It also fits into the category of creation tales with a Garden of Eden theme. It was very important for these refugees to have traditions to cling to, especially during the instability of war. The stories often tell of real-life situations and usually have a moral. Through these folktales, children and adults who are learning English are introduced to the formal language of storytelling. Good is rewarded.
Evil is punished.
As in many folk tales, creatures from the animal world teach the lesson. They are now retold for the first time in English in memory of Vangtou's parents, Chong ge Xiong X. Toyed and Yia Ly, who died while trying to escape from Laos to Thailand in 1978. This wicked stepmother story is rare in that the woman is redeemed by the forgiveness of the children. To promote language learning, reinforcement activities follow each story at the beginning level. Second- Language Specialist for Spokane School District 81 and has been appointed to the Washington Bilingual Education Advisory Committee.