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133 stories

Forest and woodland stories

Paths, cottages, wolves and the things that live between the trees

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Forest and woodland stories

There are 133 stories set in woods and forests here, which makes this the second largest collection on the site. The forest is where fairy tales traditionally send a child to find out what they are made of, and about half of these are gentle rather than dark.

The forest is fairy-tale country: it is where Red Riding Hood meets the wolf, where Hansel drops his crumbs, and where lost children find a cottage with a light on. These stories share a setting and a feeling of adventure just beyond the garden gate.

Where to start with forest and woodland stories

12 of 133 to start with. The full list follows.

4 min Ages 3–7 · Classic Tales Goldilocks and The Three Bears

Curious Goldilocks wanders into a magical forest and discovers a charming cottage. When she finds nobody home, her…

 13 min Ages 4–8 · Classic Tales Little Red Riding Hood

Little Red Riding Hood sets off through the enchanting forest to deliver a basket of goodies to her sick grandmother…

 15 min Ages 4–8 · Magic Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

Snow White, kind and gentle, lives in a magical forest, adored by all. Her wicked stepmother, the Queen, grows jealous…

 3 min Ages 3–7 · Classic Tales The Two Soldiers and the Robber

Tomas and Juan, two brave soldiers, are returning to camp when they encounter a fearsome robber in a dark forest…

 4 min Ages 4–8 · Rhyming Stories & Poems A Christmas Star

Timmy, a curious boy, loves gazing at the stars. One snowy night, he spots a new, golden star shining brightly above…

 4 min Ages 4–8 · Classic Tales Dapplegrim

Agnes and Elsa, two brave sisters, live in a village where a whispered legend tells of Dapplegrim, a mischievous forest…

 4 min Ages 3–7 · Bravery & Courage Little Red Riding Hood (A Gentler Retelling)

Little Red Riding Hood loves visiting her kind grandmother, but the woods hold a warning: beware the sly wolf. When a…

 4 min Ages 3–7 · Classic Tales The Bow and the Lyre

In a lush forest, an abandoned silver bow and golden lyre yearn for purpose. A wise old owl encourages them to join…

 4 min Ages 4–8 · Classic Tales The Mice in Council

Master Mouser calls a council of mice, sparking curiosity throughout their quaint village. As winter approaches, the…

 5 min Ages 4–8 · Classic Tales Lily and the Lion

In a magical meadow, kind Lily encounters a mighty lion seeking water. Showing courage, she helps him, and he…

 5 min Ages 3–7 · Magic The Anxious Leaf

Luna, a beautiful red leaf, is always anxious and fearful, longing to dance in the wind but held back by her worries. A…

 5 min Ages 4–8 · Magic The Dwarf With The Golden Beard

In the Peaceful Forest, kind dwarf Glim discovers a magical golden beard that grants him wisdom and the ability to talk…

Why so many stories happen among trees

In a fairy tale the forest is the place outside the rules. Once a character steps into it, the parents cannot help, the path disappears, and whatever happens is theirs to handle. That is why it turns up in 133 stories on this site and in almost every tradition ever collected.

It is also why forest stories split so cleanly in two. Some use the wood as a threat — Hansel and Gretel, The Baba Yaga — and some use it as a shelter, like Moonlit Secrets of the Celestial Forest or The Anxious Leaf, which is five gentle minutes about a leaf that does not want to fall and is quietly one of the best things here for a worried child.

Red Riding Hood, twice, and why the second version exists

Both are retellings of the Brothers Grimm tale. Little Red Riding Hood runs five minutes and is listed for four to eight. The less graphic telling is four minutes, listed from three, and takes the edges off the wolf without pretending he is not there.

And a third, sideways

Little Blue Riding Hood is the playful variation, seven minutes for a three to seven year old, and it works best if your child already knows the original well enough to notice what has changed.

Calm woods for the end of the evening

If you only want the quiet half, look for the gentle ones. Starlit Quest for the Cosmic Petal is eight minutes and listed for three to seven. Rabbit's Eyes and Little Ida's Flowers both end softly. Goldilocks and The Three Bears is four minutes and is nobody's idea of frightening once the bears come home.

Keep The Bear and the Two Travelers for a different sort of night: it is a short, sharp lesson about who your friends are when something goes wrong.

The long ones, for a weekend

Tamlane at ten minutes and The Baba Yaga at ten are the two that need a proper run at them. Both are listed for five to eight, both have real danger in them, and both are far better read in daylight or early evening than as the last thing before the light goes off.

Use the wood your child already knows

Forest stories are the easiest to attach to real life, because most children have walked somewhere with trees in it. Mention the path you took at the weekend before you start, and the story lands in a place they can picture. Our guide to turning your child's day into a story takes that further.

When you want more trees, wolf stories and bird stories both live mostly in the same wood, and gentle sleepy stories is where to go when the forest has been dark enough for one week.

With 133 to choose from you will never reach the end of this collection, so treat it as a place to dip into rather than work through. Pick by mood and by minutes, and let the rest wait.

Dark wood or safe wood
StoryRead aloudAgesThe forest is
The Anxious Leaf5 min3–7Home, and reassuring
Goldilocks and The Three Bears4 min3–7A place to wander
Little Red Riding Hood (gentler telling)4 min3–7Risky, but survivable
The Baba Yaga10 min5–8Genuinely dangerous
Hansel and Gretel8 min6–10The worst of it

Every story in forest and woodland stories, A to Z

  1. A Christmas Star4 min · Ages 4–8
  2. A Midsummer Night’s Dream11 min · Ages 4–8
  3. Babiole8 min · Ages 5–8
  4. Beauty and the Beast14 min · Ages 4–8
  5. Bushy Bride9 min · Ages 4–8
  6. Chicken Licken8 min · Ages 4–8
  7. Dapplegrim4 min · Ages 4–8
  8. Giauna the Beautiful8 min · Ages 4–8
  9. Goldilocks and the FOUR Bears!8 min · Ages 3–7
  10. Goldilocks and The Three Bears4 min · Ages 3–7
  11. Grandmother7 min · Ages 3–7
  12. Gubbon Seer7 min · Ages 5–8
  13. Hans in Luck6 min · Ages 5–8
  14. Hansel and Gretel21 min · Ages 6–10
  15. Henny Penny8 min · Ages 3–7
  16. How Molo Stole the Lovely Rose-Red9 min · Ages 6–10
  17. Huffy Puffy Wolf8 min · Ages 3–7
  18. Lily and the Lion5 min · Ages 4–8
  19. Little Blue Riding Hood7 min · Ages 3–7
  20. Little Gretchen and the Wooden Shoe7 min · Ages 4–8
  21. Little Ida’s Flowers8 min · Ages 4–8
  22. Little Red Riding Hood13 min · Ages 4–8
  23. Little Red Riding Hood (A Gentler Retelling)4 min · Ages 3–7
  24. Long, Broad and Sharpsight7 min · Ages 6–10
  25. Moonlit Secrets of the Celestial Forest9 min · Ages 4–8
  26. Mudjee Monedo10 min · Ages 6–10
  27. One Eye, Two Eyes, Three Eyes7 min · Ages 6–10
  28. Prince Hyacinth and the Dear Little Princess14 min · Ages 4–8
  29. Princess Belle-Etoile9 min · Ages 4–8
  30. Princess Hase, a Story of Old Japan8 min · Ages 4–8
  31. Princess Pink Knickers11 min · Ages 5–8
  32. Princess Rose and the Golden Bird9 min · Ages 5–8
  33. Rabbit’s Eyes10 min · Ages 4–8
  34. Rose of Evening9 min · Ages 5–8
  35. Seven At One Blow7 min · Ages 5–8
  36. Snow White and Rose Red7 min · Ages 4–8
  37. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs20 min · Ages 5–8
  38. Snow White and the Seven Dwarves15 min · Ages 4–8
  39. Starlit Quest for the Cosmic Petal8 min · Ages 3–7
  40. Tamlane10 min · Ages 5–8
  41. The Amber Amulet of the Dragon Star8 min · Ages 5–8
  42. The Anxious Leaf5 min · Ages 3–7
  43. The Baba Yaga9 min · Ages 5–8
  44. The Bear and the Two Travelers9 min · Ages 4–8
  45. The Bird with Nine Heads7 min · Ages 6–10
  46. The Birds, the Beasts, and the Bat8 min · Ages 3–7
  47. The Blue Bird20 min · Ages 6–10
  48. The Bow and the Lyre4 min · Ages 3–7
  49. The Bull and the Goat6 min · Ages 3–7
  50. The Bundle of Sticks7 min · Ages 3–7
  51. The Cat and the Old Rat11 min · Ages 4–8
  52. The Dragon of the North8 min · Ages 5–8
  53. The Dragon Tamers7 min · Ages 4–8
  54. The Dwarf With The Golden Beard5 min · Ages 4–8
  55. The Elder Tree Mother6 min · Ages 4–8
  56. The Elfin Knight8 min · Ages 5–8
  57. The Fair With Golden Hair10 min · Ages 3–7
  58. The Fairy9 min · Ages 4–8
  59. The Faithless Parrot9 min · Ages 5–8
  60. The Fir Tree5 min · Ages 3–7
  61. The Firefly Code and the Starlit Path10 min · Ages 5–8
  62. The Fox and the Goat9 min · Ages 4–8
  63. The Fox and the Monkey6 min · Ages 4–8
  64. The Fox and the Pheasants5 min · Ages 4–8
  65. The Friendly Frog5 min · Ages 3–7
  66. The Golden Beetle8 min · Ages 4–8
  67. The Great White Bear and the Trolls6 min · Ages 4–8
  68. The Hare with Many Friends7 min · Ages 3–7
  69. The Ice Mirror of the Frost Galaxy7 min · Ages 4–8
  70. The Kingdom of the Ogres8 min · Ages 4–8
  71. The Lion and the Boar7 min · Ages 4–8
  72. The Lion and the Statue8 min · Ages 5–8
  73. The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox6 min · Ages 4–8
  74. The Little Good Mouse9 min · Ages 4–8
  75. The Lost Melody of the Nebula Brook10 min · Ages 6–10
  76. The Mad Goose and the Tiger Forest8 min · Ages 4–8
  77. The Magic Fishbone6 min · Ages 5–8
  78. The Man Who Made The Trees Blossom5 min · Ages 4–8
  79. The Mice in Council4 min · Ages 4–8
  80. The Miraculous Pitcher7 min · Ages 4–8
  81. The Monkey as King8 min · Ages 5–8
  82. The Monkey’s Heart7 min · Ages 5–8
  83. The Nodding Tiger5 min · Ages 3–7
  84. The Nurse and the Wolf6 min · Ages 4–8
  85. The Oak and the Reeds6 min · Ages 4–8
  86. The Old Man and His Grandson8 min · Ages 4–8
  87. The Old Witch7 min · Ages 4–8
  88. The One-Eyed Doe8 min · Ages 3–7
  89. The Orchard Sprite of the Forbidden Planet6 min · Ages 4–8
  90. The Peacock and the Crane7 min · Ages 6–10
  91. The Peacock and the Fox6 min · Ages 4–8
  92. The Prince and the Goblin7 min · Ages 6–10
  93. The Princess Mayblossom9 min · Ages 3–7
  94. The Princess Who Wasn’t8 min · Ages 4–8
  95. The Pumpkin Giant9 min · Ages 4–8
  96. The Queen Bee8 min · Ages 4–8
  97. The Ratcatcher7 min · Ages 4–8
  98. The Ridiculous Wishes7 min · Ages 4–8
  99. The Seven Foals6 min · Ages 5–8
  100. The Shepherd and the Lion5 min · Ages 4–8
  101. The Silent Flight of the Lunar Owl7 min · Ages 4–8
  102. The Six Sillies7 min · Ages 3–7
  103. The Six Swans14 min · Ages 4–8
  104. The Sleeping Beauty In The Wood14 min · Ages 4–8
  105. The Stag and His Reflection5 min · Ages 4–8
  106. The Stag at the Pool8 min · Ages 3–7
  107. The Story of the Old Man Who Made Withered Trees to Flower9 min · Ages 4–8
  108. The Straw, The Coal, and The Bean7 min · Ages 6–10
  109. The Three Dwarfs5 min · Ages 3–7
  110. The Three Golden Apples5 min · Ages 4–8
  111. The Three Princesses in the Blue Mountain9 min · Ages 4–8
  112. The Tinderbox15 min · Ages 6–10
  113. The Troll Wedding7 min · Ages 4–8
  114. The True History of Little Golden Hood6 min · Ages 4–8
  115. The Twelve Wild Ducks7 min · Ages 4–8
  116. The Two Soldiers and the Robber3 min · Ages 3–7
  117. The Wasp and the Snake9 min · Ages 5–8
  118. The Water Lily and The Gold-Spinners5 min · Ages 3–7
  119. The Weeds8 min · Ages 4–8
  120. The White Doe6 min · Ages 4–8
  121. The White Duck5 min · Ages 4–8
  122. The Wild Boar and the Fox9 min · Ages 4–8
  123. The Wise Girl6 min · Ages 6–10
  124. The Wolf and the Crane7 min · Ages 4–8
  125. The Wolf and the Lamb7 min · Ages 6–10
  126. The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing6 min · Ages 5–8
  127. The Wonderful Sheep7 min · Ages 4–8
  128. The Yellow Dwarf8 min · Ages 5–8
  129. Three Feathers10 min · Ages 6–10
  130. Tom Tit Tot11 min · Ages 4–8
  131. Twinkling Feet’s Halloween7 min · Ages 3–7
  132. Why The Animals No Longer Fear The Sheep7 min · Ages 4–8
  133. Why The Autumn Leaves Are Red8 min · Ages 4–8

Collections that share these stories

Ranked by how many stories they have in common with this one.

Animal stories 97 shared Adventure stories 86 shared Stories about big feelings 67 shared Gentle sleepy stories 37 shared Fairy stories 23 shared Princess stories 9 shared Witches and wizards 7 shared Kings and queens 6 shared

Questions about forest and woodland stories

How many forest stories are on BedtimeStory.kids?

There are 133 in the forest and woodland collection, second only to the animal stories.

Which version of Little Red Riding Hood should I read to a three year old?

The gentler four-minute telling, which is listed for ages three to seven. It keeps the wolf but takes the edges off the encounter.

Are forest stories frightening?

Some are. In fairy tales the wood is where a character faces something alone, so tales like Hansel and Gretel and The Baba Yaga carry real menace, while many others use the forest simply as a gentle setting.

What is a calm forest story for bedtime?

The Anxious Leaf, at five minutes for ages three to seven. It is about a leaf afraid of falling, and it ends peacefully.