When a fairy tale
becomes traditional in a land, revealing the beliefs and customs of the people,
it is classified as a folk tale. In the
past, wherever people gathered in the market places, sat around the fireplaces
in their homes, or at tasks of weaving or sewing, or planting--the stories told
were not only the entertainment, but expressed the philosophy and living
traditions of the people themselves.
Remember, they had no radio, no tv, no local movie theater. They had to supply their own entertainment
and very often did so by creating stories which explained various aspects of
their culture.
These folk tales have
been handed down through the ages from parents to children and appear in all
cultures. Now we can read and study
about people and customs of long ago, and often times examining their folk
tales gives us an idea as to how they thought about certain things and about
life in general.
Sometimes these folk
tales were cumulative such as in repetitional stories such as "Old Woman
and her Pig" or "The Pancake."
Sometimes they were 'talking beast' stories such as "The Three
Little Pigs" or "Puss in Boots."
Sometimes they were simply exaggerated nonsense and sometimes the
tales seemed like things which might possibly be true! "Dick Wittington" is an example of
the latter.
Your task for this time
is to write what could be thought of as a fold tale. It will likely take more than one sitting, so
take your time. Here are some possible
themes about which folk tales might one day be told. You may use one of these ideas if you can't
think of one of your own.
1. How the
American custom of eating hot dogs came to be.
2. Why apple pie
is so popular in America.
3. The story of
the hamburger.
4. Driving on the
right-hand side of the road
5. Tailgate
parties
6. Blowing of car
horns while driving around town after a wedding
7. Setting off
fireworks on New Year's Eve
8. Being careful
not to step on cracks in a sidewalk
9. Using an
unhealthy amount of salt in our food
10. Wearing
underwear
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Remember
that you may not use the names of any student in our class or at this school
in your writings.
(Taken from Rick Swallow Website:
http://www.timelessteacherstuff.com/)
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