CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE
FOLKTALES: ACTIVITIES AND MATERIALS FOR
TEACHING MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION K-3
A graduate project submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Master of arts in
Educational Psychology, Early Childhood Education
by
Constance Lynn Lint
May, 1982 The Graduate Project of Constance Lynn Lint is approved:
Bernice Medinnis
~arah Moskovitz
H. Brady ~liz,9beth<· Chai~
California State University, Northridge
ii A NOTE ABOUT MATERIALS
Because I am a kindergarten teacher in a bilingual classroom and act as multicultural representative for my school, I want to compile a useful multicultural resource for teachers that will meet the needs of kindergarten children psychologically and intellectually.
Kindergarteners need vocabulary development, moral reasoning, increased attention span, and cultural aware ness. Folktales from different cultures can help in all these areas and are especially appropriate for kindergarten children. The drawings following each folktale are designed to be reproduced. They can be traced on light weight pellon which sticks to the flannel board. Then the pellon can be colored with marking pens. Some duplicating services will reproduce the drawings on nine by twelve inch tag. Then these pictures can be colored, laminated, and mounted on tongue depressors as puppets or backed with sandpaper and used on a flannel board. If many copies are desired, the original drawing will make a duplicating master in a therma-fax machine. This master will duplicate on nine by twelve inch pellon or tag.
Although conceived for kindergarteners, these materials can be used for reading, literature study, and social studies in the primary grades, and remedial reading in upper grades. In first grade, the folktales can be taped and the children can read along at a
iii listening center. Second and third graders can learn about literature through a comparative study of folktale variants. Also they could write their own endings or an additional adventure for the hero. For upper grade remedial reading, the children can dramatize the folktales to audiences of younger children.
iv DEDICATION
I dedicate this project to my husband, Charles E.
Lint, with his wonderful sense of humor in spite of renal failure, and to all young children.
v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to express appreciation to my committee,
Betty Brady for her faith in me, Sarah Moskovich for her patience, and Bernice Medinnis for her enthusiasm. I thank my good friends Robin Movich and Joy Senko, both kindergarten teachers, for their interest, ideas, and encouragement.
vi TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter Page A NOTE ABOUT MATERIALS iii
DEDICATION v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vi ILLUSTRATIONS xiii
ABSTRACT XV
1. RATIONALE 1
Self-Concept 1
Interpersonal Relations 3
Appropriateness of Folktales 8
Conclusion 15
Reference List 16
2. HUMOROUS FOLKTALES 18
The Woman with the Eggs (American) 18 Background 19
Questions 19 Independent Activities 20 Flannel Board Illustrations 22
The Miller, the Boy, and the Donkey 29 Background 31
Questions 31 Independent activities 31
Flannel Board Illustrations 32 The Three Wishes (Greek) 39
Background 41
Questions 41
vii Chapter Page
Cooking 41
Independent Activity 42
Tongue Depressor Puppets 43
Lazy Jack (English) 47
Background 50 Questions 50
Independent Activity 50
Flannel Board Illustrations 51
Reference List 59
3. FOOD FOLKTALES 60
Pancake 60
The Funny Little Woman
(Japanese) 60
Background 64 Questions 64
Cooking 64
Tongue Depressor Puppets 65
Independent Activity 68
The Gingerbread Boy 69
Background 74
Questions 74
Cooking 74
Independent Activities 75
Flannel Board Characters 76
viii Chapter Page
The Pancake (Danish) 86
Background 90
Questions 90
Comparative Study 90
Cooking 91
Flannel Board Characters 92
Journey Cake, Ho! (American) 99
Background 104
Questions 104
Comparative Study 105
Flannel Board Characters 106
Magic 115
The Magic Porridge Pot
(English) 115
Background 118
Questions 118
Cooking 119
Tongue Depressor Puppets 120
Strega Nona (Italian) 124
Background 129
Questions 130
Literary Comparisons 130
Cooking 131
Tongue Depressor Puppets 131
ix Chapter Page
Gluttony 134
Slip! Slop! Gobble! 134
Background 138
Questions 138
Independent Activity 139
Flannel Board Characters 141
The Fat Cat (Danish) 150
Background 153
Questions 153
Literary Comparison 154
Independent Activity 154
Flannel Board Characters 155
Reference List 165
4. COOPERATION FOLKTALES 166
The Great Big Enormous Turnip
(Russian) 166
Background 170
Questions 170
Science Activity 170
Flannel Board Characters 171
Nail Soup (Swedish) 179
Background 184
Questions 184
Cooking. 185
Tongue Depressor Puppets 187
X Chapter Page
The Riddle of the Drum (Mexican) 189
Background 196
Questions 196
Independent Activity 196
Flannel Board Characters 197
Anansi the Spider: a Tale from Ashanti (African) 207
Background 209 Questions 209
Literary Comparison 209 Fingerplay 210
Independent Activities 210
Story Characters 213
A Bundle of Sticks (Persian) 216
Background 218
Questions 219
Independent Activity 219
Flannel Board Characters 220
Reference List 230
5. INDEPENDENCE-CLEVERNESS FOLKTALES 231 How Tepozton Killed the Giant
(Mexican) 231
Background 235
Questions 235 Independent Activity 236
Science 236
xi Chapter Page
Flannel Board Characters 237
The Monkey and the Crocodile
(Indian) 241
Background 246
Questions 246
Cooking 246
Puppets 247
The Fence (Mexican) 251
Background 254
Questions 255
Literary Comparison 255
Cooking· 255
Independent Activity 258
Tongue Depressor Puppets 265
Reference List 268
xii ILLUSTRATIONS
Page The Woman with the Eggs
Independent Activity - Hatching Chick 21
Flannel Board Illustrations 22-28
The Miller, the Boy, and the Donkey
Flannel Board Illustrations 32-38
The Three Wishes
Tongue Depressor Puppets 43-46
Lazy Jack
Flannel Board Illustrations 51-58
The Funny Little Woman
Tongue Depressor Puppets 65-67
Independent Activity - Mask 68
The Gingerbread Boy
Independent Activity 77
Flannel Board Characters 78-85
The Pancake
Flannel Board Characters 92-98
Journey Cake, Ho!
Flannel Board Characters 106-114
The Magic Porridge Pot
Tongue Depressor Puppets 120-123
Strega Nona
Tongue Depressor Puppets 131-133
Slip! Slop! Gobble!
Independent Activity - Strip Cat's Head 140
xiii Page
Flannel Board Characters 141-149
The Fat Cat
Flannel Board Characters 155-164
The Great Big Enormous Turnip
Flannel Board Characters 171-178
Nail Soup
Tongue Depressor Puppets 187-188
The Riddle of the Drum
Flannel Board Characters 197-206
Anansi the Spider: a Tale from the Ashanti
Story Characters 213-215
A Bundle of Sticks
Flannel Board Characters 220-229
How Tepozton Killed the Giant
Flannel Board Characters 237-240
The Monkey and the Crocodile
Puppets 247-250
The Fence
Independent Activity - Five Senses Book 259-264
Tongue Depressor Puppets 265-267
xiv ABSTRACT
FOLKTALES: ACTIVITIES AND MATERIALS FOR
TEACHING MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION K-3
by
Constance Lynn Lint
Authorities agree that using multicultural folktales with young children can improve their self-concept,
strengthen their cultural identity, and aid their moral development. Literature is one of the main ways culture
is transmitted. Knowledge of his cultural heritage can
improve a child's self-concept. Research shows that
children who feel good about themselves are more
successful in school.
Secondly, use of literature can develop self
awareness, aid interpersonal relationships, clarify values
and hence foster moral development. The universal
feelings and experiences in folktales can help children
learn about themselves and others and their values.
Folktales are especially appropriate for young
children. They are charmingly brief and to the point.
Children are attracted by the picturesque language. The
XV all good or all bad characters, the simple plot and the
promise of a happy resolution are at the child's level of
understanding. Folktales teach the values of the
represented culture and encourage moral development.
Folktales promise that all difficult obstacles will be
overcome and that the virtuous will be rewarded. They
satisfy the child's fantasy of security, achievement and
love.
Folktales are best told orally in the storyteller
tradition.
Included in this project are twenty folktales from different countries. These folktales are organized
around themes. There are illustrations for teachers to
reproduce and use on a flannel board, questions to ask,
literary comparisons, art ideas and science ideas.
xvi Chapter 1
RATIONALE
The rationale for this project has three main points:
1. Children's knowledge of their cultural heritage can
improve their self-concept.
2. Literature can develop self-awareness, transmit
culture, aid in interpersonal relationships, clarify
values, and hence foster moral development.
3. In the realm of literature, folktales are especially meaningful and satisfying for children.
SELF-CONCEPT
Before a child can learn, he or she must have a healthy sense of self and the development of a positive self-image requires an appreciation of one's individuality and pride of home and family. (Arenas, 1978, p. 5)
In spite of the diverse cultural groups in the United
States, our predominant orientation is Anglo-American.
Television with its Ango-American viewpoint reaches and
teaches all ages and all socio-economic levels of our
society. Our nation is composed of many cultures;
citizens want the right to be Americans while maintaining
their cultural diversity. (Arenas, 1978) In short, the
goal of most Americans today is that of a pluralistic
rather than an assimilationist society.
Literature can be an important medium ..• for enhancing a pride in ethnic roots while at the same time fostering a sense 2
of community with other Americans of different ethnic heritages- an orchestration of diversities in our pluralistic society. (Rosenblatt, 1976, p. xi)
In the early 1970's Congress passed the Ethnic
Heritage Studies Program recognizing our pluralistic society and our need to know about our ethnic roots as well as those of others. (Walsh, 1980) Thus, the term multicultural education evolved. Los Angeles Unified
School District defines multicultural education in it's
Elementary School Curriculum: a Balanced Program.
Multicultural education is an interdisciplinary process designed to assure the development of cultural awareness, recognition of human dignity, and respect for the origins and rights of all peoples. Through activities in multicultural education, the student gains an appreciation of and pride in her/his own identity and respect for the heritage of members of other groups. (1979, p. v)
Margaret Mead emphasizes the need of each child to be able to say, "I am somebody ... (Walsh, 1980, p. 228) It is important for children to feel they are beautiful
11 Without having to put down someone else." (Walsh, 1980, p. 228)
Research shows that children who feel good about themselves are more successful in school than children who have a poor self-concept. Also, findings are that children in a bilingual/bicultural educational setting have a better self-concept than children whose language and culture are not a part of the school program. (Arenas, 1978) 3
Multicultural education is interpersonal education, for accepting and understanding oneself is the basis for understanding others. As children develop a positive self- concept and feel good about themselves, they can relate to other people and establish positive feelings toward them.
(Moyer & Engelbrecht, 1977)
INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS
Secondly, a sophisticated use of literature can develop self-awareness, aid interpersonal relationships, transmit culture, clarify values, and hence foster moral development.
Through literature, the reader may explore his own nature, become aware of · potentialities for thought and feeling within himself, acquire clearer perspective, develop aims and a sense of direction. He may explore the outer world, other personalities, other ways of life. (Bettelheim, 1976, p. 14)
r Folktales are relevant to children because they help
"them cope with the psychological problems of growing up and integrating their personalities." (Bettelheim, 1976, p. 14) In order for the child to find meaning in his life and not just live moment to moment, he needs growth experiences. As the child develops, he learns step by step to understand himself better.\
Young people will recognize their own likes and. dislikes, and realize that others have had the same feelings and that these feelings are acceptable. (Tway, 1981, p. 15) 4
Gradually with self-understanding, he is more capable
of understanding others and relating to them in mutually
satisfying and meaningful ways. The child learns the meaning of living - the responsibilities, the
interrelationships, the give and take, right and wrong -
from his parents and caretakers and his cultural heritage.
According to child psychologist, Bruno Bettelheim,
literature is the best way to transmit cultural heritage
to young children. (Bettelheim, 1976)
Deeper meaning resides in the fairy tales told to me in my childhood than in the truth that is taught by life.
Schiller (Bettelheim, 1976, p. 5)
Literature expands knowledge of people and cultures, provides the opportunity to identify with others and their experiences, mirrors our own problems objectively, gives
an escape from the realities of the world, and helps deve-
lop understanding and sympathy. The goals of multicultural education are awareness and concern for others. (Ramsey,
1982) The child can learn appropriate emotional responses
to people in certain situations, appropriate behaviors and moral standards through literary examples. (Rosenblatt,
1976)
There are many experiences that we all have in common - birth, growth, love, death. We can communicate because of a common core of experience, even though there any be infinite personal variations. Human beings participate in particular social systems and fall into 5
groups such as age, sex, occupation, nation. These also are general patterns with individual variation. Social conditioning is pervasive in the formation of specific emotional drives and intellectual concepts ... Literature deals with and ministers to human life and human needs •.. Any individual born into society must somehow learn not only its language, its gestures, its mechanics, but also the various superstructures of ideas, emotions, modes of behavior, and moral values that this society has built on the basic human relationships ... Literature fosters the kind of imagination needed in a democracy - the ability to participate in the needs and aspirations of other personalities and to envision the effect of our actions on their lives. (Rosenblatt, 1976, p. 28)
Young children are forming their inital patterns in social and physical relationships. They are developing attitudes and preferences toward their own cultural group and towards other cultural groups. (Ramsey, 1982)
In order to increase the potential for positive relationships among groups of people, all children need to expand their realm of awareness and concern beyond their immediate experience. (Ramsey, 1982, p. 5)
The purpose of literature is to enable the child to intelligently judge situations, to set goals for himself, and to develop a sense of values (Rosenblatt, 1976)
Literature treats a whole range of choices and aspirations and values out of which the individual must weave his own personal philosophy... (Rosenblatt, 1976, p. 20)
Literature illustrates different life styles, various patterns of interpersonal relationships and philosophies.
The reader or listener through imaginary application of a 6
story is helped to make responsible decisions in his own life. Aided by literary experiences, the reader/listener can see himself and his problems more objectively and hence handle them better. Literature with different temperaments and values may free the reader or listener from fears, guilt and insecurity caused by a narrow view of what is normal. (Rosenblatt, 1976)
Folktales are the cement of society. They not only express but codify and reinforce the way people think, feel, believe, and behave.
Folktales teach the children and remind their elders of what is proper and moral. They put the stamp of approval upon certain values held by the group, and thus cement it together with a common code of behavior. They teach kindness, modesty, truthfulness, courage in adversity - and they make virtue seem worth while because it is invariably rewarded and evil just as invariably punished. This idea of the folktales as the carriers of the moral code helps explain the ethical significance and emotional satisfaction they still hold for us today. (Arbuthnot, 1957, p. 233)
Havighurst says that "moral character is learned ... "
(Maxim, 1977, p. 64) Experts believe that children's literature can enhance moral development in children.
(Pi 11 ar , 19 7 9 ) Identifying with and empathizing with main characters in folktales facing moral dilemmas can encourage moral development. (Hoskisson & Biskin, 1979)
The moral conflicts found in children's literature are genuine. They present problems involving justice and human welfare and concern, conscience, truth, authority and the sanctity of life. (Hoskisson & Biskin, 1979, p. 141) 7
Kohlberg's stage theory of moral development explains the child's level and why folktale morality is so appropriate for young children. In Stage 1, the child responds to good and bad because of the consequences, ·I punishment or reward. At Stage 2, the child chooses to satisfy his needs or to reciprocate, "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours." Stage 3 is conformity to "good boy-nice girl", in other words, acting for approval. Stage
4 is "maintenance of the social order" - "law and order".
Stage 5 is critical examination of laws in terms of individual rights. Most adults are at Stage 4 according to Kohlberg. At ten years children are at various stages - one, two, and three. (Hoskisson & Biskin, 1979)
'In the traditional fairy tale, the hero is rewarded and the evil person meets his well deserved fate, thus satisfying the child's deep need for justice to prevail. How else can a child hope that justice will be done to him, who so often feels unfairly treated? And how else can he convince himself that he must act correctly, when he is so sorely tempted to give in to the asocial proddings of his desires? ••. For children are innocent and love justice, while most of us are wicked and naturally prefer mercy\ \ Chesterton (Bettelheim, 1976, p. 144)
Folktales exemplify children listening to adults and doing what is expected of them in family situations. The twist of fate in folktales always rewards the helpful, the \ dutiful, and those who maintain social order.\ Red Riding
Hood does her family duty bringing a basket of goodies to her ill grandmother. Cinderella dutifully listens to her 8
step-mother and to her step-sisters. Who can help but empathize with the downtrodden Hansel and Gretel, Snow
White, and Cinderella. Through these stories, children learn conformity to social mores and consideration of others.
• .• It is not the fact that virtue wins out at the end which promotes morality, but that the hero is most attractive to the child, who identifies with the hero in all his struggles. Because of this identification, the child imagines that he suffers with the hero his trials and tribulations, and triumphs with him as virtue is victorious. The child makes such identifications on his own, and the inner and outer struggles of the hero imprint morality on him. (Bettelheim, 1976, p. 9)
APPROPRIATENESS OF FOLKTALES
(Thirdly, folktales are an especially appropriate type I of literature for yourrg children. Originally folktales were created to explain natural phenomena, interpersonal relationships and emotions, and to entertain men in the evening around the fire. (Arbuthnot, Broderick, Root,
Taylor, & Wenzel, 1971)
New insights were discovered in every telling. Morals and behavior, history, cultural traditions and an understanding of human relations were inculcated. Sequential variations on a theme, so prevalent in folklore, stimulated creativity. Rhythm, language and music assured attentiveness. (Atkin, 1980, p. 3)
Children listened and certain stories became children's tales. Horace said, "Change the name and the tale is about you." (Arbuthnot, et al., 1971, p. 222) 9
Folktales are about all of us. (Arbuthnot, et al., 1971)
Folktales, like the nursery rhymes and ballads, are a part of that great stream of anonymous creation known as "folklore" - the accumulated wisdom and art of simple everyday folk ... Folklore is sometimes called the "mirror of a people". It reveals their characteristic efforts to explain and deal with the strange phenomena of nature; to understand and interpret the ways of human beings with each other; and to give expression to deep, universal emotions - joy, grief, fear, jealousy, wonder, triumph. (Arbuthnot, 1957, p. 230)
There are striking similarities among folktales all over the world, because of their similar origins.
The universal elements of folktales - humor, earthiness, diversity, variety and timelessness; simple, straight forward, direct plots, a constant stream of colorful characters with whom the listeners could empathize - all lent themselves to deep involvement. Kings and common folk, wise men and fools, talking animals and tricksters were the stuff of dreams, adventure and learning. (Atkin, 1980, p. 3)
Folktale variants are evidence of the universal similarities of all people. For example, there are 345 to
900 variations of Cinderella. Each variant reflects its culture with differences in characters, settings and motifs. (Western, 1980) Cinderella illustrates a Chinese value. First recorded in China during the ninth century, the Cinderella folktale correlates small feet and beauty, as only Cinderella's foot would fit the glass slipper. It is an ancient custom for Chinese women to bind their feet to keep them small. (Bettelheim, 1976) Not all cultures 10
perceive family roles the same. European stepmothers are depicted as jealous and evil. On Andaman Island, the people do not distinguish between bringing up their own children or children belonging to others. There are no stepmothers or stepchildren in this culture. (Arbuthnot,
1957)
For a story truly to hold the child's attention, it must entertain him and arouse his curiosity. But to enrich his life, it must stimulate his imagination; help him to develop his intellect and to clarify his emotions; be attuned to his anxieties and aspirations; give full recognition to his difficulties, while at the same time suggesting solutions to the problems which perturb him. (Bettelheim, 1976, p. 5)
In other words, the story must hold the child's attention, involve him, relate to his total personality, give credence to the seriousness of the child's predica- ments, and increase his self-confidence; which folktales do. Even in this mechanized materialistic time, the magic quality of folktales captures the imagination of today's realistic children.
Witches and dragons, talking beasts and rebellious pancakes, flying carpets and cloaks of darkness, fairies and wise women, spells and enchantments are accepted as casually by children as airplanes and television. (Arbuthnot et al., 1971, p. 222)
Folk tales are inherently interesting to children. The characters are uncomplicated, the action is vigorous, imaginative elements abound, and the problems the characters face most often are resolved happily, just as we wish problems could be in the real world. Moreover, the tales 11
are told in language rich in poetic elements - repetitive phrases, alliteration, verse - that also characterize the speech of children. \ (Western, 1980, p. 396)
The folktale has three parts: the introduction, the
__ ,~:"::~-~,~~~;:_!.,,,~!:~ .. :t:.h§!.. , .. QQllGlJ~t§j,,~~,:.,lTh~·- introduction concisely introduces the characters, time and place, the
theme, and the conflict or plotj The introduction sets
the mood. Folktales have strong themes that are vital even
today, such as winning security, finding a place in the
world, impossible tasks, and escape from powerful enemies.
The time is long ago and far away using a picturesque
phrase as "In olden time when wishing still helped."
(Arbuthnot, 1957, p. 260) The setting is briefly described
- a road, a bridge, a forest. There is charm in the
simplicity. The heart of the story is the plot or
conflict. (Arbuthnot, 1957) There are four basic plots:
a small person journeys from horne to isolation from horne,
a small person or hero travels from horne to confront a
monster, a helpless person is rescued from a harsh horne
environment and a secure horne is created, or a wise beast
confronts a foolish beast. (A Curriculum for English,
1966) The plot has strong appeal with "vigorous suspense"
(Arbuthnot, 1957, p. 260), but always logically developed.
All attention is on this theme preserving a "unity of
interest". (Arbuthnot, 1957, p. 260) There are usually
three tasks, riddles or trials. This economy of incidents
maintains attention. The conclusion is swift and is 12
always happy for the heroes with the villains punished.
Folktales emphasize rhythmic excitement, onomatopoeia, and repetition which appeals to a sense of rhythm and form.
(Arbuthnot, 1957) "Words so perfectly chosen make long descriptions unnecessary." (Arbuthnot, 1957, p. 260)
These old fairy tales contain in "their picture language" the symbols of some of the deepest human feeling, and satisfy a fantasy human desires for security, achievement and love. (Arbuthnot, 1957, p. 262)
The woods represent security, the castle achievement, and the little hut peace and security. Everyone wants and needs love. Folktales satisfy the listeners needs as the good hero achieves security, success, and love.
(Arbuthnot, 1957)
Folktales are real to children because they are developed "the way a child thinks and experiences the world." (Bettelheim, 1976, p. 45) At times, life is so bewildering to the child that he needs to understand himself and the complex world with which he is learning to cope. He needs to organize his feelings. He needs the moral education conveyed subtly by folktales that moral behavior is advantageous. He wonders: Who am I? Where did I come from? How did the world come to be? vJhat is the purpose of life? When he has a problem, he wonders:
Who or what caused this to happen? Who or what can help him? Are his parents God? Are there other benevolent powers? Is there a future for him? Folktales suggest 13
answers that the child understands, yet they are never explicit. (Bettelheim, 1976) r- Folktales let the child decide how to apply what the story says about life and people. Because the folktale conforms to the way a child thinks and to the way he sees the world, the folktale is convincing to To a child with a problem, a folktale can be better than an adult with all the answers. A child trusts folktales. The child thinks in an animistic way.
He is convinced that his pretty stone loves to be petted as much as he does. He punishes the door because he is certain that the door slammed on his hand intentionally.
For the child everything is alive with human characteristics. f All objects and animals have feelings, \ personalities and voices~ Since the child is egocentric, he expects both animals and objects that he is interested in to talk to him about things which are important to him, just as animals do in folktales. He talks to his pets and toys. He knows that the animals understand him and have the same feelings he does, even though the animals do not show it. Since animals are free, intelligent and caring, it is natural that Puss in Boots, a cat, acquires a kingdom and a princess for his human master. (Bettelheim, 1976)
The child's psychological stage of development and the problems that he encounters determine which story is important to that child. For example, Hansel and Gretel symbolize the child of four or five trying to stay with his parents when it is time for him to be independent and begin 14
school. (Bettelheim, 1976) The characters and plot .I illustrate inner conflicts and subtly suggest how to solve
these conflicts. The folktale is simple and homely. The
listener has no obligations. He is never made to feel inferior. The happy endings are reassuring and hopeful of
the future. Lewis Carroll called the happy ending a "love-
gift". (Bettelheim, 1976, p. 26) The folktale is future
oriented. The child is lead to a "satisfying independent
existence". (Bettelheim, 1976, p. 11) The folktale hero must solve his problem by himself, for he is isolated, just
as the child feels himself to be. The hero is helped by
nature, trees, animals, the wind. The child feels closer
to nature than adults do. (Bettelheim, 1976}
Folktales carry the message that part of living is
the struggle against overwhelming obstacles. If one solves
these difficulties, one is victorious. The simplistic plot
is at the child's level of understanding. He can handle
the problem in its simple form. A complex plot would only
confuse him. \The folktale helps the child with his own \ . \ problem, g1.ves ·· h1.m. courage and ideas, and strengthens him with the promise of success and a happy ending.
(Bettelheim, 1976) /All complete folktales must have a
happy endini) (Bettelheim, 1976)
••. a sudden joyous turn ... However fantastic or terrible the adventure, it can give to child or man that hears it, when the "turn" comes, a catch of breath, a beat and lifting of the heart, near to tears. Tolkien (Bettelheim, 1976, p. 15
143)
CONCLUSION
Anthropologists, psychologists and folklorists stress the importance of folktales. (Atkin, 1980)
/Folklore is a vivid record of a people. 1 • It is always revealing. Ignoring the trivial, it proceeds in a straight line to the significant. Moralists find that folklore juxtaposes good with evil, grief with laughter, honesty with sham, and it points up eternal truths. Psychologists find that because of its distance in time, children can experience an emotional rapport without feeling threatened by a folktale. Educators find it can teach history and language. Dramatists find its distance provides a sense of magic in contrast to the frightening enlargement and proximity of everyday reality on the stage. (Atkin, 1980, p. 3) \
The study of folktales from different cultures will provide insights into that culture's beliefs, values, life styles, and history. (Tway, 1981)
A cross-cultural study of folk literature will help children discover the universal qualities of humankind. (Tway, 1981, p. 224)
Through experiencing various approaches, children will be more flexible and open to people of different cultures.
(Ramsey, 1982) Children can learn about literature through a comparative study of folktale variants.
Folktales contain the basics of literature: characters, setting, plot, conclusion. The children can learn easily with the obvious format. (Western, 1980) Cooking, songs, clothing are also excellent ways to expose children to the 16
diversity stemming from universal needs. (Ramsey, 1982)
To make multicultural education effective, the teacher
must know her children - their culture, and socio-economic
background - and have a program appropriate for their level
of awareness, their attitudes and their background.
: ;jEmphasis should be on cultural diversities yet the under ',:,-, lying common needs of all people. (Ramsey, 1982) Since
folktales are the result of generations of oral storytell-
ing, they are best told, not read. Storytelling is more
direct for there is no book between the storyteller and
the audience. The personality of the storyteller is
transmitted with gestures, facial expressions and voice
inflections. Folktales can be told for enjoyment,
literature or social studies. The children can illustrate,
dramatize and retell the folktales. (Arbuthnot, 1957)
REFERENCE LIST
A curriculum for English: grade 1 unit 1-12. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 1966, xviii. Arbuthnot, M. H. Children and books. Chicago: Scott, Foresman & Company, 1957.
Arbuthnot, M. H., Broderick, D. M., Root, S. L., Taylor, M., & Wenzel, E. L. The Arbuthnot Anthology of children's literature. Glenview, Illinois: Scott, Foresman & Company, 1971.
Arenas, S. Bilingual/bicultural programs for preschool children. Children Today, July-August 1978, l, 2-6.
Atkin, F. A decade of dramatizing folklore: storytelling takes on new forms. Children Today, July-August 1980, 2._, 3-6. 17
Bettelheim, B. The uses of enchantment: the meaning and importance of fairy tales. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1976.
Hoskisson, K., & Biskin, D. Analyzing and discussing children's literature using Kohlberg's stages of moral development. The Reading Teacher, November 1979, 33, 141-147. --
Los Angeles Unified School District Instructional Planning Division. Elementary school curriculum: a balanced program. Los Angeles, California: Los Angeles Unified School District, Publication No. X-107, 1979. Maxim, G. W. Methods of teaching social studies to elementary school children. Columbus, Ohio: Charles E. Merrill Publishing Company, 1977.
Moyer, J. E., & Engelbrecht, B. Multicultural education: where do we begin? Childhood Education, March 1977, ~, 241-244.
Pillar, A. M. Using children's literature to foster moral development. The Reading Teacher, November 1979, llr 148-151.
Ramsey, P. G. Multicultural education in early childhood. Young Children, January 1982, 37, 13-25.
Rosenblatt, L. M. Literature as exploration. New York: Noble and Noble, Publishers, Inc.; 1976.
Tway, E. Reading ladders for human relations: 6th edition. Illinois: National Council of Teachers of English, 1981.
Walsh, H. M. Introducing the young child to the social world. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1980.
Western, L. E. A comparative study of literature through folk tale variants. Language Arts, April 1980, 57, 395-399. 18
Chapter 2
HUMOROUS FOLKTALES
The Woman with the Eggs
Once there was a woman who kept a hen. Each day the hen laid a beautiful brown egg that the woman put into a basket.
When she had a dozen big brown eggs, she decided to take them to market.
"I will sell them," she said, "and get a whole dollar!"
Off she went with the basket on her head and as she walked she talked to herself.
"With one dollar I can buy two more hens and then - just think - I'll have three! Three hens will start laying! With eggs from three hens, why soon enough I can buy three more beauties!"
She sighed, seeing it all so clearly! SIX HENS!
"Of the eggs they lay, I'll sell off half. The other half - I'll hatch and then - I'll have a true poultry farm. Some will sit, some will lay! Bless my soul, how clever I am! And with all my riches I'll buy a small sheep, plus a gaggle of geese, and hand over fist, how rich
I'll be getting. What with hens and eggs and feathers and wool, I'll end by having my money bags full! I'll purchase a pig, I'll purchase a cow, maybe even two, somehow. I'll build me a barn, I'll build me a sty! And from the 19
profits, I'll have a fine house, servants, and sheep grazing on a hill. Now of course a handsome farmer will come to woo me. I'll have a husband and he'll have a missis. He'll have a farm that is bigger than mine. I'll be haughty and grand. I'll be so superior! And at every body, I'll toss my head ... "
And she did! She tossed her head! (The teacher should demonstrate "tossed her head.")
SPLATT! That proud silly woman who kept a hen!
(Andersen, 197 4)
BACKGROUND:
There are two almost identical versions of this story:
Don't Count Your Chicks by Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire and The Woman with the Eggs by Hans Christian Andersen.
The original version of The Woman with the Eggs is a poem written by Andersen when he was thirty years old. Don't
Count Your Chicks is an American folktale which goes with the American saying, "Don't count your chickens before they hatch!" This humorous story should be told for fun.
It is short and so a good folktale to start with for kindergarteners.
QUESTIONS:
1. What was the woman going to do with her eggs?
2. How did she carry her eggs? How would you carry eggs?
3. What happened to the brown eggs she was going to sell? 20
4. What did she hope to get for the eggs? And then?
5. What happened to her dreams?
6. She was daydreaming. What is a daydream? What do you daydream?
INDEPENDENT ACTIVITIES:
1. Have the children draw their daydream.
My daydream
2. For an art activity, see page 21. Have the children color the chick with dry tempera using a cotton ball.
Then cut him out and put him together with a paper fastener. 21 22
FLANNEL BOARD ILLUSTRATIONS: 23 24 ~ ' . . .
. . 25 ~ ' 26 ~I
·I 27 28 29
The Miller, the Boy, and the Donkey
One morning the miller decided to take his donkey to ·I market and sell him. So he and his boy went out into the
field to catch him. They took with them some carrots which
the donkey loved to eat. Sure enough, when he saw the
carrots, the donkey came trotting towards them. When he had eaten the carrots, they took him back to the mill and brushed his coat and polished his hooves and combed his mane. He looked so smart and clean the miller decided to
carry him to market to save him from dirtying his feet on the way. They had not gone very far before they met a
farmer. He burst out laughing when he saw them.
"HmiT silly you are," he cried. "Fancy carrying a donkey! Why he should be carrying you, not you carrying him."
The miller did not like to be laughed at, so he made
the donkey start walking. Then the boy began to feel tired
and the miller lifted him on to the donkey's back.
A little further on they met three merchants who were
angry when they saw the boy riding while the miller walked.
"Why, you lazy lad," they said. "Get down from the donkey and let the old man ride."
The miller made the boy get down and he himself
climbed on the donkey's back. But it was very hot and the boy soon became tired again.
After a while they met three girls. 30
"Shame on you, master," they called out. "How can you ride at ease while your poor boy limps so wearily behind?"
So the miller told the boy to climb up behind him, and they both rode on the donkey.
Before long they saw a priest standing outside his church. He rebuked the miller sternly. "It is cruel of you both to ride on the back of this little animal. Have you no pity for such a faithful beast?"
With a sigh, the miller climbed down and lifted the boy off the donkey. Wearily they plodded along in the hot sun, with the donkey trotting gaily beside them.
At last they came to the market place. All the people were amused to see the miller and his boy trudging along in the heat of the sun, when they might have ridden on their donkey.
"The miller is crazy," they said.
The miller sold his donkey quite quickly to a kind farmer. But his head ached from thinking about his difficult journey and all the different kinds of advice he had received.
"From now on, .. he confided to his boy, "I shall make up my own mind, then stick to it."
The boy thought this would be an excellent idea. He nodded his head, and yawned, and they went in search of their dinner.
(Evans, 1958; La Fontaine, 1969) 31
BACKGROUND:
This story also has two versions - one by Katherine
Evans (1958) and one by La Fontaine (1969). It is a fun
story to read or tell using a flannel board.
QUESTIONS:
1. Why did the Miller carry the donkey?
11 2. What does a Miller do? ( ••• operates a mill, especially a flour mill." Webster's New World Dictionary,
1966, p. 934) 3. How did the Miller feel when the farmer laughed at him for carrying the donkey?
4. How would you take a donkey to market? Would you carry a donkey? Why or why not? Is it cruel to ride a donkey?
Why or why not?
5. Do you have a pet? How do you take your pet to the veterinarian? How would you take a horse to the vet? A monkey? A duck?
INDEPENDENT ACTIVITIES: 1. Grind some corn or wheat. Buy the whole kernel at a health foods store. 2. Have the children draw how they take their pet to the veterinarian.
Taking my pet to the veterinarian 32
~ . FLANNEL BOARD ILLUSTRATIONS: 33
_I 34
' 35
'I 36 37 38 39
The Three Wishes
Once upon a time, and be sure 't was a long time ago,
there lived a poor woodman in a great forest, and every
day of his life he went out to fell timber. So one day he
started out, and the good wife filled his wallet and slung
his bottle on his back, that he might have meat and drink
in the forest.
He had marked out a huge old oak, which, thought he, would furnish many and many a good plank. And when he was
come to it, he took his axe in his hand and swung it round
his head as though he were minded to fell the tree at one
stroke.
But he hadn't given one blow, when what should he hear
but the pitifullest entreating, and there stood before him
a fairy who prayed and beseeched him to spare the tree.
He was dazed, as you may fancy, with wonderment and
affright, and he couldn't open his mouth to utter a word.
He found his tongue at last, "Well," said he, "I' 11
e'en do as thou wishest."
"You've done better for yourself than you know,"
answered the fairy, "and to show I'm not ungrateful, I'll grant you your next three wishes, be they what they may."
And therewith the fairy was no more to be seen, and the woodman slung his wallet over his shoulder and his bottle at his side, and off he started home. But the way was long, and the poor man was regularly dazed with the 40
wonderful thing that had befallen him, and when he got home p '
there was nothing in his noodle but the wish to sit down
and rest. Maybe, too, 't was a trick of the fairy's. Who
can tell? Anyhow down he sat by the blazing fire, and as
he sat he waxed hungry, though it was a long way off supper
time yet. 1
"Hasn't thou naught for supper, dame?" said he to his wife.
"Nay, not for a couple of hours yet," said she.
"Ah!" groaned the woodman, "I wish I'd a good link of
black pudding (sausage) here before me."
No sooner had he said the word, when clatter, clatter,
rustle, rustle, what should come down the chimney but a
link of the finest black pudding the heart of man could wish for.
If the woodman stared, the good wife stared three times as much.
"What's all this?" says she.
Then all the mornings work came back to the woodman,
and he told his tale right out, from beginning to end, and
as he told it the good wife glowered and glowered, and when he had made an end of it she burst out, "Thou bee'st but a fool, Jan, thou bee'st but a fool, and I wish the pudding were at thy nose, I do indeed."
And before you could say Jack Robinson, there the good man sat and his nose was the longer for a noble link of black pudding. 41
He gave a pull but it stuck, and she gave a pull but
it stuck, and they both pulled till they had nigh pulled
the nose off, but it stuck and stuck.
"What's to be done now?" said he.
"'T isn't so very unsightly," said she, looking hard
at him.
Then the woodman saw that if he wished, he must need wish in a hurry; and wish he did, that the black pudding might come off his nose.
Well! There it lay in a dish on the table, and if the good man and good wife didn't ride a golden coach, or dress in silk and satin, why they had at least as fine a black pudding for their supper as the heart of man could desire.
(Galdone, 1961)
BACKGROUND:
The Three Wishes is a well-known English folktale with vivid humor. Who couldn't imagine how embarassing it would be to have sausages stuck on your nose? Since this story has few characters, tongue depressor puppets would be fun.
QUESTIONS:
1. Is this story real or make-believe? How do you know?
2. If you had three wishes, what would they be?
COOKING:
Make sausage pizza on an English muffin in a toaster 42
oven.
INDEPENDENT ACTIVITY:
Have the children draw their three wishes.
I My three wishes ... I I 43
TONGUE DEPRESSOR PUPPETS:
45 46 "" I
Lazy Jack
Once upon a time there lived in a little cottage an old woman and her son Jack. Every day the old woman sat in the corner and worked at her spinning, and every day her son sat by the fire and did nothing at all. So all the neighbors called him Lazy Jack.
One morning his mother could stand his idleness no longer, and she told Lazy Jack that he must work for his porridge. So off he went to work a day for a farmer who lived near by. At the end of the day, the farmer paid him a penny. But Lazy Jack lost the penny in the brook on his way home and had nothing to show for his work.
"The next time," said his mother, "put what you earn in your pocket."
The next day Jack worked as a cowherd for a dairyman who lived over the hill, and, at the end of the day, the dairyman paid him a jug of milk.
Remembering what his mother had said, Jack tried to put the jug in his pocket. Of course he spilled all the milk and had only an empty jug when he got home.
"Next time," said his mother, "you should carry it on your head. Then you won't spill it."
The next morning Lazy Jack went once more to work for the dairy farmer. This time, when the day was over, the man gave him some cream cheese. Remembering what his mother had said, Lazy Jack put the cheese on his head and 48
started home. But the cheese melted and ran down all over
his head, and Jack had nothing to show for his day's work
but a dirty face.
"Next time," said his mother patiently, "you should
wrap it in green leaves and carry it in your hands."
At the end of the next day's work all Lazy Jack got
was a tomcat. He did just as he had been told; he tried
to wrap it in green leaves and hold it in his hands. The
cat did not like this at all and finally got away from
Jack, who arrived home with nothing to show but scratched
hands.
"Stupid!" said his mother, who still had to spin for
their living. "You should have tied it to a string and
pulled it behind you."
So the next afternoon, when Lazy Jack was given a
ham as payment for his work, he carefully tied a string
around it and dragged it home along the dusty road.
"Oh, you strawhead!" cried his mother when she saw
the dusty, battered remains of what had been a fine ham.
"Why didn't you carry it on your shoulder?"
So the next day, when Jack was given a donkey for his work, he obediently hoisted it to his shoulder and started
home.
Now on his way home Jack passed the handsome horne of
a wealthy man who had one daughter. The poor girl was
both deaf and dumb, and the doctors said the only cure
would be for her to laugh. But, try as he might, the 49
father could find nothing that would make his daughter laugh.
On this afternoon she was sitting at the window grazing sadly at the road. Suddenly around a bend came the strangest sight she had ever seen - Lazy Jack struggling along with the donkey on his shoulder. The donkey's four feet were waving in the air, and it was braying loudly.
First she looked. Then she stared. And then, wonder of wonders, she burst out laughing.
"Father," she called at last. "Father, look!"
"My daughter!" the old man exclaimed. "Is that really your voice I hear?"
It was, of course, and the girl was completely cured!
Overjoyed, her father rushed out to the road.
"Drop your donkey," he cried to Lazy Jack. "You have given my daughter back her voice and her hearing, and no one but you shall be her husband."
So Jack, who was called Lazy Jack no longer, and the daughter were married. They lived in a fine new house and
Jack's mother came to live with them. The old man came often to visit them, and, as you can well imagine, they all lived happily ever after.
{Rojankovsky, 1944, p. 71~73) 50
BACKGROUND:
"Lazy Jack" is in several anthologies of children's
literature. This particular version is from The Tall Book of Nursery Tales by Rojankovsky. We all do silly things once in a while, but Jack does so many silly things that it makes us feel better. He teaches us to laugh at ourselves and not to take ourselves so seriously.
QUESTIONS:
1. What does "lazy" mean? Why was Jack called lazy?
2. When he went to work, what happened? What happened to the penny? Where should he have put his penny?
3. Where did he put the milk? How should he have carried the milk?
4. What happened to the cream cheese? What would have been a better way to carry the cream cheese?
5. What did he do with the Tom cat? How should he have taken the Tom cat home?
6. What did he do with the ham? How should he have carried the ham?
7. What did he do with the donkey? What should he have done?
8. Could this story be real or is it make-believe?
9. Have you ever carried something and found it ruined when you arrived? What happened?
INDEPENDENT ACTIVITY:
Have the children draw a picture of the funniest part. FLANNEL BOARD ILLUSTRATIONS: 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59
REFERENCE LIST
Andersen, H. c. The woman with the eggs. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1974.
Evans, K. The man, the boy and the donkey. Chicago: Albert Whitman and Company, 1958. Galdone, P. The three wishes. New York: Me Graw-Hill Book Company, 1961. La Fontaine, J. The miller, the boy and the donkey. New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 1969.
Parin d'Aulaire, I., & E. Don't count your chicks. New York: Doubleday and Company, Inc., 1943.
Rojankovsky, F. The tall book of nursery tales. New York: Harper & Row, 1944.
Webster's New World dictionary: college edition. Cleveland and New York: The World Publishing Company, 1966. 60
Chapter 3
FOOD FOLKTALES
Pancake
The Funny Little Woman
Long ago, in Old Japan, there lived a funny little woman who liked to laugh, "Tee-he-he-he," and who liked to make dumplings out of rice.
One morning, as she was patting and shaping rice flour, one of the dumplings started to roll. It rolled across the table; it rolled to the edge of the table, and fell right to the earthen floor. .I "Stop," cried the little woman. But the dumpling rolled and rolled until it rolled down a hole.
"Ungrateful dumpling," scolded the little woman, as she knelt and reached for it.
But just then the earth gave way, and head over heels she tumbled and tumbled until she found herself on a most unusual road. It was a hilly road lined with statues of the gods.
"My dumpling! My dumpling! Where is my dumpling?" she shouted as she ran.
Soon she came to one of the statues.
"Jizo Sarna, did you see my dumpling?" . I
"Yes, I saw your dumpling roll by three minutes ago, but you had better not follow it because the wicked oni live at the end of the road." 61
"Oh, tee-he-he-he," laughed the funny little woman.
"I'm not afraid of the oni," and she kept running down the road crying, "I'iy dumpling! My dumpling! Has anybody seen my dumpling?"
"I have," said a very stern Jizo. "It rolled by me just two minutes ago. But don't run after it, for you will surely meet a wicked oni."
"Oh, tee-he-he-he," laughed the little woman. "I'm not afraid of the wicked oni," and she ran even faster, shouting, "My dumpling! My dumpling! Has anybody seen my dumpling?"
Soon she came to another Jizo and asked: "Dear Jizo, have you seen my dumpling?"
"It rolled by just one minute ago, but hurry and hide behind me, for here comes a wicked oni!"
The wicked oni stopped and bowed to Jizo.
"Good day, Jizo Sarna!"
And very politely, Jizo said, "Good day."
Sniff, sniff, sniff. "Jizo Sarna," cried the wicked oni, "I smell the smell of humankind!"
"Oh," said Jizo, "you only smell the breeze off the river."
"No, no," said the wicked oni. "I smell the - "
"Tee-he-he-he." The little woman could not keep from laughing. "Tee-he-he-he."
Then the wicked oni put one large arm behind Jizo and pulled the little woman out! 62
"What are you going to do with the little woman?" asked Jizo. "You won't hurt her, will you?"
"Hurt her! I should say not," said the wicked oni.
"I'm going to take her home and have her cook for all of us."
"Tee-he-he-he," laughed the little woman, as the wicked oni took her down the road to a wide river. He put her into a boat and took her across the river to a strange house. In the kitchen he gave her a large wooden paddle.
"Now this is how you must cook our rice," said the wicked oni. "First put one, just one grain of rice in this pot. Stir it with this magic paddle and you will soon have a potful."
"Tee-he-he-he." laughed the little woman. "That's easy."
And soon after the wicked oni left she tried it out.
One grain of rice and then stir! And as she stirred the one grain became two, two became four, then eight, sixteen, thirty-two, sixty-four, one hundred and twenty eight, two hundred and fifty-six - and the pot was full!
"Tee-he-he-he," she laughed. "What fun I shall have making rice dumplings."
The weeks and months passed as the little woman kept busy cooking rice for the wicked oni. (For oni eat more rice than most people!)
One afternoon she grew lonely for her little house and decided to return. First she tucked the magic paddle 63
in her belt, then she went out the door. She looked to the
left and the right - there were no oni to be seen. She ran
to the river, stopped, and looked behind - still there were no oni. Now quietly she got into the boat; then away she went.
Since the river was wide, she had only reached the middle when the oni returned and found her missing. Soon
all the oni were all on the bank watching her.
Now, because oni do not swim, they thought of a plan to stop her. All of them got on their knees and drank the water from the river!
When the little woman found the boat stuck in the mud, she was too frightened to laugh, so she jumped from the boat and began running. Her feet stuck in the mud, her hands stuck in the mud, and she fell in the mud!
"Tee-he-he-he, tee-he-he-he, tee-he-he-he," roared the oni. The little woman made a funny sight! Of course, when they laughed, all the water fell from their mouths back into the river, so the little woman jumped in the boat and away she went.
After that, the little woman was very happy, for, with her magic paddle, she could make more rice dumplings faster than ever. So she sold them and soon became the richest woman in all of Japan.
"Tee-he-he-he-he!"
(Mosel, 1972) 64
BACKGROUND:
Morsel's book The Funny Little Woman is a charmingly illustrated Japanese "pancake story." It is well worth getting from your school library or the public library to read on Girl's Day - March 3rd.
QUESTIONS:
1. Is this story real or make-believe? How do you know?
2. Who is the main person in the story? We call her the main character. What was her problem?
3. What is a statue? Can statues speak? Would you like to be a statue? Why or why not?
4. What is a dumpling?
COOKING:
Onigiri (o-ni-gi-ri)
(also called Musubi [mu-su-bi) Rice Balls or Nigiri sushi)
1 cup rice 1 cup water Cook the rice in a rice cooker, if possible; if you cook it in a sauce pan, add a few extra tablespoons of water.
Let the rice steam for 15 minutes after it is cooked.
Salt to taste. Wet hands and roll a small amount of cooked salted rice into a ball. Sprinkle top with toasted sesame seeds if you wish. Makes 10-12 small balls.
Increase the recipe to accommodate the number of students in your class.
(Los Angeles Unified School District Instructional
Planning Division, Publication No. EC-462, 1977, p. 46) 65
TONGUE DEPRESSOR PUPPETS:
. I 66
/ / //// // / ./ //
_,// ,/ 67 68
INDEPENDENT ACTIVITY:
Enlarge this mask with an overhead projector to child head size. Have children make masks. 69
The Gingerbread Boy
Once upon a time there lived a little old woman and a
little old man. They had no boys or girls of their own, so
they lived all by themselves in a little old house.
One day the little old woman was baking gingerbread.
"I will make a little Gingerbread Boy," she said.
So she rolled the dough out flat and cut it in the
shape of a little boy. She make him two good-sized feet.
Then she gave him eyes and a mouth of raisins and currants,
and stuck on a cinnamon drop for a nose. She put a row of
raisins down the front of his jacket for buttons.
"There!" she said. "Now we'll have a little Ginger-
bread Boy of our own."
She put him in a pan, popped him into the oven, and
closed the door.
Then she went about her work, sweeping and cleaning,
cleaning and sweeping, and she forgot all about the little
Gingerbread Boy. Meanwhile he baked brown all over and
got very hot.
"Oh my!" said the little old woman at last, sniffing
the air. "The Gingerbread Boy is burning!"
She ran to the oven and opened the door. Up jumped the Gingerbread Boy. He hopped down onto the floor, ran
across the kitchen, out of the door, across the garden, through the gate, and down the road as fast as his
gingerbread legs could carry him. /V
The little old woman and the little old man ran after him, shouting: "Stop! Stop, little Gingerbread Boy!"
The Gingerbread Boy looked back and laughed and called .I out:
"Run! Run! Run! Catch me if you can! You can't catch me! I'm the Gingerbread Boy, I am! I am!"
And they couldn't catch him.
So the Gingerbread Boy ran on and on. Soon he came to a cow.
"Urn! Urn!" sniffed the cow. "You smell good! Stop, little Gingerbread Boy! I would like to eat you."
But the little Gingerbread Boy laughed and said:
"I've run away from a little old woman I've run away from a little old man And I can run away from you, I can."
So the cow ran after him. But she couldn 1 t catch him.
The little Gingerbread Boy ran on and on. Soon he came to a horse.
"Please stop, little Gingerbread Boy," said the horse.
"You look very good to eat."
But the little Gingerbread Boy called out:
"I've run away from a little old woman, I've run away from a little old man, I've run away from a cow, And I can run away from you, I can."
So the horse ran after him. But he couldn't catch him. 71
By and by the little Gingerbread Boy carne to a barn where some men were threshing wheat. The threshers saw the little Gingerbread Boy and called: "Do not run so fast, little Gingerbread Boy. Gingerbread boys are made to eat."
But the little Gingerbread Boy ran faster and faster and shouted:
"I've run away from a little old woman, I've run away from a little old man, I've run away from a cow, I've run away from a horse, And I can run away from you, I can, I can!" So the threshers ran after him. But they couldn't catch him.
The little Gingerbread Boy ran faster than ever.
Soon he came to a field full of mowers. When the mowers saw how fine he looked, they called: "Wait a bit! Wait a bit, little Gingerbread Boy! Gingerbread boys are made to eat."
But the Gingerbread Boy laughed harder than ever and ran on like the wind.
"Oh, ho! Oh, ho!" he cried:
"I've run away from a little old woman, I've run away from a little old man, I've run away from a cow, I've run away from a horse, I've run away from a barn full of threshers, And I can run away from you, I can, I can!"
So the mowers ran after him. But they couldn't catch him. 72
By this time the little Gingerbread Boy was very proud of himself. He strutted, he dance, he pranced! He thought no one on earth could catch him.
Then he saw a fox coming across the field. The fox looked at him and began to run.
But the little Gingerbread Boy ran faster still, and shouted:
"Run! Run! Run! Catch me if you can! You can't catch me! I'm the Gingerbread Boy, I am! I am! I've run away from a little old woman, I've run away from a little old man, I've run away from a cow, I've run away from a horse, I've run away from a barn full of threshers, I've run away from a field full of mowers, And I can run away from you, I can! I can! "
"Why," said the fox politely, "I wouldn't catch you if I could."
Just then the little Gingerbread Boy came to a wide river. He dare not jump into the water, for he would crumble to pieces if he did. He looked behind him. The cow, the horse, and all the people were still following and getting closer. He had to cross the river, or they would catch him.
The fox saw this and said, "Jump on my tail and I will take you across."
So the little Gingerbread Boy jumped onto the fox's tail and the fox jumped into the river. 73
When they were out in the river, the fox said:
"Little Gingerbread Boy, I think you had better get on my back or you may fall off!"
So the little Gingerbread Boy jumped on the fox's back.
After swimming a little farther, the fox said: "The water is deep. You may get wet where you are. Jump up on my shoulder."
So the little Gingerbread Boy jumped up on the fox's shoulder.
When they were near the other side of the river, the fox cried out suddenly: "The water grows deeper still.
Jump up on my nose! Jump up on my nose!"
So the little Gingerbread Boy jumped up on the fox's nose.
The fox sprang ashore and threw back his head.
Snip - half the Gingerbread Boy was gone. Snip, Snap - he was three-quarters gone. Snip, Snap, Snap, at last and at last he went the way of every single gingerbread boy that ever came out of the oven ... HE WAS ALL GONE!
So the little old woman and the little old man, and the cow and the horse, and the threshers and the mowers, all went home again .•. while the fox had a good long nap.
(Galdone, 1975) 74
BACKGROUND:
The Gingerbread Boy is a classic folktale perfect for
using the flannel board with a chase involving many
characters. This folktale is another "pancake story."
QUESTIONS:
1. Is this story real or make-believe? How do you know?
2. Who baked the Gingerbread Boy?
3. Who tried to catch him?
4. How did he get caught?
COOKING:
Gingerbread Men
1 package Duncan Hines Deluxe II Spice Cake Mix
2 teaspoons ginger
2 eggs
1/3 cup Crisco Oil or Puritan Oil
1/3 cup dark molasses
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
raisins for decoration ' Thoroughly combine all ingredients except raisins in
a large bowl (mixture will be soft). Refrigerate for 2
hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough to 1/4 inch
thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut with
gingerbread man cookie cutter. Press raisins in dough for
eyes and down the middle for buttons. Place on ungreased 75
cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes,
or until edges just start to brown. Let cookies cool for
several minutes on cookie sheets then remove to racks to
finish cooling. Makes about 14 six inch tall men.
(Duncan Hines, 1979, p. 150)
INDEPENDENT ACTIVITIES:
1. Suppose, the fox did NOT get the Gingerbread Boy!
Suppose the Gingerbread Boy got away! What might happen?
Where might the Gingerbread Boy go? Who might he meet?
Have the children draw pictures of the Gingerbread Boy's
further adventures.
Further adventures of the Gingerbread Boy
1 • 2 .a ~ .. ~ ..• • .. .. '• ' ••• 3 4 • • • ' ., ., -•• •• ~ .. .. Name ' ' ..
(Zinkgraf & Bauman, 1980, p. 38) 76
2. Have the children make their own Gingerbread Boy.
Duplicate the pattern on page 77 on brown construction paper. The children can glue M & Ms candy for eyes, styrofoam packing material for buttons, or raisins, cake decorations for his mouth, or beans, or whatever your children bring. A narrow ribbon bow or a yarn bow makes a good tie. This Gingerbread Boy is perfect to make around Christmas.
FLANNEL BOARD CHARACTERS:
See pages 78-85. 77 78
...··, 79 80 81 82
. I
. I
. I 83 84 85 86
The Pancake
Once there was a woman who had seven hungry children.
She cooked them a pancake. It lay in a pan and swelled
and rose and grew thick and tempting. The children stood
around the stove. They could not wait to taste the pancake.
"Please, mother," they cried, "let us eat the pancake
right away! We are so hungry."
"~'Vai t, my dear one," said the woman. "Before we eat,
I must flip the pancake over and cook it on the other
side."
When the pancake heard that it was to be eaten, it
jumped out of the pan and rolled like a wheel through the door and onto the road.
"Wait, wait," cried the woman. "My children are hungry. Do not run away from us!" The woman ran after the pancake with a pan in one hand and the spoon in the other. The seven children ran after her.
"Catch it! Grab it! Hold it!" the children shouted.
But the pancake rolled faster and faster down the road. Soon the woman and the children were left far behind. After a while, the pancake met a farmer. "Good day, farmer," said the pancake as it rolled by.
"Good day, pancake," said the farmer. "You look good enough to eat. Do not roll away so quickly. Stop and let me have a bite out of you." 87
"If I can roll away from the woman who cooked me, her seven children who wanted to eat me, I can roll away from you, too, dumb farmer," said the pancake. And off it rolled. Soon it met a goose.
"Good day, goose," said the pancake.
"Good day, pancake," said the goose. "You look very delicious. Do not roll away so quickly. Stop and let me take a bite out of you."
"If I can roll away from the woman who cooked me, and her seven children who wanted to eat me, and a dumb farmer who wanted to take a bite out of me, I can roll away from you too, silly goose," said the pancake. And off it rolled.
Soon it met a cat.
"Good day, cat," said the pancake.
"Good day, pancake," said the cat. "You look very tasty. Do not roll away so quickly. Stop and let me take a bite out of you."
"If I can roll away from the woman who cooked me, and her seven children who wanted to eat me, a dumb farmer and a silly goose who wanted to take a bite out of me, I can roll away from you too, stupid cat," said the pancake.
And off it rolled.
The pancake rolled and rolled.
Soon it met a sheep.
"Good day, sheep," said the pancake.
"Good day, pancake," said the sheep. "You look very 88
sweet. Do not roll away so quickly. Stop and let me take a bite out of you."
"If I can roll away from the woman who cooked me, and her seven children who wanted to eat me, a dumb farmer and a silly goose and a stupid cat who wanted to take a bite out of me, I can roll away from you too, foolish sheep," said the pancake. And off it rolled.
The pancake kept on rolling down the road.
Soon it met a goat.
"Good day, goat," said the pancake.
"Good day, pancake," said the goat. "You look very crunchy. Do not roll away so quickly. Stop and let me take a bite out of you."
"If I can roll away from the woman who cooked me, and her seven children who wanted to eat me, a dumb farmer and a silly goose and a stupid cat and a foolish sheep who wanted to take a bite out of me, I can roll away from you too, old goat," said the pancake. And off it rolled.
The pancake came to a brook. By the brook stood a pig.
"Good day, pig," said the pancake.
"Good day, pancake, " said the pig. "''Vhat a mouth watering pancake," thought the pig.
"I have rolled away from the woman who cooked me, and her seven children who wanted to eat me, a dumb farmer, a silly goose, a stupid cat, a foolish sheep, and an old goat who all wanted bites out of me," bragged the pancake 89
to the pig. "I should be able to get across this brook without becoming wet and soggy!"
"I will help you," said the pig. "Just sit on the
top of my nose and I will take you to the other side."
How clever of me to meet such a kind pig, thought the pancake and rolled onto the pig's nose.
"Oink, oink," said the pig and swallowed the pancake in one large gulp.
By then the woman, the children, the farmer, the goose, the cat, the sheep and the goat came running to the brook where the pig was resting.
"Have you seen a pancake roll by?" said the woman to the pig.
"Did you make that wonderful pancake?" said the pig.
"It was the best I ever ate!"
"You ate our pancake!" cried the children. "And we are so hungry!"
"I know what to do," their mother said. "We shall all go home now. And I will make an even better pancake for everybody."
"A splendid idea," said the pig.
So the children, the farmer, the goose, the cat, the sheep, the goat, and the pig followed the woman home.
There she cooked the best pancake she had ever made. And they ate it before it could roll away.
(Lobel, 1978) 90
BACKGROUND:
The Pancake by Anita Lobel is a Danish Folktale. It is an excellent story for telling with the flannel board.
QUESTIONS:
1. Who wanted to eat the pancake?
2. Who finally ate the pancake?
3. How did the pig succeed when the others did not?
COMPARATIVE STUDY:
If you told your class both The Gingerbread Boy and
The Pancake, do not miss the chance to compare and contrast the stories.
Similarities Differences
Characters Main characters are Gingerbread Boy food. Pancake
A woman cooks both. The Gingerbread Boy has an old woman, an old man, a horse, a cow, threshers, mowers, and a fox.
The Pancake has a woman, seven hungry children, a farmer, a goose, a cat, a sheep, a goat, and a pig.
(Be sure to count the characters in each story.)
Setting Both begin in a house, The Gingerbread Boy have a road, and a takes place "Once body of water. upon a time ... "
No time is mentioned in The Pancake. 91
Problem Who can catch and eat the main character?
How to keep ahead of all the people and animals who want to eat him. How to cross the A wide river is in water. The Gingerbread Boy. A brook is in The Pancake.
Conclusion The main character The Gingerbread Boy is tricked and eaten. is eaten by a fox.
The Pancake is eaten by a pig.
COOKING:
Cook buttermilk pancakes. Talk about how pancakes
are made, what ingredients are used, where the ingredients
come from, how do you know when to turn the pancakes?
Buttermilk Pancakes
1 cup sifted flour 1 egg
1 tablespoon sugar 1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt pancake syrup
Sift flour. Sift again with sugar, salt, and baking
soda. Beat egg in medium bowl. Blend in buttermilk. Add dry ingredients. Beat until smooth. Blend in melted butter. Cook in lightly oiled electric frying pan. Turn pancakes when surface bubbles begin to break. 92
@ ' FLANNEL BOARD CHARACTERS: 93 94 95 ,I
. I ' 97 98 99
Journey Cake, Ho!
There were three of them: the old woman, Merry; the old man, Grumble; and Johnny, the bound-out boy. They lived in a log cabin, t'other side of Tip Top Mountain.
The old woman took care of the wool; she carded and spun and knit it. She laid the fire, tended the griddle, churned the butter, and sang at her work. The song she liked best ran this-wise:
Ho, for a Journey Cake - Quick on a griddle bake! Sugar and salt it, Turn it and brown it, Johnny, come eat it with milk for your tea.
The old man tended the garden patch, sheared the sheep, milked the cow, felled the trees, sawed the logs, and grumbled at his work. The grumble he liked best was:
A bother, a pest! All work and no rest! Come winter, come spring, Life's a nettlesome thing.
And what about Johnny? He split the kindling, filled the woodbox, lugged the water, fed the creatures, fished the brook, and whistled at his work. One tune was as fine as another to Johnny.
Their whole world lay close about them. There were the garden patch, the brook, the logging road that ran down to the valley where the villagers lived, and the spruce woods. On the tallest tree sat Raucus, the sentinel crow, watching and waiting to caw when surprise or trouble was 100 near.
Nothing happened for a long, long time. They lived snug, like rabbits in their burrow. Then -
One night a fox carried off the hens.
"Caw, caw!" called the crow.
But it was too late. The next night a wolf carried off the sheep.
"Caw, caw, caw!" called the crow. But it was too late.
There came a day when the pig wandered off and got himself lost. Last of all the cow fell into the brook and broke her leg. All that day the crow cawed and cawed and cawed.
That night the old woman said, shaking her head,
"Trouble has come. The meal chest is low, the bin is near empty. What will feed two will not feed three."
The old man grumbled and said, "Johnny, 'tis likely you'll be leaving us on the morrow and finding yourself a new master and a new ma'm."
The next morning by sunup the old woman had run together a piece of sacking and put straps to it, to hold
Johnny's belongings - a knife, some gum from the spruce trees, his shoes and a washing-cloth. On top went the
Journey Cake that had been baked for him. It was large, round, and crusty-hard.
"Now be off with you!" said the old man, grumbling.
"What must be, must be." 101
"Off with you- and luck follow after," said the old
woman sadly.
Johnny said nothing at all. He left his whistle
behind him and took the logging road down to the valley.
Right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot. He was
halfway down and more when the straps on his sacking bag
broke loose. Out bounced the Journey Cake.
It bumped and it bumped; it rolled over and over.
Down the road it went, and how it hollered!
Journey Cake, ho! Journey Cake, hi! Catch me and eat me As I roll by!
Away and away rolled the Journey Cake. Away and away
ran Johnny.
Faster and faster. They passed a field full of cows.
A brindle cow tossed her head and took after them. She mooed:
At running I'll beat you. I'll catch you and eat you!
Faster and faster, faster and faster! They passed a
pond full of ducks.
Journey Cake, ho! Journey Cake, hi! Catch me and eat me As I roll by!
A white duck spread her wings, and away and away she went after them quacking:
At flying I'll beat you. I'll catch and I'll eat you! 102
Faster and faster, faster and faster! They came to a meadow where sheep were grazing. A white sheep and a black sheep took after them.
Now they were through the valley and the road began to climb. Slower and slower rolled the Journey Cake.
Slower and slower ran Johnny, the brindle cow, the white duck, and the two sheep.
Journey Cake, hi! The journey is long. Catch me and eat me As I roll along.
They passed a wallows. A spotted pig heard and came a-grunting.
They passed a barnyard, and a flock of red hens flew over the stump fence, squawking.
Slower and s-1-o-w-e-r, higher and higher.
At last they came to a mountain pasture where a gray donkey was feeding. Now the Journey Cake was huffing and puffing:
Journey Cake, hi! The journey is long. C-c-catch me and eat me - As I roll along.
The donkey was fresh. He kicked up his heels and brayed:
I'll show I can beat you. I'll catch you and eat you.
Higher went the road. Slower and slower, slower and slower rolled the Journey Cake - t'other side of Tip Top
Mountain. Slower and slower and slower, slower and slower 103 came the procession with Johnny at the head. Huffing and puffing, they circled the spruce woods. From his perch on the tallest tree, Raucus, the crow let out his surprise warning: "Caw, caw, caw!"
Johnny heard. He stopped, all of a quickness. There was the brook; there was the garden patch; there was the log cabin.
He was home again. The Journey Cake had brought him to the end of his journey!
The Journey Cake spun around twice and fell flat.
"I'm all of a tucker!" it hollered.
"We're all of a tucker," cried the others. The red hens found a house waiting for them. The cow found her tether rope; the pig found a sty; the duck found a brook; the sheep found a place for grazing, and the donkey walked himself into the shed.
The old woman came a-running.
The old man came a-running.
Johnny hugged them hard. He found his whistle again and took up the merriest tune. "~Jheee-ew, wheee-ew!" he whistled. He hopped first on right foot, then on left foot. When he had his breath, he said, "Journey Cake did it. Journey Cake fetched me-and-the-cow-and-the-white duck-and-the-black-and-white-sheep-and-the-flock-of-red hens-and-the-pig-and-the-gray-donkey. Now they are all yours!" 104
The old man forgot his best grumble. The old woman picked up the Journey Cake and went inside to freshen it up on the griddle. She went, singing the song she liked best:
Warm up the Journey Cake From now on it's Johnny Cake Johnny, come eat it With milk for your tea!
(Sawyer, 1953)
BACKGROUND:
This American folktale is another variation of the
"pancake story." Again, it makes a perfect flannel board story.
QUESTIONS:
1. What does "They lived snug, like rabbits in their burrow" mean?
2. What is a Journey Cake? "It was large, round, and crusty-hard."
Quick on a griddle bake! Sugar and salt it, Turn it and brown it, Johnny, come eat it with milk for your tea.
3. Why did Johnny have to leave? Did he want to?
4. Why did Johnny lose his whistle?
5. What helped him find his whistle?
6. Why did the old man forget "his best grumble" at the end? 105
COMPARATIVE STUDY:
Compare and contrast The Gingerbread Boy, The Pancake
and Journey Cake, Ho! Make a chart with your class.
Likenesses Differences
The settings are all in The Gingerbread Boy and The houses with roads near. Pancake have a house and-a body of water near. The water is crucial to the conclusion.
Journey Cake, Ho! has a log cabin on a hill - an American touch - but no water.
The main characters are A gingerbread boy, a pancake, food prepared by a and a journey cake. woman. All are breads.
The main characters run The Journey Cake runs away, away from their creators. but returns with animals for the farm and brings happiness. The main character is chased by hungry people The Gingerbread Boy and the and animals. Pancake run away. When they cannot cross a body of water, they accept help and are eaten.
Make-believe.
A chant is repeated throughout the story.
Folktales. 106
FLANNEL BOARD CHARACTERS: 107 108
...... ,.. ' 109 llO 111 112 ------. 113 p ' . I . I 114 115 Magic The Magic Porridge Pot Once upon a time, long, long ago, a little girl and her mother lived in a small cottage at the end of the village street. They were so poor that often there was nothing to eat in the house but a small piece of bread. When their cupboard was bare, the little girl would go into the forest near the cottage to search for nuts and berries. One chilly morning she wandered through the dark forest, but she could not find a single nut or berry. At last the little girl sat down on a fallen tree and started to cry. "There's no food for Mother and me. What will we do? We're so hungry." "Cheer up, my dear," said a pleasant but crackly voice. The little girl looked up in surprise to see an old woman who wore a long cloak and leaned on a crooked stick. "Do not worry, my dear," said the old woman. "You need never be hungry again." From under her cloak she drew out a small black pot. "This is a magic pot, my dear. After you put it on the fire, you must say to it, 'Boil, Little Pot, boil!' and at once it will fill up with delicious porridge. When you have had all you can eat, you must say to it, 116 'Stop, Little Pot, stop!' and the magic pot will stop boiling." "Oh, thank you so much," said the little girl. "Never forget the magic words, my dear," said the old woman. "Never forget!" And no sooner had she said this than she vanished. The little girl carried the pot home as fast as she could run through the forest. "What have you there?" her mother asked. "This is a magic pot that will cook delicious porridge," the little girl explained. "An old woman gave it to me in the forest." The little girl was eager to try out the magic pot. She set it on the fire and said, "Boil, Little Pot, boil!" Sure enough, delicious porridge bubbled up. When they had had all that they could eat, the little girl said, "Stop, Little Pot, stop!" and the magic pot stopped boiling. For a long time the little girl and her mother had as much porridge as they wanted, and were very happy and contented. Then one day the little girl decided to visit her friend at the other end of the village. The little girl was gone a long while and her mother began to be hungry. So she set the magic pot on the fire and said to it, "Boil, Little Pot, boil!" 117 The porridge began to rise in the pot, and the mother dished out a nice bowlful. Soon the porridge was bubbling at the top of the pot. But the mother had forgotten the magic words! The porridge kept on rising and began to spill over the rim. "Halt, Little Pot, halt!" the mother said. The porridge only boiled and bubbled over faster. "Enough, Little Pot, enough!" cried the mother, trying to remember the right words. The porridge flowed down until it covered the floor of the cottage. The mother struggled to the door and opened it wide to let the porridge flow out of the house. "No more, Little Pot, no more," she shouted. The stream of delicious porridge flowed through the cottage door and onto the street. Down the street ran the mother screaming, "Cease, Little Pot, cease!" But the porridge flowed on and on, toward the very last house in the village where the little girl was visiting. When the mother reached the house, she called, "Help, help! The magic pot keeps boiling, boiling, boiling!" At once the little girl guessed what was wrong. So she waded into the thick, heavy porridge and ran home as fast as she could, with her mother behind her. When the little girl reached the cottage she cried, "Stop, Little Pot, stop! Stop, Little Pot, stop! Stop, Little Pot, stop! Stop, Little Pot, stop!" 118 And the magic pot stopped boiling. Then everyone in the village carne out into the street carrying dippers, spoons, cups, bowls, buckets, platters, pans, plates, pitchers. They dipped up the porridge and scooped up the porridge, and they spooned up the porridge. There was enough porridge for everyone to feast on for days and days. After that, the little girl and her mother and the people of the village never went hungry. But they never forgot the words to stop the magic pot from boiling. "Stop, Little Pot, stop!" (Galdone, 1976) BACKGROUND: The Magic Porridge Pot is most likely a British folktale since "porridge" is British. Tongue depressor puppets are ideal for this story because there are few characters. QUESTIONS: 1. What is "porridge"? ("A soft food made of cereal or meal boiled in water or milk until thick." Webster's New World Dictionary, 1966, p. 1138) 2. What is the setting? When did it happen? ("Once upon a time, long, long ago ..• "} Where did it happen? (" ... in a small cottage at the end of the village street.") 3. Who is the main character? 119 4. Who are the other characters? 5. Do you think this story is real or make-believe? Why? 6. What did the little girl say when the pot was full of delicious porridge? ("Stop, Little Pot, stop!") 7. What happened when the girl's mother had the magic pot cook porridge? 8. What good came from her mother's forgetfulness? Who ate the porridge that overflowed? ("After that, the little girl and her mother and the people of the village never went hungry.") COOKING: Make some porridge. It could be oatmeal or cream of wheat. Add butter, raisins, and brown sugar or honey. 120 TONGUE DEPRESSOR PUPPETS: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 121 'I 123 124 Strega Nona In a town in Calabria, a long time ago, there lived an old lady everyone called Strega Nona, which meant "Grandma Witch." Although all the people in town talked about her in whispers, they all went to see her if they had troubles. Even the priest and the sisters of the convent went, because Strega Nona did have a magic touch. She could cure a headache, with oil and water and a hairpin. She made special potions for the girls who wanted husbands. And she was very good at getting rid of warts. But Strega Nona was getting old, and she needed someone to help her keep her little house and garden, so she put up a sign in the town square. And Big Anthony, who didn't pay attention, went to see her. "Anthony," said Strega Nona, "you must sweep the house and wash the dishes. You must weed the garden and pick the vegetables. You must feed the goat and milk her. And you must fetch the water. For this, I will give you three coins and a place to sleep and food to eat." "Oh, grazia," said Big Anthony. "The one thing you must never do," said Strega Nona, "is touch the pasta pot. It is very valuable and I don't let anyone touch it!" 125 "Oh, si, yes," said Big Anthony. And so the days went by. Big Anthony did his work and Strega Nona met with the people who came to see her for headaches and husbands and warts. Big Anthony had a nice bed to sleep in next to the goat shed, and he had food to eat. One evening when Big Anthony was milking the goat, he heard Strega Nona singing. Peeking in the window, he saw Strega Nona standing over the pasta pot. She sang, Bubble, bubble, pasta pot. Boil me up some pasta, nice and hot. I'm hungry and it's time to sup. Boil enough pasta to fill me up. And the pasta pot bubbled and boiled and was suddenly filled with steaming hot pasta. Then Stega Nona sang, Enough, enough, pasta pot, I have my pasta, nice and hot. So simmer down my pot of clay Until I'm hungry another day. "How wonderful!" said Big Anthony. "That's a magic pot for sure!" But too bad for Big Anthony, because he didn't see Strega Nona blow three kisses to the magic pasta pot. And this is what happened. The next day when Big Anthony went to the town square to fetch the water, he told everyone about the pasta pot. And naturally everyone laughed at him, because it sounded so silly - a pot that cooked all by itself. 126 "You'd better go and confess to the priest, Big Anthony, 11 they said. 11 Such a lie!" And Big Anthony was angry and that wasn't a very good thing to be. "I'll show them! 11 she said to himself. 11 Someday I will get the Pasta Pot and make it cook! And then they'll be sorry. 11 That day came sooner than even Big Anthony would have thought, because two days later Strega Nona said to Big Anthony, "Anthony, I must go over the mountain to the next town to see my friend, Strega Amelia. Sweep the house and weed the garden. Feed the goat and milk her for your lunch, there are some breads and cheeses in the cupboard. And remember, don't touch the pasta pot. 11 "Oh, yes -yes- Strega Nona," said Big Anthony. But inside he was thinking, My chance has come! As soon as Strega Nona was out of sight, Big Anthony went inside, pulled the pasta pot off the shelf and put it on the floor. "Now, let's see if I can remember the words, 11 said Big Anthony. And Big Anthony sang, Bubble, bubble, pasta pot, Boil me some pasta, nice and hot. I'm hungry and it's time to sup. Boil enough pasta to fill me up. And sure enough, the pot bubbled and boiled and began to fill up with pasta. 127 "Aha!" said Big Anthony, and he ran to the town square, jumped on the fountain and shouted, "Everyone get forks and plates and platters and bowls. Pasta for all at Strega Nona's house." "Big Anthony has made the magic pasta pot work." Of course everyone laughed, but ran home to get forks and plates and platters and bowls, and sure enough, when they got to Strega Nona's the pasta pot was so full it was beginning to overflow. Big Anthony was a hero! He scooped out pasta and filled the plates and platters and bowls. There was more than enough for all the townspeople, including the priest and sisters from the convent. And some people came back for two and three helpings, but the pot was never empty. When all had had their fill, Big Anthony sang, Enough, enough, my pasta pot, I have my pasta nice and hot. So simmer down, my pot of clay Until I'm hungry another day. But, alas, he did not blow the three kisses! He went outside and to the applause of the crowd, Big Anthony took a bow. He was so busy listening to compli- ments from everyone that he didn't notice the pasta pot was still bubbling and boiling, until a sister from the convent said, "Oh, Big Anthony, look!" And the pasta was pouring out of the pot all over the floor of Strega Nona's house and was coming out the door! 128 Big Anthony rushed in and shouted the magic words again, but the pot kept bubbling. He took the pot off the floor, but pasta kept on pouring from it. Big Anthony grabbed a cover and put it on the pot and sat on it. But the pasta raised the cover, and Big Anthony as well, and spilled on the floor of Strega Nona's house. "Stop!" yelled Big Anthony. But the pasta did not stop and if someone hadn't grabbed poor Big Anthony, the pasta would have covered him up. The pasta had all but filled the little house. Out of the windows and through the doors came the pasta and the pot kept right on bubbling. The townspeople began to worry. "Do something, Big Anthony," they shouted. Big Anthony sang the magic song again but without the three kisses it did no good! By this time the pasta was on its way down the road and all the people were running to keep ahead of it. "We must protect our town from the pasta," shouted the mayor. "Get mattresses, tables, doors - anything to make a barricade." But even that didn't work. The pot kept bubbling and the pasta kept coming! "We are lost," said the people, and the priest and the sisters of the convent began praying. "The pasta will cover our town," they cried. 129 And it certainly would have, had Strega Nona not come down the road, home from her visit. She didn't have to look twice to know what had happened. She sang the magic song and blew the three kisses and with a sputter the pot stopped boiling and the pasta came to a halt. "Oh, grazia - thank you, thank you, Strega Nona," the people cried. But then they turned on poor Big Anthony. "String him up," the men of the town shouted. "Now, wait," said Strega Nona. "The punishment must fit the crime." And she took a fork from a lady standing nearby and held it out to Big Anthony. "All right, Anthony, you wanted pasta from my magic pasta pot," Strega Nona said, "and I want to sleep in my little bed tonight. So start eating." And he did - poor Big Anthony. (de Paola, 1975) BACKGROUND: The book Strega Nona by Tomie de Paola has delightful illustrations. If you cannot get the book to read, this Italian folktale with only two main characters is also enchanting with tongue depressor puppets. 130 QUESTIONS: 1. Where did Strega Nona take place? When? (" ... a long time ago, in a town in Calabria •.. ") 2. Who are the main characters? 3. What does Strega Nona mean? ("Grandma Witch" ) 4. Why did she hire Big Anthony? 5. What did she tell Big Anthony never to touch? Why? 6. What is pasta? 7. Did Big Anthony listen? What happened? What is Big Anthony's punishment? LITERARY COMPARISONS: Chart the similarities and differences between The Magic Porridge Pot and Strega Nona. Magic Porridge Pot Strega Nona Setting "Once upon a time, long, " ... a long time long ago ... " ago ... " " •.. small cottage at "In a town in the end of the village Calabria ... " (Italy) street ... " (England) Characters Little girl, her Strega Nona, Big mother, an old woman, Anthony, town people village people. Plot Magic pot and a hungry Big Anthony does not mother who forgets listen. He brags magic words to stop about magic pot. the cooking. Pot He uses pot and overflows. cannot stop the cooking. It overflows. Conclusion Village people eat Big Anthony must porridge that over eat all the pasta flowed. No one ever that overflowed for goes hungry again. his punishment. 131 COOKING: Make spagetti with meat sauce. TONGUE DEPRESSOR PUPPETS: 132 133 134 Gluttony Slip! Slop! Gobble! Once upon a time there was a Cat and a Parrot who were the best of friends. They each lived alone. Now the Parrot thought that they should take turns cooking dinner. The Cat would invite the Parrot to eat one night and the Parrot would invite the Cat the next night. The Cat agreed. It was the eat's turn first. She fixed a very thin piece of fish, a pint of milk, and no dessert at all. The Parrot did not get enough to eat, but she was much too polite to complain. The next day it was the Parrot's turn. And she spent the whole day cooking. She made a big bowl of good thick soup, a roast of meat, a fine fat fish, and she had a pitcher of nice thick cream and a pot of tea. And the Parrot baked a whole basket of cookies - nice, brown, crispy cookies; there were five hundred cookies in that basket. The Parrot put four hundred and ninety-eight of the cookies at the eat's place and only two at her own place. Well, the Cat came to dinner and she ate all of the good thick soup, and the roast of meat, the fine fat fish, the pitcher of nice thick cream, and the pot of tea. And then she ate all four hundred and ninety-eight of the cookies. 135 When she had finished eating all of that, the Cat turned to the Parrot and said, "I'm hungry! Don't you have anything else to eat?" The Parrot looked at the Cat and said, "There's nothing left in the house to eat, but my two cookies." The Cat ate the two cookies. And then she said, "I'm beginning to get an appetite." "Well, really," said the Parrot who was beginning to be rather angry by this time, "there's nothing left to eat but me!" The Parrot thought that this would make the Cat ashamed. But no sooner had the Parrot said that, than SLIP! SLOP! GOBBLE.' -down went the Parrot. Now an Old Woman was passing by the Parrot's place and she saw the Cat eat her friend. So she scolded the Cat saying, "Shame on you, Cat, to eat your friend the Parrot!" "Parrot, indeed!" said the Cat. "I just ate a bowl of good thick soup, a roast of meat, a fine fat fish, a pitcher of nice thick cream, a pot of tea, five hundred cookies, and my friend the Parrot. And what's more I think I'll eat you!" And SLIP! SLOP! GOBBLE! - down went the Old Woman. Then the Cat started walking slowly down the road because she had so much to eat. Before long she met a Man and his donkey who was pulling a cart. The Man saw the Cat and said, "Out of our 136 way, Pussycat. Out of our way." "Out of your way, indeed!" said the Cat. "I just ate a bowl of good thick soup, a roast of meat, a fine fat fish, a pitcher of nice thick cream, a pot of tea, five hundred cookies, my friend the Parrot, and an Old Woman and what's more I think I will eat you!" And SLIP! SLOP! GOBBLE! - down went the Man, his donkey and the cart. The Cat started down the road again - walking a little bit slower - and before long she met a wedding procession. It was the King and his bride the Queen, followed by soldiers and men-at-arms and elephants marching two by two. Now the King was very happy since he had just married and he did not want his soldiers or his men-at-arms or his elephants to hurt the Cat, so he called to the Cat, "Out of our way, Pussycat, out of our way." "Out of your way, indeed!" said the Cat. "Humph! I've just eaten a bowl of good thick soup, a roast of meat, a fine fat fish, a pitcher of nice thick cream, a pot of tea, five hundred cookies, my friend the Parrot, an Old Woman, a Man and his donkey and a cart. And what's more, I think I'll eat you!" And SLIP! SLOP! GOBBLE! - down went the King, his bride the Queen, the soldiers, the men-at-arms, and the elephants two by two. Well, by this time the Cat could hardly move - for she was so full - but she started waddling down the road again. 137 Before long the Cat met two little Land Crabs scuttling along. When the Land Crabs saw the Cat, they called out in their squeaky voices, "Out of our way, Pussycat. Out of our way." "Out of your way indeed! I have just eaten a bowl of good thick soup, a roast of meat, a fine fat fish, a pitcher of cream, a pot of tea, five hundred cookies, my friend the Parrot, an Old Woman, a Man, his donkey and cart, a King and his Queen, soldiers, men-at-arms, and elephants two by two. And what's more I think I will eat you!" And SLIP! SLOP! GOBBLE! - down went the two little Land Crabs. When the Land Crabs got down inside the Cat, they looked around. In one corner they saw the King with his bride the Queen on his arm - she had fainted. The soldiers were trying to form a line and the elephants were stepping on everyone's toes as they tried to go two by two; in another corner was the Old Woman, and near her was the Man, his donkey and the cart; in another corner was the Parrot. Her feathers were drooping and near her was the pile of cookies. Well, the Land Crabs went over to the side of the Cat and they began to go SNIP, SNAP, SNIP, SNAP, SNIP, SNAP - until they had cut a hole in the eat's side. Then out scuttled the Land Crabs; out walked the King carrying his bride the Queen; out marched the Soldiers and 138 men-at-arms, out stepped the elephants two by two. Out came the Man, his donkey and the cart; out came the Old Woman - still scolding the Cat; out hopped the Parrot with a cookie in each claw, for that is all the cookies she had served herself. It took that Cat a WHOLE week to sew up that hole in her side! (Hardendorff, 1970) BACKGROUND: This book is also gorgeous. If Slip! Slop! Gobble! is not available, make flannel board characters or enlarge the cat with an overhead projector on tag. Make a front and a back with a slit at the mouth. Attach the front to the back at the top only. Put a box in between the eat's front and back. Make the other characters in the story on tag, too. When it is time for the cat to gobble a character, put that character in the eat's mouth. QUESTIONS: 1. When does this story take place? Do you think it is real or make-believe? Why? 2. Who are the main characters? 3. Is Slip! Slop! Gobble! a good name for the story? Why? What would you call it? 139 4. Are the cat and the parrot really friends? What is a friend? 5. Does the cat feed the parrot well? What does he serve? 6. Does the parrot give the cat a good dinner? What does he give him? 7. Why does the cat eat the parrot? 8. Who else does the cat eat? Why does he eat them? How many people and animals does the cat eat? 9. How do the people and animals get out of the eat's stomach? INDEPENDENT ACTIVITY: Make a strip cat. Cut ten pieces of black construction paper 8 inches by 1 inch. Place a paper clip in the center. Punch a hole at the top and at the bottom. Trace cat heads on black construction paper with white pencil or crayon. The children cut out the cat head, stick on white reinforcers with sequins in the center for the eat's eyes, glue pipe cleaners cut in half for whiskers, and crayon on the nose and mouth. With a paper fastener, the children connect the head to the paper clipped strips. Also, they put a paper fastener in the other end. Then they open the strips very carefully. They can also glue a pipe cleaner tail on the rear. The pattern for the head of the strip cat is on page 140. ------~- -- 140 141 FLANNEL BOARD CHARACTERS: 142 143 144 .I 145 146 147 148 ~ ' ------149 150 The Fat Cat There was once an old woman who was cooking some gruel. She had some business with a neighbor woman and asked the cat if he would look after the gruel while she was gone. "I'll be glad to," said the cat. But when the old woman had gone, the gruel looked so good that the cat ate it all. And the pot, too. When the old woman came back, she said to the cat, "Now what has happened to the gruel?" "Oh," said the cat, "I ate the gruel and I ate the pot, too. And now I am going to also eat YOU." And he ate the old woman. He went for a walk and on the way he met Skohottentot. And Skohottentot said to him, "What have you been eating, my little cat? You are so fat." And the cat said, "I ate the gruel and the pot and the old woman, too. And now I am going to also eat YOU." So he ate Skohottentot. Afterwards he met Skolinkenlot. Skolinkenlot said, "What have you been eating, my little cat? You are so fat." "I ate the gruel and the pot and the old woman, too, and Skohottentot," said the cat. "And now I am goirig to also eat YOU." 151 So he ate Skolinkenlot. Next he met five birds in a flock. And they said to him, "What have you been eating, my little cat? You are so fat." "I ate the gruel and the pot and the old woman, too, and Skohottentot and Skolinkenlot. And now I am going to also eat YOU." And he ate the five birds in a flock. Later he me seven girls dancing. And they, too, said to him, "Gracious! What have you been eating, my little cat? You are so fat." And the cat said, "I ate the gruel and the pot and the old woman, too, and Skohottentot and Solinkenlot and five birds in a flock. And now I am going to also eat YOU." And he ate the seven girls dancing. When he had gone a little farther, he met a lady with a pink parasol. And she, too, said to him, "Heavens! What have you been eating my little cat? You are so fat." "I ate the gruel and the pot and the old woman, too, and Skohottentot and Skolinkenlot and five birds in a flock and seven girls dancing. And now I am going to also eat YOU." And he ate the lady with the pink parasol. A little later he met a parson with a crooked staff. "Dear me! What have you been eating, my little cat? You are so fat." 152 "Oh," said the cat, "I ate the gruel and the pot and the old woman, too, and Skohottentot and Skolinkenlot and five birds in a flock and seven girls dancing and the lady with the pink parasol. And now I am going to also eat YOU." And he ate the parson with the crooked staff. Next he met a woodcutter with an axe. "My! What have you been eating my little cat! You are so fat." "I ate the gruel and the pot and the old woman, too, and Skohottentot and Skolinkenlot and five birds in a flock and seven girls dancing and the lady with the pink parasol and the parson with the crooked staff. And now I am going to also eat YOU." "No. You are wrong, my little cat," said the woodcutter. He took his axe and cut the cat open. And out jumped the parson with the crooked staff and the lady with the pink parasol and the seven girls dancing and the five birds in a flock and Skolinkenlot and Skohottentot. And the old woman took her pot and her gruel and went home with them. (Kent, 1971) 153 BACKGROUND: The Fat Cat is a Danish folktale that is very similar to Slip! Slop! Gobble! It is also perfect for the flannel board or a tag stand-up cat as explained on page 138. QUESTIONS: 1. What did the old woman ask the cat to do? 2. When the old woman returned, what did the cat say happened to the gruel? What is gruel? ("Thin, easily digested broth made by cooking meal in water or milk: it is often fed to invalids." [websters, 1966, p. 642] 3. Why do you think the cat ate the old woman? 4. Who else did he eat? 5. What did the people and animals say before he ate them? ("You are so fat.") 6. What did the cat say before he ate them? ("I ate ..•.. And now I am going to also eat YOU.") 7. Who rescued everyone? How? What is a woodcutter? What is a parson? (According to Webster's, a parson is "a clergyman or minister in charge of a parish." (1966, p. 1065.]) 155 FLANNEL BOARD CHARACTERS: 156 ~ ' ' 157 158 159 160 161 162 ' 163 165 REFERENCE LIST de Paola, T. Strega Nona. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1975. Duncan Hines. Bake shop in a book: an almanac of great taste from America's favorite baking mixes. New York: Prose and Concepts, Inc., 1979. Galdone, P. The gingerbread boy. New York: The Seabury Press, 1975. Galdone, P. The magic porridge pot. New York: The Seabury Press, 1976. Hardendorff, J. Slip! Slop! Gobble! Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1970. Kent, J. The fat cat: a Danish folktale. New York: Scholastic Book Services, 1971. Lobel, A. The pancake. New York: Greenwillow Books - a division of William Morrow & Company, Inc., 1978. Los Angeles Unified School District Instructional Planning Division. A guide to multicultural education kindergarten through grade 3. Los Angeles, California: Los Angeles Unified School District Publication No. EC-462, September 1977. Mosel, A. The funny little woman. New York: E. P. Dutton and Company, Inc., 1972. Sawyer, R. Journey cake, ho! New York: The Viking Press, 1953. Webster's New World dictionary, college edition. Cleveland and New York: The World Publishing Company, 1966. Zinkgraf, J., & Bauman. Winter wonders. Hamilton, Illinois: Good Apple Inc., 1980. 166 Chapter 4 COOPERATION FOLKTALES The Great Big Enormous Turnip Grandfather planted a turnip in his garden. Grandmother watered it every day. The turnip grew bigger and bigger. It was enormous. "My turnip is beautiful!" cried Grandfather. "HO! Ho!" laughed Grandmother. "Your turnip indeed. It's my turnip. Didn't I water it every day?" "I planted it, didn't I? So it's my turnip!" One morning Grandmother woke very early. "I will pull that turnip before those greedy birds eat it," she said as she hurried to the garden. So she pulled and she pulled until she was so out of breath, she couldn't pull any more. But the turnip did not move. The next morning Grandfather made up his mind to pull the turnip to surprise Grandmother. "It is so big," he thought, "that the neighbors' silly goat will start eating it." So Grandfather pulled and pulled until he could not pull any more. But the turnip did not move. Then Grandfather called Grandmother to help him pull the turnip. Grandmother came running, pleased that Grandfather 167 had asked her to help him pull. "We will pull OUR turnip!" she cried. So they pulled together and pulled and pulled until they were both out of breath. But the turnip did not move. Grandfather wiped the sweat from his brow. "Call Micky to help us," he said. Micky, their grandson, came and they all pulled and they puffed and they pulled until they could not pull any more. But the turnip did not move. "Get the dog to help," said Grandfather when he had his breath. Ringo, the dog, came and pulled at Micky and they all pulled and pulled and pulled until they couldn't pull any more. But the turnip did not move. Seeing them all pulling and sweating and panting, Ulysses, the cat, came and pulled behind Ringo. And they all pulled and pulled and puffed and pulled. But the turnip did not move. Then Patrick, the gander, and the other geese came to help and they formed a goose chain and they pulled with the others. And they all pulled and they pulled and they pulled. But the turnip did not move. 168 "This stubborn turnip, it's laughing at us!" shouted Grandfather, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Get the roost~~ and the hen. They can pull." T?k rooster and the hen came and pulled behind the _/ geese. "Now all together!" shouted Grandfather. "One •.. two ..• three .•. PULL! " So the rooster and the hen pulled at the geese, who pulled at the cat, who pulled at the dog, who pulled at Micky, who pulled at Grandmother, who pulled at Grandfather, who pulled at the turnip. And they pulled and they puffed and they pulled and they pulled. But the turnip did not move. Now there was only the pig who was not pulling. He was a very big, fat pig. Grandfather shouted, "Get that lazy old pig! Make him pull with us!" So Samson, the pig, came and pulled at the hen, who pulled at the rooster, who pulled at the geese, who pulled at the cat, who pulled at the dog, who pulled at Micky, who pulled at Grandmother, who pulled.at Grandfather, who pulled at the turnip. "All together now," shouted Grandfather. "One ... two ... three ... PULL!" So they pulled and they panted and they pulled and they pulled and pulled. 169 But the turnip did not move. Grandfather wiped the sweat from his brow. "No old turnip is going to beat me," he growled. "We will try again. Now all together." So everyone got ready to pull. The pig took a deep deep breath, the rooster ruffled his feathers and the gander honked, as Grandfather counted: "One .•• two .•. three ••• PULL! II And they all pulled and they pulled and they pulled. Soon they were all out of breath. Grandfather wiped some more sweat from his brow and wrung his beard. "We will try once more - and all of you pull." "A.i1d that means you too, Samson!" they all yelled to the lazy pig. The pig took such a big breath that he almost blew the curl out of his tail and got ready to pull with the others. Just as Grandfather was about to give the signal for them all to pull at the turnip, a magpie who lived in a tall tree flew down to help and pulled at the pig's tail. "Now all together!" cried Grandfather. And they all pulled with all their might, and they pulled and they pulled and they pulled. At once there was a loud noise and the turnip came out of the ground so suddenly that they all fell down. 170 "Oh, my!" screamed the magpie. "Look what I have done." And he flew away to his tall tree. From there he watched them all lying flat on the grass, with the enormous turnip clutched in Grandfather's arms. (Domanska, 1969; Tolstoy, 1968) BACKGROUND: The Great Big Enormous Turnip is written for the flannel board with its series of characters pulling together. This folktale is Russian. QUESTIONS: 1. Whose turnip is it? Why? 2. Who pulled the turnip out? 3. What was your favorite part? SCIENCE ACTIVITY: Grow a vegetable garden. Plant a variety of seeds in marked containers. Try turnips, carrots, corn, lima beans, radishes, and cucumbers. Record when planted and chart their growth. Which will sprout first? Which will grow fastest? Height turnips carrots corn lima beans radishes p ' 171 FLANNEL BOARD CHARACTERS: 172 ' 173 .I 174 . I . . . I . I 175 176 177 178 179 Nail Soup Once upon a time a tramp was making his way through a forest. He had not seen a house for many an hour, and he wondered where he might find shelter for the night. He thought to himself how nice it would be to warm up in front of a fire, and to have some dinner. But the sun was sinking, and there wasn't a cottage in sight. Just then he met an old woman out gathering branches and twigs for kindling. "Hello and good evening!" said the tramp, glad as he could be to see her. "Good evening," said the woman. "Where are you from?" "Here and there, far and near," said the tramp. "I've seen the world, and I 'rn on my 'i.v ay horne . " "Is that so?" said the woman. "And what is it you want hereabouts?" "Well, I could use a place to stay for the night," he said. "Just as I thought!" said the woman. "You had better keep on going, for my house is not an inn." "My dear woman," said the tramp, "it is shameful to be so hardhearted and cross. We human beings are supposed to help each other when we can." "Help each other? There's a good joke. Who do you suppose will help me? I haven't even got a scrap in the house! No, you'd better be on your way," she said. 180 But the tramp did not give up so easily. The old woman kept on complaining about her own troubles, and the tramp kept on urging and arguing, until at last she said all right, he could sleep on the floor if he wanted to. He thanked her for her kindness. "Rather be warm on the hard floor, than shiver and freeze outside the door," said he. This tramp had a quick wit and was always ready with a rhyme. As soon as he got inside the house, he could tell that the woman was not as poor as she pretended to be, only stingy and greedy. So he asked her in his most polite and pleasant manner for something to eat. "How do you think I can feed you, when I haven't had a bite of food myself all day long?" said the woman. But the tramp knew better. He said: "Nothing all day long? Poor old granny, you must be starving! Better lend me a pot, then, and I shall make dinner for both of us." "You'll make dinner!" said the woman. "How will you make dinner if there isn't any food?" "Leave it to me," said the tramp. "I've learned things on my travels that most people have never even heard of." The old woman wondered what it was all about, so she let him have a pot. 181 He poured in some water, put it on the fire, and blew with all his might to get the flame going strong. Then he took from his pocket an ordinary nail, set it on the palm of his hand, turned it around three times, and dropped it into the pot. The woman watched the nail sink down to the bottom. "What's this going to be?" she asked. "Nail soup," said the tramp, and he began stirring the water with a stick. "Nail soup?" asked the woman. "That's right, nail soup," said the tramp. The old woman thought she had seen and heard just about everything in her time, but making soup with a nail - well, that was something new! "If you want to learn how to make it," said the tramp, "just watch me. Then you won't ever again have to go all day without a bite." He went on stirring the soup, and she watched as hard as she could. "You know," he said, "I have been making soup with this same nail for over a week, so our soup may be rather thin. Of course, if one had a speck of flour or sifted oatmeal to add to it, then we could be sure of a good meal. But," he said, "we'll have to do without it, and not think twice about it." And he kept on stirring the soup. "Wait, I might have some flour somewhere," said the old woman. She went to fetch it, and it was the finest 182 sort. The tramp sprinkled the flour into the soup and kept on stirring, while the woman stared first at him and then at the pot and then back at him again. "It's coming along," he said. "It's almost good enough to serve for company. Add a few potatoes and a bit of salted beef, and it would be a dish fit for gentlefolks," he said. "But we'll have to do without it, and not think twice about it." The old woman thought for a while, and then she remembered where she might find some potatoes, and even a bit of beef. She got them and gave them to the tramp, and he kept on stirring. "This will be a grand soup," he said. "It's not everyone that gets to taste such a grand soup as this!" "You don't say!" said the woman. "Is that so! And just imagine- all from a nail!" "All it lacks now is a little barley and a drop of milk. Then we could invite the king to have some, if we wanted to," said the tramp. "This is what the king himself eats every evening - the king's cook told me so." "Dear me! The king himself!" cried the woman, slapping her knees. "But we'll have to do without it, and not think twice about it," said the tramp. The woman went to look, and sure enough, she did have some barley; and there was also milk, as much as was 183 needed. The tramp stirred and stirred and stirred. Then suddenly he stopped and fished out the nail from the steaming kettle. "It is ready," he said. "Now we'll have a feast, just like the king and queen. Except, of course, when they eat this kind of soup, they always have a sandwich with it, and wine. And a tablecloth on the table. But we'll have to do without it, and not think twice about it." Well, by this time the old woman was beginning to feel like quite a grand lady. She thought that if the king and queen had it that way, then she and the tramp might as well have it the same. She hurried to the cupboard and got out the wine bottle, glasses, cheese, butter, smoked beef and veal. The table could.hardly hold it all. Never in that old woman's life had she had such a good time, and never had she tasted such rich soup - and to think that it was all from a nail! They ate and they drank and they danced around the room, and then they ate and drank some more. When they finally got sleepy, and the tramp was going to lie down on the floor, the old woman said: "No, no! Such a person must have a bed to lie in." "It's just like the sweet Christmas," said the tramp. "In all my travels I have never met a nicer woman." And he lay down on the bed and fell fast asleep. 184 When he got up the next morning, the old woman gave him coffee and a bun. And before he said good-bye, she handed him a bright silver piece. "And thank you for teaching me how to make soup \V'i th a nail," she said, "because now that I know how, I shall always live in comfort." "That's all right," said the tramp. "It's easy if you remember to add something good to it." Then the tramp went on his way, and the old woman stood at the door, watching him go. "Such people don't grow on trees," she said. { Zemach, 1964) BACKGROUND: Nail Soup, a Swedish folktale, is perfect for tongue depressor puppets or finger puppets with only two characters. Stone Soup is a variant of the same theme. Read both folktale and compare them. QUESTIONS: 1. Is this story real or make-believe? 2. Where did it take place? {"In a cottage in a forest") 11 11 When? { Once upon a time ... ) 3. What did the tramp want? 4. What did he say or do to make the woman let him stay in her cottage? 5. How did he get something to eat? 185 6. Was it true that the woman did not even have a scrap in her cottage? 7. What was the woman like at the beginning? At the end? What changed her? 8. Would you let a stranger stay in your home? Why or why not? COOKING: Discuss what vegetables are. Ask the children to bring vegetables and make vegetable soup as a cooperative effort. This recipe is very basic. Other vegetables can be added for different flavor. Vegetable Soup 4 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup diced celery 1/2 cup diced carrot 1/2 onion, sliced thin 1/2 cup diced turnip Put in a deep pan. Cook ten minutes, stirring constantly. Add 1/2 cup diced potatoes. Cover. Cook two I minutes. Add 1 quart water, consomme or bouillon. Cook slowly one hour or until vegetables are tender. Add more water, if needed. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley. (Perkins, 1968, p. 72-3) 186 Or if more adventurous, make "Nail Soup. 11 Nail Soup 1 clean sterilized nail 1/4 cup barley 1 pound ground beef 1 cup milk 1 onion diced 2 tablespoons flour 2 medium potatoes pared salt and pepper and diced bouillon cube Brown ground beef and ion in a soup pot. Add three cups of water and bouillon cube. Stir. Add potatoes and barley. Heat to boiling then simmer 15 minutes. Add milk and flour. Salt and pepper to taste. 18J TONGUE DEPRESSOR PUPPETS: 188 189 The Riddle of the Drum There was a king in Tizap~n (Tee-sah-PAHN), many years ago, who had a beautiful daughter named Fruela (Froo-AY-lah). He loved her so much, that he decided that whoever married her would have to prove himself worthy. The king hired a wizard to make a strange drum. The drumhead was from a kind of leather never used before or since. It was black as jet, and the sound it gave forth was like thunder on a distant mountain. One of the palace guards carried the drum throughout the land, beating upon it and singing: Tum-te-dum! The head of the drum-te-dum! Guess what it's from-te-dum! And marry the Princess Fruela! Everywhere he went, the children would fall in line behind him and join the song: Tum-te-dum! The head of the drum-te-dum! Guess what it's from-te-dum! And marry the Princess Fruela! Now a handsome prince from a nearby land heard about the riddle of the drum. And he set out to try to win that princess. On the way, he met a man who was running as if a coyote were nipping at his heels. The prince stopped him and asked why he was going so fast. "I run for fun," said the man. "For I am the runner, Corrin" Corran, (Cor-REEN Cor-RAHN)." 190 ~ "I am Prince Tuzan (Too-SAHN) ," said the prince. "I'm on my way to the king, to try to win the princess. If you will help me, I shall reward you." , , "I'll do what I can," said Corrin Corran. Then on and on went Prince Tuzan~ - behind him the runner, Corrin" Corran, - the two marched on toward the palace. Soon they met a man who carried a bow and a quiver of arrows. The prince greeted him and asked his name. The man said, "I am the archer, Tirin" Tiran~ (Tee-REEN Tee-RAHN) . " Then to show what he could do, he tossed up his sombrero and put an arrow through it in midair! ~ "Ole (Oh-LAY) !" cried the prince. "Come along and help me win the princess, and I shall reward you." , Then on and on went Prince Tuzan - behind him the runner, Corrin" Corran;,. behind him the archer, Tirin" Tiran~ - they all marched on toward the palace. Farther on, they came upon a man who had the largest ears Prince Tuztn had ever seen. He was lying under a tree with one huge ear pressed to the ground. N "Senor, what are you doing?" asked the prince. ; , The man said, "I am the hearer, Oyin Oyan (Oh-YEEN Oh-YAHN). I am listening to the talk at the palace. Another suiter for the princess has just guessed wrong!" "Do you know the right answer?" cried the prince, excitedly. 191 , , "No," said Oyin Cyan. "But I know all the wrong ones! I know that it isn't: Duck skin or buck skin, Goat skin or shoat skin, Mule skin or mole skin, Mare skin or bear skin - Or even armadillo!" "Come along," said the prince. "If you can keep me from guessing wrong. I shall reward you." , Then on and on went Prince Tuzan - behind him the , , , , runner, Corrin Corran; behind him the archer, Tirin Tiran; behind him the hearer, Oyin" Cyan" - they all marched on toward the palace. They hadn't gone far when they came upon a man who was running a windmill by blowing the fans. With his head tilted back and his cheeks puffed out, he BLEW - and the windmill turned! "How extraordinary!" cried the prince. "Quite ordinary for me," explained the man. "For I I , am the blower. Soplln Soplan (So-PLEEN So-PLAHN)." "Come along," said the prince. "Help me win the princess, and I shall reward you." , Then on and on went Prince Tuzan - behind him the , , , ~ runner, Corrin Corran; behind him the archer, Tirin Tiran; , behind him the hearer, Oyin Cyan" - behind him the blower, , , Soplin Soplan - they all marched on toward the palace. They were all becoming tired and hungry, when they came upon a man who was roasting a whole ox over a fire pit. 192 ,., The prince asked, "Senor, are you cooking all this meat for yourself?" , I' "Si," said the man. "I am the eater, Comin Coman (Co-MEEN Co-MAHN). For me this is just one BIG meatball." But he invited them to share the meat. They ate, and waited for the eater to finish the rest so that he could join them. , Then on and on went Prince Tuzan - behind him the runner, Corrin Corr~n; behind him the archer, Tirln Tirtn; , , behind him the hearer Oyin Oyan; behind him the blower, , , , , Soplin Soplan; behind him the eater, Comin Coman - they all marched on toward the palace. Soon they rounded the crest of a hill and saw the palace of the king gleaming on the far hillside. Now it happened that the princess was on her balcony. , , Oyin Oyan put an ear to the ground and heard her say, "Papa, a prince is coming." The king appeared on the balcony. And the hearer heard him say, "Si! And he has uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco attendants! Too bad he has to die - just because he doesn't know that the drumhead is made from the skin of a ... " And he said the word! , , Oyin Oyan leaped up so fast, his ears flapped! "I know the answer to the riddle!" he cried. Then he whispered it to the prince. I' When Prince Tuzan and his men reached the palace, they were taken at once into the presence of the king. 193 The prince bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have come to solve the riddle of the drum." "Are you aware," said the king, "that if you fail, you forfeit your life?" "Si," said the prince. "Show me the drum." The guard came in beating the drum and singing: Tum-te-dum! The head of the drum-te-dum! Guess what it's from-te-dum! And marry the Princess Fruela! Prince Tuz~n ran his fingers over the thin black skin of the drumhead. He tapped out a little rhythm, saying as he tapped: "It isn't Duck skin or buckskin, Goat skin or shoat skin, Mule skin or mole skin, Mare skin or ... " "Don't tell me what it isn't!" bellowed the king. "Tell me what it IS!" Prince Tuzfn said, "It appears to me that this is the skin of a very LARGE flea!" "Uf (Oaf)!" snorted the king. He shook his head in amazement! But he had to admit that Prince Tuzin was right! Then he said, "But there are two more things you must do before you may marry my daughter! First, one of your servants and one of my servants will race to the sea and fetch water. If mine returns first, you lose your life!" I' , , Corrin Corran stepped forward. "Prince Tuzan, allow me to run for you," he said. Of course the prince was 194 happy to let him. / / Corrin Corran laughed when he saw who was running for the king. It was a wrinkled old woman in a long gray dress, with a black rebozo (scarf) around her shoulders. But after they began to run, he realized that the woman was a witch! He had to run with all his might just to keep even with her! Side-by-side they raced down the valley, past a jacaranda tree, then over a little hill, and out upon the beach. At the sea, they filled their small bottles and turned back at the same moment. Now, Corrin/ Corran" knew he had to win, to save the life of the prince! He sprinted, and reached the tree three meters ahead of the woman. Then she screamed, "SLEEP!" , , Corrin Corran collapsed upon the path and was instant- ly asleep and snoring! Oyin" Oyan/ heard the witch. He saw Corrin/ Corran/ fall! He cr1e' d , II T1r1n' ! T1ran,' / shoot t h e tree."I The archer let an arrow fly. ZAP! It went into the / / tree trunk above the sleeping runner. Corrin Corran woke up and leaped back into the race. But the old woman was far ahead. , / Soplin Soplan saw her coming straight for the finish line. He puffed out his cheeks and aimed a strong wind at her~ 195 The old woman's skirt fluttered! Her rebozo blew off! Then the wind lifted her up and carried her - kicking and screeching - all the way back to the jacaranda tree! ~ , Of course, Corrin Corran finished first. "You cheated!" protested the king. But he knew that the witch had not played fair, either. So he said no more about it. Anyway, he was confident he would stop the prince with the next task. He said, "Before sundown, one of your servants must eat a cartload of food! If he fails, you will die!" A cart heaped with tacos, tortillas, meatballs, and /' , puddings was brought in. Comin Coman sat down. Before evening, he had eaten everything - even the cart! When the king saw that the tasks were accomplished, I' he gave Prince Tuzan the Princess Fruela in marriage. The two lived together happily for many years. , / / And the runner, Corrin Corran; the archer, Tirin / ; , ; , Tiran; the hearer, Oyin Oyan; the blower, Soplin Soplan; and t h e eater, Com1n(" Coman, a 11 1'1ved w1t. h them at the palace. (Aardema, 1979) • I 196 BACKGROUND: The Mexican folktale( The Riddle of the Drum, is especially appropriate for our increasing Hispanic school population. The names of the ch~racters tell their special abilities in Spanish. Th~ repetition and riddles make it fun. Since it is a long story for kindergarten children, it is best to use flannel board characters and divide the story in half. Read half the first day and half the second day. QUESTIONS: 1. When did this story take place? (" ... many years ago ... ") Where did it happen? (" •.. in T1zapan' ; ..• II) 2. Who are the main characters? 3. Could Prince Tuz:n win the princess by himself? 4. Who helped him? How did each help him? I' ,/' 5. Who would you like to be: Corrin Corran, the runner; .I.,. ,. "" .,. T1r1n T1ran, the archer; Oyin Oyan, the hearer; Soplin , .,. " Soplan, the blower; or Comin Coman, the eater? Why? INDEPENDENT ACTIVITY: The children can make a drum with an empty Quaker Oatmeal box. Or they can wet white cloth and stretch it over the top of a coffee can. The fabric will dry stiff enough to use as a drum skin. If fabric is stretched over the top and bottom, the children can stitch the top to the bottom with yarn, like a real drum. 197 FLANNEL BOARD CHARACTERS: 198 199 200 ~ . ~, 202 '- 203 204 205 I . I 206 . I 207 Anansi the Spider: a Tale from the Ashanti Anansi. He is "spider" to the Ashanti people. In Ashanti land, people love this story of Kwaku Anansi. Time was, Anansi had six sons. First son was called See Trouble. He had the gift of seeing trouble a long way off. Second son was Road Builder. Thirsty son was River Drinker. Next son was Game Skinner. Another son was Stone Thrower. And last of sons was Cushion. He was very soft. All were good sons of Anansi. One time Anansi went a long way from home. Far from home. He got lost. He fell into trouble. Back home was son See Trouble. "Father is in Danger!" he cried. He knew it quickly and he told those other sons. Road Builder son said, "Follow me!" Off he went making a road. They went fast, those six brothers, gone to help Anansi. "Where is father now?" "Fish has swallowed him!" "Anansi is inside Fish." River Drinker took a big drink. No more river. Then Game Skinner helped father Anansi. He split open Fish. More trouble came, right then. It was Falcon. Falcon took Anansi up in the sky. "Quick now Stone Thrower!" The stone hit Falcon. Anansi fell through the sky. 208 Now Cushion ran to help father. Very soft, Anansi came down. They were very happy that spider family. All home again that night, Kwaku Anansi found a thing in the forest. "What is this? A great globe of light?" "O mysterious and beautiful! I shall give this to my son," said Anansi, "To the son who rescued me!" "But which son of six ... Which deserves the prize?" "Nyame, can you help me? 0 Nyame!" called Anansi. For Ashanti people, Nyame is The God of All Things. Anansi asked this of Nyame - "Please hold the beautiful globe of light until I know which son would have it for his own." And so they tried to decide which son deserved the prize. They tried, but they could not decide. They argued all night. Nyame saw this. The God of All Things, He took the beautiful white light up into the sky. He keeps it there for all to see. It is still there. It will always be there. It is there tonight. {Me Dermott, 1972) 209 BACKGROUND: This story is from Ghana, the Ashanti of West Africa. The dense rain forests between the ocean and the desert is the home of the Ashanti people. Their highly organized society has been continuous for over four hundred years. They are outstanding artists excelling in fine metal work and weavers of beautiful silk fabric. They weave symbols of their folklore - sun, moon, creation, universe, and Anansi, the spider - into their fabric. Anansi is a folk hero, a rogue, a wise but loveable trickster who triumphs over larger foes. He is a mischievious animal with human qualities. Try to read the original book for the graphics are gorgeous. QUESTIONS: 1. Who saved Anansi? Could one of his sons have saved Anansi alone? Why or why not? 2. Which son did you like best? Why? LITERARY COMPARISON: Compare The Riddle of the Drum with Anansi the Spider. The Riddle of the Drum Anansi the Spider Mexican folktale African folktale Make-believe Make-believe Contains magic Contains magic Cooperation of five people Cooperation of six 210 with special powers animals with special powers Riddles and tasks to win a Magical abilities used princess to rescue Anansi FINGERPLAY: Eensy, Weensy Spider Eensy, weensy spider (Let opposite thumbs and index fingers climb up each other.) Climbed up the waterspout. Down came the rain (Let hands sweep down and open wide.) And washed the spider out. Out came the sun (Form a circle over head with arms.) And dried up all the rain. So the eensy, weensy spider, (Let opposite thumbs and fingers climb up each other again.) Climbed up the spout again. (Grayson, 1962, p. 31) INDEPENDENT ACTIVITIES: 1. Egg carton spiders are easy and fun. Cut the bumpy side of the egg carton into twelve sections. Paint black or brown. Add eight pipe cleaner legs. Glue yarn on the web on page 211 and place the spider on his web. 2. Make fish or bird kites. Enlarge the fish and bird pictures used with this story. Make a tag pattern. Trace this pattern on colored butcher paper folded in half 211 212 p • lengthwise, so there are two layers. Turn the pattern over to trace it on the back. Have the children paint with tempera the same design on both sides using a geometric pattern. (If you read them the book, they will be inspired to use graphic art.) When it is dry, the children open it and cut one side at a time. Either glue the outside edge or sew the edge with yarn, but leave the mouth of the fish or head of the bird open. Stuff with newspaper and attach yarn across the mouth or head. 213 STORY CHARACTERS: To represent Anansi's sons, make six egg carton spiders or six spiders using four pipe cleaners each. Then glue these symbols on the spiders. ' ' / ' 0 ; / ' ; ; ' ' ~ 214 ~ ' 215 • I 216 A Bundle of Sticks Once upon a time in a village in Persia, there lived a rugmaker and his three sons. No one made finer rugs than this old man. But he had worked hard all his life and now he wanted to sit in the sun and enjoy himself. The old man called his sons, Tashi, Mashi, and Sashi, to him. "My sons," he said, "it is time that I turn my shop over to you. Remember, in all Persia there are no better rugs than those made here." For a time Tashi, Mashi, and Sashi worked well and happily together. Tashi made the patterns. Mashi mixed the beautiful dyes. Sashi worked at the loom. Now the prince of Persia was going to marry a lovely princess. The prince sent a message to all rugmakers in Persia. A hundred pieces of gold would be given for the finest rug brought to the palace on the day of the wedding. When the sons heard of the prize, their eyes sparkled. "Our fortune will be made if we can win the prize. We will be known all over Persia. Everyone will buy our rugs." Tashi began to plan the pattern. As he worked, he thought, "I make the pattern. I alone should have the prize." When at last Tashi finished his pattern, Mashi and 217 Sashi said eagerly, "Show us!" "No!" said Tashi, "I have worked hard and this is a beautiful pattern. It is sure to win the prize for me. After all, brothers, without my pattern where would you be?" "Would there be a rug at all without my colors like jewels? It is I who should have the prize." said Mashi with anger. Sashi shouted, "I am the important one! There can be no rug if I do not weave it. I by rights should have the prize." So the three sons quarreled. Everywhere in Persia weavers were buzy. Many beautiful rugs were soon finished. But the three sons quarreled day after day. Each thought only of winning the prize for himself alone. In a rage, Tashi tore his pattern to bits. Mashi gave Sashi a push toward the dye. All the beautiful colors spilled on the floor. Sashi shoved Mashi against the loom, and broke it. The old father saw that if all was not to be lost something must be done. He called his sons and ordered them to bring him some sticks. Holding out one stick, he asked each son, "Can you break this one stick?" "Easily," laughed the sons. Next the old man took all the sticks and tied them into a bundle. "Now," he said, "break the sticks." 218 Each son tried and each failed. The bundle of sticks was too strong. "My sons," said the father, "you can see for yourselves. Alone you are weak, together you are strong." The sons did see - each needed the other. Although time was short, the sons worked together to try to win the prize. On the day of the wedding the three sons went together to lay their rug before the princess. The colors flashed in the sun. The pattern was pleasing. The weaving was smooth and perfect. The princess said, "Here is the rug I want." The prince called in the three brothers. "The prize is yours," he said. Even to this day when you visit the shop of Sashi, Mashi, and Tashi, you can see a bundle of sticks hanging from a peg. If you ask a brother, he will tell you: "Alone, each one is weak, Together we are strong." (Evans, 1962) BACKGROUND: A Bundle of Sticks, a Persian folktale, vividly illustrates the theme of cooperation. Each brother alone is weak, but together they are strong. 219 QUESTIONS: 1. Is this story real or make-believe? How do you know? 2. Who are the three main characters? What can each do well? 3. Could Tashi win the prize for the most beautiful rug by himself? Why or why not? (Tashi can only design the pattern.) 4. Could Mashi win the prize by himself? Why? (Mashi can only dye the rug beautiful colors.) 5. Could Sashi win the prize by himself? Why? (Sashi can only weave.) 6. What did their father mean by a bundle of sticks is strong but one stick is weak? INDEPENDENT ACTIVITY: Do paper weaving. Use two different colors of construction paper the same size for each child. Fold paper A in half. With a ruler starting at the fold, draw lines one inch apart that stop on inch from the edge. On paper B draw lines one inch apart across the length. Have the children cut on the lines. Then they weave the strips of paper from paper B, over, under, over and A ----tFold A open B 220 FLANNEL BOARD CHARACTERS: 221 222 224 225 226 227 228 ~-~ -- -""' It'"---- - ,~~L-::::::~::::::::j <> , - ...... t::~-===--=====:::1 I ~~~:::::-~~""-"""'·_ __ _::::::::j l~ II ....-I 229 230 REFERENCE LIST Aardema, V. The riddle of the drum: a tale from Tizapan, Mexico. New York: Four Winds Press, 1979. Domanska, J. The turnip. New York: Mac Millan Publishing Co., Inc., 1969. Evans, K. A bundle of sticks. Chicago: Albert Whitman & Company, 1962. Grayson, M. F. Let's do fingerplays. Washington: Robert B. Luce, Inc., 1962~ Me Dermott, G. Anansi the spider: a tale from Ashanti. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1972. Perkins, W. L. The all new Fannie Farmer Boston Cooking School cookbook. New York: Bantam Books, 1968. Tolstoy, A. The great big enormous turnip. New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 1968. Zemach, H. Nail soup: a Swedish folk tale. Chicago: Follett Publishing Company, 1964. 231 Chapter 5 INDEPENDENCE - CLEVERNESS FOLKTALES How Tepozton Killed the Giant There were tigers and wolves and lions in the woods where Tepozton went hunting. But he was not afraid. Sometimes he would come around a bend in the trail and right in front of him there would be a big wolf. Tepozton would stand very still and look at the animal, and the beast would look at him out of his burning eyes. And Tepozton would say, "Eh, little brother, get out of my way please, I have many things to attend to." And the wolf would go quietly away. So he was not afraid either when he heard about the wicked man-eating giant. This giant had to be fed a live human being every year in the spring. The people who lived near him had to choose somebody to be eaten by the giant because if they didn't, the giant would go out and kill many of them. They had made an agreement with him not to do that, if they themselves brought somebody for his pot. And he agreed because he was a lazy giant. Each year it was a different town, and the families in each town took turns. When Tepozton was seven years old, it was the fisherman's turn to feed the giant. He had nobody but himself and his wife and Tepozton, so of course he decided to go himself. He didn't say anything about it but when the soldiers came to get him, Tepozton ' . 232 knew, what they were there for. "No, indeed," said Tepozton to the soldiers, "I will not allow you to take him. He is old anyhow and I am young, and the giant will be pleased to have a tender morsel." He begged and begged the old fisherman and told him that nothing could happen to him. Finally the fisherman believed him and told him that he could go. Before he started out, Tepozton built a little fire in the corner of the yard. "Watch this fire," he said. "When the smoke is white, that means I am safe. But if it turns grey, I am in danger. And if it is black, it means I am dead." Then he said good-by and went away with the soldiers. As Tepozton walked along the road, he picked up little pieces of black glass. This glass had been thrown up by the volcano where the gods lived. The people made arrow heads out of it. It was as sharp as a razor blade. It was a beautiful shiny black. Little Tepozton filled his pockets with it. The soldiers didn't notice. At last they came to the palace of the man-eating giant. When the giant saw Tepozton, he shouted, "How do you expect me to make a meal off that little shrimp?" "That is all there is, Your Majesty," said the soldiers. "I'm little, but I taste good, Your Majesty, said 233 Tepozton. "Just try me. All good things come in small packages." The giant only roared. The soldiers put Tepozton in a big black pot full of boiling water. They put the lid on. Tepozton didn't make a sound. The giant lay down and took a nap while he waited for his dinner to cook. Soon the giant woke up and roared, "I'm getting very hungry!" He took the lid off the pot and looked in to see how his dinner was getting along. But instead of a tender little boy, what do you think he saw? He saw a great big spotted tiger. It opened its mouth and roared even louder than the giant, so loud it made the giant jump. So the giant put the lid back very fast and decided to wait some more. Soon he woke up again, hungrier than ever. This time the giant took the lid off very carefully and what do you think he saw? He saw a huge snake. It was coiled round and round inside the pot. When the giant looked in, the snake hissed at him. So he put the lid back again and fell asleep. The next time he woke up he was so hungry he didn't care what he ate. He rushed over to the pot, grabbed the lid, and there was the little boy inside, laughing at him! The giant let out a fierce roar, and although Tepozton wasn't cooked at all, he took him by the seat of his pants 234 and popped him right into his enormous mouth. When that happened, the fire that Tepozton had made in the yard of the fisherman's house suddenly turned dark grey. "Oh, dear," the old man said. "I knew I should have gone myself!" And the old woman began to cry. But Tepozton scrambled down the giant's throat and didn't give him a chance to chew. When he got down to his stomach he put his hand in his pocket and took out one of the little pieces of glass. He began to cut and cut and cut. Soon he wore out one piece of glass. He took another out of his pocket and kept on cutting. Before long he had made a large hole in the giant's stomach. "Oh, my," howled the giant. "I have a dreadful bellyache!" Tepozton went right on cutting. "Oh, my!" howled the giant. "Get a doctor quick! I'm poisoned!" By this time the hole was very large. It was so large that a little daylight was beginning to come in. Suddenly Tepozton cut right through to the outside. The giant screamed. A doctor came running, but it was too late. The giant was dead. Tepozton climbed out and shook hands with everybody. The smoke of the fisherman's fire turned white as 235 snow. Tepozton lived in the giant's house after that. The people crowned him king. He taught the people many things. In his spare time he amused himself by playing ball, and riding in the clouds, and turning into all kinds of animals. But most of all, he enjoyed walking around dressed like a poor ordinary person. That way he could find out what was going on and help the people who needed help. Some people say that now he lives on the mountain with the gods, and others say that he lives on earth and is always helping people. But it is hard to tell because he looks just like an ordinary person. (Brenner, 1942) BACKGROUND: "How Tepozton Killed the Giant" is one of a series of adventures of the boy Tepozton from the book The Boy Who Could Do Anything. These Mexican folktales offer the hope that strength comes with being right or from goodness. QUESTIONS: 1. Is this story real or make-believe? How do you know? 2. Where does it take place? 3. Who is the main character? 4. What ways did Tepozton use his magic? 5. If you had Tepozton's magic powers, what would you have done? 6. If you had magic power now, what would you do? 236 INDEPENDENT ACTIVITY: The children can draw or paint a picture of the further adventures of Tepozton and dictate a story to go with their pictures. One idea is "Tepozton and the Dragon"; another idea is "How Tepozton Conquered the Shark." SCIENCE: Grow "Magic Rocks." Maybe the children will get an idea from the rocks for their picture and story of "How Tepozton Conquered the Shark." 237 FLANNEL BOARD CHARACTERS: . I . 238 239 240 . I . I . I 241 The Monkey and the Crocodile Beside a river in the jungle stood a tall mango tree. In the tree lived many monkeys. They swung from branch to branch, eating fruit and chattering to each other. Hungry crocodiles swam in the river and sunned themselves on the banks. One young crocodile was hungrier than all the rest. He could never get enough to eat. The young crocodile watched the monkeys for a long time. Then one day he said to a wise old crocodile: "I'd like to catch a monkey and eat him!" "How would you ever catch a monkey?" asked the old crocodile. "You do not travel on land and monkeys do not go into the water. Besides, they are quicker than you are." "They may be quicker," said the young crocodile, "but I am more cunning. You will see!" For days the crocodile swam back and forth, studying ' the monkeys all the while. Then he noticed one young monkey who was quicker than all the others. This monkey loved to jump to the highest branches of the tree and pick the ripe mangos at the very top. "He's the one I want," the crocodile said to himself. "But how am I going to catch him?" The crocodile thought and thought, and at last he had 242 an idea. "Monkey," he called, "wouldn't you like to come with me over to the island where the fruit is so ripe?" "Oh, yes," said the monkey. "But how can I go with you? I do not swim." "I will take you on my back." said the crocodile, with a toothy smile. The monkey was eager to get to the fruit, so he jumped down on the crocodile's back. "Off we go!" said the crocodile, gliding through the water. "This is a fine ride you are giving me," said the monkey. "Do you think so? Well, how do you like this?" asked the crocodile. And suddenly he dived down into the water. "Oh, please don't!" cried the monkey as he went under. He was afraid to let go and he did not know what to do. When the crocodile come up, the monkey sputtered and choked. "Why did you take me under water, Crocodile?" he asked. "You know I can't swim!" "Because I am going to drown you," replied the crocodile. "And then I am going to eat you." The monkey shivered in fear. But he thought quickly and before the crocodile dived again, he said: "I wish you had told me you wanted to eat me. If I had known that, 243 I would have brought my heart." "Your heart?" asked the crocodile. "Yes, it is the tastiest part of me. But I left it behind in the tree." "Then we must go back and get it," said the crocodile, turning around. "But we are so near the island," said the monkey. "Please take me there first." "No," said the crocodile. "First I am taking you straight to your tree. You will get your heart and bring it to me at once. Then we will see about going to the island. " "Very well, " said the monkey. And the crocodile headed back to the river bank. No sooner did the monkey jump onto the bank than up he swung into the tree. From the highest branch he called down to the crocodile: "My heart is way up here. If you want it, come for it! Corne for it!" And he laughed and laughed while the crocodile thrashed his tail in anger. That night the monkey moved far down river from the mango tree. He wanted to get away from the crocodile so he could live in peace. But the crocodile was still determined to catch him. He watched and searched and finally he found the monkey, living in another tree. Here a large rock rose out of the water, halfway between the monkey's new horne and the island. The 244 crocodile watched the monkey jumping from the river bank to the rock, and to the island where the fruit trees were. "Monkey will stay on the island all day," the crocodile thought to himself. "And I'll catch him on his way horne tonight." The monkey had a fine feast, while the crocodile swam about, watching him all day. Toward night, the crocodile crawled out of the water and lay on the rock, perfectly still. When it grew dark among the trees, the monkey started for horne. He ran down to the river bank, and there he stopped. "What is the matter with the rock?" the monkey wondered. "I never saw it so high before. Something must be lying on it." The monkey went to the water's edge and called: "Hello, Rock!" No answer. He called again: "Hello, Rock!" Still no answer. Three times the monkey called, and then he said: "Why is it, friend Rock, that you do not answer me tonight?" "Oh," said the crocodile to himself, "the rock must talk to the monkey at night. I'll have to answer for the rock this time." So he answered: "Yes Monkey! What is it?" 245 The monkey laughed and said: "Oh, it's you, Crocodile, is it?" "Yes," said the crocodile. "I am waiting here for you. And I am going to eat you up!" "You have certainly caught me this time," said the monkey, sounding afraid. "There is no other way for me to go home. Open your mouth side so I can jump right into it." Now the monkey knew very well that when crocodiles open their mouths wide, they shut their eyes. So while the crocodile lay on the rock with his mouth open and his eyes shut, the monkey jumped. But not into his mouth! He landed on the top of the crocodile's head, and then sprang quickly to the river bank. Up he ran into his tree. When the crocodile saw the trick the monkey had played on him, he said: "Monkey, I thought I was cunning, but you are much more cunning than I. And you know no fear. I will leave you alone after this." "Thank you, Crocodile," said the monkey. "But I shall be on the watch for you just the same." And so he was, and the crocodile never, never caught him. (Galdone, 1969) 246 BACKGROUND: The Monkey and the Crocodile is a well-known folktale from India which demonstrates how a smaller, but clever monkey can trick the huge, strong hungry crocodile. Since there are only two main characters, hand puppets are appro priate to help visualize the extensive dialogue. QUESTIONS: 1. Is this story real or make-believe? How do you know? 2. Where did The Monkey and the Crocodile take place? 3. Who are the main characters? 4. What or who is the monkey's problem? 5. How does the monkey solve his problem? 6. Where is your heart? Can you feel it beat? Hop fifteen times. What happened? What does your heart do? Can you leave it at home and come to school? 7. What does "cunning" mean? COOKING: Make banana splits or banana nut bread. Banana Nut Bread 1/2 cup shortening 1 1/4 cup sifted all purpose 1 cup sugar flour 2 eggs 3/4 teaspoon soda 3/4 cup mashed ripe bananas 1/2 cup chopped nuts 1/2 teaspoon salt Cream shortening and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, 247 one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in banana. Sift together dry ingredients. Add to banana mixture and mix well. Pour into greased 9 by 9 by 2 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. 247 PUPPETS: Life-size 249 Crocodile q p 250 Crocodile's mouth and teeth 2.51 The Fence Mexico is a land of volcanoes and tropical forests, of snow and fierce heat, of meadows and deserts, of cities and villages, of big dogs and little dogs, and, like everywhere else in the world, of rich people and poor people. In Mexico, once upon a time, there was a very rich family who lived in a beautiful pink house with a huge green garden. Often rich people look well fed and happy, but the people in the pink house looked glum and miserable. Even their dog and their parrot were skinny and bad-tempered, although the house and the kitchen were full of everything one could desire. Next door to the pink house lived a poor family. Their house was a little thatched hut. Between the two houses stood a big fence. Sometimes poor people are tired and unhappy, but not this family. The children glowed with health, although their house and kitchen were small and almost bare. They always made the best of what there was. Even their guinea-fowl and their cat looked happy. The sound of their children's laughter could often be heard through the fence and this annoyed the rich people next door. In the rich family's kitchen people were always busy, roasting, boiling, baking, and frying. All day long glorious smells drifted through the fence. Early in the 252 morning came the smell of hot chocolate. At noon it was the mouth-watering aroma of roast meat. And in the evening every breeze brought a smell of chicken or grilled fish or sometimes even of spicy duck. No wonder the mother of the poor family would hand each of her children a slice of bread (a tortilla) and say, "Now go and stand by the fence, and smell something good to enjoy with your bread (tortilla)." One day the father of the rich family got very angry when he saw the children of the poor family standing by the fence and sniffing. "Go away, you gang of thieves!" he yelled at them. "I'll send you to jail for stealing the smell of our food." And sure enough, on the next market day, the poor family and the rich family were called by the judge to appear in court. On their way to court, both families stopped at the village market. Tradesmen from other villages had spread out their wares all over the market place. The lady from the pink house arrived with her cook to do the shopping. She was very fussy and haggled over everything: hair ribbons, baskets of eggs, tropical fruit from the south, hens, fried pancakes, and flowers. All around there were stalls piled high with fruit: oranges, lemons, melons, bananas, and grapefruit. There were also loaves of bread made in all shapes and sizes, and still warm from the oven. Dogs barked. Old ladies 253 gossiped. Everyone sniffed the glorious smell of the new-baked bread, but none of the bakers complained. The family from the little thatched hut usually enjoyed market days. They liked the crowds, the excite ment, the music, and the jokes about the bullfight. They laughed at the people in masks and tried to guess who they were. But on this particular day, they were sad. No one likes to have to appear in court even if he is sure he is right. The trial was to begin at eleven o'clock. The rich family arrived early and was very elegantly dressed. The poor family arrived late, in their everyday clothes. Their children looked down at the ground because they were frightened. Still, they hoped that their father would be able to settle everything. The judge called for silence and then told the rich man to speak first. The man from the pink house described how he paid his servants to cook the most delicious meals. But, he said, this did not help his family at all, because the wretched family next door stood by the fence and sniffed all the goodness away from the food. "Look how well fed and happy they are!" he said. "That proves I am right." The judge thought about this for a long time. Then he asked the father of the poor family what he had to say. "May I leave the room for a moment?" the poor man asked. 254 Standing just outside the door, he put a few coins into his sombrero and shook them so that they jingled loudly. His family began to laugh as he slyly asked the rich man whether he had heard the clink of the money. The rich man nodded. The judge understood what the poor man meant and gave them his decision. "You," he said to the rich man, "have heard the jingle of this man's money, just as he sniffed the smell of your food. If he owed you anything for the smell, he has paid you back." The poor family was delighted. They rushed home and held a fireworks party to celebrate their victory - for in Mexico if people are happy, they always let off rockets. They did not make anyone pay to watch the rockets or to listen to them, and they let the wonderful smell of the burnt gunpowder drift across the fence - absolutely free. (Balet, 1969) BACKGROUND: The Fence is a delightful Mexican folktale, just perfect to introduce your children to the sense of smell and then the other senses. You can make hot chocolate or tortillas. See the recipes that follow. Then make a book of the five senses. This folktale is also appropriate for Cinco de Mayo. 255 QUESTIONS: 1. Could this story be true or is it make-believe? Why? 2. Who are the main characters? 3. Where did this story happen? 4. What is a guinea fowl? (According to Webster's, a guinea fowl is a domestic fowl with a round body and dark feathers with white spots. (1966, p. 644) ) 5. Should people have to pay for what they smell? Did the poor family steal the smells? Did they sniff away the goodness from the rich family's food? 6. What is a judge? Why do people go to court? 7. How did the poor family father pay back the rich family for the good smell? Why or why wasn't that a good solution to the problem? LITERARY COMPARISON: Make a chart to compare three stories - How Tepozton Killed the Giant, The Monkey and the Crocodile, and The Fence. See page 256. COOKING: Mexican Hot Chocolate For authenticity and fun buy the imported chocolate and the wooden chocolate beater called a molinillo. For every two servings, use half of a 2 ounce cake of prepared Mexican chocolate (or a 1 ounce square of unsweetened chocolate, 1 tablespoon sugar, a pinch of The Monkey and the How Tepozton Killed the The Fence Crocodile Giant Make-believe: talking Make-believe: magic Real animals Setting "Beside a river in a "In the woods with "In Mexico there was jungle ... " tigers, wolves, and a beautiful pink house lions ... " and a little thatched hut." Characters Monkey - good Tepozton - good Poor family - good Crocodile - bad Giant - bad Rich family - bad Plot Crocodile wants to The giant wants to eat The rich family thinks eat the monkey. Tepozton. that the poor family is stealing the goodness from their food. ALL ARE ABOUT FOOD AND EATING Conclusion The monkey uses cunning Tepozton also uses The father of the poor to escape. cunning to escape. He family uses cunning. collects little pieces He jingles coins to pay of black glass. Then for food smelled. he cuts through the giant's stomach to escape. ALL THE PROBLEMS ARE RESOLVED WITH CLEVERNESS N U1 "' 257 salt, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon). Combine with two cups of milk and cook over hot water until the chocolate melts. Beat until foamy and pour into cups; or pour into a pitcher and beat with the molinillo. (Editors of Sunset Books and Sunset Magazine, 1973, p. 93) Tortillas De Harina (ah-ree-nah) or Flour Tortillqs 2 cups unsifted flour 1/2 cup lukewarm water 1 teaspoon salt lard 1/4 cup lard Put flour in mixing bowl, sprinkle with salt, stir to mix. With pastry blender or two knives, cut in lard until particles are fine. Add water gradually; toss with a fork to make a stiff dough. Form into a ball and knead thoroughly until smooth and flecked with air bubbles on a lightly floured board. Grease the surface of the dough, cover tightly, and refrigerate for as long as 24 hours before using; if you do this, the dough will be easier to handle. Let dough return to room temperature before you begin to roll it out. Divide dough into 11 balls for 7 inch tortillas. Either stretch and pat dough with floured hands until thin, or roll with a rolling pin between sheets of waxed paper adding flour as needed. Trim any ragged edges. Roll to 8 inches in diameter. Tortillas will shrink to 258 7 inches when cooked. (Editors of Sunset Books and Sunset Magazine, 1973, p. 28) INDEPENDENT ACTIVITY: Make a book of the five senses. Make a sample and the children can copy the sample. Use a different color of construction paper for each page. For "I taste", duplicate the red tongue and mouth. Have the children cut out the mouth-tongue and glue a lifesaver on the tongue. On the page "I hear", prepare pink construction paper ears. Glue a round, Christmas bell on this page. For "I see", let the children make their own eye with white construction paper and a variety of eye colors. They can draw a rainbow, or glue dried flowers on this page. "I smell", with a pink construction paper nose, could have a cotton ball dipped in cologne or a rolled piece of scotch tape dipped in cinnamon spice. "I touch" again has pink construction paper, but this time with a hand. Have the children glue on a square of either sandpaper or velvet. When all pages are completed, punch two holes at the top and attach with yarn. 259 My Five Senses By-- 260 ~ • I . I . . I . I I +aste I . I . I 261 l 262 /------ I see 263 I hear 264 I touch 265 TONGUE DEPRESSOR PUPPETS: 266 267 268 REFERENCE LIST Balet, J. The fence. New York: Delacoute Press, 1969. Brenner, A. The boy who could do anything and other Mexican folk tales. New York: William R. Scott, Inc., 1942, p. 42-45. Editors of Sunset Books and Sunset Magazine. Sunset Mexican cookbook. Menlo Park, California: Lane Books, 1973. Galdone, P. The monkey and the crocodile: A Jataka tale from India. New York: The Seabury Press, 1969. Webster's New World dictionary, college edition. Cleveland and New York: The World Publishing Company, 1966.