A collection of fairy tales to read before bed

In the blink of an eye, a dashing prince in a white cloak and a crown appeared before her. He smiled warmly and said,

"Greetings, my lady. I have traveled from a faraway kingdom to seek your hand in marriage. Will you be my queen?"

Mary was speechless. She could only nod in agreement, and the prince embraced her.

"Thank you so much, you two," Mary said gratefully. "You're true friends."

She joined the prince on the horse, and they rode off to his kingdom.

"Any more wishes for you?" Ivan asked Peter.

"Nope, I'm content," Peter replied. "You?"

"Me too," Ivan agreed. "Let's go home."

They continued their journey home and excitedly shared their adventure with their grandparents. Their grandparents were overjoyed and asked to try the apple as well. Ivan and Peter gladly handed it over, and their grandparents each took a bite.

"I wish for us to always be healthy and happy," the grandmother wished.

"And I wish for us to always have plenty of food and a warm home," the grandfather added.

Immediately, they both felt a surge of energy and youthfulness. The house filled with light and warmth, and a delicious aroma wafted from the kitchen. A large pot of borscht and a loaf of bread appeared on the table.

"Thank you, dear children," their grandparents said with gratitude.

They embraced Ivan and Peter and invited them to share the wonderful meal.

And the apple, its magic fulfilled, remained whole. It sat on a shelf in Ivan and Peter's room, a cherished reminder of their extraordinary day.

The Magical Tree

Once upon a time, there were two best friends named Tommy and Billy. They loved exploring the woods near their home, always on the lookout for something interesting. One day, they decided to venture deep into the forest, to a place they had never been before. They packed their backpacks with snacks, water, and flashlights, ready for an adventure.

As they walked along the forest path, chatting and laughing, they came across a giant tree with a hole in its trunk. Tommy, always the curious one, went over to the tree and peeked inside.

"Billy, you won't believe this!" he shouted. "There's a ladder in here!"

"A ladder?" Billy asked, surprised. "Where does it lead?"

"Let's find out!" Tommy suggested.

They climbed into the hole and started down the ladder. It was long and steep, and they couldn't see anything but darkness.

"This is weird," Billy said. "It feels like we're going underground."

"Maybe it's a cave," Tommy guessed.

They took out their flashlights and turned them on. Now they could see the walls of the cave, sparkling with colorful crystals.

"It's so beautiful!" Tommy exclaimed.

"Yeah, but where are we?" Billy wondered.

They kept climbing down the ladder until they reached the bottom. There, they found a large platform with a door.

"What's behind that door?" Tommy wondered.

"Let's open it!" Billy suggested.

They went to the door and pulled the handle. The door creaked open, revealing a corridor with many other doors on both sides.

"Where did we end up?" Tommy asked.

"It looks like some kind of maze," Billy replied.

They decided to explore the corridor and choose one of the doors. They passed several doors with different words written on them: "Garden," "Castle," "Glacier," "Volcano."

"Which one sounds interesting to you?" Tommy asked.

"Let's go to the 'Garden,'" Billy suggested.

They opened the door labeled "Garden" and stepped inside. Behind it was a beautiful garden filled with flowers, fruit trees, and fountains.

"This is amazing!" Billy exclaimed.

They found a small house in the garden where an old woman lived. She was very kind and welcoming. She invited them in and offered them tea and pie.

"Who are you, and where did you come from?" she asked.

"We're Tommy and Billy," they replied. "We came from the forest. We found a ladder in a tree and climbed down into a cave. There, we found a maze with doors to different worlds. We chose the door to your garden."

"Oh, you've stumbled into the Fairy Tale World!" the old woman said. "There are many different worlds here that you can visit through the doors. But be careful, not all worlds are safe. Some of them can be dangerous or cruel."

"Why is that?" Tommy asked.

"Because the Fairy Tale World reflects the desires and fears of the people who enter it," the old woman explained. "If you want to see something beautiful and kind, you will find it here. But if you want to see something scary and evil, you will also find it here."

"And how can we get back to our world?" Billy asked.

"You must find the door labeled 'Home,'" the old woman replied. "It exists in every world, but it's not always easy to find. You must be attentive and brave."

"Thank you for your advice," they thanked the old woman.

"You're welcome," she smiled. "I'm always happy to have guests. If you need help, you can come back to me anytime."

They said goodbye to the old woman and left the house. They decided to continue their journey through the Fairy Tale World and see other worlds.

"Where should we go next?" Tommy asked.