Imagine that you lived at a time before books were invented. How do you suppose people shared stories they knew and how did they learn new ones? Think of a make-believe story that someone, perhaps a grandparent or parent, told you when you were very young.

Folk tales are stories that people have told through the ages. They are so old, that no one knows who told or wrote down them first. They have the following characteristics in common:

• They usually do not have a single, identifiable author
• They originated in oral telling, and thus may appear in different versions in print
• They have characters that are either "all bad" or "all good"
• They have fantastic or unrealistic elements in them
• They usually tell a lesson or moral
• They are set in a vague historical past "Once upon a time, a long time ago"

Assignment 1: Think about a story that someone, such as a grandparent or parent, may have told you. Perhaps a story that was told to you without a book to read from. Write it down.

Along with your story include the following information.

• Who is the original author of the story?
• Are there different versions that you are aware of?
• Are the characters "all bad" or "all good"?
• What is the fantastic element in it?
• Does it have a moral or lesson? If so what is it?
• When did this story take place?

E-mail this story and the answer to these questions as an attachment to: lysakamo@k12.hi.us