Fables, Fairy Tales, Tall Tales, & Myths

Use the worksheet to complete the activities:

1.    Read the stories: "The Tortoise and the Hare" and "The Lion and the Mouse." For each of the stories, find and record: the characters, the setting, and the theme. Then, explain which genre these stories are and why you think so.

2.    Find a fairy tale to read/study.  Read it, and complete this Fairy Tale Analysis worksheet to analyze the story.

3. Remember, tall tales are stories written from someone’s imagination.  The story can be funny or silly.  They are filled with exaggerations, similes, metaphors, and lots of descriptive language.  It is always told as if it were true, even though the listeners know that the story could never really happen. Some of the characters were real heroes and heroines whose stories got exaggerated a lot, others were characters such as cowboys, railroad workers, loggers, sea captains, and firefighters.  Tall tales told information that really happened at the time and combined it with a wild tale full of fantasy.Read/listen/watch  the following tall tales: Paul Bunyon  and  John Henry.  As you read/listen/watch, make a 2-column list.  One column should list the realistic/historical aspects of the story, and the other column should list the exaggerated portions of the story.  Try to include at least 3 items in each column for each story.

4. Remember, myths are are among the oldest stories ever told.  They are present in all cultures and often explain some aspect of nature or human existence. Read, listen to, and/or watch 2 of the following myths: The Raven Story, Prometheus, Izangi and Izanami, and Genesis 3.  Record the following information for each myth: title, cultural/geographic region, what it explains the creation of, characters, cultural values, and setting.