Kids Stories

Long ago an old man called Uncle Remus used to tell stories to a little boy. The two of them lived on a plantation in the southern states of America, and the stories were always about certain animals. Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox in particular, but several others too, Brer Bear and Brer Possum for instance. All too often Brer Rabbit, who was an impudent scoundrel, came out best, although he was one of the smaller creatures. Of course, to do this he had to use his wits.   One evening, Uncle Remus ate his supper as usual and then looked at the child over his spectacles.   "Now then, honey", he said. "Let's see if I can call to mind how old Brer Rabbit got himself a two-storey house without paying much for it".   He paused a moment. Then he began:   It turned out one time that a whole lot of creatures decided to build a house together. Old Brer Bear, he was among them, and Brer Fox and Brer Wolf and Brer Coon and Brer Possum, and possibly Brer Mink too. A...

One day a poor woodcutter was working in the forest chopping down trees and sawing them into logs. He stopped for a moment and saw a fairy sitting on a leaf nearby.   "I have come", she told him, "to give you three wishes. The next three wishes you make will come true. Use them wisely".   After work, the woodcutter returned home and told his wife what had happened. She did not believe a word he said.   "You've just dreamt it", she laughed. "Still, just in case, you'd better think carefully before you wish".   Together they wondered. Should they wish for gold, jewels, a fine home? They argued and disagreed about everything until the woodcutter shouted crossly, "I'm hungry after all my work. Let's eat first".   "I'm afraid there's only soup", his wife replied. "I'd no money to buy any meat".   "Soup again!" grumbled the woodcutter. "How I wish that we had a fin...