New from our writers
The Girl Under the Mask
Before you begin reading The Girl Under the Mask... This story explores the complicated relationship between faith, family expectations, personal identity and freedom.
Short stories you can read in 10 minutes
These short stories are a good fit for a quiet break, with fables, familiar children’s tales, and stories for grown-up readers. Choose The Gift of the Magi, The Selfish Giant, or another favorite, and enjoy it at your own pace. Every story is free to read or listen to on Pagehush.
New from our writers
The never ending maze
A solitary diarist once finds peace in an inner maze of birdsong, roses, and quiet refuge.
New from our writers
The Cloud That Lost Its Way
Puff, a little cloud blown far from his family, finds himself above a village where dry gardens and an emptying pond need rain.
The Little Star Who Was Afraid to Shine
Twinkle, a little star afraid to shine, believes his light is too small to make a difference.
The Selfish Giant
A giant walls the children out of his garden, and spring refuses to come.
The Best Lie in Vijayanagara
The king holds a contest for the best lie, with a prize of a thousand gold coins.
The Thief and the Magic Sticks
A rich merchant has been robbed, and every one of his servants swears they are innocent.
The Little Lantern
Milo is the smallest firefly in the garden, and his glow never seems to shine as brightly as the others’.
The Red Shoes
Little Karen loves her shiny red shoes more than anything, even in church.
How the Camel Got His Hump
In the beginning of years the Camel would not work. He just said "Humph!"
The Line That Got Shorter
Akbar draws a line on the floor and challenges his courtiers to make it shorter without touching it.
The Story of an Hour
Mrs. Mallard has a weak heart, so her sister breaks the news of her husband's death very gently.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Peter's mother tells him never to go into Mr. McGregor's garden.
The Gift of the Magi
With only $1.87 for a Christmas gift, Della sells her beautiful hair to buy a platinum chain for her husband’s heirloom watch.
The Tales of Sheikh Chilli
Sheikh Chilli means well, works hard and dreams big, and somehow everything still goes wrong.
Starting Over in Florida Was Harder Than I Expected
After relocating to Florida for a new job, Edward Corley struggles to manage his depression while adjusting to an unfamiliar city.
The Price of a Horse
A rich man’s will says the money from selling his horse must go to a poor family.
After Twenty Years
Late one night, a police officer on his beat finds a man waiting in a dark doorway.
How the Leopard Got His Spots
Once the Leopard was sandy-yellow all over, until the animals all moved into the stripy, speckly forest.
Tenali Chooses How to Die
Tenali Raman finally goes too far, and the furious king sentences him to death.
The Steadfast Tin Soldier
One of twenty-five tin soldiers has only one leg, but stands as firmly as the rest.
The Tale of Benjamin Bunny
Peter Rabbit's cousin Benjamin takes him back into Mr. McGregor's garden to fetch his lost clothes.
The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin
The squirrels sail to Owl Island to gather nuts and politely bring gifts to Old Brown the owl.
The Talkative Tortoise and Other Indian Fables
Two old Indian fables of clever animals and foolish ones: a tortoise who cannot keep his mouth shut, and a tiger, a Brahman and a very clever jackal.
The Tell-Tale Heart
"True! nervous, very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad?"
The Three Little Pigs
Three little pigs set out to seek their fortune and build houses of straw, sticks and bricks.
Washing the Black Dog
The royal barber pleases the king so much that he asks to be made a minister.
Emily Dickinson: Ten Poems
"Hope is the thing with feathers", "Because I could not stop for Death", "I'm nobody!
Jogadhya Uma
A pedlar of shell bracelets meets a lovely girl by a temple tank, who buys a pair and tells him her father will pay.
Little Red Cap
A little girl in a red cap takes cake and wine to her grandmother in the wood and meets a wolf on the way.
Shakespeare's Love Sonnets
Ten of Shakespeare's most loved sonnets, from "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"
Ten Famous Poems
Ten poems everyone has heard of, in one place: Kipling's "If—", Wordsworth's daffodils, Shelley's "Ozymandias", Henley's "Invictus", Blake's "The Tyger", Poe's…
The Best Weapon
Birbal tells the Emperor that the best weapon in the world is whatever happens to be at hand.
The Bremen Town Musicians
An old donkey, a dog, a cat and a rooster, all thrown out by their masters for being too old, set off together to become town musicians in Bremen.
The Cop and the Anthem
Winter is coming, and Soapy, who lives on a park bench, wants three months in a warm prison.
The Elves and the Shoemaker
A poor shoemaker has leather for just one more pair of shoes.
The Emperor's New Clothes
Two swindlers promise a vain emperor a suit of cloth so fine that fools can't see it.
The Last Lesson
Little Franz runs late to school in his village in Alsace, dreading a scolding about French grammar.
The Open Window
A nervous man comes to the country for a rest cure and is entertained by a very self-possessed niece of fifteen, who tells him about the open window.
Where can I read short stories for free?
You can read these stories for free on Pagehush, with no ads. You can also read on your phone.
Can I listen to these short stories?
Yes. Any story on Pagehush can be read aloud in a natural voice.