The document discusses the key elements and characteristics of folktales. It notes that folktales are traditional stories that are passed down over generations, usually aim to explain aspects of the world, and often contain morals or lessons. Common motifs in folktales include magic, wishes being granted, trickery, poor characters becoming rich, and the numbers 3 and 7 holding significance. The tales also typically have predictable plots that move along familiar paths and answer all questions by the end of the story. Different types of folktales are mentioned such as animal tales, explanatory tales, magic tales, and cumulative tales.

1. QUALITIES OF
FOLKTALES

2. PURPOSE OF FOLKTALES
• Traditional story that tries to explain the world
• Passed down from generation to generation
• Has a moral or lesson
• Reading folktales allows the reader to gain an
understanding of the values and traditions of
cultures around the world.

3. ELEMENTS OF FOLKTALES
• Folktales are usually
about ordinary people
and everyday life.
• The stories include:
setting, characters,
and a problem.
• The characters are
often flat – representing
on particular trait such
as cleverness
• Hyperbole is always
found in tall tales.

4. COMMON FOLKTALE MOTIFS
(MOTIF – RECURRING ELEMENT THAT HAS SYMBOLIC SIGNIFICANCE IN A STORY)
• Wishes granted • Magic events,
• Monsters characters, and
• Magic objects objects are part of
the story
• Use of trickery • One character is
• A poor person someone of royalty
becomes rich (king, queen,
• The numbers 3 and 7 prince…)
are significant • One character is
• A variety of unwise wicked
characters • One character is
good

5. THE FOLKTALE FORMULA
• The plot begins
quickly
• Characters are one
sided
• Plots move along
well-trod paths
(predictable)
• All questions are
answered before
the story ends

6. TYPES OF FOLKTALES
• Tales of talking
animals
• Tales that tell why
(pourquoi tales)
• Tales of magic
• Cumulative tales
• Tales of
exaggeration or
legendary tales

7. FAMILIAR FOLKTALES
• King Midas
• Emperor’s New Clothes
• The Lion and the Mouse
Weblink: PBS Kids
• The Elephant’s Child
• Brer Rabbit
• Jack and the Beanstalk