Bedtime stories about animals

Bedtime stories about animals — foxes, bears, cats, a hamster who keeps the stars and a tortoise who wins a race by not stopping.

92 stories

A Christmas Tree for the Forest Animals5-7 min read · 14 pagesA christmas bedtime story: a crooked spruce that nobody ever takes home, and the one who starts decorating it has nothing of her own.
Alice in Wonderland10-12 min read · 20 pagesAlice in Wonderland, retold for reading aloud. A girl follows a rabbit with a pocket watch and lands somewhere the rules keep changing.
Apollo and the Whole Wide Sky5-6 min read · 13 pagesHigh on the windswept cliffs, in a nest of sticks and sunlight, lived the smallest eaglet of all — a little dreamer named Apollo who longed to open his wings and touch the sky.
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.
Bella and the Golden Acorn5-6 min read · 17 pagesDeep in the whispering woods lives Bella, a little squirrel with a big, brave heart and a nose for adventure.
Bella and the One Golden Wish7-9 min read · 20 pagesDeep in a green and singing forest lives a little squirrel named Bella — quick, kind, and always ready for a new discovery.
Bruno the Bear and the Honey Machine7-9 min read · 18 pagesDeep in the woods lived Bruno, a clever bear who loved to build. When he saw how hard his friends the bees worked, he invented something wonderful to help them — but even the best ideas can go wrong.
Bruno, the Keeper of the Woods6-8 min read · 12 pagesBruno is a bear with the biggest heart in the whole forest, and every creature knows that when trouble comes, he is never far behind.
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.
Emma and the Christmas Star That Went Missing5-7 min read · 13 pagesIn a snug little town wrapped in evergreen woods, the Christmas star that warms every heart has vanished from the tall tree in the square.
Fifi and the Wishing Cookies10-12 min read · 29 pagesDeep in an enchanted forest lives Fifi, a little fox who bakes cookies that grant wishes — or so everyone believes. But is the magic really hidden in the recipe?
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.
Flake the Snowman and the Carrot He Couldn't Keep6-8 min read · 16 pagesIn a cozy, snow-tucked backyard lives Flake, a snowman who is very, very proud of the brightest carrot nose in the whole wide world.
Goldilocks and the Three Bears6-8 min read · 12 pagesGoldilocks and the three bears, the folk tale to read aloud. She tries all three of everything, and the third one is always just right.
Henry Mole's Underground Railway7-9 min read · 15 pagesHenry is a small mole with bright, curious eyes who loves nothing more than exploring the hidden paths beneath his forest.
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.
Lark, the Little Sparrow with the Great Big Heart7-9 min read · 19 pagesLark is the smallest sparrow in the whole wide wood, but nobody has ever had a braver heart or a busier, more curious head.
Larry the Cat and the Little Star Lanterns8-10 min read · 19 pagesEvery night, Larry the cat sets off on his own special journey, hanging tiny star lanterns to fill the forest with warmth and calm. Beneath their glow, the little animals drift safely to sleep.
Lina, the Sheep Who Wandered8-10 min read · 18 pagesIn a green valley where everyone follows the same worn path, a little sheep named Lina chooses her own way.
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 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.
Little Thomas and the Spark in the Box6-8 min read · 12 pagesThomas is a curious little rabbit who finds a mysterious box beneath a tree one bright morning — and inside waits a tiny, dancing flame with a great big lesson to teach.
Lulu the Kitten and the No-Touch Bottles6-8 min read · 12 pagesLulu is a tiny kitten with an enormous heart for adventure — there's nothing she loves more than poking her whiskers into someplace new.
Marcus the Cat and the Golden Brush7-9 min read · 19 pagesIn a snug little village tucked among the green hills lives a most unusual cat named Marcus, who loves nothing more than to paint.
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.
Mia the Monkey and the Magic of Clean Hands8-10 min read · 18 pagesDeep in the jungle, every day is an adventure — especially when a cheeky little monkey named Mia is around! But one afternoon, her favorite banana almost caused a whole heap of trouble.
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.
Nix the Astro-Hamster10-12 min read · 23 pagesIn a world where hamsters don't just nibble carrots but chart the stars, one small engineer named Nix dreams enormous dreams.
Nutmeg the Squirrel and the Stranger in Gray6-8 min read · 11 pagesDeep in a forest where the branches whisper stories, there lives a bright little squirrel named Nutmeg — cheerful, curious, and friends with every leaf and twig.
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.
Oscar the Hare and the Silver Watch9-11 min read · 21 pagesDeep in a forest where the treetops brush the clouds lives Oscar, the fastest hare anyone has ever seen — and his most precious treasure is a little silver pocket watch that ticks along with every dash he takes.
Oscar the Mole and the Map Beneath the Roots7-9 min read · 14 pagesDeep down in a snug maze of winding tunnels lives Oscar, a little mole who loves nothing more than digging his way into somewhere new.
Percy the Prankster Pigeon6-7 min read · 11 pagesIn a busy little park where laughter always drifts on the breeze, there lives a cheeky pigeon named Percy who loves to startle the visitors.
Pip and the Big Blue Dive7-8 min read · 14 pagesOn a wide white shore at the bottom of the world lives a little penguin named Pip — a penguin with one very unusual worry.
Puss in Boots7-9 min read · 16 pagesPuss in boots, the folk tale to read aloud. A miller's son inherits a cat, and the cat asks him for a pair of boots and a sack.
Ricky and the Great Chip Caper5-6 min read · 11 pagesIn the leafy little town of Maplewood lives Ricky, a raccoon with clever paws and an even bigger nose for mischief.

Animals do most of the work in children's stories, and they have for as long as there have been children's stories. A wolf can be frightening without anybody being cruel; a tortoise can be stubborn without being rude; a mouse can turn out to matter, and a child can see themselves in it without being told to.

This page collects every story on the site with an animal at the middle of it — Aesop's fables, the Bremen town musicians, the ugly duckling, and a good many of Marytale's own, which tend to be about small animals doing something braver than they expected.

They cover the whole range of lengths, from a one-minute nursery rhyme to a twelve-minute story. The reading time is under every title, which is usually the more useful number at half past eight.

Frequently asked

Are these all talking animals?

Most of them. In a fable the animals talk and behave like people; in others they are simply animals that a child watches. Both kinds are here.

Which are best for the youngest?

The fables — the hare and the tortoise, the lion and the mouse — because they are short and there is only one thing to follow.

Is anything here frightening?

The wolf stories have a frightening middle: the seven little kids, the wolf in sheep's clothing. Nothing ends badly for the child or the young animal in the story.

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

Wild animal coloring pages →

Bedtime stories about animals

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