World Tales for Family Storytelling: 53 traditional stories for children aged 4-6 years

By Chris Smith

Handy stories for bedtimes, family occasions, car journeys and parties. The tales may be read, told and retold and then explored within the family. They are short, simple and quick to learn, so after the parents have told the story, children can tell the stories for themselves. The stories are from oral traditions from a variety of historical, cultural and world sources.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hawthorn Press
• Release date: Oct 15, 2021
• ISBN: 9781912480685

Chris Smith

Dr Chris Smith is a Fellow of Queen's College, Cambridge as well as a microbiologist working at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. Dave Ansell is the Naked Scientists' Kitchen Science specialist who now works full time promoting the public understanding of science.

Book preview

1. Monkeys and Hats

This is a great starter story with lots of physical copying. Every time the monkeys copy the hat-maker you can get your audience to join in and do the same thing, making monkey noises at the same time. I can remember where I heard this one first, as it is very popular and much loved. You can find one simple version in Hugh Lupton’s The Story Tree. This story is all about having fun together.

Try and tell it that way.

Once, not twice, not thrice…

There was a hat-maker. He made tall hats and short hats, fat hats and thin hats, green hats and blue hats… all sorts of hats.

One day he was walking through the forest on the way to market carrying a basketful of hats on his head to sell in the market. As he walked he sang a song.

I am going to market, to market, to market,

I am going to market, to sell my hats.

It was a hot day and the hat-maker felt tired so he decided to have a rest. He lay down under a tree with his basket of hats next to him and fell asleep.

When he woke up, he looked in the basket and… all the hats were gone. He looked behind trees and under bushes but there was no sign of his hats.

Then he heard the sound of a monkey chattering above his head. He looked up and saw, sitting on a branch high up above his head, a crowd of monkeys, each one wearing one of his hats.

Furious, he shook his fist at them and shouted, ‘Give me back my hats!’

Now monkeys love to copy and all of the monkeys did the same thing back to him, shaking their fists and shouting back in monkey-talk. This made the hat-maker even more cross. He shook his finger at the monkeys, ‘If you are making fun of me then you’ll be sorry!’

The monkeys copied him, wagged their fingers and shouted back in their own language. ‘If you don’t give them back, then I’ll go and get my bow and arrow and shoot you one by one!’

He made as if to shoot an imaginary weapon and the monkeys just followed suit. ‘Please,’ he begged, his hands clasped together in prayer, but again they just copied. This went on for a while, until finally he gave up.

Taking off his own hat he threw it onto the ground. ‘I give up!’ he shouted.

All the monkeys in their trees took off their hats and threw them down onto the ground.

Delighted, the hat-maker picked them up, put them in his basket, and walked off to town singing his song.

That evening the hat-maker told his son what had happened with the monkeys, and after that the monkey story was his son’s favourite.

‘Tell me, Dad! Tell me the one about the monkeys and the hats!’

The son grew up and became a hat-maker just like his dad. One day he was walking through the forest with a basketful of hats, singing a song. He decided to have a rest. He lay down under a tree and fell asleep, and when he woke up… his basket was empty.

Knowingly, he looked up into the tree and smiled at the monkeys wearing his hats. He waggled his finger at them. ‘I know how to get the hats back,’ he called up, and the monkeys waggled their fingers back at him.

He poked his chest confidently, ‘My dad told me this story!’ And again they copied.

He took off his hat, and threw it down, but the monkeys didn’t move a muscle. ‘Come on you stupid monkeys!’ he called. ‘Copy that!’

But they didn’t.

The largest of the monkeys, grey and long-haired, hung his hat on the branch and climbed down the tree until he stood face to face with the hat-maker’s son.

‘You think you are clever,’ said the monkey, waggling his finger at the son, ‘because your dad told you stories. Well, our dad’s told us stories too, and this time we’re keeping the hats!’

The monkeys disappeared into the forest with the hats.

The hat-maker’s son went home with nothing to sell in the market.

That’s why stories are so important...

You never know what you will learn from one, and when it will come in handy!

2. The Little Red Hen

This is a repeating story, which can easily be told communally with actions for each line. It’s a very popular story for learning the communal method. The web is full of examples of children telling the story in this way to give you ideas for actions. I first heard this from Pie Corbett, whose way of telling has become very well known around the UK and beyond. It’s a good story to teach about living things and life cycles as well as about food and about the benefits of helping others. To make it meaningful it’s often good to explain the sequence before you start telling: planting, watering, cutting, grinding, kneading, baking and eating. The class can learn an action for each step to make it more fun and memorable.

Once upon a time there was a Little Red Hen who lived on a farm with a bull, a cat and a rat. One morning the Little Red Hen woke up and decided to grow some wheat, to make some bread, to eat when she was hungry.

She went outside to the field.

‘Who will help me plant the seeds?’ said the Little Red Hen.

‘Not me,’ said the Bull. ‘Not me,’ said the Cat. ‘Not me,’ said the Rat.

‘Oh well, then I suppose I’ll have to do it myself,’ she said. And so she did, planting all the seeds. Time passed.

‘Who will help me water the seeds?’ said the Little Red Hen.

‘Not me,’ said the Bull. ‘Not me,’ said the Cat. ‘Not me,’ said the Rat.

‘Oh well, then I suppose I’ll have to do it myself,’ she said. And so she did, watering all the seeds. Time passed and the wheat grew.

‘Who will help me cut the wheat?’ said the Little Red Hen.

‘Not me,’ said the Bull. ‘Not me,’ said the Cat. ‘Not me,’ said the Rat.

‘Oh well, then I suppose I’ll have to do it myself,’ she said. And so she did, cutting all the wheat herself. Time passed.

‘Who will help me grind the wheat?’ said the Little Red Hen.

‘Not me,’ said the Bull. ‘Not me,’ said the Cat. ‘Not me,’ said the Rat.

‘Oh well, then I suppose I’ll have to do it myself,’ she said. And so she did, grinding all the wheat herself. Time passed.

‘Who will help me bake the bread?’ said the Little Red Hen.

‘Not me,’ said the Bull. ‘Not me,’ said the Cat. ‘Not me,’ said the Rat.

‘Oh well, then I suppose I’ll have to do it myself,’ she said. And so she did, baking the bread herself. Time passed.

‘Who will help me eat the bread?’ said the Little Red Hen.

‘Not me,’ said the Bull. ‘Not me,’ said the Cat. ‘Not me,’ said the Rat.

‘Oh no you won’t!’ said the Little Red Hen. ‘I’ll eat it myself.’ And so she did, eating all the bread herself. It tasted good.

3. Three Little Pigs

Here’s one of the most popular early years stories of all time. Build the drama to make it matter. I’ve added some ideas for actions to join in with in case you need them.

Once there were three little pigs who lived with their mum. (three fingers for three, press nose for pig)

One day she said, ‘Off you go and build your own houses.’ (shoo off with hand, mime roof with arms)

‘Remember to build them strong.’ (clench fists for strong)

The first little pig built his house out of straw. (one finger for first, roof for house, mime thin straw)

Along came the wolf and said, (mime claws and jaws for wolf)

‘Little pig, little pig, let me come in.’

‘Not by the hair of my chinni chin chin!’ (shake head and scratch chin)

‘Then I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your house down!’

The wolf huffed and puffed and blew the house down (huff and puff) and he ate up the little pig. (eating)

The second little pig built his house out of wood.

Along came the wolf and said,

‘Little pig, little pig, let me come in.’

‘Not by the hair of my chinni chin chin!’

‘Then I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your house down!’

The wolf huffed and puffed and blew the house down and he ate up the little pig.

The third little pig built his house out of bricks.

Along came the wolf and said,

‘Little pig, little pig, let me come in.’

‘Not by the hair of my chinni chin chin!’

‘Then I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your house down!’

The wolf huffed and puffed but he couldn’t blow the house down. (mime a lot of futile huffing)

So the wolf went home and the third little pig was glad. (big smile)

4. The Birth of Jesus

I helped create this story with the Foundation Team at St John Fisher School, a pioneer Storytelling School in Oxford. It’s good for communal chanting, with an action for each line. Make up your own actions.

Along long time ago, Mary was going to have a baby

They walked and walked and walked and walked, and slept in a stable

Snow is falling

Stars are shining

Halleluya baby Jesus

In the cold of the dark dark night

When everyone was sleeping

Jesus was born to Mary

And lay in the straw of a manger

Snow is falling

Stars are shining

Halleluya baby Jesus

Who’s that knocking at the stable door?

LOOK! It’s the shepherds

What will they give to baby Jesus?

Sheepskins and wool

Snow is falling

Stars are shining

Halleluya baby Jesus

Who’s that knocking at the stable door?

LOOK! It’s the three wise men

What will they give to baby Jesus?

Gold, frankincense and myrrh

Snow is falling

Stars are shining

Halleluya baby Jesus

Who’s that knocking at the stable door?

WE ARE, WE ARE!

What will we learn from baby Jesus?

Joy, love and hope

Snow is falling

Stars are shining

Halleluya baby Jesus

5. The Gingerbread Man

Here’s another popular story with plenty of repetition.

Build up the danger for the gingerbread man so the audience cares about the action. Actions can be added if needed.

Once upon a time (open hands) there was a little old lady (mime dress) and a little old man (mime beard) who lived together in house. (mime roof)

One day the little old lady said, ‘I’m going to bake a gingerbread man.’ (mime gingerbread man: hand and feet out and mouth open)

She mixed and pressed and put the dough in the oven. (mime)

Then she heard a knocking from inside the oven. (knock)

She opened the door (mime) and out jumped the gingerbread man. (mime)

‘Stop!’ said the old lady. (hold up hand)

Run, run, as fast as you can

You can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man (mime running)

The old man can’t catch me (mime beard)

And you can’t catch me (point finger for you)

He ran and he ran and he ran (mime running) until he came to a:

1. Cat (mime whiskers)

‘Stop!’ said the cat. (hold up hand)

Run, run, as fast as you can

You can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man (mime running)

The old lady can’t catch me (mime dress)

And you can’t catch me (point finger for you)

2. Dog (mime ears and repeat whole sequence)

3. Cow (mime horns and repeat whole sequence)

4. River and a Fox (mime flowing water and fox’s tricky tail with hand)

‘Jump on my tail!’ said the fox, ‘And I’ll carry you over the river.’

The gingerbread man jumped on his tail. (mime the jump with a hand onto your tail)

‘Jump on my back,’ said the fox, ‘I’m sinking in the water.’

And the gingerbread man jumped on his back. (mime hand jump onto your back)

‘Jump on my head,’ said the fox, ‘I’m sinking in the water.’

And the gingerbread man jumped on his head. (mime hand jump onto your head)

‘Jump on my nose,’ said the fox, ‘I’m sinking in the water.’

And the gingerbread man jumped on his nose. (mime)

The fox shook his nose.

The gingerbread man flew up into the air.

And down into the fox’s mouth. (mime all this into your mouth)

And that was the end of the gingerbread man.

6. Bats Learn to Dance

This can be chanted or told as a participative story. There is lots of clear physicality. You can let your children make up the dances. I am not sure where it comes from; it’s very popular with UK storytellers.

Once a baby bat was hanging on the roof of its cave next to her mum and dad in the middle of winter.

‘I’m cold,’ shivered the bat, and fell off onto the floor.

There she met a