Five-minute stories
Every one of these has a short version you can read in about five minutes. Same story, same ending, fewer words.
Tap any story and choose the short version.
Ages 3-8
The Three Little Pigs
Three pig brothers leave home to build houses of their own. Two of them hurry, building with straw and sticks so they can go and play. The third takes his time and builds with brick. When a hungry wolf comes knocking, only one house is still standing, and all three brothers learn why it pays to do a job properly.
5 min readJoseph JacobsRead itAges 3-7
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Three bears go out for a walk while their porridge cools. A girl called Goldilocks finds their door open and lets herself in, and tries everything in the house until she finds the one that suits her. Then she falls asleep, and they come home.
5 min readJoseph JacobsRead itAges 3-8
The Tortoise and the Hare
A hare laughs at a tortoise for being slow, so the tortoise challenges him to a race. The hare is so far ahead that he lies down for a nap, and wakes up to find the tortoise has already finished.
3 min readAesopRead itAges 4-9
The Ant and the Grasshopper
A grasshopper sings all summer from the top of a dry stalk while the ants below him carry grain into a bank, one piece at a time. Then the field goes grey, the frost comes, and he knocks on their door. The ant asks him what he was doing all summer. He tells her the truth.
4 min readAesopRead itAges 4-9
The Boy Who Cried Wolf
A bored shepherd boy shouts that a wolf is coming, twice, for the fun of watching the village run up the hill. When a wolf actually comes, he shouts again and nobody moves.
3 min readAesopRead it