Animal Bedtime Stories
From tiny mice to gentle bears, these animal bedtime stories introduce little ones to a whole cast of furry friends. Each tale is short enough for tired eyes and warm enough to send children off to sleep smiling. Free bedtime stories for ages 3 to 8.
18 stories in this collection
For 4 Year Olds
How the Camel Got His Hump
A short bedtime story for little ones about a grumpy camel who says 'Humph!' to everyone — until a bit of desert magic gives him a hump of his own.
How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin
A short bedtime story about a rude Rhinoceros who steals a cake — and gets an itchy, wrinkly surprise when he takes his skin off for a swim.
How the Kangaroo Got His Legs
A short bedtime story about a proud Kangaroo who wanted to be different from all other animals — and got more different than he bargained for.
The Beginning of the Armadillos
A short bedtime story about a Hedgehog and a Tortoise who muddle a Jaguar so badly they invent a whole new kind of animal.
How the Leopard Got His Spots
A short bedtime story about a plain yellow Leopard who could no longer catch his dinner — until a Hunter gave him beautiful spots.
The Cat That Walked By Himself
A short bedtime story about how the Dog, the Horse, and the Cow came to live with people — and how a very clever Cat made his own bargain.
For 6 Year Olds
The Cat That Walked By Himself
How a Woman in a cave tamed the Dog, the Horse, and the Cow — and how a very clever Cat made his own bargain and kept his freedom.
How the Camel Got His Hump
How a lazy camel who wouldn't lift a hoof ended up with a great wobbling hump on his back — a funny bedtime story for children aged 5 and 6.
The Beginning of the Armadillos
A funny bedtime story about a Prickly Hedgehog and a Slow-and-Steady Tortoise who muddle a Painted Jaguar with clever tongue-twisters — and become a whole new animal.
How the Leopard Got His Spots
How a plain yellow Leopard learned camouflage the hard way — and got his beautiful pattern of spots from a helpful Hunter.
How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin
How a smooth-skinned Rhinoceros stole a baker's cake and got a most itchy, wrinkly punishment — a funny bedtime story for children aged 5 and 6.
How the Kangaroo Got His Legs
A funny bedtime story about a proud Kangaroo who asked three gods to make him famous — and ended up hopping across a whole continent to get his wish.
For 8 Year Olds
How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin
On an uninhabited island in the Red Sea, a Baker of more-than-oriental splendour bakes a cake — and a very rude Rhinoceros learns a wrinkly lesson.
How the Kangaroo Got His Legs
Long ago in the great southern land, one proud Kangaroo asked three gods to make him different — and Yellow-Dog Dingo did the rest.
The Cat That Walked By Himself
In the days when the tame animals were wild, the wildest of all was the Cat. This is the story of how he came to sit by the fire — and still, somehow, walk by himself.
The Beginning of the Armadillos
On the banks of a great brown river, a Prickly Hedgehog and a Slow-and-Solid Tortoise outwit a Painted Jaguar with tongue-twisters — and become a wholly new animal.
How the Camel Got His Hump
In the beginning of years, when the world was new, one lazy Camel refused to lift a hoof — until a Djinn of the desert taught him a wobbly, humphy lesson.
How the Leopard Got His Spots
In the days when everybody started fair, the Leopard of the High Veldt learned that the whole world had gone into different patterns — and that he must too.
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