Where Do Stories Come From?
People have told stories for a very, very long time. Long before there were books or TVs, families sat together and told stories out loud. Grandparents told stories to children. Those children grew up and told the same stories to their children. That is how folktales travel from one generation to the next.
Some special stories called fables were made up to teach a lesson. The animals in fables talk and act like people! A famous storyteller named Aesop told fables in ancient Greece. But every part of the world has its own wonderful stories, too.
Every culture has special stories. When we read them, we learn about how people in different places think and what they believe is important. That is one big reason we read folktales and fables — to understand each other better!
Key Ideas to Know
Before we start retelling stories and finding morals, let's learn some important words. These words will help you talk about any story you read!
Fable
Folktale
Moral / Lesson
Recount / Retell
The Story Map
When you retell a story, it helps to think about it in three big parts: the beginning, the middle, and the end. Here is a picture that shows how stories work!
When you retell a story, start at the beginning. Tell who the characters are and where the story happens. Then share the middle — what big problem or event happened. Finally, tell the end — how things worked out. After all that, you can say what the moral (lesson) is!
How to Find the Moral
Finding the moral is like being a detective! You look for clues in the story. Here are some questions you can ask yourself:
Let's look at a story you might already know. In "The Tortoise and the Hare," the hare is fast but takes a nap because he thinks he will win easily. The tortoise is slow but keeps going. The tortoise wins the race! The moral is: "Slow and steady wins the race." We found it by looking at what happened when each character made their choice.
Stories from Around the World
Different cultures have different stories, but many of them teach the same kinds of lessons. Let's look at some stories from around the world!
| Story | Culture | What Happens | Moral / Lesson |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Tortoise and the Hare | Greece (Aesop) | A slow tortoise beats a fast but lazy hare in a race. | Slow and steady wins the race. |
| Anansi and the Pot of Wisdom | West Africa | Anansi the spider tries to keep all the wisdom for himself, but he drops it. | Wisdom should be shared, not hidden. |
| The Boy Who Cried Wolf | Greece (Aesop) | A boy lies about a wolf so many times that no one believes him when a real wolf comes. | If you lie, people will stop trusting you. |
| The Tiger, the Brahmin, and the Jackal | India | A clever jackal outsmarts a tricky tiger to save a kind man. | Use your brains, not just your strength. |
| Coyote and the Stars | Native American | Coyote tries to rearrange the stars but makes a mess because he is too impatient. | Be patient and do things carefully. |
Did you notice something? Even though these stories come from different parts of the world, they all teach us about being honest, patient, wise, or kind. People everywhere care about the same good things!
Worked Example: Retelling a Story & Finding the Moral
Let's practice with a short fable. Read this story, then watch how we retell it and find the moral step by step.
See how we told the story in order? We used our own words, we shared the beginning, middle, and end, and then we figured out the lesson!
Comparing Fables and Folktales
Fables and folktales are alike in some ways, but they are also different. Let's see!
| Fable | Folktale | |
|---|---|---|
| Characters | Usually animals that talk | Can be people, animals, or magical creatures |
| Length | Very short | Can be short or long |
| Moral | Almost always stated clearly at the end | Sometimes you have to figure it out yourself |
| Origin | Often from one author (like Aesop) | Passed down by many people over many years |
| Magic? | Usually no magic (just talking animals) | Sometimes has magic or wishes |
Both fables and folktales are great stories that teach us something. The biggest difference is that fables are usually very short and almost always have animals as characters. Folktales can be longer and have all kinds of characters.
Going Further: What Comes Next?
Now that you can retell stories and find the moral, you are getting ready for even bigger things! Here is what you will learn next as you grow as a reader.
| What You Can Do Now | What You'll Learn Later |
|---|---|
| Retell a story in order (beginning, middle, end) | Summarize a whole book in just a few sentences |
| Find the moral of a fable | Find the theme of any story, even ones without talking animals |
| Read stories from different cultures | Compare stories from different cultures and see what they have in common |
| Notice what characters do | Explain why characters act the way they do |
Every story you read makes you a stronger reader. The more fables and folktales you read, the better you get at understanding big ideas and important lessons. Keep reading stories from all around the world!
Practice Time!
Try these problems. Think carefully, and then click "Show Answer" to see if you are right!
What We Learned
Today you learned so many important things! A fable is a short story with talking animals that teaches a lesson. A folktale is a story that has been told over and over by people in a culture. Both fables and folktales come from all around the world — from Greece, Africa, India, Native American nations, and many more places. When you retell a story, you share the beginning, middle, and end in your own words.
The most important part of every fable and folktale is the moral — the big lesson the story teaches. You can find the moral by looking at what the characters do, what happens because of their choices, and what the story wants you to learn. The more stories you read from different cultures, the more you understand about the world and about how to be a good person. Keep reading and keep looking for those morals!