World Folk Tales
Instructions: Explore beloved folk tales and fairy tales from cultures around the world!
- 1.
The Brothers Grimm, who collected famous fairy tales, were from which country?
AFranceBGermanyCEnglandDDenmark - 2.
Hans Christian Andersen, author of 'The Little Mermaid' and 'The Ugly Duckling,' was from which country?
ADenmarkBFinlandCSwedenDNorway - 3.
'One Thousand and One Nights' (Arabian Nights) is framed by the story of which storyteller?
AAli BabaBSinbadCAladdinDScheherazade - 4.
In the Aesop's fable 'The Tortoise and the Hare,' what lesson does the story teach?
AMight makes rightBLook before you leapCSlow and steady wins the raceDEarly bird catches the worm - 5.
In the African folk tale tradition, what animal is often the clever trickster?
AThe elephantBThe giraffeCThe lionDAnansi the spider - 6.
In the original Grimm Brothers' version, what does the Big Bad Wolf do to the first two pigs' houses?
ABlows them downBBurns them downCKnocks them overDFloods them - 7.
The Japanese folk tale of Momotarō is about a boy born from what fruit?
AA cherryBA peachCA plumDA persimmon - 8.
In the Native American Coyote tales, Coyote typically serves what role?
ATrickster and cultural heroBSilent observerCEvil villainDWise elder - 9.
Charles Perrault, who wrote versions of 'Cinderella' and 'Sleeping Beauty,' was from which country?
AItalyBGermanyCEnglandDFrance - 10.
In Russian folk tales, Baba Yaga is what kind of character?
AA fearsome witch who lives in a hut on chicken legsBA wise kingCA beautiful princessDA friendly dragon - 11.
The Indian collection of animal fables 'Panchatantra' was originally written to teach what?
APolitical wisdom and practical life lessons to young princesBReligious devotionCMathematicsDAgricultural techniques - 12.
In the Chinese folk tale, what does the Monkey King (Sun Wukong) accompany the monk Xuanzang to retrieve?
ABuddhist scriptures from IndiaBA magical swordCAn emperor's crownDA dragon's pearl - 13.
In the folk tale 'Rumpelstiltskin,' the miller's daughter must guess what to save her child?
AThe location of hidden goldBA magic spellCThe little man's nameDA riddle's answer - 14.
Which Irish folk tale tradition features small, mischievous fairy shoemakers who guard pots of gold?
APúcaBLeprechaunsCSelkiesDBanshees - 15.
In the Grimm Brothers' version of 'Cinderella,' what helps Cinderella instead of a fairy godmother?
AA talking catBA wishing wellCA tree growing on her mother's grave and white birdsDA magic mirror
Answer Key
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were German academics who published their collection of fairy tales ('Grimms' Fairy Tales') in 1812. It included stories like 'Cinderella,' 'Snow White,' and 'Hansel and Gretel.'
Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) was a Danish author whose fairy tales have been translated into over 125 languages. Unlike the Grimms, Andersen created original stories rather than collecting folk tales.
Scheherazade tells stories to King Shahryar each night, always leaving a cliffhanger so he will spare her life to hear the ending. This frame story connects tales like 'Aladdin,' 'Ali Baba,' and 'Sinbad.'
In this famous fable, the overconfident hare takes a nap during the race, allowing the persistent tortoise to win. Aesop's fables, dating to ancient Greece, use animals to teach moral lessons.
Anansi the spider is a beloved trickster figure in West African and Caribbean folklore, originally from the Ashanti people of Ghana. He uses his wits to outsmart much larger and stronger animals.
'The Three Little Pigs' features a wolf who blows down houses of straw and sticks but cannot destroy the brick house. The story, with versions across many cultures, teaches the value of hard work and planning.
Momotarō ('Peach Boy') is one of Japan's most beloved folk tales. An elderly couple finds a giant peach floating down a river, and inside is a boy who grows up to defeat the demons (oni) of Onigashima island.
Coyote is a central trickster figure in the folklore of many Native American nations. He is both foolish and clever, and his adventures often explain the origins of natural features or cultural practices.
Charles Perrault (1628-1703) published 'Tales of Mother Goose' in 1697, which included 'Cinderella,' 'Sleeping Beauty,' 'Little Red Riding Hood,' and 'Puss in Boots.' His versions became the best-known forms of these stories.
Baba Yaga is a supernatural witch-like figure in Slavic folklore. She lives in a hut that stands on giant chicken legs and can be either a villain or a helpful guide, depending on the story.
The 'Panchatantra' (c. 300 BC) was composed to educate the sons of a king in the principles of wise governance. Its animal fables teach lessons about politics, human nature, and practical wisdom.
Sun Wukong, the Monkey King from 'Journey to the West' (16th century), accompanies the monk Xuanzang on a pilgrimage to India to retrieve Buddhist sutras. The story is one of the most beloved in Chinese literature.
In the Brothers Grimm tale, a strange little man spins straw into gold for the miller's daughter but demands her firstborn child. She can keep the child only if she can guess his name: Rumpelstiltskin.
Leprechauns are small fairy beings in Irish folklore, traditionally depicted as old men who are shoemakers. They are said to hide pots of gold at the end of rainbows and grant wishes if caught.
In the Grimms' 'Aschenputtel,' Cinderella plants a hazel twig on her mother's grave that grows into a tree. A white bird in the tree grants her wishes, providing the beautiful dress and golden slippers for the ball.