TRICKY! TRICKY!The Trickster Tale

What is a trickster?•A clever animal or person in a story who plays a trick on other characters, causing

them problems.

•The character uses a trick to solve a problem they have.

What is a trickster like?• They think they are smarter than the other

characters in the story and they won’t get caught in their trick.

• They have character flaws such as being greedy or too proud of themselves.

• Even if their trick doesn’t work out, the trickster often doesn’t learn from their

mistakes.

What are the characteristics of a trickster story?

• It is traditionally a folktale, passed down through many generations.

• The story reads as if someone was telling it out loud.

• The plot moves fast.• The ending comes quickly.

• The other characters learn a lesson or moral from the story.

Who are some famous tricksters?

• Brer Rabbit…. a trickster of the southern United States, he often got in trouble as Brer Fox tried to catch him to eat. Brer Rabbit had to use his tricks to get out of trouble.

• Anansi the Spider… a trickster of West Africa. He uses his wits and tricks to get what he wants. His tricks don’t often work out the way he hopes. Anansi often appears as a man.

• Coyote… a trickster in the Native American culture. Though coyote is a trickster, we can learn important lessons through his stories.

• Bugs Bunny a modern trickster. He uses his wits to outsmart Elmer Fudd and others either to escape capture or get what he wants.

Now let’s get tricky!