✦ 21 stories · 11 regions

The library

Every story is hand-curated, illustrated scene by scene, and narrated in the languages you grew up speaking.

Showing all 21 stories

Length

Region

Aesop (ancient Greek)

✧ Aesop

folklore · 14 scenes · ~4 min

The Tortoise and the Hare

A boastful hare mocks a slow tortoise for his pace. The tortoise challenges him to a race, leading to a surprising outcome when the hare's overconfidence causes him to nap while the tortoise keeps moving steadily toward victory.

Cast

Hare Tortoise

Arabian Peninsula

☾ Arabian

folklore · 28 scenes · ~17 min

Aladdin and the Lamp

Aladdin, a poor merchant's son in 9th-century Baghdad, is tricked into descending into a magical cavern by a sorcerer claiming to be his uncle. Inside, he finds an old brass lamp. When he rubs it clean, a jinni appears. With patience and integrity Aladdin uses the jinni's wishes wisely, helps his mother, marries a princess, outwits the sorcerer, and lives the rest of his days with quiet generosity.

Cast

Aladdin The Sorcerer Aladdin's Mother The Jinni of the Lamp

☾ Arabian

folklore · 28 scenes · ~17 min

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves

A humble woodcutter named Ali Baba discovers a secret cave filled with treasure belonging to a band of thieves. When his greedy brother Cassim tries to claim the wealth, he meets a tragic fate. With the help of his clever servant Morgiana, Ali Baba must outsmart the vengeful thieves who track him to his home, eventually securing his family's safety and sharing his good fortune with the community.

Cast

Ali Baba Cassim Cassim's Wife Morgiana

☾ Arabian

folklore · 14 scenes · ~5 min

Hamad and the Moon

Young Hamad discovers his favorite lamb, Nujoom, is missing from the flock at dusk. Despite his family's advice to wait, he sets out under the moonlight to find his friend. Following tiny hoofprints across the dunes, he rescues the lost lamb and returns home, watched over by his wise father.

Cast

Hamad Father Nujoom

☾ Arabian

folklore · 20 scenes · ~9 min

Hatim al-Tai

Hatim al-Tai, a young Bedouin chief in the Najd desert, becomes legendary for his boundless generosity. Even during a harsh famine, he prioritizes the needs of his guests above his own survival. His reputation for hospitality spreads across Arabia, eventually becoming a proverb for kindness that endures through the ages.

Cast

Hatim al-Tai Mawiyya Emissary

☾ Arabian

folklore · 20 scenes · ~8 min

Sinbad's First Voyage

Sinbad, a young Basran merchant, sets sail on a trading voyage that takes an unexpected turn when his crew mistakes a giant whale for an island. After surviving the ordeal, Sinbad drifts to a new land, earns the favor of King Mihrjan, and eventually returns home to Basra with great wealth and stories of his adventures.

Cast

Sinbad Captain King Mihrjan

☾ Arabian

original · 20 scenes · ~8 min

The Bedouin Star

A young Bedouin boy travels with his family's caravan through the vast, shifting desert. As he observes the natural world, he encounters a curious desert fox, forming a silent bond of respect and patience. Guided by his grandfather's wisdom, the boy learns to find his place under the infinite desert sky, discovering that every child has a star that knows them.

Cast

The Boy The Grandfather The Desert Fox

Arabian Peninsula (Gulf coast)

☾ Arabian

folklore · 20 scenes · ~9 min

The Pearl Diver

A young boy prepares for his first season as a pearl diver in the Arabian Gulf. Through the guidance of his father and the hard work of the crew, he learns the ancient songs, diving signals, and the patience required for the harvest. He returns home at the end of the summer with a single pearl and a new place among the men of his village.

Cast

The Boy The Father The Crew

Arabian Peninsula and the Levant

☾ Arabian

folklore · 20 scenes · ~10 min

Juha and the Donkey

Juha and his young son set out on a journey with their donkey, but every traveler they meet criticizes their way of riding. Through a series of humorous encounters, Juha learns the impossibility of pleasing everyone. He ultimately teaches his son that one must live according to their own values rather than the shifting opinions of strangers.

Cast

Juha Juha's Son

England

✦ England

folklore · 14 scenes · ~5 min

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

A young girl named Goldilocks wanders into a forest and discovers a quiet cottage. Finding three bowls of porridge, three chairs, and three beds, she tries each one until she finds the ones that are just right. When the family of three bears returns home, they discover the intruder asleep in the smallest bed.

Cast

Goldilocks Father Bear Mother Bear Baby Bear

France

✦ France

folklore · 20 scenes · ~8 min

Cinderella

A kind young woman is mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters. With the help of her fairy godmother, she attends a royal ball, captures the prince's heart, and eventually finds happiness, leaving behind a glass slipper that leads the prince to her.

Cast

Cinderella Stepmother Stepsister One Stepsister Two

✦ France

folklore · 20 scenes · ~9 min

Sleeping Beauty

A long-awaited princess is born to a king and queen. Seven fairies bestow gifts, but an eighth, slighted, curses her to die by a spindle. A seventh fairy softens the curse to a hundred-year sleep. The kingdom falls into slumber until a prince arrives to wake the princess and her court.

Cast

The Princess The King The Queen The Good Fairy

Germany

✦ Germany

folklore · 20 scenes · ~9 min

Hansel and Gretel

Two children, Hansel and Gretel, are lost in a deep forest and discover a cottage made of sweets. They are captured by a witch who intends to eat them, but the clever children outwit her and escape. They return home to their father with treasures, ensuring their family's survival through the winter.

Cast

Hansel Gretel Father Witch

✦ Germany

folklore · 20 scenes · ~10 min

Rapunzel

A young girl is raised in a doorless tower by a strict guardian, using her immensely long hair as a ladder. A kind traveller discovers her secret, bringing friendship to her isolated life. When the guardian uncovers the truth, Rapunzel is banished and the traveller is blinded, but true devotion reunites them.

Cast

Rapunzel The Traveller The Guardian Rapunzel's Mother

✦ Germany

folklore · 20 scenes · ~11 min

Snow White

A young princess is forced into exile by a jealous queen. She finds shelter with seven forest miners, but the queen pursues her with treacherous disguises. Through patience and the arrival of a noble prince, the curse is broken, allowing Snow White to return to her people with grace.

Cast

Snow White The Queen The Seven Miners The Huntsman

✦ Germany

folklore · 14 scenes · ~4 min

The Bremen Town Musicians

An aging donkey, hound, cat, and rooster, all cast aside by their masters, set out for Bremen to become town musicians. Along the way, they outsmart a band of robbers in a forest cottage. They decide to stay in the cozy home, living out their days in comfort and friendship.

Cast

Donkey Hound Cat Rooster

India

✺ India

folklore · 20 scenes · ~8 min

The Foolish Lion and the Clever Rabbit

A tyrannical lion terrorizes the animals of an Indian forest until they agree to offer one creature daily as his meal. When it is the turn of a small, clever rabbit, he arrives late and tricks the lion into believing a rival lives in a deep well. The foolish lion leaps in to fight his own reflection and is defeated, restoring peace to the forest.

Cast

The Lion The Rabbit

Japan

⊕ Japan

folklore · 10 scenes · ~10 min

Momotaro the Peach Boy

An elderly couple discovers a baby inside a giant peach floating down a river. Named Momotaro, the boy grows up to be a courageous hero who travels to a distant island to protect his village from troublesome demons. Along the way, he befriends three loyal animal companions who help him recover stolen treasures and restore peace to the land.

Cast

Old Woman Old Man Momotaro Dog

⊕ Japan

folklore · 20 scenes · ~11 min

Princess Kaguya

A humble bamboo cutter discovers a tiny, glowing girl inside a bamboo stalk. He and his wife raise her with love, and she grows into a woman of unmatched grace. As noble suitors vie for her hand, Kaguya-hime sets impossible tasks to test their sincerity. Eventually, she reveals her origin from the moon and must bid a gentle farewell to her earthly parents, leaving behind a promise of eternal love.

Cast

Bamboo Cutter Bamboo Cutter's Wife Kaguya-hime Noble Suitor

Southeast Asia (Indonesia / Malaysia)

✺ Southeast

folklore · 14 scenes · ~4 min

Si Kancil and the Crocodiles

Si Kancil, a clever mouse-deer, wants to reach the delicious fruit on the other side of a dangerous river. He tricks the hungry crocodiles into forming a bridge so he can cross safely. Through wit and charm, he outsmarts the predators and enjoys his feast.

Cast

Si Kancil Crocodile

West Africa (Mali Empire)

☉ West

folklore · 14 scenes · ~15 min

Sundiata: Lion of Mali

Born to a king of the Mande people, young Sundiata Keita faces physical challenges and exile before rising to reclaim his destiny. Through wisdom, patience, and the forging of alliances, he defeats the sorcerer-king Soumaoro Kanté. His victory leads to the founding of the Mali Empire and the establishment of the Manden Charter, a landmark of early human governance.

Cast

Sundiata Keita Sogolon Soumaoro Kanté