Folktales are stories in the oral tradition, or tales that people tell each other out loud, rather

than stories in written

form. They're closely related to many storytelling traditions, including fables, myths, and fairy tales.

and usually passed on from parents to their children over a long period of time

Folk comes from the German word 'volk' meaning 'the people'

A folktale is a kind of story that's passed-down through generations, typically by word of mouth. Because of this,
most folktales are hundreds of years old, with their origins unknown. As they're not written down as such, most
folktales don't have a single author, and their content changes over time.

Pick one folktale that you know and retell it in your own words, either by writing it down or putting on a short play.
Next, go through the story and see if you can find the elements discussed in this lesson.

What is the moral of the story?

Which characters are good, and which are evil?

Folktales serve as a means of character education and convey moral messages, especially for children . They teach
values such as sincerity, honesty, acceptance, harmony, and patience . In traditional African societies, folktales were
used for acculturation and were didactic and morality-laden .

Little Red Riding Hood is a European fairy tale about a young girl and a sly wolf. Its origins can be traced back to
several pre-17th-century European folk tales.

created from the imagination, not presented as fact, though it may be based on a true story or situation.

The purpose of folktales is to entertain and to instruct. They often tell life lessons and tell about good versus evil.