Fables have animal characters and a moral lesson, myths are traditional stories with super-

human characters and legends are like myths, but they are often semi-true stories. Are the
examples below myths, legends or fables?

Folk tales are traditional stories that people pass on to one another.

1. Read the folk tale below, using different coloured pencils or highlighters underline: who,
where, the problem and the solution.

2. Identify the beginning, middle and end sections.

Who – Blue Where - Green Problem – Yellow Solution – Orange

How the Elephant Got His Trunk

Once upon a time, there was a sad elephant that lived in Africa. He was dirty and stinky, because he
could not reach to wash his back. All the other animals didn’t play with him because he was smelly.

Elephant sat under a tree, where nobody could see him. He started to cry. His head was hanging down,
crying big tears. He sat and cried for days. One day, when his tears had dried up, he went to itch his
head and he felt a bump on his back. Then he noticed his nose had stretched because it had got wet
with all the crying and it was now a long trunk which had hit him on his back.

He went to the river and got his trunk, put it in the water and sucked the water up. Then he sprayed his
back with water.

All the other animals came over to him and said “you are so clean and smell so lovely. Do you want to
play with us?” The elephant was so happy and said “yes.”
 3. What is the problem and the solution in this story?

Some Ideas:
How the rainbow got its colours Why the moon has craters
Why the chameleon changes colour Why there are clouds
How the leopard got its spots How the rabbit got its ears

Title of my folk tale: _______________________________________

Who = Characters: ________________________________________________________________

Where = Setting: _________________________________________________________________

Problem: _______________________________________________________________________
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Solution: _______________________________________________________________________
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Beginning: ______________________________________________________________________
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Middle: ________________________________________________________________________
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End: ___________________________________________________________________________
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