There’s something timeless about fairy tales. Whether we first heard them at bedtime, discovered them in a book or watched them on screen, many of them stay with us long after childhood. We may forget the details, but we still remember the dragon, the witch, the prince or the happy ending.
Le Favole brings together some of the Italian words you’ll come across in traditional fairy tales and fantasy stories, from magical creatures and mysterious characters to enchanted objects and unforgettable adventures.
Download the crossword below and choose whether you’d like to solve it with the clues in Italian or in English. If you get stuck, or simply want to review the vocabulary afterwards, you can reveal each answer together with its English meaning further down the page.
Divertiti! 😊
Only peek if you get stuck!
Tap on any clue below to reveal its answer and English translation, one at a time.
Orizzontali (Across)
Verticali (Down)
What this puzzle reminded me of 📖
Thinking back, I'm not sure how "happy" some of these stories really were. I remember reading Pinocchio as a child and lying awake terrified: poor Pinocchio nearly burned by Mangiafuoco, strung up by il Gatto e la Volpe, swallowed whole by a giant fish.
Then there's Cappuccetto Rosso, whose poor nonna gets eaten by a wolf, or Hansel and Gretel, who very nearly end up on a strega's dinner plate. Weren't bedtime stories supposed to send us gently off to sleep, not straight into nightmares?
If all those childhood monsters still make you smile, you'll find another little nod to them in my word match Sotto il letto del bambino, tucked inside my Home and Family puzzle book.
Sweet dreams, and happy solving.
