Hey there folks! Welcome to American Folklore. This folklore site contains retellings of folktales, myths, legends, fairy tales, superstitions, weatherlore, and ghost stories from all over the Americas. Learn answers to those pesky folklore questions that keep you up at night, such as: "Why is a black cat unlucky?" and "Who the heck is Paul Bunyan?" So grab a cup of coffee, pull up a comfy chair, and stay awhile. -S.E. Schlosser
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The Jersey Devil

The Jersey Devil was rumored to be the unlucky 13th child of Mother Leeds, who cursed her ill-fated son prior to his birth, consigning him to the devil. Apparently, her curse worked, because the Jersey Devil is said to haunt southern New Jersey and parts of eastern Pennsylvania from that day to this!


Folklore Stories


The Spooky Series by S.E. Schlosser

Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby

Well now, that rascal Brer Fox hated Brer Rabbit on account of he was always cutting capers and bossing everyone around. So Brer Fox decided to capture and kill Brer Rabbit if it was the last thing he ever did! He thought and he thought until he came up with a plan. He would make a tar baby!

Wait Until Emmet Comes

A preacher was riding to one of the churches on his circuit when darkness fell. It was about to storm, and the only house nearby was an old mansion which was reputed to be haunted. The preacher clutched his Bible and said: "The Lawd will take care o' me". He went into the mansion just as the storm broke. He put his horse into the barn and made his way into the house. The door was unlocked. He went into a large room which contained a fireplace that filled one wall. There was wood laid for a fire. He laid a match to it. Then the preacher sat down to read his Bible.

Armadillo's Song

There once lived an armadillo who loved music more than anything else in the world. After every rainfall, the armadillo would drag his shell over to the large pond filled with frogs and he would listen to the big green frogs singing back and forth, back and forth to each other in the most amazing voices.

Cow's Head

Oksana lived in a small house on the edge of town with her father, her stepmother and her stepsister. Oksana's stepmother disliked Oksana, favoring her true daughter, Olena...

Freddy's Fabulous Frogs

Fabian Frogmorton stole Freddy's frog Fats on the Friday of the town of Flowerpot's Fabulous Frogs Contest. Freddy was furious. Fabian Frogmorton had cheated Freddy out of the Fabulous Frog Award last year. Fabian had fed Freddy's frog flies just before the Fast Frog Frolic, the final race in Flowerpot's Fabulous Frogs Contest. Freddy's frog had been too full to frolic, so Fabian's frog had finished first.

Ocean-Born Mary

Elizabeth and James Wilson were Irish immigrants from Londonderry, Ireland. In 1720 they set sail for America. They had been granted some land in Londonderry, New Hampshire, and were hoping to start a new life there...

The Fighting Roosters and the Eagle

“That’s it!” Black Rooster crowed to himself when he spotted Red Rooster flirting with the hens again. “I’ve had it with that impudent Rooster. This is my farmyard, not his!”

The Lion and the Beetle

King Lion was a very proud, very vain lion. He loved to stomp around the savannah, roaring and growling whenever he saw his animal subjects - Giraffe or Hyena or Elephant or Gazelle or Ape - to show what a mighty lion he was.

Tikki Tikki Tembo

Once there lived a family in ancient China that had two sons. The elder son, who was to inherit the family fortune, was given a very-long and very-impressive name, as befitted an elder son. He was called Tikki Tikki Tembo No Sarembo Hari Kari Pi Chi Pip Peri Pembo. The second son, who would have to make his own way in the world and was therefore not so important, though no less beloved, was named Ping.

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S.E. 

Schlosser, author of the Spooky Series

About the Author: S.E. Schlosser

S.E. Schlosser is the author of the Spooky Series by Globe Pequot Press, as well as the Ghost Stories deck by Random House.  She has been telling stories since she was a child, when games of "let's pretend" quickly built themselves into full-length tales acted out with friends. A graduate of both Houghton College and the Institute of Children's Literature, Sandy received her MLS from Rutgers University while working as a full-time music teacher and a freelance author. Read more



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