Folktales A-Z

Winter plays a major part in these ghost stories from the United States and Canada.

The cold of winter creeps into these folktales from the United States and Canada.

Read folktales about strong women, witches, legendary heroines, female ghosts and spooks, and some curious girls who get themselves in trouble! These are the women of American Folklore.

Oh a chipmunk, chipmunk sitting on a limb/And he winked at me and I at him/So I picked up a chip and I hit him on the chin/And he said: “Young man, don’t you try that again!”

Here is a list of folklore books recommended for teachers. These collections contain a variety of folktales, from Native American Myths and Legends to Ghost stories. There are also Urban Legends and some really funny Tall Tales.

So, what is folklore, anyway? What exactly is the difference between a myth and a legend? A folktale and a tall tale? Where do you draw the line between a fable and a fairytale? What is the difference between a normal legend and an urban one? For those of you who have spent many a sleepless night pondering such mysteries, I have written up a quick folklore vocabulary list to help solve the murky intricacies of folklore and allow you to sleep at night.

The term folklore is generally used to refer to the traditional beliefs, myths, tales, and practices of a people which have beem disseminated in an informal manner…

A lesson plan on writing for grades 3-5 which introduces different types of story beginnings to students, allows students to write different beginnings, and engages students in the process of revision.

Here is a list of folklore resources available to teachers on a variety of topics, from folktales to life histories, and from folklife to legends.

A lesson plan for grades 4 and 5 which engages children in the art of storytelling and develops public speaking skills.

Here is a list of lesson plans that have been created using stories from the American Folklore site or appropriate for use with the Spooky Series by .

There was a crooked man, and he walked a crooked mile.
He found a crooked sixpence against a crooked stile.
He had a crooked cat which caught a crooked mouse
And they all lived together in a little crooked house.

Hot-cross buns! Hot-cross buns!
One a penny, two a penny,
Hot-cross buns!

Do you know the muffin man,
The muffin man, the muffin man,
Do you know the muffin man,
That lives in Drury Lane?

Oh where, oh where has my little dog gone?
Oh where, oh where can he be?
With his ears cut short and his tail cut long,
Oh where, oh where can he be?

Baa, baa, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir,
Three bags full.
One for the master,
And one for the dame,
And one for the little boy
Who lives down the lane.

The legendary Jersey Devil is a dragon-like creature, with a head like a horse, a snake-like body and bat’s wings. The Jersey Devil is rumored to inhabit the Pine Barrens in southern New Jersey, and has been known to cause chaos and panic whenever it rears its unattractive head; though there are some who consider its appearance as the herald of good luck.

I wish to wish the wish you wish to wish,
But if you wish the wish the witch wishes,
I won’t wish the wish you wish to wish.

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers
How many pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?

A big bug bit a bold bald bear and the bold bald bear bled blood badly.

Folklore is full of tales of true love and loss, and of not-so-true love and its aftermath. And of course, in some stories, love goes terribly awry…. If you’re looking for a happy ending, you may want to go to the Disney channel. But if you want something thought-provoking (and sometimes downright chilling,) these stories are for you!

From the Yakama Nation Museum   The world of Giants prepared the way for the world we know today. The world of Giants is the subject of legend.  The legends tell the history of our People, and Teach us by example how to live and die.    Legends teach that mastery in the art of living takes time, and Only the elders are wise. Legends teach that the universal truths are revealed by experience, When… Read More »What is the Nature of Legend?

Come celebrate the spooky side of the holidays.  Ghosts, Saint Nicholas, Der Belznickel and other characters haunt these stories that take place around the holidays.  We’ve also included a couple of ghost stories from the African-American tradition for folks to read during Kwanzaa!   Christmas Stories Haunted ChristmasThe soft thud of following footsteps echoed behind him as he hurried through the snowflakes toward home.  They kept pace with him, quickening when he quickened and slowing when… Read More »What are some Holiday Ghost Stories?