15 Contoh Dongeng Bahasa Inggris untuk Anak dan Maknanya

2. Rapunzel

Rapunzel dan Eugene (dok. Walt Disney Animation Studios/Tangled)

A long time ago, a girl named Rapunzel was known for her beautiful long blonde hair. Unfortunately, she was locked up in a tower with no doors by an evil witch. The witch never allowed her to go out, which made her lonely and miserable.

One day, a handsome young prince heard her voice and fell in love with her. Both of them decided to flee, but somehow the witch came to know about it. She cut down Rapunzel’s long beautiful hair and cast a spell on her, which led her to live in a lonely desert. The witch also cast a spell on the prince that made him go blind and left him to wander in the deserted forest.

After many years of wandering, the Prince and Rapunzel finally met. Rapunzel was so happy seeing her prince that she started crying, and a few of her tears fell in the prince’s eyes. This brought back his eyesight, and both lived happily ever after in their kingdom.

Makna:

Makna dari keseluruhan dongeng Rapunzel adalah tentang sikap tekun dalam mengatasi tantangan, yang mana digambarkan melalui banyaknya rintangan yang dilalui oleh Rapunzel dan sang pangeran.

Cerita ini juga menyoroti kepercayaan dan hubungan dalam pertemuan kembali sang pangeran dan Rapunzel, di mana mencerminkan ikatan yang langgeng ditengah kesulitan. Adapun, unsur realisme magis dan keajaiban yang dimunculkan dalam cerita melalui rambut luar biasa Rapunzel dan transformasi yang dipicu oleh air matanya memperkaya eksplorasi tema dan emosi yang mendalam.

Dapat disimpulkan, kisah Rapunzel menggambarkan emosi dan pengalaman manusia yang rumit dalam dunia dongeng.

3. The Ugly Duckling

the ugly duckling (amazon.com)

Tells of a little duckling that was called ugly by everyone at the farm where he lived. He was bullied and mistreated by everyone, until one day he was forced to run away.

The miserable little duckling was mocked and scorned by everyone who met him, and found himself wandering through the frozen winter, alone and barely managing to survive.

When he flew to a lake to swim, he met three beautiful swans who greeted him cheerfully. He was confused by their friendly greeting, for all this time he had been chased away.

When he looked down at his reflection in the water, he was surprised to see that he had grown into a beautiful swan! A little girl who was throwing breadcrumbs for the noble swans even said that he was the most beautiful of all.

We should never judge others by their appearances because it is not appearances that matter. Not only can one develop beauty over time, but true beauty is that which lies within, so if we endure and keep moving forward in life, as the little duckling did, then we may, one day, find ourselves to be considered the most beautiful of all.

Makna:

Makna yang terdapat dalam cerita ini mengajarkan kita untuk tidak menilai orang berdasarkan penampilan mereka, karena seseorang memiliki kemampuan untuk berkembang seiring waktu, dan kecantikan yang sebenarnya terletak pada karakter dan kepribadian yang ada di dalam diri seseorang.

Selain itu, pesan moral yang bisa diambil melalui kisah ini adalah sikap gigih dan terus melangkah maju dalam hidup yang digambarkan melalui perjuangan si itik kecil.

4. The Ant and The Grasshopper

ilustrasi the ant and the grasshopper (dongengceritarakyat.com)

The story tells of a grasshopper that spends the summer singing and idling away his time. Meanwhile, his neighbors, a colony of ants, work hard throughout the summer to store food for the winter. The grasshopper laughs at the ants and tells them they should enjoy the summer.

The ants tell the grasshopper that he should store food for the winter or he will starve when everything is frozen. When winter comes, the ants are in their nest, resting and surviving on the food they store. The grasshopper comes to their door, hungry and cold. He begs the ants for food and says he realized the error of his ways.

The ants share their food with him and make him promise to work hard next summer, to gather and store food.

Makna:

Dongeng ini mengajarkan tentang pentingnya persiapan, kerja keras, dan pandangan ke depan. Hal tersebut tercermin melalui sosok semut yang bekerja keras mampu bertahan di musim dingin berkat persiapan mereka, sementara belalang yang tidak peduli dengan masa depan mengalami kesulitan.

Jadi, dapat disimpulkan bahwa, makna dari dongeng ini adalah mengingatkan kita bahwa perencanaan yang bijaksana dan tindakan yang bertanggung jawab dapat membawa stabilitas dan keamanan dalam situasi yang tidak pasti, sementara sikap sembrono bisa mengakibatkan kesulitan dan penyesalan.

5. The Little Mermaid

cuplikan The Little Mermaid (1989) dan The Little Mermaid (2022) (IMDb.com)

In the underwater kingdom of Atlantica, the home of the mer-people, lived a little mermaid who loved nothing more than to look at things on the surface and observe how the humans lived.

She longed to be human, and when she ended up rescuing a handsome prince from drowning, she decided that she must become human at any cost, as she wanted to be with him.

This led her to visit a sea witch who asked the mermaid to sacrifice her voice, in exchange for human legs, on the condition that the mermaid would return as a slave if the prince did not marry her.

The mermaid then went to her prince, but faced a series of challenges, ranging from the prince not recognising her to other suitors coming forward to marry him. However, at the end, both, the mermaid and prince reunite, defeating the witch and living happily ever after.

Children can learn about being brave enough to step into a life that is different from yours in order to get what your heart longs for.

Makna:

Makna dan nilai yang bisa diambil dari dongeng ini adalah pelajaran tentang keberanian untuk menjelajahi kehidupan yang berbeda dari yang mereka kenal, dengan tujuan meraih apa yang sungguh-sungguh diinginkan oleh hati mereka.

6. Cinderella

Cinderella (Dok. Disney/Cinderella)

The story of Cinderella tells of a kindhearted young woman who was treated cruelly by her stepmother and sisters, but, never the less, kept a humble attitude.

One day, the king decided to throw a ball and invited all the young maidens in the kingdom. While Cinderella's sisters made her help them get ready for the ball, not once did they ask her if she would like to go with them.

When they left, her Fairy Godmother appeared and helped Cinderella go to the ball with a bit of magic that would only last until midnight. At the ball, Cinderella caught the eye of the prince, as she was the most beautiful girl there, and they danced all night.

When midnight came, Cinderella had to leave the ball, and in her hurry, one of her glass slippers fell off her feet. The prince found this slipper and vowed to marry the girl who the slipper belonged to.

The prince went from house to house, looking for the girl who's foot fit the slipper, and he reached Cinderella's house. Though Cinderella's stepsisters and stepmother tried to keep her from trying it on, the glass slipper was a perfect fit, and she was soon married to the prince and lived happily ever after. This is a wonderful story that captures how keeping a humble attitude will reap its rewards.

Makna:

Secara keseluruhan, dongeng Cinderella mengandung pesan luar biasa tentang bagaimana sikap rendah hati dapat menghasilkan hasil yang menguntungkan.

7. Beauty and the Beast

Belle dan Beast saling menatap satu sama lain (dok. Walt Disney Studio/Beauty and the Beast)

There once was a merchant who got lost in a storm and took shelter in a castle he found. While leaving, he plucked a rose from the garden to gift his daughter Belle. The castle belonged to a hideous beast, who imprisoned the merchant for trying to steal the rose.

The merchant begged to be set free and told the beast he only wanted the rose for his daughter Belle. The Beast lets him go, on the condition that his daughter would take his place and live in the castle. The merchant returned home and told Belle everything.

Belle went to live in the castle with the Beast in place of her father. The Beast fell in love with the beautiful Belle, who realized that the Beast was very good-natured and not vicious. One day, Belle asked permission to see her father. When she left, the Beast felt heartbroken. Belle returned to the castle to see that the Beast was dying.

She held the Beast and cried, admitting that she loved him. All of a sudden, the Beast turned into a handsome prince. He was cursed by a witch that he would remain a Beast until a woman truly loved him, despite his hideous looks.

The witch’s curse was broken when Belle said she loved the beast. The prince and Belle got married and lived happily ever after.

Makna:

Dongeng ini menyampaikan pesan bahwa cinta yang sejati tumbuh dari pemahaman mendalam dan penerimaan tanpa memandang fisik atau latar belakang.

Nilai yang bisa dipetik melalui dongeng ini adalah tentang kesabaran, pengorbanan, dan mengatasi prasangka. Belle menunjukkan kesabaran dan kebaikan hati dalam menghadapi Beast yang menakutkan. Pesan ini mengilustrasikan arti pentingnya memahami dan menghargai orang lain tanpa prasangka.

8. Sleeping Beauty

Aurora (Dok. Disney/Sleeping Beauty)

The story of Princess Aurora, the much-awaited daughter of the king and queen, who was cursed by an evil witch, to die by the prick from the spindle of a spinning wheel because her parents did not invite the fairy to her Christening.

Fortunately, one of the good fairies who had been invited to the Christening was able to help. Though the princess would still have to be pricked, she would not die, but sleep for a hundred years. She was blessed by the other good fairies, and so grew up to be a beautiful, kind and obedient young girl who was often called Briar Rose.

As predicted, on her sixteenth birthday, Aurora was pricked on her finger by a spinning wheel and fell into a deep sleep, along with every man, woman, child and animal in the castle.

A hundred years later, a young prince tried to get to the castle, in order to see the famous beauty that had been asleep for so long. When he found her, he was stunned by her beauty and leaned in for a kiss.

This broke the curse, and soon everyone in the castle was awoken from their long, hundred year sleep. The prince and princess were married, and the kingdom was happy and peaceful once again.

Sleeping beauty teaches us that even though evil can sometimes interrupt our lives, when good intervenes, it can soften the blow and eventually, evil will be overcome.

Makna:

Melalui dongeng Sleeping Beauty, terdapat pesan bahwa walaupun kejahatan kadang-kadang dapat menyebabkan gangguan dalam hidup kita, namun ketika dibarengi dengan kebaikan, efeknya dapat diredam dan pada akhirnya kejahatan akan teratasi.

Melalui kebaikan, dampak buruk yang diakibatkan oleh kejahatan dapat diperoleh penyelesaiannya dan akhirnya kejahatan itu sendiri dapat diatasi.

Baca Juga: 7 Contoh Cerita Fantasi serta Strukturnya, Cocok buat Referensi!

9. The Boy Who Cried Wolf

The boy who cried wolf (Scholastic.co.uk)

There once was a shepherd boy who was bored as he sat on the hillside watching the village sheep. To amuse himself he took a great breath and sang out, "Wolf! Wolf! The Wolf is chasing the sheep!"

The villagers came running up the hill to help the boy drive the wolf away. But when they arrived at the top of the hill, they found no wolf. The boy laughed at the sight of their angry faces.

"Don't cry 'wolf', shepherd boy," said the villagers, "when there's no wolf!" They went grumbling back down the hill.

Later, the boy sang out again, "Wolf! Wolf! The wolf is chasing the sheep!" To his naughty delight, he watched the villagers run up the hill to help him drive the wolf away.

When the villagers saw no wolf they sternly said, "Save your frightened song for when there is really something wrong! Don't cry 'wolf' when there is NO wolf!"

But the boy just grinned and watched them go grumbling down the hill once more.

Later, he saw a REAL wolf prowling about his flock. Alarmed, he leaped to his feet and sang out as loudly as he could, "Wolf! Wolf!"

But the villagers thought he was trying to fool them again, and so they didn't come.

At sunset, everyone wondered why the shepherd boy hadn't returned to the village with their sheep. They went up the hill to find the boy. They found him weeping.

"There really was a wolf here! The flock has scattered! I cried out, "Wolf!" Why didn't you come?"

An old man tried to comfort the boy as they walked back to the village.

"We'll help you look for the lost sheep in the morning," he said, putting his arm around the youth, "Nobody believes a liar...even when he is telling the truth!"

Makna :

Pesan moral dari dongeng The boy who cried a wolf, adalah untuk selalu mengatakan kejujuran. Pasalnya, apabila terbiasa berbohong maka orang lain tak akan percaya lagi apa yang kita katakan dan kita sendiri yang menanggung akibatnya.

10. The stag and his reflection

The stag and his reflection (Youtube.com/Tamilarasi English)

A handsome stag with majestic antlers admired himself in a lake. As he looked at his reflection he thought, "My antlers are beautiful! But these spindly legs of mine are so skinny I wish I could hide them in shame."

Just then a hunter's arrow whizzed by and the stag bounded into the woods. As he ran, his beautiful antlers caught and snagged on the branches of a low-growing tree. Struggling, he finally pulled himself free. If it weren't for the exquisite speed of his legs, he would surely have been captured.

After that, when he gazed at his spindly legs, his pride would swell. "In times of danger," he thought, "they serve me well."

Makna :

Dari dongeng ini dapat dipetik pelajaran berharga yaitu untuk mencintai diri sendiri dan selalu merasa bersyukur terhadap apa yang kita miliki. Seperti si kijang yang mulanya merasa tidak puas dengan bentuk kakinya, namun kemudian dia menyadari bahwa bentuk kakinya yang ramping justru bisa menyelamatkan nyawanya.

11. The City Mouse and the Country Mouse

City Mouse country mouse (Macmillan.com)

There once was a mouse who liked his country house until his cousin came for a visit.

"In the city where I live," his cousin said, "we dine on cheese and fish and bread. Each night my dinner is brought to me. I eat whatever I choose. While you, country cousin, work your paws to the bone for humble crumbs in this humble home. I'm used to finery. To each his own, I see!"

Upon hearing this, the country mouse looked again at his plain brown house. Suddenly he wasn't satisfied anymore. "Why should I hunt and scrape for food to store?" he said. "Cousin, I'm coming to the city with you!"

Off they went into the fine town house of the plump and prosperous city mouse.

"Shhh! The people are in the parlor," the city mouse said. "Let's sneak into the kitchen for some cheese and bread."

The city mouse gave his wide-eyed country cousin a grand tour of the leftover food on the table. "It's the easy life," the city mouse said, and he smiled as he bit into a piece of bread.

Just as they were both about to bite into a chunk of cheddar cheese, in came the CAT!

"Run! Run!" said the city mouse. "The cat's in the house!"

As the country mouse scampered for his life out of the window, he said, "Cousin, I'm going back to the country! You never told me that a CAT lives here! Thank you, but I'll take my humble crumbs in comfort over all of your finery with fear!"

Makna :

Rumput tetangga selalu terlihat lebih hijau. Paribahasa ini tentu pas untuk menggambarkan dongeng di atas. Kita selalu membandingkan diri dengan orang lain dan merasa hidup orang lain lebih enak, padahal jika dijalani tentu tidak demikian. Kunci untuk menikmati hidup adalah berhenti membandingkan diri dengan orang lain dan bersyukur terhadap apa yang kita miliki saat ini.

12. The Dog and His Bone

A dog and his bone (Amazon.com)

A hound dog found a bone and held it tightly in his mouth. He growled and scowled at anyone who attempted to take it away. Off into the woods he went to bury his prize.

When he came to a stream, he trotted over the footbridge and happened to glance into the water. He saw his own reflection. Thinking it was another dog with a bigger bone, he growled and scowled at it. The reflection growled and scowled back.

"I'll get THAT bone too," thought the greedy dog, and he snapped his sharp teeth at the image in the water.

Alas, his own big bone fell with a splash, out of sight, the moment he opened his mouth to bite!

Makna :

Sifat tamak justru akan merugikanmu. Seperti halnya si anjing yang merasa tidak puas karena hanya memiliki satu tulang, ia berusaha merebut tulang yang dibawa anjing (yang padahal cerminan dirinya sendiri di danau). Pada akhirnya tulang yang dimilikinya malah jatuh ke air.

Terkadang merasa puas dengan apa yang kita miliki saat ini sudah cukup. Jika kita selalu merasa kurang dan terus mengejar hal-hal yang berbau duniawi justru bakal membawa petaka bagi diri sendiri.

13. The Bear and the Bee

The bear and the bee (thefablecottage.com)

Everybody knows that bears love honey. One day Mr Bear looks in his cupboard and he can't find any honey. 

"Oh no! No honey!" he says. So he goes into the forest to find some. 

He sees a beehive in a tree. He smells the honey. "Mmmmm! Honey!"
He sticks his paw into the beehive and….ZZZZZZZZZ! A bee flies out.

“Hey, bear! Go away!” says the bee. "This is not your honey!"

Mr Bear is annoyed. 
“I am bigger than you,” he says. “And I am stronger than you too. I can do what I want! Now... buzz off!” 

Mr Bear sticks his paw into the beehive again and….ZZZZZZZZZ!  ZING!
OWIE! The bee stings him right on his nose!

“My nose! My nose! Oooh... I'm so angry!" growls Mr Bear.

He finds a big stick. He tries to hit the bee. He swings and he swings, but the bee is too fast! Mr Bear gets angrier and angrier.

"GARRRRRGHGHGH! I WILL SQUASH YOU! COME HERE!"

The bee flies back into the beehive.

"AH HAH! Now you're trapped!" yells Mr Bear. 

He swings his stick at the beehive. Smash! Smash! Smash! He smashes it to pieces! 

Then he hears a strange sound. It gets louder and louder…  

ZZZZ! ZZZZ! ZZZ! Zzzz! ZZZZZZZZZZ! Zzzz! ZZZZ! 

Thousands of bees fly out of the smashed beehive. 

They fly around Mr Bear's head… 

ZZZZZZZZZ… ZING! They sting him on his ear. 

ZING ZING! They sting him on his elbow. 

They chase Mr Bear through the forest. They sting him on his arms, his legs, his hands and especially on his nose.  

ZING! ZING! ZING! 

Mr Bear runs all the way home and slams the door shut. BAM! 

Then he hears a voice behind him.
It’s Mrs. Bear.
“You did it again, didn’t you?” she says. “You lost your temper.”

“Yes,” he says as he cries and counts his bee stings.

“Here’s the bee-sting medicine,” says Mrs. Bear. “Also, we have honey in the cupboard. It’s behind the flour.”

Makna :

Kesabaran adalah kunci supaya kamu bisa berpikir jernih dan segalanya berjalan lancar. Segala hal yang dimulai dengan emosi justru tidak akan membawa kebaikan.

14. The Fox and The Crow

The fox and the crow (Thefablecottage.com)

There once was a big black crow sitting high up in the trees. In his beak he had a nice, round cheese.

Along came a fox, as clever as they come, "Mmmm," he thought. "I'd like to have a bite of that cheese. It will be easy to get some...."

"Oh crow," called fox, "if your voice is half as beautiful as those fine feathers I see, it would please my ears to hear you sing a little melody!"

Well, crow had never heard anyone say such a complimentary thing. So, he opened up his beak and he began to squawk and sing.

Down fell the cheese into the waiting mouth of the fox below.

"Oh no!" squawked the crow, "you've stolen my dinner!"

"Not at all!" said the fox, licking his lips. "It was a fair enough trade! Vain crow, with your head up in the trees! You got the compliments, and I got the cheese!"

Makna :

Waspadalah kepada orang yang selalu memujimu berlebihan. Pasalnya, bisa saja orang tersebut memiliki niat jahat yang bisa merugikanmu.

15. The Girl and Her Bucket

The girl and her bucket (Amazon.com)

A young girl was going to market with a bucket of milk on her head.

"With the gold that I get from the sale of this milk, I'll buy a red hen," she said. "The hen will lay eggs, they'll hatch and then I'll have many chicks to raise. I'll feed them well and when they're grown, they will each lay eggs, and those eggs will hatch and I will have more hens, who'll lay more eggs that will hatch into chicks...

Before long I'll be rich and I'll wear fine clothes with emeralds and rubies from my collar to my toes, and one day perhaps I shall visit the Queen. I shall bring her rare gifts from China. I'll enter the court with my arms full of treasure. Bowing low I shall say, "FOR YOUR MAJESTY'S PLEASURE!"

And she bowed low...

With that sweep of her arm, she knocked off the bucket and spilled her fantasy load.

"Oh dear," she cried, "my dreams are splattered in puddles of milk on the road...."

Makna :

Bermimpi boleh, tapi harus diimbangi dengan kerja keras. Tak perlu berimajinasi yang terlalu muluk karena hal itu justru bisa mendatangkan petaka.

Nah, itulah tadi 15 contoh dongeng bahasa Inggris. Kira-kira, mana dongeng yang akan jadi kesukaan kamu, nih?

Penulis: Natasya Yolanda

Baca Juga: 20 Maret Hari Dongeng Sedunia: Sejarah dan Pentingnya Dongeng