5 minute bedtime stories

5 minute bedtime stories that really do take five minutes — the shortest whole stories here, for when time has run out.

44 stories

Baa, Baa, Black Sheep1-2 min read · 2 pagesBaa, baa, black sheep — the full words of the rhyme, and the three bags of wool that all have somebody waiting for them.
Coco and the Case of the Silent Deck4-6 min read · 9 pagesAboard a pirate ship where a single whisper can turn into the loudest news at sea, there lives a wonderfully chatty green parrot named Coco, who knows everything that happens on deck.
Elara and the Little Song-Bird5-6 min read · 7 pagesWhen kind Princess Elara rescues a small hurt bird, she has no idea their meeting was ever meant to be.
Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed1-2 min read · 5 pagesFive little monkeys jumping on the bed — the full counting rhyme from five down to one, with the doctor, the telephone and the mother.
Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes1-2 min read · 2 pagesHead, shoulders, knees and toes — the full words of the action rhyme, and how to speed it up until the whole thing collapses into laughing.
Hey Diddle Diddle1-2 min read · 2 pagesHey diddle diddle, the cat and the fiddle — the full words of the rhyme in which every single line is impossible.
Hickory Dickory Dock1-2 min read · 2 pagesHickory dickory dock, the mouse ran up the clock — the full words, and the actions that turn it into a counting game.
Hugo the Hedgehog and the One Bright Berry2-5 min read · 9 pagesDeep in a snug little wood lives Hugo, a small hedgehog with the biggest heart of all.
Humpty Dumpty1-2 min read · 2 pagesHumpty Dumpty sat on a wall — the full words of the rhyme, and the fact that it never once says what Humpty Dumpty is.
Jack and Jill1-2 min read · 3 pagesJack and Jill went up the hill — the full words of the rhyme, including the verse where Jack gets his head mended with vinegar.
Little Bo-Peep1-2 min read · 5 pagesLittle Bo-Peep has lost her sheep — the full words of the rhyme, including the verses where she finds the tails and has to sew them back on.
Little Jack Horner1-2 min read · 2 pagesLittle Jack Horner sat in a corner — the full words of the rhyme, and why he is so very pleased with himself at the end.
Little Miss Muffet1-2 min read · 2 pagesLittle Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet — the full words of the rhyme, and what a tuffet and curds and whey actually are.
London Bridge Is Falling Down1-2 min read · 6 pagesLondon Bridge is falling down — the full words of the rhyme, verse by verse, with the wood and clay, the bricks and the iron bars.
Mary Had a Little Lamb1-2 min read · 4 pagesMary had a little lamb — the full words of Sarah Josepha Hale's 1830 poem, including the verses that usually get left off.
Milo the Mighty Mouse6-7 min read · 8 pagesMilo is the smallest mouse in the village of Honeybrook, but she has always dreamed of doing something brave.
Old MacDonald Had a Farm1-2 min read · 5 pagesOld MacDonald had a farm — the full words, verse by verse, with the cow, the duck, the pig and the sheep, and how to let a child add the next animal.
Old Mother Hubbard1-2 min read · 4 pagesOld Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard — the full opening verses of the rhyme, and the dog that turns out to be remarkable.
Oranges and Lemons1-2 min read · 7 pagesOranges and lemons, say the bells of St Clement's — the full words of the London church-bell rhyme, and the game at the end.
Pat-a-Cake1-2 min read · 2 pagesPat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man — the full words of the clapping rhyme, and where to put your child's initial at the end.
Polly Put the Kettle On1-2 min read · 2 pagesPolly put the kettle on — the full words of the rhyme, and the trick the children play on the visitors at the end.
Rain, Rain, Go Away1-2 min read · 2 pagesRain, rain, go away — the full words of the rhyme children say at a wet window, and how old the habit turns out to be.
Ring Around the Rosie1-2 min read · 1 pageRing around the rosie — the full words of the ring game, the British «ring a ring o' roses», and the myth about the plague.
Row, Row, Row Your Boat1-2 min read · 1 pageRow, row, row your boat — the full words, what to do with a child's hands, and the verse about the crocodile that came later.
Ruby and the Night the Bells Flew6-7 min read · 9 pagesIn a snug little village tucked among the snowy hills, Christmas was the most magical time of all — and a small deer named Ruby dreamed of nothing more than joining Santa's team.
Sammy and the Bridge of Brave Hearts3-5 min read · 9 pagesSammy is a small squirrel with a big bushy tail and an even bigger heart, always ready to explore the woods and make a new friend.
Sir Arthur and the Mountain That Grew Cold6-8 min read · 9 pagesHigh in a green kingdom of misty peaks and whispering forests lives Sir Arthur, a knight as gentle as he is brave.
The Ant and the Grasshopper2-3 min read · 7 pagesThe ant and the grasshopper, Aesop's fable to read aloud. All summer he plays and she carries — and then the first cold morning comes.
The Fox and the Grapes2-3 min read · 8 pagesThe fox and the grapes, Aesop's fable to read aloud. He jumps until he cannot jump any more, and then decides he never wanted them at all.
The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs2-3 min read · 9 pagesThe goose that laid the golden eggs, Aesop's fable to read aloud. One gold egg a day is not fast enough for the man who owns her.
The Grand Old Duke of York1-2 min read · 2 pagesThe grand old Duke of York had ten thousand men — the full words, and the standing-up-and-sitting-down that goes with it.
The Itsy Bitsy Spider1-2 min read · 2 pagesThe itsy bitsy spider — the full words, the hand movements that go with them, and why the British call it the incy wincy spider.
The Little Star Who Wanted to Go Home4-6 min read · 10 pagesWhen a tiny star tumbles out of the night sky and lands right in their garden, Emma and her little brother Jack know exactly what to do — help it find its way home.
The Muffin Man1-2 min read · 2 pagesDo you know the muffin man — the full words of the rhyme, the question and the answer, and the game that goes with it.
The Stick That Grew3-4 min read · 10 pagesThe stick that grew, an Akbar and Birbal story to read aloud. A necklace is stolen, and Birbal gives every servant a stick of the same length.
The Wisest Answer3-4 min read · 10 pagesThe wisest answer, an Akbar and Birbal story to read aloud. The emperor asks four impossible questions and gets four short replies.
The Wonderful Journey of Bread6-8 min read · 10 pagesHave you ever wondered how bread finds its way to your table?
This Little Piggy1-2 min read · 2 pagesThis little piggy went to market — the full words of the toe-counting rhyme, and what to do with a child's foot while you say it.
Three Blind Mice1-2 min read · 2 pagesThree blind mice — the full words of the round, and a warning that the third verse is grimmer than the tune suggests.
Toby and the Tunnel of Dark3-5 min read · 8 pagesToby is a little train who loves nothing more than a good long journey — except when the tracks disappear into a dark, whispering tunnel.

«Five minutes» is usually a figure of speech. On this page it is measured: every story here is ten pages or fewer, which comes out at one to five minutes for most of them, and up to eight for a few, read aloud at the pace you would actually use at bedtime. Many of the shortest are nursery rhymes rather than stories.

These are the shortest of the short — a subset of the short stories page, for the evenings that have gone wrong and five minutes has to mean five.

Read one of these instead of starting something long. A whole small story leaves a child settled; half a big one leaves them awake and arguing, and fairly, because you did stop in the middle.

Frequently asked

Are these really five minutes?

Most take one to five minutes at a normal bedtime pace; a few run to seven or eight. We count pages and print the reading time under each title, so you can check before you start rather than after.

How is this different from the short stories page?

This is the shortest part of it. Short stories go up to twelve pages; these stop at ten.

Will one be enough?

Often not, and that is the point — two of these still take less time than one long story, and both of them end properly.

Want to know where the classic fairy tales come from? The articles are here

5 minute bedtime stories

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