East of the Sun, West of the Moon

East of the Sun, West of the Moon

From Storytime for Kids by Storytime for Kids

April 22, 2026 · 8 min

About this episode

This episode narrates the Norwegian folk story of Astrid and her quest to save a cursed prince from a wicked troll.

This Norwegian folk story tells the tale of Astrid, a girl who leaves her impoverished family to live with a mysterious white bear in a golden castle. The bear is actually a cursed prince who is forced to marry a wicked troll named Long Nose after Astrid accidentally reveals his human form. To save him, she embarks on an arduous journey to a castle located east of the sun and west of the moon, aided by magical hags and the four winds. Upon arrival, she uses magical treasures to gain access to the prince and outsmarts the greedy trolls by successfully cleaning a stained shirt. This Oxford University Press edition includes educational guidance for parents and teachers to help children develop reading comprehension and storytelling skills. Ultimately, the narrative demonstrates how loyalty and sincere affection can overcome dark enchantments. You can listen and download our episodes for free on more than 10 different platforms: https://linktr.ee/storytime_for_kids Produced by: https://www.podcaistudio.com/

People in this episode

Host: Storytime for Kids

Topics covered

  • Norwegian folk story
  • magical journey
  • loyalty
  • enchantment
  • reading comprehension
  • storytelling

Keywords

  • Norwegian folk tale
  • Astrid
  • white bear
  • cursed prince
  • magical hags
  • troll
  • storytelling
  • reading skills

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Oxford University Press

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