EEd 221- Childrens Literature (Coverage Chapter
Sometimes, only one motif is
4,5,6)
 Please Read ALL STORIES in Chapter 5
Themes in Traditional Literature
Definition: Traditional literature forms the basis for
many pieces of modern literature and can help
provide readers with knowledge of stories passed
through various generations.
Themes: However, important themes often exist
within traditional literature. Themes might include
foolishness, emotional outlets, and cultural values,
to name a few.
The purpose of traditional literature is having the
story be relatable to everyone. For this reason,
universal themes are important to the genre.
Some common themes include good versus evil,
the weak versus the strong, the beautiful versus the
ugly, and the rich versus the poor.
These stories often tell of a culture's customs,
values, and beliefs.
These stories include folk, fairy, and tall tales,
myths, legends, and fables.
2. CHARACTERISTICS OF FOLKTALE
Definition: refers to traditional narrative of
unknown authorship that has been handed from
generation to generation regardless of its content.
often called fairytales because many of them deal
with fairies or magic or any supernatural element
some of the contents and characters were animals,
mysterious and powerful in influences (gods,
giants, heroes)
Primary Characteristics of Folktales
1. Has no known individual author
2. Has no fixed or original form
3. has a brief introduction
4. adapted to any age
5. Has simple plot that is easy to remember
6. Characters appeal to both children and adults
7. Has elements of magic that appeals to children
Values of Folktales
1. Gives pleasure and enjoyment to children
2. Stirs the imagination
3. Gives insight into life
4. Used for dramatization
5. Used for illustration
6. Develops ear training
7. Plays a role in the emotional development of
children
8. Develops confidence and courage in children
against fear of unknown
WHAT IS MODERN FANTASY?
Definition: Modern Fantasy is distinguished
from other genres by story elements that violate the
natural, physical laws of our world.
Elements of Modern Fantasy: Stories in
this genre include such elements as talking
animals, imaginary worlds, fanciful characters, and
magical beings.
Six Basic Fantasy Motifs
Not all Modern Fantasy employs these six motifs.
Any combination of these motifs classifies a story
as Modern Fantasy.
utilized.
However, if a story uses all six of these
elements, it is considered Modern High Fantasy.
1. Magic
● Fantasy literature’s most basic element
● Often a part of the setting, explaining
otherwise inexplicable events
● Cannot be explained—it’s just there
2. Other Worlds / Secondary Worlds
● A special geography or universe is
established, a place wherein magic may freely
operate
● The entire tale may be set in an imaginary
place
● The characters are taken from a primary
world to a secondary world, through some type of
portal
● The secondary world invades our primary
world
3. Good vs. Evil
● Modern fantasy stories have strong
mythological base
● The basic theme gives rise to the conflict in
a story
● How do good and evil manifest in each of
the characters?
4. Heroism
● Every hero has a quest--a circular journey;
an age-old pattern
There are six elements in every hero's quest
1. the call to adventure
2. crossing threshold of safety and familiarity
3. surviving the trials of the new and dangerous environment
4. assistance from a protective figure
5. maturing and becoming a "whole person"
6. returning home
5. Special Character Types
● Characters who come from either our
legendary past or author’s vivid imagination
● Rarely typically humans (Fairies, pixies,
giants, wicked witches, ogres, vampires, wizards,
dwarves, elves, hobbits, etc.)
6. Fantastic Objects
● Characters employ magical props to
accomplish heroic or evil deeds
● Magical cloaks, swords, staffs, cauldrons,
mirrors, silver slippers, wands, the ring, flying
brooms.
Difference Between Traditional Folktale and
Modern Fairy tale
 Modern Fantasy differs from Traditional
Fantasy in that the stories have an
identifiable author and were written as early
as the 1800s.
 Modern fantasy is a genre of literature that
is closely related to traditional literature. The
biggest difference is the fact that the books
that fall into this genre (Modern Fantasy)
are not originally told orally. This works is
written down by known authors who can be
identified, unlike traditional literature where
the original author is unknown.
 While this is the biggest difference, readers
of this genre will notice that there are still
many similarities between the two. For
example, much like traditional literature,
modern fantasy sometimes uses talking
animals as characters. In addition to this,
readers will still encounter magical realms
or spells and mythological figures, like gods
and goddesses. In essence, modern fantasy
borrows from the tales of old, sometimes
uses ancient mythologies and folktales to
 create a new and original tale that may be
set in the present or in the past, depending
upon the preferences of the author.
Characteristics of Fables
1. Characters of the story are usually animals.
2. Animals are made to think, act, and talk like
human beings.
3. The morals lesson of the story is usually at the
end.
4. The story is usually short.
5. Animals personify human beings.
6. The fable is full of actions and conversations.
7. Full of humor and funny situations.
8. Some have tragic and dramatic series of events.
Values Found in Fables
1. They give delight and enjoy Children and
adults.
2. The teach ethical truth in an attractive
manner or form.
3. They provide background for the
understanding of many new or current
expressions and allusions.
4. Some of the fables serve as a guide to good
conduct on the child's level of experience.
5. Children enjoy the fables because of the
prominent part played by animals.
6. They touch moral and spiritual sense of
values.
7. They cultivate thinking and imagination.
8. They are good for story-telling and
dramatization purposes.
CATEGORIES OF MODERN FANTASY
1. Animal Fantasy - Characterized by animals
behaving as human beings in which they
experience emotions, talk, and have the
ability to reason.
Examples: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,
Charlotte’s Web and The Jungle Book.
2. Toys and Objects - These stories bring
inanimate objects (dolls, cars, robots) to life.
Examples: Pinocchio, The Indian in the Cupboard
and Toy Story.
3. Tiny Humans - These stories deal with tiny
people who think and act like the average
person
Examples: The Borrowers, and Winter Woods
4. Peculiar Characters and Situations -
These are situations and characters that are
"over the top"! They may occur in realistic
settings, making them more believable.
Examples: Pippi Longstocking, Mr. Popper’s
Penguins, and Mary Poppins
5. Imaginary Worlds - Imaginary worlds are
worlds that do not exist in the real world. It
is almost indistinguishable except for the
presence of invented characters and
events.
Examples: The Celestial Globe and The
Chronicles of Narnia
6. Magical Powers - Characters in these
stories possess a magic object, know a
magical saying or have magical powers.
Examples: The Chocolate Touch and The Magic
Thief
7. Supernatural Tales - Occur outside the
known bounds of reality. It has elements like
monsters, ghosts, even religious plots.
Examples: The Seer of Shadows and Wait till
Helen Comes: A Ghost Story
8. Time-Warp Fantasies - Based on
characters who seem to move easily from
their own time to a long-lost point in time.
Examples: King of Shadows and The Gate of Days
9. High Fantasy - Consists of complex
narratives, often connected to sequels,
which contain recurring themes and motifs.
They may be set in a created world, and
characters may call on ancient or
fundamental powers, good or evil.
Examples: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
and The Hobbit and Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows)
10. Novelized Traditional Tales (Beauty;
East)- Tales that long enchanted listeners
and readers. Authors draw from familiar
stories and create complex plots featuring
multidimensional characters.
Examples: Beauty and the Beast and Rapunzel
Science Fiction
The final point to be made about modern
fantasy is the role that science fiction plays in the
genre. Science fiction is often grouped with fantasy
even though it explores scientific concepts in our
world versus magical concepts in an imaginary
world.
1. Sometimes called Futuristic Fiction
⮚ Concerns the way in which scientific
possibilities might affect societies of human or alien
beings; or both.
⮚ Can include a combination of scientific fact
and scientific possibility
2. Focuses on Dystopia
✔ An imaginary place where people live
dehumanized and often fearful lives (The Giver;
The Hunger Games)
3. Science Fantasy
✔ Stories with plots that play on scientific fact
as well as magical occurrences (Star Wars series)
Additional Stories to read:
 Emperor’s New cloth
 The princess and the Pea
 The story of Achilles
Jack and Beanstalk (STEVEN KELLOG)
Jack: The protagonist of the story, a young boy who
lives with his widowed mother. Jack trades their
cow for magic beans, leading to an adventure in the
land of the giants.
Jack's Mother: A widow struggling to make ends
meet. She initially scolds Jack for trading their cow
for magic beans but later supports him in his
adventures.
Old Bess (the cow): The cow that Jack intends to
sell at the market. Jack trades Old Bess for the
magic beans, setting the events of the story in
motion.
Funny-Looking Old Man: A mysterious character
Jack encounters on his way to market. He
convinces Jack to trade Old Bess for the magic
beans.
Giant's Wife: A kind-hearted but odd lady giant who
lives in the castle in the sky. She shelters Jack
when he encounters her husband, the giant.
Giant (Fee-fi-fo-fum): The antagonist of the story, a
fearsome and hungry giant who lives in the castle
in the sky. He seeks to catch Jack after Jack steals
from him.
Singing Harp: A magical harp with the face of a sad
girl. The giant owns the harp, which sings and plays
music on its own.
Sickly White Hen: A hen owned by the giant that
lays golden eggs. Jack rescues the hen from the
giant's castle.
Here's the sequence of events in the story
"Jack and the Beanstalk":
Introduction: Jack and his mother, a widow, are
struggling to make ends meet on their small farm.
They decide to sell their cow, Old Bess, to buy
seeds for planting.
Jack meets the Funny-Looking Old Man: On his
way to the market, Jack encounters a mysterious
old man who offers him three magic beans in
exchange for Old Bess. Jack accepts the trade.
Jack's Mother's Reaction: When Jack returns home
with the magic beans instead of money from selling
the cow, his mother is furious and throws the beans
out of the window in anger.
The Magic Beanstalk: Overnight, the beans grow
into a massive beanstalk that stretches into the sky.
Jack decides to climb it.
The Giant's Castle: Jack climbs the beanstalk and
discovers a giant castle in the clouds. He enters the
castle and encounters the Giant's Wife, who offers
him breakfast.
Encounter with the Giant: During breakfast, the
Giant returns home. Jack hides as the Giant sniffs
for him and then eats breakfast.
Theft from the Giant: After the Giant falls asleep,
Jack steals a sickly White Hen that lays golden
eggs and a Singing Harp from the Giant's castle.
Escape from the Giant: As Jack tries to escape, the
White Hen cackles, waking the Giant. Jack flees
down the beanstalk with the Giant in pursuit.
The Giant's Demise: Jack reaches the ground and
calls for his mother to bring an axe. He chops down
the beanstalk, causing the Giant to fall to his death.
Resolution: Jack and his mother use the treasures
stolen from the Giant to improve their lives. The
White Hen lays golden eggs, providing them with
wealth, and the Singing Harp brings joy to their
home.
The characters in the story "The Princess on
the Glass Hill" are: (Absjornsen and Moe)
Cinderlad (also known as Cinderlad the Faithful) -
The protagonist of the story. He is initially mocked
and underestimated by his brothers but proves
himself to be courageous, clever, and deserving of
the Princess's hand.
Cinderlad's Brothers - They are portrayed as
arrogant and dismissive of Cinderlad. They refuse
to let him accompany them to the glass hill but
ultimately fail in their attempts to win the Princess.
The King - The ruler of the kingdom where
Cinderlad and his family reside. He sets the
challenge for suitors to ride up the glass hill and win
the Princess's hand.
The Princess - The daughter of the King. She is
sought after by many suitors due to her beauty. She
throws golden apples to the knights who attempt to
ride up the glass hill, indicating her favor.
Knights and Princes - Competitors who come from
far and wide to attempt the challenge of riding up
the glass hill to win the Princess's hand and half the
kingdom.
The Mysterious Knight in Copper Armor - A knight
who rides up the glass hill on a horse with copper
armor. He impresses the Princess but disappears
before he can claim the golden apple.
The Mysterious Knight in Silver Armor - Another
knight who attempts the challenge and impresses
the Princess. He rides farther up the glass hill than
the previous knight but also disappears before
claiming the golden apple.
The Mysterious Knight in Golden Armor - The final
knight who successfully rides up the glass hill and
claims all three golden apples, thus winning the
hand of the Princess.
The Old Woman - A mysterious figure who appears
to Cinderlad and offers him a magical carriage to
help him reach the Princess's kingdom.
These are the main characters in the story, each
playing a crucial role in the narrative's development
and resolution.
Here is the sequence of events in the story "The
Princess on the Glass Hill": (Absjornsen and Moe)
Introduction: The story introduces a man with three
sons, including the youngest, Cinderlad. They own
a meadow with a barn where the hay keeps
disappearing mysteriously every St. John's eve.
Challenge is Issued: The father decides that one of
his sons must stay in the barn on St. John's eve to
discover the cause of the disappearing hay.
Failed Attempts: The two elder brothers try but are
frightened away by mysterious earthquakes.
Cinderlad, the youngest, volunteers to stay next.
Cinderlad's Vigil: Cinderlad endures three
earthquakes but discovers a magical horse eating
the hay. He captures the horse by throwing a steel
for striking fire over it.
Repeat of the Challenge: The next St. John's eve,
the same events occur, and Cinderlad captures
another magical horse, this time with silver armor.
Third Challenge: On the third St. John's eve,
Cinderlad captures a third magical horse, this one
with golden armor.
The Princess's Challenge: The King announces
that his daughter will marry the man who can ride
up the glass hill and fetch three golden apples from
her lap. Many princes and knights attempt but fail.

The Mysterious Knights: Three mysterious knights

attempt the challenge on three consecutive days,
each riding farther than the last but disappearing
before claiming the apples.

Cinderlad's Triumph: On the final day, Cinderlad,

now revealed in his golden armor, successfully
rides up the glass hill, retrieves the three golden
apples, and wins the Princess's hand.

Recognition and Wedding: Cinderlad is recognized

as the victor, and he marries the Princess, receiving
half the kingdom as his reward.

Conclusion: The story ends with Cinderlad's

triumph, and everyone celebrates the wedding
joyously.