A Summary of Five Interesting Folktales

Chicken Little, Steven Kellogg (England)

A pretender police officer, Foxy Loxy, herds chicken little and the rest of the birds. They go into a van and realize that the sky is falling. As it is an emergency, they opt to go to the headquarters. Foxy goes into his lair and comes up with plans for a poultry feast. He intends to make the birds his dinner but ends up being caught by a real officer, Hippo Hefty.

Tuko and the Birds, Shirley Climo (Philippines)

The tale is set in Luzon, a small island in the Philippines. The island is peaceful as the birds sing, children play, women cook, and men go out to fish. The birds’ goodnight song signaled the time for sleep. It changed when Tuko arrived and, being a gecko, bellowed his name five times, night or day, as he ate. Such action caused sleeplessness on the island until the eagle, Haribon, figured out how to trick Tuko into leaving.

Mabela the Clever, Margaret Read MacDonald (Africa)

The smallest mouse in the village, Mabela, was taught by her father to be clever. It saves her when the cat comes and introduces the idea that everyone should enter the secret cat society.

The Tale of the Firebird, Gennady Spirin (Russia)

The big gray wolf helps the prince go through his situation. However, the prince does not always do as told. They go on adventures in distant kingdoms as they search for the firebird. The prince not only finds the firebird but also meets a princess. He saves her life and ends up winning her hand in marriage.

Fire on the Mountain, Jane Kurtz (Ethiopia)

Alemayu, a shepherd boy, is challenged by his employer, a rich and ill-tempered man. He gets told to spend a night in the mountains with only a cloak for protection. It will test his courage and bravery. Alemayu succeeds and credits a vision of fire for keeping him warm. However, his employer fails to keep his promise of four cows and a sack of money. Fantastic children’s literature.