The Folktale

A folktale is a story that is passed down through generations by word of mouth. Storytellers recount folktales, adding their own personal touches to entertain listeners and to teach a moral, or lesson. Myths, tall tales, legends, fables, and fairy tales are all folktales. Below are descriptions of some common elements they share.

Setting: The setting is where the story takes place. It can be a place that exists or an imaginary place.

Characters and conflict: Characters in folktales can be people or talking animals who sometime have exaggerated or magical abilities. The conflicts are usually everyday problems that regular people might have.

Style: The style of a folktale is informal and conversational.

Theme: The theme of a folktale, or the folktale's moral, is a lesson about human nature from which listeners or readers can learn.

In this activity you will write your own folktale.