本书精选了伊索、拉封丹、克雷洛夫和王尔德等寓言与童话大师的经典故事一百多则。其中“落井的驴子”、“自私的巨人”、“狐狸和小公鸡”、“驴子和他的铃铛”、“狼和小羊”、“仁慈的狐狸”、“快乐王子”、“卖牛奶的女人”、“井底之蛙”等脍炙人口的故事伴随了一代又一代人的美丽童年、少年直至成年。
无论作为语言学习的课本，还是作为通俗的文学读本，本书对当代中国的青少年学生都将产生积极的影响。为了使读者能够了解英文故事概况，进而提高阅读速度和阅读水平，在每篇英文传说故事的开始部分增加了中文导读。

星孩/The Star-Child
一个穷苦的樵夫正穿越一个松树林，树林里阴暗极了，还不时传出狼的嚎叫。正当他快要走出树林的时候，有一颗闪亮的星星从天上划落，就掉在不远的灌木丛中。他跑了过去，想看看到底是什么，可是那儿只有一个婴儿，裹着一件织着金线的斗篷。樵夫连忙把婴儿抱起来，一面想着困窘的生活怎么再添上一口饭。
妻子正围着灰烬的余热等着樵夫的柴火。可她看见又多了一个婴儿，惊讶极了。樵夫把发现孩子的事讲给她听。“就算是一个星孩，那我们怎么养活他呢？”话虽这么说，她还是没有阻拦丈夫的决定，把孩子抱到他们自己小儿子的床上去。那件缝着金线的斗篷就被小心地保存起来了。
星孩就这样和樵夫的孩子一起长大了，但是却和他们都不一样。他越来越漂亮，那些孩子只是粗壮而敦实。英俊的容貌让星孩骄傲，他认为自己是从星星中生出的，其他人只该做他的仆役。他会拿大多数人的缺陷寻开心，并把流浪到村里的人赶到公路上去。在夏季无风的日子里，他总是躺在神父的水井旁，得意地看着自己发笑，
樵夫常常责备他，不应该那么残忍地对待可怜人，神父也经常劝他，别去伤害动物。虽然他是个捡来的孩子，可因为是个星孩，他对这些劝告毫不在意。
**，一个衣衫褴褛的女人来到村里，她并不讨饭，只是看到了星孩就直直地盯着他，直到他回家。星孩朝她丢石头，樵夫看见了很不高兴，他又开始教训：“你怎么能这样对待别人呢？你也是我们拣来的呀。”星孩气红了脸，可是女乞丐却走上前来问樵夫是否是十年前在一个森林里发现的他。樵夫点头，她就接着问裹着他的是不是一件有金线的斗篷。
……

落井的驴子/Down in a Well
驴和它的影子/The Ass and His Shadow
驴和买主/The Ass and His Purchaser
蝙蝠和两只黄鼠狼/The Bat and the Two Weasels
笼中鸟和蝙蝠/The Cage Bird and the Bat
狐狸和生病的狮子/The Fox and the Sick Lion
狐狸和葡萄/The Fox and the Grapes
狐狸和山羊/The Fox and the Goat
狼和驴/The Wolf and the Donkey
狼和牧羊狗/The Wolves and the Sheepdogs
狼和小羊/The Wolf and the Lamb
狮后的葬礼/The Funeral of the Lioness
蚊子和狮子/The Gnat and the Lion
狐狸和小公鸡/The Fox and the Cockerel
发胖的狐狸/The Swollen Fox
狐狸和猫/The Fox and the Cat
狮子和蚊子/Lion and Gnat
狮子的王国/The Kingdom of Lion
老狮子/The Old Lion
狐狸和蝉/Fox and Cicada
狐狸和刺藤/The Fox and the Bramble
狐狸和乌鸦/The Fox and Crow
杂色羊/Speckled Sheep
牧羊人和野山羊/The Goatherd and the Wild Goat
狗、公鸡和狐狸/The Dog, the Cock, and the Fox
两个园丁/The Two Gardeners
炼狱也可以成为天堂/Purgatory May be Paradise
旅行者和命运女神/The Traveler and Fortune
西莫尼狄斯遇难记/The Shipwreck of Simonides
墨丘利和伐木工/Mercury and the Woodman
主人和老鼠/Master and the Mice
狮子和老鼠/The Lion and the Mouse
聪明的儿子/The Wise Son
磨坊主、儿子和驴/The Miller, His Son, and Their Ass
乞丐的愿望/The Beggar's Wish
恶狗/The Mischievous Dog
家/Home
守财奴/The Miser
一捆木材/The Bundle of Sticks
受诸神庇护的树/The Trees Under the Protection of the Gods
负担/The Load
两只狗/The Two Dogs
老妇和医生/The Old Woman and the Physician
鞋匠改行当医生/The Cobbler Turned Doctor
小狗/The Little Dog
狗和野兔/The Dog and the Hare
狗和倒影/The Dog and the Shadow
狗和狼/The Dog and Wolf
蝎子和乌龟/The Scorpion and the Tortoise
龟兔赛跑/The Hare and the Tortoise
鹰、猫和野猪/The Eagle, the Cat, and the Wild Sow
鹰和鸢/The Eagle and the Kite
鹰和狐狸/The Eagle and Fox
鹰和甲虫/The Eagle and the Beetle
鹰和寒鸦/The Eagle and the Jackdaw
朱庇特和绵羊/Jupiter and the Sheep
朱庇特和猴子/Jupiter and the Monkey
朱庇特、尼普顿、密涅瓦和莫摩斯/Jupiter, Neptune, Minerva, and Momus
驴子和他的铃铛/The Ass and His Bell
驴和战马/The Ass and The Charger
驴和哈巴狗/The Ass and Lapdog
驴和骡子/The Ass and the Mule
驴的脑子/The Ass's Brains
狼和马/The Wolf and the Horse
狼和鹤/The Wolf and the Crane
狼和牧羊人/The Wolf and Shepherd
感恩的狮子/The Grateful Lion
狼和狮子/The Wolf and the Lion
鸽子和蚂蚁/The Dove and the Ant
口渴的鸽子/The Thirsty Pigeon
鸽子和乌鸦/The Dove and the Crow
驴和老牧人/The Ass and the Old Shepherd
真正的天堂/True Heaven
狗的友谊/Dog's Friendship
铜匠和他的狗/The Brazier and His Dog
狐狸和鹳/The Fox and the Stork
没有尾巴的狐狸/The Fox Without a Tail
狐狸、公鸡和狗/The Fox, the Cock and Dog
悔过的狐狸/The Penitent Fox
金鹅/The Golden Goose
鹅和鹤/The Geese and the Crane
狮子、狐狸和驴/The Lion, the Fox and the Ass
狮子、狼和狐狸/The Lion, the Wolf and the Fox
*美丽的心/The Most Beautiful Heart
男人和两个妻子/The Man and His Two Wives
北风和太阳/The North Wind and the Sun
橄榄树和无花果树/The Olive Tree and the Fig Tree
老鼠和公牛/The Mouse and the Bull
老鼠、青蛙和鹰/The Mouse, the Frog, and the Hawk
砂罐和铁罐/The Earthen Pot and the Iron Pot
保姆和狼/The Nurse and the Wolf
钻石和萤火虫/The Diamond and the Glow-worm
螃蟹母子/The Crab and Its Mother
天使的故事/A Story of the Angel
贼和他的母亲The Thief and His Mother
通向伟大的**大道/The Royal Road to Greatness
败家子与燕子/Spendthrift and Swallow
母鸡和燕子/The Hen and the Swallow
燕子和别的鸟/The Swallow and the Other Birds
小树/The Sapling
树和芦苇/The Tree and the Reed
树和斧子/The Trees and Axe
两个朋友/The Two Friends
两只袋子/The Two Bags
两只青蛙/The Two Frogs
两个仇敌/The Two Men Who Were Enemies
燕子和乌鸦/The Swallow and the Crow
心安草/A Heart's-ease
三个工匠/The Three Tradesmen
青蛙和牯牛/Frog and Bullock
轻率的猴子/The Harebrained Monkey
猴子和两个旅行者/The Apes and the Two Travelers
跳舞的猴子/The Dancing Monkeys
陈年老酒/The Old, Old Wine
老妪和酒坛/The Old Woman and the Win-Jar
鹰和蜘蛛/Eagle and Spider
蚕和蜘蛛/The Silk worm and Spider
仁慈的狐狸/The Kind Fox
猫和夜莺/Cat and Nightingale
价值/Values
驴和盐/The Donkey and the Salt
驴子/Ass
两只狗/Two Dogs
瘸子之乡/The Land of the Halt
狼落狗窝/Wolf in the Kennels
狐狸/Fox
兽类的瘟疫/The Plague of the Beasts
核桃树/The Walnut-Tree
丢失的假鬓/The Lost Wig
鸡/The Chicken
袋子/The Bag
为什么绿毛虫如此快乐/Why was the Green
Caterpillar so Happy?
雕像/The Statue
分红/Sharing Up
财宝和两个男人/The Treasure and the Two Men
鹰和蜜蜂/Eagle and Bee
两头驴/The Two Donkeys
两只鸽子/Two Pigeons
杜鹃和斑鸠/Cuckoo and Wood-pigeon
恋爱中的狮子/The Lion in Love
车队/A Train of Carts
相思的鸵鸟/The Ostrich in Love
松鼠和狮子/The Squirrel and the Lion
淘气的袋鼠/The Bad Kangaroo
一条见过世面的鱼/A Fish of the World
卖牛奶的女人/The Dairy Woman
命运女神和乞丐/Fortune and the Beggar
牧羊人和大海/The Shepherd and the Sea
男孩和蛇/The Boy and the Snake
农夫和蛇/The Labourer and the Snake
皮匠和银行家/The Cobbler and the Banker
挑剔的姑娘/The Dainty Spinster
三个兄弟和一个乞丐/Three Brothers and the Beggar
矢车菊/The Cornflower
带裂痕的罐子/The Cracked Pot
男孩和核桃/The Boy and the Nuts
爱的故事/A Love Story
城里老鼠和乡下老鼠/The City Mouse and the Country Mouse
井底之蛙/Don't be a Frog in the Well
橡果和南瓜/The Acorn and the Pumpkin
有爱就有一切/Three Old Men and Housewife
神秘的斯芬克斯/The Sphinx Without a Secret
真诚的朋友/The Devoted Friend
自私的巨人/The Selfish Giant
快乐王子/The Happy Prince
夜莺与玫瑰/The Nightingale and the Rose
神奇的火箭/The Remarkable Rocket
星孩/The Star-Child
少年国王/The Young King