Spanish folk stories

To become a Spanish speaker, you must practice regularly and, if possible, a little bit every day. This is one of the best tips to improve your Spanish, because in this way, your reading and listening comprehension will advance without you even realizing it. And what better way to improve your Spanish skills than with some of the most popular Spanish folk stories.

Below, you will find a list of the most popular Spanish folk tales known by children and adults in Spain. These stories have different origins, and you probably know some of the tales, but have you read them in Spanish? Discover them here and sign up to learn Spanish in Spain with donQuijote!

You can also read this article in Spanish or in other languages like French, Italian or Dutch.

El cuento de la lechera (The Tale of the Milkmaid)

The first tale on the list is El cuento de la lechera, which has its origins in classical European fables and has been attributed to writers such as Aesop and Jean de La Fontaine. It is found in several variants in cultures such as Spanish, French and German. It goes like this:

“Había una vez una lechera que vivía en una aldea. Todos los días, ella llevaba una jarra de leche sobre su cabeza hacia el mercado de la ciudad para venderla y ganar algo de dinero. Mientras caminaba, comenzó a soñar despierta sobre todo lo que podría hacer con el dinero que ganaría ese día.

Primero, pensó: "Voy a vender esta leche por unos cuantos céntimos. Con ese dinero, compraré unos huevos. Los huevos pronto se convertirán en pollitos, y cuando crezcan, podré venderlos por un buen precio en el mercado. Con ese dinero, compraré un cerdo pequeño y lo engordaré. Cuando el cerdo esté grande, lo venderé y tendré suficiente dinero para comprar una vaca. La vaca me dará leche todos los días, que podré vender y ganar aún más dinero".

Mientras la lechera seguía fantaseando sobre su futuro próspero, la jarra de leche comenzó a balancearse en su cabeza, y debido a su entusiasmo, movió demasiado la cabeza y la jarra se le cayó, rompiéndose y derramando toda la leche. Al darse cuenta de que había perdido todo el dinero que podría haber ganado, la lechera se sintió muy triste y desanimada”.

English version:

"Once upon a time there was a milkmaid who lived in a village. Every day, she carried a jug of milk on her head to the city market to sell it and earn some money. As she walked, she began to daydream about all the things she could do with the money she would earn that day. First, she thought, "I'm going to sell this milk for a few cents. With that money, I'll buy some eggs. The eggs will soon become chicks, and when they grow up, I can sell them for a good price in the market. With that money, I will buy a small pig and fatten it up. When the pig is big, I will sell it and have enough money to buy a cow. The cow will give me milk every day, which I can sell and make even more money." As the milkmaid continued to fantasize about her prosperous future, the milk jug began to sway on her head, and because of her excitement, she moved her head too much and the jug fell off, breaking and spilling all the milk. Realizing that she had lost all the money she could have earned, the milkmaid felt very sad and discouraged."

Los tres cerditos (The three little pigs)

A tale known to many, of European origin and popularized in children's literature: Los tres cerditos. There are thousands of versions of this tale in literature and cinema. Here is a brief summary:

“Había una vez tres cerditos que vivían juntos con su mamá en el bosque. Un día, mamá cerda les dijo que ya eran lo suficientemente mayores para construir sus propias casas y vivir independientes, pero que tenían que protegerse del lobo.

El primer cerdito, que era un poco perezoso, decidió construir su casa rápidamente con paja, pensando que sería suficiente para protegerse. El segundo cerdito trabajó un poco más y construyó su casa con madera, pero solo era un poco más resistente que la casa de paja. Mientras que el tercer cerdito, el más trabajador de todos, decidió construir su casa con ladrillos.

El lobo feroz que vivía en el bosque vio las casas de los cerditos y pensó que serían una buena comida. Primero fue a la casa de paja y sopló con fuerza. La casa se derrumbó y el cerdito tuvo que huir. Luego fue a la casa de madera del segundo cerdito. También sopló con fuerza y la casa se destruyó. El segundo cerdito corrió a refugiarse con su hermano.

Finalmente, el lobo fue a la casa de ladrillos del tercer cerdito. Sopló y sopló, pero la casa no se movió. El lobo no pudo entrar y se marchó frustrado.

Los tres cerditos aprendieron que la casa más segura era la que se había construido con ladrillos. Desde entonces, vivieron en la casa del tercer cerdito trabajando juntos para protegerse de cualquier peligro”.

English version:

"Once upon a time there were three little pigs who lived together with their mother in the forest. One day, mommy pig told them that they were old enough to build their own houses and live independently, but that they had to protect themselves from the wolf. The first little pig, who was a bit lazy, decided to build his house quickly with straw, thinking that it would be enough to protect him. The second little pig worked a little harder and built his house out of wood, but it was only a little stronger than the straw house. While the third little pig, the hardest working of all, decided to build his house out of bricks. The big bad wolf who lived in the forest saw the piglets' houses and thought they would make a good meal. First, he went to the straw house and blew hard. The house collapsed and the little pig had to run away. Then he went to the second piglet's wooden house. He also blew hard, and the house was destroyed. The second little pig ran to take shelter with his brother. Finally, the wolf went to the third little pig's brick house. He blew and blew, but the house did not move. The wolf could not get in and left in frustration. The three little pigs learned that the safest house was the one built with bricks. From then on, they lived in the third little pig's house working together to protect themselves from any danger."

La ratita presumida (The presumptuous little rat)

Let’s continue with La ratita presumida, a popular fable of Spanish origin that has been transmitted orally and compiled in various collections of children's stories. Here is a version of the tale:

“Había una vez una ratita que vivía en un campo y era muy presumida. Todos los días, se pasaba horas arreglándose y admirándose en el espejo. Un día, mientras barría su casa, encontró una moneda de oro. La ratita, emocionada por su hallazgo, decidió comprarse un bonito lazo rojo con la moneda.

En el momento en que se puso el lazo, la ratita presumida llamó la atención de todos los animales del campo. El gallo, el pato y el cerdo, todos ellos se enamoraron de su belleza y comenzaron a cortejarla, intentando ganar su corazón y proponiéndole matrimonio.

Sin embargo, entre todos los pretendientes, había uno que era más astuto que los demás: el gato. El gato era conocido por ingenio y su capacidad para engañar a los demás y, al ver a la ratita presumida con su lazo rojo, el gato decidió cortejarla también.

El gato comenzó a elogiar a la ratita, a hacerle regalos y le preguntó si quería casarse con él. La ratita, halagada por toda la atención y los regalos, se sintió elogiada y aceptó la propuesta del gato, ignorando las advertencias de los demás.

Antes de casarse, el gato invitó a la ratita a un picnic, pero cuando la ratita abrió la cesta, descubrió que estaba vacía. “¿Dónde está la comida?”, preguntó la ratita. “La comida eres tú, ratita”, le contestó el gato e intentó comérsela.

En ese momento, la ratita, que no era tonta, se dio cuenta de las intenciones del gato y logró escapar justo a tiempo. Tras esta experiencia, la ratita presumida se dio cuenta de su error al dejarse llevar por las apariencias y aceptar al gato sin conocer realmente su verdadera naturaleza. Aprendió una valiosa lección y decidió ser más cautelosa en el futuro”.

English version:

"Once upon a time, there was a little rat who lived in a field and was very conceited. Every day, she spent hours grooming herself and admiring herself in the mirror. One day, while sweeping her house, she found a gold coin. The little rat, excited by her find, decided to buy herself a red ribbon with the coin. The moment she put on the ribbon; the smug little rat attracted the attention of all the animals in the field. The rooster, the duck and the pig all fell in love with her beauty and began to court her, trying to win her heart and proposing marriage.
However, among all the suitors, there was one who was more cunning than the others: the cat. The cat was known for his wit and his ability to deceive others and, seeing the boastful little rat with his red bow, the cat decided to court her as well. The cat began to praise the little rat, give her gifts and asked her if she wanted to marry him. The little rat, flattered by all the attention and gifts, felt praised and accepted the cat's proposal, ignoring the warnings of the others. Before getting married, the cat invited the little rat to a picnic, but when the little rat opened the basket, he discovered it was empty. "Where's the food?" the little rat asked. "The food is you, little rat," the cat replied and tried to eat it. At that moment, the little rat, who was no fool, realized the cat's intentions and managed to escape just in time. After this experience, the smug little rat realized her mistake of being carried away by appearances and accepting the cat without really knowing its true nature. She learned a valuable lesson and decided to be more cautious in the future."

Caperucita Roja (Little Red Riding Hood)

Without a doubt, Caperucita roja is one of the popular tales with more versions: in literature, on television, in movies, in popular cultures... But the best known is the one written by the Brothers Grimm.

In short, this tale tells the story of Little Red Riding Hood, and this is a version of this Spanish folk tale:

“Caperucita roja va a casa de su abuela, que está enferma, pero para llegar allí necesita atravesar el bosque. Durante su camino, se cruza con el lobo, que la engaña para tomar un camino más largo a casa de su abuelita. Por lo que, mientras Caperucita va a recoger flores para su abuelita enferma, el lobo aprovecha para llegar antes que ella a casa de la abuelita.

Una vez allí, el lobo engaña también a la abuelita y se la come, para después disfrazarse de ella. Cuando Caperucita llega a casa de su abuela, es el lobo quien la está esperando y se la come.

El final de la historia varía, en algunas versiones, un cazador salva a Caperucita y a la abuela, mientras que en otras consiguen salir ellas solas de las entrañas del lobo. Aunque el desenlace siempre es el mismo: el lobo acaba con el estómago lleno de piedras y en el fondo del río”.

English version:

"Little Red Riding Hood is going to her grandmother's house, who is ill, but to get there she needs to go through the forest. On her way, she crosses paths with the wolf, who tricks her into taking a longer way to her grandmother's house. So, while Little Red Riding Hood goes to pick flowers for her sick grandmother, the wolf takes the opportunity to get to her grandmother's house before she does. Once there, the wolf also tricks the grandmother and eats her, and then disguises himself as her. When Little Red Riding Hood arrives at her grandmother's house, it is the wolf who is waiting for her and eats her. The ending of the story varies, in some versions, a hunter saves Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother, while in others they manage to get out of the wolf's entrails by themselves. However, the outcome is always the same: the wolf ends up with a stomach full of stones and at the bottom of the river".

El gallo Kirico (The rooster Kirico)

El gallo Kirico is a traditional Spanish tale that is part of folklore and popular narrations. A story that has been transmitted from generation to generation orally, especially in rural areas. This Spanish folk tale, like many others, has multiple versions, but all maintain the same core and moral message:

“Había una vez un gallo llamado Kirico que era muy presumido y le encantaba mostrar sus plumas brillantes y su canto sonoro. Un día, Kirico fue invitado a la boda del tío Perico, un evento muy importante para los animales del corral. Kirico se preparó con gran esmero, deseando impresionar a todos los asistentes.

Camino a la boda, Kirico se encontró con un charco de barro y, preocupado por ensuciarse, buscó la manera de evitarlo. A pesar de sus esfuerzos, no pudo evitar pisarlo y ensuciarse un poco. Más adelante, se encontró con un matorral espinoso que desgarró parte de sus plumas, y luego con un riachuelo que mojó su elegante plumaje.

A lo largo de su camino, Kirico también tuvo varios encuentros con otros animales que le ofrecieron comida. Primero, se encontró con una hormiga que le ofreció un grano de trigo, pero Kirico, despectivo, lo rechazó. Luego, una rana le ofreció una hoja de lechuga, que también rechazó. Finalmente, se encontró con un zorro que le ofreció un pedazo de queso. Kirico, hambriento y agotado por el viaje, aceptó el queso sin pensar en las consecuencias.

El astuto zorro había planeado atrapar a Kirico y se aprovechó de su descuido. En lugar de llevarlo a la boda, lo condujo a su guarida con la intención de devorarlo. Kirico, dándose cuenta de su error, trató de escapar, pero ya era demasiado tarde”.

English version:

"Once upon a time there was a rooster named Kirico who was very conceited and loved to show off his bright feathers and his sonorous crowing. One day, Kirico was invited to Uncle Perico's wedding, a very important event for the barnyard animals. Kirico prepared himself with great care, wanting to impress everyone in attendance. On his way to the wedding, Kirico came across a mud puddle and, worried about getting dirty, he looked for a way to avoid it. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't avoid stepping in it and getting a little dirty. Further on, he encountered a thorny thicket that tore part of his feathers, and then a stream that soaked his elegant plumage.
Along the way, Kirico also had several encounters with other animals that offered him food. First, he encountered an ant that offered him a grain of wheat, but Kirico contemptuously refused. Next, a frog offered him a lettuce leaf, which he also refused. Finally, he met a fox who offered him a piece of cheese. Kirico, hungry and exhausted from the journey, accepted the cheese without thinking of the consequences. The fox, cunning, had planned to trap Kirico and took advantage of his carelessness. Instead of taking him to the wedding, he led him to his den with the intention of devouring him. Kirico, realizing his mistake, tried to escape, but it was too late."

Blancanieves y los siete enanitos (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)

The most famous version of Blancanieves y los siete enanitos is that of the Brothers Grimm, although the tale has an older origin. But, for sure, Walt Disney's version in his animated film telling this story is one of the most famous. In Spanish it sounds like:

“Blancanieves es una joven hermosa que se ve obligada a escapar de su castillo debido a la envidia de su madrastra, quién posee un espejo mágico. Cuando la madrastra le pregunta al espejo mágico quién es la más bella del reino, este responde que Blancanieves, por lo que quiere acabar con la vida de la joven y ser ella la más guapa de todo el reino.

Por eso, Blancanieves huye y se adentra en el bosque, tratando de escapar del cazador, enviado por la reina a matarla. En su huida llega a refugiarse en la casa de los siete enanitos, quienes la acogen para que viva con ellos.

Sin embargo, la madrastra encuentra a Blancanieves y trata de matarla con una manzana envenenada. La joven es engañada por la madrastra, que se disfraza de anciana, y cae en un sueño profundo por morder la manzana envenenada. Los enanitos, al enterarse de lo ocurrido, persiguen a la madrastra por el bosque, quien acaba precipitándose por un barranco.

Los enanitos dan por muerta a Blancanieves y la entierran en un ataúd de cristal. Mientras están velando a Blancanieves, aparece un príncipe, quien rompe el sueño de la joven con un beso de amor. Los dos se despiden de los enanitos y juntos parten al castillo del príncipe para vivir felices para siempre”. 

English version:

“Snow White is a beautiful young girl who is forced to escape from her castle due to the envy of her stepmother, who has a magic mirror. When the stepmother asks the magic mirror who is the most beautiful in the kingdom, it answers that Snow White. So, she wants to end the life of the young girl and be the most beautiful of the whole kingdom. Therefore, Snow White flees and goes into the forest, trying to escape from the huntsman, sent by the queen to kill her. In her flight, she takes refuge in the house of the seven dwarfs, who take her in to live with them.
However, the stepmother finds Snow White and tries to kill her with a poisoned apple. The young girl is tricked by the stepmother, who disguises herself as an old woman, and falls into a deep sleep by biting into the poisoned apple. The dwarfs, upon realizing what happened, chase the stepmother through the forest, who ends up falling down a ravine. The seven dwarfs leave Snow White for dead and bury her in a glass coffin. While they are watching over Snow White, a prince appears, who breaks the young girl's sleep with a kiss of love. The two say goodbye to the dwarfs and together they leave for the prince's castle to live happily ever after”.

Juan sin miedo (Juan without fear)

Juan sin miedo is a folk tale of European origin, known in various versions throughout the continent, especially in Spain, Germany and France. The story is part of the rich tradition of Spanish folk tales, passed down from generation to generation. In addition, it has been compiled on numerous occasions by different authors; one of the best-known versions is that of the Brothers Grimm, entitled The Tale of the Boy Who Went Out in Search of Fear.

This story goes like this:

“Había una vez un joven llamado Juan que, desde niño, nunca había sentido miedo. Mientras otros niños se asustaban con historias de fantasmas y monstruos, Juan se mantenía indiferente y curioso sobre qué se sentía al tener miedo.

Un día, Juan decidió emprender un viaje para descubrir lo que era el miedo. Durante su camino, se encontró con varias personas que intentaron asustarlo con historias de terror, criaturas espantosas y pruebas peligrosas, pero Juan nunca tenía miedo.

En una de sus aventuras, Juan llegó a un castillo encantado, del cual se decía que nadie podía pasar la noche allí debido a los espíritus que lo habitaban. Decidido a descubrir el miedo, Juan aceptó el desafío. Durante la noche, fue testigo de extraños y espeluznantes sucesos: fantasmas, esqueletos danzantes y ruidos aterradores. Sin embargo, Juan enfrentó cada situación con valentía y astucia, resolviendo acertijos y enfrentándose a los espectros sin temor alguno.

Finalmente, al amanecer, el encantamiento del castillo se rompió. El dueño del castillo, impresionado por el valor de Juan, le ofreció la mano de su hija en matrimonio y una gran recompensa. Juan aceptó, pero seguía sin comprender qué era el miedo.

Existe una versión particular del cuento en la que cuenta que, una noche, su esposa decidió enseñarle lo que era el miedo de una manera ingeniosa. Mientras Juan dormía, ella vertió un balde de agua fría con peces sobre él. Al despertarse sobresaltado y confundido, Juan exclamó: ¡Ahora sí sé lo que es el miedo!”.

English version:

"Once upon a time there was a young boy named Juan who, as a child, had never felt fear. While other children were frightened by stories of ghosts and monsters, Juan remained indifferent and curious about what it felt like to be afraid. One day, Juan decided to embark on a journey to discover what fear was. Along the way, he encountered several people who tried to scare him with scary stories, frightening creatures and dangerous trials, but Juan was never afraid.
On one of his adventures, Juan arrived at an enchanted castle, which was said that no one could spend the night there because of the spirits that inhabited it. Determined to uncover the fear, Juan accepted the challenge. During the night, he witnessed strange and spooky occurrences: ghosts, dancing skeletons and terrifying noises. However, Juan faced each situation with courage and cunning, solving riddles and confronting the specters without fear. Finally, at dawn, the castle's enchantment was broken. The owner of the castle, impressed by Juan's courage, offered him his daughter's hand in marriage and a great reward. Juan accepted, but still did not understand what fear was. There is a particular version of the story in which he tells that, one night, his wife decided to teach him what fear was in an ingenious way. While Juan slept, she poured a bucket of cold water with fish on him. When he woke up startled and confused, Juan exclaimed: "Now I know what fear is!”.