Short stories are some of the first pieces of literature that children become acquainted with in

their lives. However, as we age, sometimes we forget what these stories are about, their key
elements or the ways that they continue to shape our lives.
While "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" is certainly one of the most famous examples of short
stories, other tales such as Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Lottery Ticket"
by Anton Chekhov also fall into this category. Read on to enjoy several examples of short
stories for children and adults.

Short Stories for All Readers

Although we're introduced to short stories as children, the fascination may remain all
throughout our lives. If it's your goal to make the switch from reader to writer someday, you'll
benefit from the article Get Creative: How to Write a Short Story. Until then, let's enjoy some
examples from the masters.

Children's Tales
We'll begin with children's tales and fables since people are generally familiar with these
stories. Perhaps you enjoyed the Berenstain Bears as a child or got excited by a
juicy Goosebumps story.
Here are some examples of short stories for kids. They're available in book format, but people
also share these stories via word-of-mouth.
 "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" by Robert Southey
 "Little Red Riding Hood" by Charles Perrault
 "Hansel and Gretel" by the Brothers Grimm
 "Peter Pan" by James Matthew Barrie
 "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" by Aesop (from Aesop's Fables)
 "The Tortoise and the Hare" by Aesop (from Aesop's Fables)
 "The Little Match Girl" by Hans Christian Andersen
 "The Little Mermaid" by Hans Christian Andersen
 "The Princess and the Pea" by Hans Christian Andersen
 "The Emperor's New Clothes" by Hans Christian Andersen
 "The Gingerbread Man" by Jim Aylesworth
 "The Night Before Christmas" by Clement Clarke Moore
 "The Ugly Duckling" by Hans Christian Andersen
 "Rapunzel" by the Brothers Grimm
 "Beauty and the Beast" by Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve
 "Cinderella" by Charles Perrault
 "Rip Van Winkle" by Washington Irving
 "The Prince and the Pauper" by Mark Twain
 "Goodnight Moon" by Margaret Wise Brown
 "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" by the Brothers Grimm
 "Three Little Pigs" by James Halliwell-Phillipps
 "Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak
 "The Cat in the Hat" by Dr. Seuss
 "Green Eggs and Ham" by Dr. Seuss
 "Love You Forever" by Robert Munsch
 "Corduroy" by Don Freeman
 "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" by Beatrix Potter
 "The Little Engine That Could" by Watty Piper
 "The Rainbow Fish" by Marcus Pfister
 "Stone Soup" by Ann McGovern