Trickster Tales

Theme Two: Focus on Genre

Grade Three

What are “Trickster Tales”?

• A trickster tale is a kind of folktale told all over the world.

• The trickster is a clever animal or person who plays tricks on other characters.

• Often it’s because the trickster is greedy or boastful.

• Sometimes though, another character outwitsthe trickster!

Genre Vocabulary

• Boastfulness

• Clever

• Culture

• Folktale

• Greediness

• Mischief

• Qualities

• Trickster A character who plays tricks or pranks on others

Smart

A group of people’s customs, beliefs, and traditions

A traditional story handed down by generations

Selfishness

Bad behavior

Features that make a person special

Being full of praise for yourself

Applying the Vocabulary

boastfulness culture clever trickster greediness

Applying the Vocabulary

culture mischief folktale qualities clever

Hungry SpiderA Tale from Africa and the Ashanti Tribe

Told by Pleasant DeSpain

Trickster Tale One

Based on the title and the genre, what do you predict will happen in this story?

When else have we read or learned about the Ashanti people?

Character Traits

Characters in folktales often have

exaggerated traits or personalities.

Authors reveal character traits through:

• descriptions

• dialogue (conversations)

• the character’s actions and reactions

Pay attention to the character traits throughout the story.

Hungry Spider Story Map

Trickster’s

Character Traits

Problem Trickster

Needs to Solve

Steps Used in the Trick

Critical Thinking

• Why does the author begin the story with a description of the Spider?

• Why does Spider invite Turtle to dinner, even though he doesn’t want to share his food?

• Why do you think Turtle invites Spider to dinner after Spider treated him so badly?

Lesson to be Learned

What lesson can we learn from this story?

Rabbit Races with Turtle

Told by Gayle Ross

Trickster Tale Two

Have you heard any versions of this trickster tale?

Problems and Solutions

Trickster tales always have a problem and solution.

As you read, think about the different problems and

how each is solved.

Problems Solutions

Critical Thinking

• How can you tell that this story is a

“trickster tale”?

• In “Hungry Spider”, how does politeness

cause both Spider and Turtle to be tricked?

• What details in “Rabbit Races Turtle” a

good trickster tale?

Aunt Fox and the Fried Fish

Told by Rafael Rivero Oramas

Trickster Tale Three

What will be the trick in this trickster tale?

Critical Thinking

• What details does the author provide to show whyAunt Fox eats the fish?

• How is this story similar to and different from the other two trickster tales?

• Does this trickster tale teach a lesson or is it written just to be entertaining?

Wrapping up our Focus

Compare the tricks played by the characters:

Which do you think was the cleverest?

Which one was the funniest?

Do you think the characters had good

reasons or bad reasons for playing tricks?

Who was your favorite “trickster” and why?

Trickster Tales Test