dead grandmother and winds up with another bushel of money AND another way to get back at Big Klaus! Andrew Lang (1844-1912) was a Scottish writer who collected fairy and folk tales from various cultures and put them together in twelve volumes of tales. He was noted for taking the tales from as many original sources as possible, keeping the fairy tales close to their intended meanings."

Andrew Lang (Author), Michelle Ford (Narrator)

Audiobook

Prince Bull

"Charles Dickens created some of the world's most memorable fictional characters. Widely regarded as the greatest writer of the Victorian period, his novels and short stories continue to be widely popular today. One of his lesser known works, 'Prince Bull' is the story of a powerful prince named Bull; his lovely wife called Fair Freedom; and Tape, his wicked fairy godmother. Though written in fairy tale form, the story is a satirical commentary on Crimean War. Proceeds from sale of this title go to Reach Out and Read, an innovative literacy advocacy organization."

Charles Dickens (Author), Gabrielle De Cuir (Narrator)

Audiobook

Once upon a time there was Life

"How long does life last? Where does it come from? Where can you buy it? What is Life? A current of energy that runs through the whole universe? A wind blowing where it wants? A surge of generosity that promises joy, peace and happiness? Listen to the fairy tale of Life, which is the science of the free gift of oneself. There is more joy in giving than in receiving, said a certain Jesus of Nazareth! Once upon a time there was a fairy tale..."

Andrea Marinelli, Jean Claude Mandatville, Suor Nikodema Babula (Author), Dado Moroni, Miranda Touré (Narrator)

Audiobook

Wisp of a Thing

"Alex Bledsoe's The Hum and the Shiver was named one of the best fiction books of 2011 by Kirkus Reviews. Now Bledsoe returns to the isolated ridges and hollows of the Smoky Mountains to spin an equally enchanting tale of music and magic older than the hills. Touched by a very public tragedy, musician Rob Quillen comes to Cloud County, Tennessee, in search of a song that might ease his aching heart. All he knows of the mysterious and reclusive Tufa is what he has read on the Internet: they are an enigmatic clan of swarthy, black-haired mountain people whose historical roots are lost in myth and controversy. Some say that when the first white settlers came to the Appalachians centuries ago, they found the Tufa already there. Others hint that Tufa blood brings special gifts. Rob finds both music and mystery in the mountains: close-lipped locals guard their secrets, even as Rob gets caught up in a subtle power struggle he can't begin to comprehend. A vacationing wife goes missing, raising suspicions of foul play. And a strange feral girl runs wild in the woods, howling in the night like a lost spirit. Change is coming to Cloud County, and only the night wind knows what part Rob will play when the last leaf falls from the Widow's Tree—and a timeless curse must at last be broken."

Alex Bledsoe (Author), Stefan Rudnicki (Narrator)

Audiobook

As You Wish, a Cinderella story & erotic romance

"Annora is willing to do anything to save her father from the dark eros of an evil witch-mother and two demonic step-sisters. It's a perilous task, battling such awful magic, but she doesn't have to face danger alone; a fairy man waits to make all Annora's wishes come true--for a price. This is not Walt Disney's Cinderella, dear reader. This is As You Wish, a Cinderella story from author A. Violet End. As You Wish contains multiple scenes of a dark and sexual nature. For mature readers only."

A. Violet End (Author), Marascha Black (Narrator)

Audiobook

Any Other Name

"“Magical, exciting and clever.” —Fantasy FactionIt’s Downton Abbey with magic, in Bath’s secret mirror cityCathy has been forced into an arranged marriage with William Iris—a situation that comes with far more strings than even she could have anticipated, especially when she learns of his family’s intentions for them both.Meanwhile, Max and the gargoyle investigate the Agency—a mysterious organization that appears to play by its own twisted rules, none of them favourable to Society.And in Mundanus, Sam has discovered something very peculiar about his wife’s employer—something that could herald disaster for everyone on both sides of the Split Worlds."

Emma Newman (Author), Emma Newman (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Glass Axe

"A king and queen who have long had everything they desire except a child, are finally graced with one but are immediately faced with tragedy. The queen dies on the day after her son is born, but not before she warns her husband to never let their son's feet touch the ground or else he will be immediately taken by an evil fairy. As he grew, everyone was careful to keep him from touching the ground - using wheelchairs, litters, and even horses, which he especially excelled at. One day when he was out riding, his saddle broke and he fell to the ground and immediately vanished. Under the control of the evil fairy, he is told he must obey her every command or else he will be severely punished. Her first order was for him to cut down all the trees in a forest using a glass axe -- and to NOT speak to a girl he might encounter on his way. Of course, the glass axe shattered at its first contact with the tree. Scared and hopeless, he curls up and falls asleep, only to be woken by the same girl he had been warned against. The girl is also imprisoned by the fairy, who is also her mother, and she offers to help the prince do whatever is asked of him, as long as he promised to help her in return. When the evil fairy discovers the two are helping one another, she is outraged and decides to take her anger out on both of them. The two are then left to try to escape and outwit the evil fairy on their quest to be free. Andrew Lang (1844-1912) was a Scottish writer who collected fairy and folk tales from various cultures and put them together in twelve volumes of tales. He was noted for taking the tales from as many original sources as possible, keeping the fairy tales close to their intended meanings."

Andrew Lang (Author), Tavia Gilbert (Narrator)

Audiobook

Prince Ring

"Prince Ring was a prince not as adventurous as most. But one day, while out hunting, he finds a beautiful golden ring on the antlers of a deer that greatly attracts him and he finds himself on a much greater adventure than he ever intended. He gets separated from the rest of his hunting party, and discovers a woman who has a large barrel, with another beautiful gold ring at the bottom. While inspecting it, the woman pushes Prince Ring into the barrel and tosses him into the sea. Prince Ring eventually washes up on an island, where he encounters an exceedingly kind Giant and his wife. When Prince Ring takes his leave, he brings with him a giant dog and the promise to inherit all that the Giant and his wife own upon their death. Prince Ring and his dog, Snati-Snati, then go on more adventures together with Snati being their guide. Andrew Lang (1844-1912) was a Scottish writer who collected fairy and folk tales from various cultures and put them together in twelve volumes of tales. He was noted for taking the tales from as many original sources as possible, keeping the fairy tales close to their intended meaning"

Andrew Lang (Author), Tavia Gilbert (Narrator)

Audiobook

Fairy Tales & Folklore Audiobooks in Literature