Which fairy tales are least scary for a 3-year-old?

Of our stories, The Tortoise and the Hare, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Three Little Pigs and The Gingerbread Man are rated 0 or 1 of 5 and suit children from age 3. Start with the short version if attention is short.

Which of these fairy tales are the scariest?

Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Snow White and Hansel and Gretel are rated 3 of 5: real danger, resolved before the end. We suggest them from age 4. Nothing here is rated 4 or 5, because we do not publish stories that frightening.

Are these the original, darker versions?

No. We soften the traditional endings. Nobody is eaten, nobody is boiled, and nobody dies on the page. The stakes stay real, because a resolution means nothing without them, but the violence is gone.

What do the scariness numbers mean?

0: nothing alarming happens. 1: mild tension, resolved at once. 2: a villain appears, but is never frightening on the page. 3: real danger, resolved before the end. We do not publish anything rated 4 or 5.

Can we listen instead of reading?

Yes. All 18 stories can be listened to for free, with no account, and each also has a recording of the short version. On the story page, each word lights up as it is read.

How scary is each fairy tale?

Every story on Dragon Kids Land is rated 0 to 5 for scariness. Here they all are, gentlest first, with the age each one suits, what actually happens, and how long it takes to read or listen to. Our retellings are gentle versions: nobody is eaten, boiled or killed on the page.

At a glance

Story	Scariness	Ages	Read aloud	Listen
The Tortoise and the Hare	0 of 5	3–8	4 min	3 min (short 1 min)
Goldilocks and the Three Bears	1 of 5	3–7	6 min	6 min (short 2 min)
The Three Little Pigs	1 of 5	3–8	7 min	6 min (short 2 min)
The Gingerbread Man	1 of 5	3–8	8 min	6 min (short 2 min)
The Ant and the Grasshopper	1 of 5	4–9	5 min	4 min (short 1 min)
Cinderella	1 of 5	4–9	8 min	7 min (short 2 min)
Sleeping Beauty	1 of 5	4–9	9 min	8 min (short 2 min)
The Emperor's New Clothes	1 of 5	4–9	9 min	7 min (short 2 min)
The Boy Who Cried Wolf	2 of 5	4–9	4 min	3 min (short 2 min)
The Frog King	2 of 5	4–9	9 min	7 min (short 2 min)
The Ugly Duckling	2 of 5	4–9	12 min	10 min (short 2 min)
Puss in Boots	2 of 5	5–10	9 min	8 min (short 2 min)
Rapunzel	2 of 5	5–10	9 min	8 min (short 2 min)
Rumpelstiltskin	2 of 5	5–10	9 min	7 min (short 2 min)
Little Red Riding Hood	3 of 5	4–9	6 min	5 min (short 2 min)
Jack and the Beanstalk	3 of 5	5–10	9 min	8 min (short 2 min)
Snow White	3 of 5	5–10	9 min	8 min (short 2 min)
Hansel and Gretel	3 of 5	5–10	10 min	9 min (short 2 min)

0 of 5: nothing alarming happens

The Tortoise and the Hare
Ages 3 to 8 · 4 min read aloud · short version 2 min · audio with words that light up
Nothing alarming happens.

1 of 5: mild tension, resolved at once

Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Ages 3 to 7 · 6 min read aloud · short version 2 min · audio with words that light up
Mild tension, resolved at once.
The Three Little Pigs
Ages 3 to 8 · 7 min read aloud · short version 2 min · audio with words that light up
Mild tension, resolved at once.
The Gingerbread Man
Ages 3 to 8 · 8 min read aloud · short version 2 min · audio with words that light up
Mild tension, resolved at once.
The Ant and the Grasshopper
Ages 4 to 9 · 5 min read aloud · short version 2 min · audio with words that light up
Mild tension, resolved at once.
Cinderella
Ages 4 to 9 · 8 min read aloud · short version 2 min · audio with words that light up
Mild tension, resolved at once.
Sleeping Beauty
Ages 4 to 9 · 9 min read aloud · short version 2 min · audio with words that light up
Mild tension, resolved at once.
The Emperor's New Clothes
Ages 4 to 9 · 9 min read aloud · short version 2 min · audio with words that light up
Mild tension, resolved at once.

2 of 5: a villain, never frightening on the page

The Boy Who Cried Wolf
Ages 4 to 9 · 4 min read aloud · short version 2 min · audio with words that light up
A villain, never frightening on the page.
The Frog King
Ages 4 to 9 · 9 min read aloud · short version 2 min · audio with words that light up
A villain, never frightening on the page.
The Ugly Duckling
Ages 4 to 9 · 12 min read aloud · short version 2 min · audio with words that light up
A villain, never frightening on the page.
Puss in Boots
Ages 5 to 10 · 9 min read aloud · short version 2 min · audio with words that light up
It has an ogre and trickery. A villain, never frightening on the page.
Rapunzel
Ages 5 to 10 · 9 min read aloud · short version 2 min · audio with words that light up
A child is given away and raised alone in a tower. Nobody is hurt. The prince is not blinded in this version, and the ending is warm.
Rumpelstiltskin
Ages 5 to 10 · 9 min read aloud · short version 2 min · audio with words that light up
A villain, never frightening on the page.

3 of 5: real danger, resolved before the end

Little Red Riding Hood
Ages 4 to 9 · 6 min read aloud · short version 2 min · audio with words that light up
A wolf pretends to be a grandmother. Nobody is eaten in this version, but the tension is real.
Jack and the Beanstalk
Ages 5 to 10 · 9 min read aloud · short version 2 min · audio with words that light up
A giant chases Jack and threatens to eat him. Nobody is eaten. In this version the giant falls but survives, and the ending is not a death.
Snow White
Ages 5 to 10 · 9 min read aloud · short version 3 min · audio with words that light up
A queen tries three times to harm Snow White with a laced bodice, a comb and an apple. Nobody dies. The queen is sent away rather than punished cruelly.
Hansel and Gretel
Ages 5 to 10 · 10 min read aloud · short version 3 min · audio with words that light up
Two children are abandoned in a wood and captured by a witch. Nobody is harmed, the witch is locked in her own larder rather than burned, and the ending is warm.

Questions parents ask

Which fairy tales are least scary for a 3-year-old?: Of our stories, The Tortoise and the Hare, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Three Little Pigs and The Gingerbread Man are rated 0 or 1 of 5 and suit children from age 3. Start with the short version if attention is short.
Which of these fairy tales are the scariest?: Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Snow White and Hansel and Gretel are rated 3 of 5: real danger, resolved before the end. We suggest them from age 4. Nothing here is rated 4 or 5, because we do not publish stories that frightening.
Are these the original, darker versions?: No. We soften the traditional endings. Nobody is eaten, nobody is boiled, and nobody dies on the page. The stakes stay real, because a resolution means nothing without them, but the violence is gone.
What do the scariness numbers mean?: 0: nothing alarming happens. 1: mild tension, resolved at once. 2: a villain appears, but is never frightening on the page. 3: real danger, resolved before the end. We do not publish anything rated 4 or 5.
Can we listen instead of reading?: Yes. All 18 stories can be listened to for free, with no account, and each also has a recording of the short version. On the story page, each word lights up as it is read.

Ratings and ages are our guidance, not a rule. You know your child best. More on choosing a story: for parents, or browse bedtime stories and stories to listen to.