Features of a Folktale Reading 3.1

Features of a Folktale A folktale is an old story that has been told and retold, having been passed from generation to generation by word of mouth until it was written down. Similar versions of some folktales can be found all over the world. Many folktales begin with the words “Once upon a time” or “Long ago and far away.”

The characters are sometimes animals or objects that speak. A folktale often contains a moral, or lesson about life. Goodness and intelligence win out over evil and ignorance.

The story is told from the third-person point of view with the pronouns he, she, it, or they-- rather than I—used to talk about the characters. Action builds through repetition. The story has a high point at the end.