Little-known Grimm fairy tales that suit bedtime

The Brothers Grimm collected more than 200 tales. Most people know a dozen of them: Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White. Yet the collection holds many quiet, friendly stories that are hardly told any more. We recorded three of them for VintageCam in a gentle version.

The Queen Bee

Three brothers set out into the world. The two older ones are loud and impatient, the youngest, whom everybody calls the simpleton, is kind. On the way the older ones want to destroy an ants' nest, catch ducks and smoke out a bees' nest. The youngest does not let them. Later, in the enchanted castle, the animals help him exactly when he needs them. The tale is number 62 in the collection. It is a story about listening and kindness, with no witch and no villain, and the tasks are the most exciting thing that happens. We told it calmly, with a clear, reconciling ending. Good for children who already like a bit of plot.

The Moon

Four lads from a country where the nights are never bright discover a shining moon on an oak tree in another country. They take it home. In the original the tale is a farce with a rather dark ending. Our version stays with the beautiful image: a country gets light, and in the end the moon is back in the sky. It is the shortest of the three and suits children who like stars and the night sky.

The Golden Key

The tale stands at the end of the collection and is one of the shortest of all. In winter a boy finds a golden key in the snow, digs further and discovers an iron chest. He turns the key in the lock. And here the Brothers Grimm stop: we have to wait until he has opened the lid, then we will see what is inside. This open ending is unusual, and at bedtime it is a small invitation to keep dreaming. In our version a warm golden light falls out of the chest, without revealing what is inside. Many children invent their own ending.

What we paid attention to

The original tales are not always suitable for the evening. They contain violence, punishments and sometimes things one would tell differently today. We kept the versions for the evening calm and friendly, and we label that. The voice is an AI voice. You can listen to every story beforehand on your own phone and jump to any position before you play it to your child. More on the Stories page. Tips for a calm evening ritual are in Fairy tales for bedtime.