Below are fantasy short stories that are fully public domain.
Classic & Mythic Fantasy Short Stories
“Rip Van Winkle” — Washington Irving (1819)
URL: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/41/41-h/41-h.htm#rip
Blurb:
A man sleeps through decades after a mysterious encounter in the Catskill Mountains. This early American fantasy blends folklore, magical realism, and social commentary, exploring time, change, and identity.
“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” — Washington Irving (1820)
URL: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/41/41-h/41-h.htm#sleepy
Blurb:
Set in a haunted village, this tale mixes superstition, folklore, and ambiguity. The Headless Horseman may be real—or imagined—making the story ideal for discussions of unreliable narration and fear.
Fairy Tale & Folkloric Fantasy
“Rumpelstiltskin” — Brothers Grimm
URL: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2591/2591-h/2591-h.htm#link2H_4_0050
Blurb:
A dark fairy tale centered on bargains, names, and power. The story explores greed, deception, and the dangers of desperate promises.
“The Snow Queen” — Hans Christian Andersen (1844)
URL: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/11027/11027-h/11027-h.htm
Blurb:
A richly symbolic fantasy about love, loss, and perseverance. A young girl journeys across magical lands to rescue her friend from a cold-hearted queen.
“The Shadow” — Hans Christian Andersen (1847)
URL: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/27200/27200-h/27200-h.htm
Blurb:
A philosophical fantasy in which a man’s shadow gains independence and power. The story serves as an allegory for identity, ambition, and moral corruption.
Dark Fantasy & Supernatural Tales
“The Monkey’s Paw” — W. W. Jacobs (1902)
URL: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/12122/12122-h/12122-h.htm
Blurb:
A cursed object grants wishes—but at a terrible cost. This tightly written fantasy explores fate, grief, and the consequences of trying to control destiny.
“The Bottle Imp” — Robert Louis Stevenson (1891)
URL: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/307/307-h/307-h.htm
Blurb:
A man acquires a magical bottle that grants wishes but condemns its owner’s soul if not sold for less than it was bought. A moral fantasy about desire, sacrifice, and redemption.
“The White Ship” — H. P. Lovecraft (1919)
URL: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2490/2490-h/2490-h.htm
Blurb:
A dreamlike voyage to mystical lands beyond reality. This lyrical fantasy emphasizes imagination, longing, and the cost of abandoning the real world.
Allegorical & Philosophical Fantasy
“The Masque of the Red Death” — Edgar Allan Poe (1842)
URL: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1065/1065-h/1065-h.htm
Blurb:
A symbolic tale in which Death infiltrates a decadent masquerade. This allegorical fantasy explores mortality, hubris, and the illusion of control.
“Young Goodman Brown” — Nathaniel Hawthorne (1835)
URL: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/512/512-h/512-h.htm
Blurb:
A nighttime journey into the forest becomes a moral and psychological trial. This symbolic fantasy questions purity, faith, and the nature of evil.
Myth-Inspired & Legendary Fantasy
“The Cyclops” (from The Odyssey) — Homer
URL: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1727/1727-h/1727-h.htm
Blurb:
Odysseus confronts a monstrous giant using wit rather than strength. This episode highlights heroic intelligence, pride, and the dangers of defying cosmic rules.
“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” (selected passages)
URL: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/14568/14568-h/14568-h.htm
Blurb:
A chivalric fantasy filled with magical challenges and moral testing. The Green Knight represents honor, temptation, and human imperfection.
Bonus: Short, High-Impact Fantasy for Close Reading
“The Elf-Trap” — Francis Stevens (1919)
URL: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/34769/34769-h/34769-h.htm
Blurb:
A blend of folklore and psychological fantasy involving hidden fairy worlds and blurred reality. Excellent for discussions of perception and myth.
“The Doom That Came to Sarnath” — H. P. Lovecraft (1920)
URL: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1013/1013-h/1013-h.htm
Blurb:
A mythic-style fantasy about pride and divine punishment, written like an ancient legend. Ideal for studying invented mythologies.
“Rip Van Winkle” — Washington Irving (1819)
URL: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/41/41-h/41-h.htm#rip
Blurb:
A man sleeps through decades after a mysterious encounter in the Catskill Mountains. This early American fantasy blends folklore, magical realism, and social commentary, exploring time, change, and identity.
“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” — Washington Irving (1820)
URL: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/41/41-h/41-h.htm#sleepy
Blurb:
Set in a haunted village, this tale mixes superstition, folklore, and ambiguity. The Headless Horseman may be real—or imagined—making the story ideal for discussions of unreliable narration and fear.
Fairy Tale & Folkloric Fantasy
“Rumpelstiltskin” — Brothers Grimm
URL: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2591/2591-h/2591-h.htm#link2H_4_0050
Blurb:
A dark fairy tale centered on bargains, names, and power. The story explores greed, deception, and the dangers of desperate promises.
“The Snow Queen” — Hans Christian Andersen (1844)
URL: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/11027/11027-h/11027-h.htm
Blurb:
A richly symbolic fantasy about love, loss, and perseverance. A young girl journeys across magical lands to rescue her friend from a cold-hearted queen.
“The Shadow” — Hans Christian Andersen (1847)
URL: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/27200/27200-h/27200-h.htm
Blurb:
A philosophical fantasy in which a man’s shadow gains independence and power. The story serves as an allegory for identity, ambition, and moral corruption.
Dark Fantasy & Supernatural Tales
“The Monkey’s Paw” — W. W. Jacobs (1902)
URL: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/12122/12122-h/12122-h.htm
Blurb:
A cursed object grants wishes—but at a terrible cost. This tightly written fantasy explores fate, grief, and the consequences of trying to control destiny.
“The Bottle Imp” — Robert Louis Stevenson (1891)
URL: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/307/307-h/307-h.htm
Blurb:
A man acquires a magical bottle that grants wishes but condemns its owner’s soul if not sold for less than it was bought. A moral fantasy about desire, sacrifice, and redemption.
“The White Ship” — H. P. Lovecraft (1919)
URL: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2490/2490-h/2490-h.htm
Blurb:
A dreamlike voyage to mystical lands beyond reality. This lyrical fantasy emphasizes imagination, longing, and the cost of abandoning the real world.
Allegorical & Philosophical Fantasy
“The Masque of the Red Death” — Edgar Allan Poe (1842)
URL: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1065/1065-h/1065-h.htm
Blurb:
A symbolic tale in which Death infiltrates a decadent masquerade. This allegorical fantasy explores mortality, hubris, and the illusion of control.
“Young Goodman Brown” — Nathaniel Hawthorne (1835)
URL: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/512/512-h/512-h.htm
Blurb:
A nighttime journey into the forest becomes a moral and psychological trial. This symbolic fantasy questions purity, faith, and the nature of evil.
Myth-Inspired & Legendary Fantasy
“The Cyclops” (from The Odyssey) — Homer
URL: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1727/1727-h/1727-h.htm
Blurb:
Odysseus confronts a monstrous giant using wit rather than strength. This episode highlights heroic intelligence, pride, and the dangers of defying cosmic rules.
“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” (selected passages)
URL: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/14568/14568-h/14568-h.htm
Blurb:
A chivalric fantasy filled with magical challenges and moral testing. The Green Knight represents honor, temptation, and human imperfection.
Bonus: Short, High-Impact Fantasy for Close Reading
“The Elf-Trap” — Francis Stevens (1919)
URL: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/34769/34769-h/34769-h.htm
Blurb:
A blend of folklore and psychological fantasy involving hidden fairy worlds and blurred reality. Excellent for discussions of perception and myth.
“The Doom That Came to Sarnath” — H. P. Lovecraft (1920)
URL: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1013/1013-h/1013-h.htm
Blurb:
A mythic-style fantasy about pride and divine punishment, written like an ancient legend. Ideal for studying invented mythologies.