| A | B |
|---|
| legend | A widely told story about the past—one that may or may not have a foundation in fact. Every culture has its own—its familiar, traditional stories. |
| folk tale | An entertaining story—often dealing with heroes, adventure, magic, or romance—composed orally and then passed from person to person by word of mouth; reflect the cultural beliefs and environments from which they come. |
| tall tale | Most come out of the oral tradition of the American frontier; typically involve characters with highly exaggerated abilities and qualities. |
| yarn | Another word for a tall tale; a story that is woven together to be entertaining. |
| fable | A brief story or poem, usually with animal characters, that teaches a lesson, or moral, which is usually stated at the end. |
| parable | A short story intended to teach or convey a moral truth; related to a culture’s religious or spiritual beliefs. |
| myth | A fictional tale that explains the actions of gods or heroes or the origins of elements of nature; part of the oral tradition; every ancient culture has its own collection. |
| tragedy | A work of literature (often plays) that results in a catastrophe for the main character; the purpose is to arouse fear and pity in the audience and to convey a sense of the grandeur and nobility of the human spirit. |
| fantasy | Highly imaginative writing that contains elements now found in real life; examples include stories that involve supernatural elements, stories that resemble fairy tales, and stories that deal with imaginary people, places, and creatures. |
| theme | The central message or insight about life—often reflects a belief, attitude, or value of the culture from which the story comes. |
| moral | The wise saying at the end of a story that states the lesson. |
| oral tradition | The passing of songs, stories, and poems from generation to generation by word of mouth. Folk tales, myths, legends, fables, and parables are part of this genre. |
| cultural context | The background, customs, values, and beliefs of the particular culture and people who originally told the story. |
| characterization | The process by which writers create and develop a character—often through describing a character’s traits; revealing a character’s personality through his/her appearance, words, and actions; and describing what others in the story think about the character. |
| dialect | The usage or vocabulary that is characteristic of a specific group. |
