FOLK TALES'

Now answer these questions about Extract 1 and Extract 2.

Exercise 3: Botb extracts

What features of folk tales (repetition, etc.) do you find in these
stories? How far do you think that they help readers to engage with
the stories?
(Note that the two stories use repetition in slightly different ways.)
Explain what you think might be the morals to these stories.

Ballads
Ballads are poems that tell stories. Many ballads were first composed
hundreds of years ago and have features in common with folk tales. In
some cases they tell of famous historical events such as battles that
happened atthe time. Like many folk tales, ballads were originally
composed by unknown people and passed down through the generations
in song before they were written down at alater period of time.
Here is an example of an early English ballad that was most probably
first composed about 800 years ago although not written down until many
centuries later. This is one of many ballads that tell of events in the life of
the legendary outlaw hero, Robin Hood. In this story Robin and one of his
Merry Men, little John (so-called because he was very large in size), meet
up with apedlar (a travelling salesman). At first it looks as if the two
outlaws are planning to rob the pedlar, but the story takes an unexpected
twist. You'll notice that it also makes very effective use of repetition and,
as in 'Stripes Tiger and the Boy', contains a lot of the main characters'
direct speech which gives the story a dramatic and immediate effect.

,i\
'The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood' .i

There chanced to be a Pedlar bold, If you have several suits of the gay green silk, \O
A Pedlar bold there chanced to be; And silken bowstrings two or three
He put his pack all on his back, Then, by mybody, cries littleJohn,
And so merrily trudged over the lea. One half of your pack shall belong to me.

By chance he met two troublesome men, O nay, O nay, said the pedlar bold,
Two troublesome men they chanced to be, O nay, A nay, that can nevefbe
The one of them was bold Robin Hood, For there's never a man from fair Nottingham,
And the other was littleJohn so free. Can take one half my pack from me.

O Pedlar, Pedlaq what is in thy pack?

Come speedily and tell to me.
I've several suits of the gay green silks,
And silken bowstrings by two or three.
@ CHAPTER 5
Then the Pedlar he pulled off his pack,
And put it a little below his knee,
Saying, If vou do move me one perch lrom
this,
My pack ancl all shall gang with thee'
Then littleJohn he drew his sword,
The Pedlar by his Pack did stand,
They fought until they both did sweat,
Till he cried, Pedlar, pray hold your hand.
Then Robin Hood he was standing bY,
And he did laugh most heartily,
Saying, I could find a man of smaller scale,
Could thrash the Pedlar and also thee.
Go you try master, saYs little John,
Go you try master, most sPeeclilv,
For by my body, says little John,
I am sure this night you will know me.
Then Robin Hood he drew his sword,
And the pedlar by his Pack did stand;
They fought till the blood in streams did
flow
Till he cried, Pedlar, prav hold your hand.
O Pecllar, Pedlar, rvhat is thy n2-.,
Comc speeclily and tell to me.
Cor-rre. ltt\- l-Iame I ne'er will tell,
Till both \1lLlr nafles \rou have told to me'
The one of tts is bold Robin Hood,
And ti're other is littleJohn so free.
Now, savs the Pecllzrr. it 1ay5 1s my good wiil,
-ffhether l-nv l-Ianle I choose to tell to thee.
I am Gamble Gold of the gay green woods,
And I travelled thr bevond the sea,
For killing a man iu rrlr-father's land,
And from m\: colllltn'ri-as forced to flee'
If you are Gamble Golcl of the gay green
woods,
And travelled far ber-or-rcl the sea,
You are my mother s owll sister's son,
What nearer cousins can ri'e bei
They sheathed their su.orcis. rvith friendly
words,
So merrily they did agree.
They went to a tavern ancl there they dined,
And cracked bottles most merril.v.
Anonymous
 FOLK TALES'
-t
The ballad form is still being used by song writers and poets as away of
telling a story through music. It provides a simple and direct form of
n rrative. Here is an example from the middle of the twentieth century; it
is taken from a recording by the American folksinger\floody Guthrie and
tells the story of another famous outlaq Pretty Boy Floyd, an American
bank robber of the 1930s.

'The Ballad of Pretty Boy Floyd'

If you'll gather'round me, children, Others tell you 'bout a stranger
A story I will tell That come to beg a meal,
'Bout Pretty Boy Floyd, an outlaw, Underneath his napkin
Oklahoma knew him well. Left a thousand dollar bill.

It was in the town of Shawnee, It was in Oklahoma City,

A Saturday afternoon, It was on a Christmas Day,
His wife beside him in his wagon There was awhole car load of groceries
As into town they rode. Come with a note to say:

There a deputy sheriff approached him Vell, you say that I'm an outlaw
In a manner rather rude, You say that I'm a thief.
Vulgar words of anger, Here's a Christmas dinner
An' his wife she overheard. For the families on relief.

Pretry Boy grabbed a log chain, Yes, as through this world I've wandered
And the deputy grabbed his gun; I've seen lots of funny men;
In the fight that followed Some will rob you with a six-gun,
He laid that deputy down. And some with a fountain pen.

Then he took to the trees and timber And aSthrough your life you travel,
To live a life of shame; Yes, as through your life you roam,
Every crime in Oklahoma You won't never see an outlaw
\?'as added to his name. Drive afamily from their home.

But a many a starving farmer Woody GutbNe

The same old story told
How the outlaw paid their mortgage
And saved their little homes.