Myths, Folk Tales, Fables, and Fairy Tales

What is a myth? A myth is a story that usually explains something about the world (nature) and involves gods and other superhuman beings.

Examples of Myths How the Titans and Gods were Created Medusa ’ s Head Prometheus

What is a Folk Tale? A folk tale is a story with no known author. Folk tales are passed down from one generation to another by word of mouth.

Examples of Folk Tales The Nightingale The Seventh Sister How the Snake Got Poison Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves He Lion, Bruh Bear, and Bruh Rabbit

What is a fairy tale? A fairy tale is a type of imaginative writing that carries the reader into an invented world where the laws of nature, as we know them, do not apply.

Examples of Fairy Tales Cinderella Snow White and the Seven Dwarves Ella Enchanted The Little Mermaid Photo from:

What is a fable? A fable is a very brief story in prose or in verse that teaches a moral or a practical lesson about how to succeed in life.

Fables usually contain the following: Main character is an animal Has a moral What is a moral? lesson about life

Here is one example of a moral. Don’t count your chicken’s before they are hatched. Can you give another example?

Examples of Fables The Crow and the Jar The Wolf and the House Dog The Fox and the Crow The Country Mouse and the City Mouse The Maid and the Milk pail

Quiz Time! Which genre teaches a moral at the end? What are two examples of myths? What is a story with no known author? What are three examples of folk tales? What kind of story is The Country Mouse and the City Mouse?

Aesop and his Fables

Aesop was an ancient Greek storyteller who lived around 550 BC. He was also a slave. He lived in ancient Rome, in the home of a wealthy Roman family. Legend says … Aesop’s Roman master was so delighted with Aesop’s fables that he granted Aesop his freedom! Aesop’s Fables

There are no records to prove that Aesop ever wrote anything down. Fortunately, after his death, people did write down every fable they could remember. Over the centuries, Aesop's fables have been rewritten and illustrated and translated into nearly every language in the world. Aesop’s Fables

Today, we still enjoy these wonderful stories created over 2,500 years ago! Each is a very short story, and each has a moral. Like this one … Aesop’s Fables

“What a pretty bird,” the fox said softly, as if speaking to himself. “If only crows could sing.” Aesop’s Fables A fox wandered by a tree. A crow was sitting on a branch. She held a piece of cheese in her beak. The fox wanted the cheese for himself.

The crow was flattered to be called a pretty bird. To show the fox that she could also sing, the crow began to caw. The cheese dropped from her mouth and fell to the ground. “So you can sing,” the fox laughed. “If only your wits were as sharp!” The fox snatched up the cheese, and ran off. Aesop’s Fables

Which of these morals do you think best fits the story? Aesop’s Fables 1. Don’t trust a sneaky fox. 2. Don’t sing with a full mouth. 3. Don’t let vanity cloud your wits. Answer: They all fit, but the best answer would probably be “Don’t let vanity cloud your wits.”

Why is that the best fit? Aesop’s Fables The fox may be sneaky. You can sing with a full mouth, although it might be messy! If you don’t let vanity cloud your judgment, you will always be better off!

One day, a fox fell down a well. He tried to climb out, but the well was too deep. A goat wandered by. He peered down curiously. “What are you doing in a well?” asked the goat. The Fox and the Goat

“I’m warning you, goat,” snarled the fox. “This is my water! Go away.” “You can’t keep all the water for yourself,” the goat snorted. The goat jumped in the well. The Fox and the Goat

The fox jumped on the goat’s back and leaped out of the well. He ran off without a care for the goat who was stuck in the well. The Moral of This Story is: Don’t always believe what you hear from someone in trouble. The Fox and the Goat

Match the Moral to the Fable!!!!. Persuasion is better than force. Make hay while the sun shines. Small friends can be powerful allies. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Don’t just follow the crowd. Liars may give themselves away. Pride can be costly. Sometimes we do not see our own strengths.

The Frog and the OX A young frog, amazed at the huge size of an ox, rushed to tell her father about the monster. The father frog, trying to impress his child, puffed himself up to look like the ox. The young frog said it was much bigger. Again the father puffed himself up. The young frog insisted the monster was even bigger. The father puffed and puffed - and burst!

The Stag at the Pool A stag, gazing at his reflection in a pool, remarked, “What glorious antlers I have. But my legs are so skinny!” At that moment the stag heard a pack of hunters and hounds approaching. His long legs helped him flee into a thick wood, but his antlers became entangled in the branches. Struggle as he might, he was trapped - and the hounds and hunters closed in.

The Monkey and the Dolphin A monkey fell from a ship and was rescued by a dolphin. The dolphin asked if he lived nearby. The monkey lied and said that he did. “Do you know Seriphos?” asked the dolphin. The monkey, thinking Seriphos was a person’s name, boasted that it was his best friend. As Seriphos was a town, the dolphin knew the monkey was lying, so he dived, leaving him to swim to shore.

The Fox and the Old Lion An old lion sent out word that he was ill and said that he would like the animals and birds to visit him. Most went but fox did not. Finally the lion sent for him, asking why he had not come to see him. The wily fox replied, “I had planned to, but I noticed that although many tracks led into your cave, none led out.”

The Cockerel and the Jewel On a farm lived a fine young rooster. He liked to scratch about the hay in the farmyard, where he found insects and titbits to eat. One day his claw flicked up a bright jewel which had fallen amongst the hay. The rooster tossed it aside, saying to himself, “A grain of golden corn would have been better.”

The Lion and the Mouse Once a lion trapped a mouse under it’s large paw. The mouse pleaded for it’s life, so the lion let it go. Later the lion became entangled in a hunter’s net and roared in distress. The mouse rushed to help. “You’re too small to help,” said the lion. But the mouse nibbled at the net until the lion was free.

The Ant and the Grasshopper One autumn day as some ants were busily storing grain for the winter, a hungry grasshopper begged for food. One ant asked what the grasshopper had been doing during the summer while they had been gathering food. “Ah!” he sighed. “I sang all summer long.” At this the ant said that he could dance all winter too - and carried on working.

The Wind and the Sun The wind and the sun argued over who was the stronger. They saw a traveller and agreed that whoever could get the traveller’s coat off his body must be the stronger. The wind blew fiercely, but the harder it blew, the tighter the man clutched his coat. Then the sun beamed it’s warm rays until the man was so hot he took off his coat.

Now It Is Time to Create Your Own Fable!!!

Now that we know what a fable is we need a character. Meet Harry. He wants to be a real character. We are going to learn How to use characterization to make him come ”alive”.

Character Character Types Characterization

CHARACTER TYPES: Most stories have both main and minor characters. The main character, or protagonist, is the most important character. The action of the plot revolves around him or her. Often the antagonist, the person or thing working against the protagonist, is also a main character.

CHARACTERIZATION: is the way to make a character come alive for the reader. Physical appearance and personality Speech, behavior, and actions Thoughts and feelings Interactions with other characters

How can we use characterization to make Harry into a “real” character? Physical appearance: hairy, spider Speech and Behavior: jumpy & squeaky Thoughts and feelings : Sad that people are afraid of him Interactions with other characters : Scares people - but doesn’t mean to

So, remember Harry when you are working on your character for your fable. Make your character come “alive” for your audience.