These stories helped people learn and understand the customs of their village. Folktales also explained the wonders of nature, like thunderstorms. Folktales tell a lot about people who invent them. For instance, the early American settlers believed in hard work. A lot of their stories are about rugged individuals like Paul Bunyan and Johnny Appleseed , who were strong and brave and accomplished a great deal.
Many cultures have one clever character who is always getting into trouble.
Native American Indians have Trickster, Cape Verdians have Los Nobos the wolf, and Africans have Anansi the Spider . Folktales are told over and over and they change with each retelling. Each storyteller breathes a different life into a story. Students in ESL or developmental writing classes can research and retell myths, tales, fables, or legends. This page is a compilation of a similar project.