Despite the popular Disney portrayals, children’s stories aren’t all sweetness and light, with everyone getting a happy ending. Some of them could give Stephen King a run for his money. Here are ten children’s stories, guaranteed to keep you up at night.
The Witches by Roald Dahl
Immortalised by Angelica Houston, the Grand High Witch can still send shivers down your spine. Dahl described the witches as grotesque creatures determined to wipe out all the children on Earth. One of the most terrifying parts is the reveal of the Grand High Witch’s natural face, a terrible abomination that must be hidden behind a mask. There is also the rather uncomfortable scene when a witch is sizzled and fried alive for daring to speak up. And, of course, the fact that they want to turn children into MICE. Our main protagonist, Luke, actually gets turned into a rodent and lives out the remainder of his much-reduced life as one.
The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
Although the story doesn’t initially read as a dark tale, let’s take a closer look. The Rainbow Fish has beautiful, multicoloured scales, which he is very proud of. One day, a small blue fish asks him for one of his scales, and he, quite rightly, says no. This little shit of a blue fish then goes and tells all his buddies, and they all refuse to play with The Rainbow Fish. He is left feeling very sad and lonely and seeks advice from Octopus. Octopus tells him he should share his scales; he won’t be as beautiful anymore but will be happier. Although reluctant, Rainbow Fish starts giving away his scales, and the other fish become his friends. They are literally REMOVING HIS SKIN AND WEARING IT, like some scaly Ed Geins.
Tailypo by Joanna Galdone based on folklore
This one creeps the fuck out of me, especially when I listened to it here. An old man lives with his three dogs in a cabin in the woods. One day, he comes across a strange creature with a long tail, which he cuts off and cooks for his dinner. Later that night, the old man is lying in bed when the creature arrives at the cabin, calling ‘Tailypo. I want my Tailypo.’
This continues over a few nights, each time the creature calls more threateningly, ‘I want my Tailypo!’ The creature takes the man’s dogs, determined to seek revenge for his lost Tailypo. As the story comes to an end, the creature confronts the man directly and kills him, the whole time saying, ‘I want my Tailypo’.
The Girl Who Trod on the Loaf by Hans Christian Anderson
My mother bought me this when I was a child, then had the audacity to question my mental stableness. This creepy ass story revolves around a little girl called Inger, who is extremely vain and ungrateful. Her mother sends her out for a loaf of bread, and on her return to the house, Inger encounters a puddle. Instead of doing what a normal person would do and WALKING AROUND IT (ffs Inger, use your brain), she places the loaf in it to step on, save dirtying her shoes. This act of selfishness causes Inger to sink through the puddle into some swampish, underground hellhole where she is turned into a statue. Although she cannot move, she can still feel everything, including emotions, thirst and hunger, all while being tormented by hellhole creatures. After what feels like an eternity, Inger finally repents and is released, but in the form of a bird. As a bird, she performs good deeds until she dies and goes to heaven. Well. That’s that, then.
The Green Ribbon retold by Alvin Schwartz
Sigh now, what the fuckety fuck is this? Our protagonist is a young girl called Jenny, who always wears a green ribbon around her neck. Jenny meets a boy called Alfred, and when they grow up, they get married. Throughout the marriage, Jenny never once removes the green ribbon, despite Alfred’s requests. Despite this, they grow old together. One day, Jenny becomes seriously ill; as she lies on her deathbed, she finally allows Alfred to remove the green ribbon. So, he does. AND HER HEAD FALLS OFF. It turns out the ribbon was the only thing holding her head in place. Was she dead the whole time, a zombie? A biological miracle? I don’t know what’s happening anymore.
OZ by L Frank Baum
OK, unpopular opinion: I hated the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, and I will die on this hill. But 1985's The Return to Oz is one of my all-time favourite films – and is much more faithful to the original books. There was a whole series of OZ books, and they went to some dark places. Did you know the Tin Man was originally flesh and blood but was cursed, so he couldn’t help but CUT OFF HIS OWN LIMBS with an axe? The Wheelers, who appeared in Return to Oz, are weird human/bicycle hybrid screechy things with a malicious streak and wheels instead of feet and hands. OZ is surrounded by the Deadly Desert, a terrible place that will turn you into sand if you touch it. And let us not forget Princess Langwidere, who has a cabinet of other people's HEADS that she wears when the mood takes her.
The Red Shoes by Hans Christian Anderson
This classic straight-up horror story begins with young Karen’s mother dying; Karen is then adopted by a wealthy woman who buys Karen a pair of, yes, you guessed it, red shoes. She is told they are rather inappropriate, especially for the church, but she ignores all the warnings. One day, as punishment for her vanity, the shoes take on a life of their own, and Karen starts dancing uncontrollably. She can’t stop to eat, drink or rest, and the dancing is absolute torture. The shoes dance her away from everyone and into the wilderness, where she encounters an executioner, and she begs him to cut her feet off, which he does. As you do. He makes her some fake feet, and Karen goes to the church to repent, but the shoes, WITH HER FEET IN THEM, are dancing outside. Her feet start basically haunting her. NO, Hans Christian Anderson. NO.
The Gashlycrumb Tinies by Edward Gorey
I love this absolutely perfect blend of the macabre and gothic whimsy. It’s an alphabet book, but each letter depicts the gruesome death of a child. The blunt portrayal of untimely and somewhat painful deaths grants it a well-deserved place on this list.
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
This book is amazing, and the film adaptation was brilliant! Coraline is a young girl who, via a secret door, can enter a parallel universe. In this place, everything seems so much more colourful; everyone seems happy and joyous. However, as per usual, things are not as they seem. The Other Mother is actually The Bedlam (historically meaning hag or witch), a sinister, shape-shifting creature who promises children the world they desire while actually luring them to their death. And then there is the sheer body horror that takes place. The Bedlam will REMOVE YOUR EYES; pluck them right out before replacing them with buttons that are sewn directly into the skin.
The Dreadful Story of the Matches by Heinrich Hoffmann
This one left me speechless. How the fuck this is a kid's story is beyond me. A young girl called Pauline or Harriet (depending on which translation you read) discovers a box of matches, and, despite her parent's warnings, she lights one out of curiosity. Obviously never read Francis the Firefly. Pauline/Harriet’s cats have some sense and try to warn and stop her from playing with the match. Unfortunately, her dress catches fire, and she BURNS TO DEATH. I have nothing more to say.
And those are just a few of the wonderfully wicked children's stories out there. Thanks for reading, take care of yourselves, and try not to have nightmares…
Hi! I spend a lot of time writing for the website, and I basically exist on caffeine and anxiety - if anybody would like to encourage this habit, please feel free to buy me a coffee!
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