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The Nettle Spinner

A fairy tale from The Red Fairy Book, collected by Andrew Lang

This tale comes from The Red Fairy Book, collected by Andrew Lang in 1890. It is set in Flanders long ago, when lords ruled over their lands and peasants needed their master's permission to marry. The story shows how courage, patience and mercy can soften even the hardest heart. This text reflects its era; a few period terms have been modernised. A brave young woman stands firm against cruelty without returning evil for evil, and her goodness changes everything in the end.

Band
Yellow · Emerging readersTypical starting range: ages 6–8
Length
medium · about 546 words in 6 sections · 4 pictures
Source
The Red Fairy Book, Andrew Lang
First published
1890
Regions
Canada · United States

Included formats

  • · Web reader and PDF
  • · EPUB for e-readers
  • · Home-print sheet
  • · Folded booklet
  • · Binder edition (8.5 × 11)
  • · Worksheet
  • · Quick Check (8 questions) with answer key
  • · Read-aloud script
  • · Colouring page
  • · Teacher’s Edition (members)

Lesson at a glance

Reading
about 10 minutes at this band
Pause questions
2
Words to Know
6
Quick Check
8 questions, with the answer key
Let’s Talk
3 questions for afterwards
Worksheet
questions, an activity and a drawing prompt

About 35 minutes with one story, all of it.

Readers are engineered from the original public-domain text with AI under HummingRead’s published canon and Content Philosophy, checked by automated audit and sampled by a person. Pictures are made with AI to HummingRead’s brief for each story. How a reader is made.

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The same story

Other bands of this story

This story is ready now at the Yellow band only. Other bands can be made to order for members after launch.