Myths,
Folk Tales,
Fables, and
Fairy Tales
What is a myth?
A myth is a make believe story that tries to explain the existence of a
natural phenomenon. For instance, a myth might try to explain how fire
or rain was made, why there are waves in the ocean or how a zebra got its
stripes. Often times, myths are closely tied to a certain culture and
sometimes they have some kind of God or divine being.
Examples of Myths
• Arrow to the Sun
• Hercules
• Why Mosquitoes
Buzz in People’s Ear
What is a Folk Tale?
• A folk tale is a story
with no known
author. Folk tales are
passed down from
one generation to
another by word of
mouth.
Examples of Folk Tales
• Martina the Beautiful
Cockroach
• How the Snake Got
Poison
• Ali Baba and the
Forty Thieves
What is a fable?
• A fable is a very brief
story in prose or in
verse that teaches a
moral or a practical
lesson about how to
succeed in life.
Examples of Fables
• The Crow and the
Pitcher
• The Tortoise and the
Hare
• The Boy Who Cried
Wolf
• The Country Mouse
and the City Mouse
What is a fairy tale?
• A fairy tale is a type
of imaginative writing
that carries the reader
into an invented
world where the laws
of nature, as we know
them, do not operate.
Examples of Fairy Tales
• Cinderella
• Snow White and the
Seven Dwarves
• Ella Enchanted
• Beauty and the Beast
• Which genre teaches a
moral at the end?
• What are two examples
of myths?
• What is a story with no
known author?
• What are three examples
of folk tales?
• What kind of story is
Little Red Riding Hood?
Quiz Time!