“Hey there folks! Welcome to the American Folklore site, which features retold folktales from all 50 states. We answer those pesky folklore questions that keep you up at night, such as: “Why is a black cat bad luck?” and “Who the heck is Paul Bunyan?” So, grab a cup of coffee, pull up a comfy chair, and stay awhile.” –S.E. Schlosser, author of the Spooky Series.
Tall Tales
Read some very Tall Tales – not to mention a few gollywhoppers – from folks living all across the United States of America. Just don’t believe half of what you read. We never do!
Shooting the Moon
Long ages ago, when the first people roamed the land, a little yellow moon floated across the sky in…
Davy Crockett and the Coonskin
Well, they say that Davy Crockett, the most famous bear hunter in the U.S. of A, once ran for electi…
Benny the Little Blue Ox
Because he was so much younger than Babe and was brought to camp when a small calf, Benny was always…
Scary Ghost Stories
Pull up a chair or gather round the campfire and get ready to read creepy tales of ghostly hauntings, eerie happenings, and other strange occurrences across the United States. Set in America’s big cities, historic towns, rugged lakes, and sparsely populated backwoods, the stories will have readers looking over their shoulders again and again
Dueling Fiddlers
There was once a man named Joost who was plodding home on Saturday night, his fiddle under his arm. …
The Ghosts of Red Creek
A small party of gentlemen on the day before a crisp, cold Christmas, started from Gulfport in a lar…
Llorona, Omen of Death
They say that the Llorona was once a poor young girl who loved a rich nobleman, and together they ha…
Armadillo’s Song
There once lived an armadillo who loved music more than anything else in the world. After every rain…
Banshee of the Bad Lands
“Hell, with the fires out,” is what the Bad Lands of Dakota have been called. The fearless nomenclat…
Coyote and the Columbia
One day, Coyote was walking along. The sun was shining brightly, and Coyote felt very hot. "I would …
Myths & Legends
Heroes, villains, gods and devils lurk within these tales from times long past, and just yesterday… What happens when mere mortals encounter the divine?
Famous Folktales
Benny the Little Blue Ox
Because he was so much younger than Babe and was brought to camp when a small calf, Benny was always…
Paul Bunyan and the Mosquitoes
Have you ever encountered the Mosquito of the North Country? You thought they were pretty well-devel…
Dueling Fiddlers
There was once a man named Joost who was plodding home on Saturday night, his fiddle under his arm. …
No Room
Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, on the night before Christmas, a little child was wandering…
St. Nicholas and the Children
Two little children lived with their old grandmother in a remote place in the Canadian forest. They …
Llorona, Omen of Death
They say that the Llorona was once a poor young girl who loved a rich nobleman, and together they ha…
Mrs. Crockett Saves the Day
Shortly after I got married, I went to settle on the north side of the Big Muddy with my new wife, Mrs. Davy Crockett. Now a cousin of my wife's packe…
Paul Bunyan and the Mosquitoes
Have you ever encountered the Mosquito of the North Country? You thought they were pretty well-developed animals with keen appetites, didn't you? Then…
Jean Sot Goes Fishing
Jean Sot was sitting gloomily on the dock of the marina casting a fishing line into the Bayou when his friend Boudreaux (Boo-dro) walked by. "Why are…
Tall Tales
A tall tale depicts the wild adventures of extravagantly exaggerated folk heroes. Often told around the campfire, these stories are meant to entertain their audiences, who appreciate the wildly outsized claims of the storyteller.
United States Folklore
Snippity-snip, snap and store,
Of American Folklore there’s plenty more!
A Baker’s Dozen
Back in the old days, I had a successful bake-shop in Albany. I had a good business, a plump wife, and a big family. I was a happy man. But trouble …
A Gift from Saint Nicholas
Claas Schlaschenschlinger was a wealthy cobbler living on New Street in New Amsterdam. He was a contented bachelor who could afford eight – eight mind…
Adventure On the Rogue
We were up-river with a tour group looking at all the natural beauties here on the Rogue River when I spied a young sasquatch hiding in the shadow of …
Alicia
It was the sound of laughter and children’s voices that caught my attention. Curious, I materialized in my old bedroom and went out into the hallway …