Featured in the library: Tall Tales, Fables, Myths, Folk & Fairy Tales (Look in the 398 section of the library) Tall Tales
Why
To entertain. What
A humorous account of adventures popular on the 19th century American frontier.
A folk tale specific to a culture and to pioneering feats.
Features
Often exaggerated tales.
Usually involves superhuman feats.
Similar in structure to a folk tale.
Focus on the pioneer spirit required to adapt to harsh environment.
Superlatives common.
Trickery.
Problems or tussles often solved with good humor.
Some are based on real characters, often with invented or exaggerated incidents and traits.

Paul Bunyan-The Giant Lumberjack

Read all about-Aesop's Fables

More Aesop's Fables- modern (choose the moral)

Aesop's Cube -Your mouse controls the cube,
single click on the cube to stop and start,
double click to read that fable.

Fables
Why
To demonstrate a moral. What
A short and fairly simple didactic story in prose or verse usually with animal characters acting as humans.
A traditional form of story related to proverbs and folklore.
Features
Anthropomorphic.
Characters are impersonal-called by generic name.
Characters represent aspects of human nature, e.g., sheep represents innocence.
Usually one two or three characters.
Element of trickery as turning point.
Usually one incident.
More complex than often thought-conveying abstract truth in very few words.

Folktales, Fairy Tales & Myths

Folk Tales/Fairy Tales
Why
To tell an entertaining story.
To reveal human nature.
To instill cultural beliefs, values, and practices.
To explain natural and social phenomena.
To kindle imagination.
To discover universal qualities of humankind. What
Forms of narrative that have been handed down.
Epics, fairy tales, ballads, myths, legends, fables, folk songs.
Features
May not have been intended for children, but strong plot, quick action, and identifiable structure have attracted children through ages and cultures.
Usually reasonably short.
Always end happily.
The "underdog" usually triumphs or good overcomes evil.
Wishes come true as a result of a test or struggle.
Contain an element of magic.
Every culture has its own folklore reflecting its history and values
Identifiable structure.
Action quickly reflects direct plot.
Characters, setting, and problem revealed early.
Characters often opposite in personality and appearance-usually several adjectives to describe each character.
Quick ending contains resolution-instant, painless death; lavish wedding without apparent preparation.
Repetition a basic element-repetition often related to number of characters.
Three is a common element-characters, main episodes, attempts to solve problems.
Chants or repeated verses are common.
Always set in yesteryear.
Many versions of same tale-often adapted to a culture but also many versions within a culture.
The same theme is reflected in different tales in different cultures.

Myths

Ancient Greece

Myths
Why
To explain aspects of life, culture, and nature.
To explain origins. What
An anonymous narrative that explains the origins of life and elements of nature.
A fictional story containing a deeper truth.
A fictitious tale kept alive mainly through oral tradition.
In literary sense, "myth" does not mean untrue but a generalized understanding or belief.
Features
Characters are supernatural beings or elements of nature personified.
Many follow the pattern of traditional stories.
Short stories that contain action and suspense.
Every culture has its own collection of myths as well as a universal bank of myths.
Each culture has its own creation and nature myths-the former about how the world began and the sun and moon got in the sky, and the latter explaining seasonal changes, movements of the sun and earth, animal characteristics.

These definitions were designed for use by K-12 teachers. It is authored in response to teachers' questions about the attributes and characteristics of various forms of writing. This resource has been developed to provide easily accessible information about text forms and features referenced in the reading and writing sections of the Essential Academic Learning Requirements Technical Manual (July 17, 1998) and "A Framework for Achieving the Essential Academic Learning Requirements in Reading Grades K-6 (Draft)." For more information about Washinton State's EARLs go to: Reading EARLs