GENRES OF ORAL LITERATURE ( FOLK TALES)

 GENRES OF ORAL LITERATURE 

The main oral literature genres include; •

Folktales

• Folksongs

• Folk drama

• Proverbs

• Tongue twisters

• Riddles.

FOLKTALES.

Folktale is a genre that typically consists of stories passed down from generation to generations orally.

The categories of such stories include;

a.)  Fables.

A fable is a story that features animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are given human qualities and that illustrates or leads to a particular moral lesson.

 The Boy Who Cried Wolf

 There once was a shepherd boy who was bored as he sat on the hillside watching the village sheep. To amuse himself he took a great breath and sang out, “Wolf! Wolf! The Wolf is chasing the sheep!”  The villagers came running up the hill to help the boy drive the wolf away. But when they arrived at the top of the hill, they found no wolf. The boy laughed at the sight of their angry faces.

“Don’t cry ‘wolf’, shepherd boy,” said the villagers, “when there’s no wolf!” They went grumbling back down the hill. Later, the boy sang out again, “Wolf! Wolf! The wolf is chasing the sheep!” To his naughty delight, he watched the villagers run up the hill to help him drive the wolf away. When the villagers saw no wolf they sternly said, “Save your frightened song for when there is really something wrong! Don’t cry ‘wolf’ when there is NO wolf!” But the boy just grinned and watched them go grumbling down the hill once more. Later, he saw a REAL wolf prowling about his flock. Alarmed, he leaped to his feet and sang out as loudly as he could, “Wolf! Wolf!” But the villagers thought he was trying to fool them again, and so they didn’t come. At sunset, everyone wondered why the shepherd boy hadn’t returned to the village with their sheep. They went up the hill to find the boy. They found him weeping. “There really was a wolf here! The flock has scattered! I cried out, “Wolf!” Why didn’t you come?” An old man tried to comfort the boy as they walked back to the village. “We’ll help you look for the lost sheep in the morning,” he said, putting his arm around the youth, “Nobody believes a liar…even when he is telling the truth!”

ACTIVITY.

The African community is endowed with plenty of fables. Write down one fable story from you’re your community/tribe

b.)  Fairy tales

 A fairy tale refers stories that typically feature entities such s dwarfs, dragons, elves fairies giants mermaids, talking animals unicorn witches and usually magic or enchantment. 

Example of a fairy tale.

                                          CINDERELLA.

ONCE UPON A TIME a girl named Cinderella lived with her stepmother and two stepsisters. Poor Cinderella had to work hard all day long so the others could rest. It was she who had to wake up each morning when it was still dark and cold to start the fire. It was she who cooked the meals. It was she who kept the fire going. The poor girl could not stay clean, from all the ashes and cinders by the fire. “What a mess!” her two stepsisters laughed. And that is why they called her “Cinderella.” One day, big news came to town. The King and Queen were going to have a ball! It was time for the Prince to find a bride. All of the young ladies in the land were invited to come. They were wild with joy! They would wear their most beautiful gown and fix their hair extra nice. Maybe the prince would like them! At Cinderella’s house, she now had extra work to do. She had to make two brand-new gowns for her step-sisters. “Faster!” shouted one step-sister. “You call that a dress?” screamed the other. “Oh, dear!” said Cinderella. “When can I–“ The stepmother marched into the room. “When can you WHAT?” “Well,” said the girl, “when will I have time to make my own dress for the ball?” “You?” yelled the stepmother. “Who said YOU were going to the ball?” “What a laugh!” said one step-sister. “Such a mess!” They pointed at Cinderella. All of them laughed.

Cinderella said to herself, “When they look at me, maybe they see a mess. But I am not that way. And if I could, I WOULD go to the ball.” Soon the time came for the stepmother and step-sisters to leave for the big part Their fine carriage came to the door. The stepmother and step-sisters hopped inside. And they were off. “Good-bye!” called Cinderella. “Have a good time!” But her stepmother and step-sisters did not turn around to see her. “Ah, me!” said Cinderella sadly. The carriage rode down the street. She said aloud, “I wish I could go to the ball, too!” Then – Poof! All of a sudden, in front of her was a fairy. “You called?” said the fairy. “Did I?” said Cinderella. “Who are you?” “Why, your Fairy Godmother, of course! I know your wish. And I have come to grant it.” “But…” said Cinderella, “my wish is impossible.” “Excuse me!” said the Fairy Godmother in a huff. “Did I not just show up out of thin air?” “Yes, you did,” said Cinderella. “Then let me be the one to say what is possible or not!” “Well, I think you know I want to go to the ball, too.” She looked down at her dirty clothes. “But look at me.” “You do look a bit of a mess, child,” said the Fairy Godmother.

“Even if I had something nice to wear,” said the girl, “I would have no way to get there.” “Dear me, all of that is possible,” said the Fairy. With that, she tapped her wand on Cinderella’s head. At once, Cinderella was all clean. She was dressed in a beautiful blue gown. Her hair was set up high on her head inside a golden band. “This is wonderful!” said Cinderella. “Who said I was done?” said the Fairy Godmother. She tapped her wand again. At once, a beautiful carriage came to be, with a driver and four white horses. “Am I dreaming?” said Cinderella, looking around her. “It is as real, as real can be,” said the Fairy Godmother. “But there is one thing you must know.”

“What is that?” “All of this lasts only to midnight. Tonight, at the stroke of midnight, it will all be over. Everything will go back to how it was before.” “Then I must be sure to leave the ball before midnight!” said Cinderella. “Good idea,” said the Fairy Godmother. She stepped back. “My work is done.” And with that, the Fairy Godmother was gone. Cinderella looked around her. “Did that even happen?” But there she stood in a fine gown, and with a golden band in her hair. And there were her driver and four horses before her, waiting. “Coming?” called the driver. She stepped into the carriage. And they were off. Over at the ball, the Prince did not know what to think. “Why do you have that sad look on your face?” the Queen said to her son. “Look around you! You could not ask for finer maidens than these.” “I know, Mother,” said the Prince. Yet he knew something was wrong. He had met many of the young women. Yet after he said “hello,” one by one, he could find nothing more to say. “Look!” Someone pointed to the front door. “Who is that?” All heads turned. Who was that lovely maiden stepping down the stairs? She held her head tall and looked as if she belonged. But no one knew her. “There is something about her,” said the Prince to himself. “I will ask her to dance.” And he walked over to Cinderella. “Have we met?” said the Prince. “I am pleased to meet you now,” said Cinderella with a bow

“I feel as if I know you,” said the Prince. “But of course, that is impossible.” “Many things are possible,” said Cinderella, “if you wish them to be true.” The Prince felt a leap in his heart. He and Cinderella danced. When the song was over, they danced again. And then they danced again, and yet again. Soon the other maidens at the ball grew jealous. “Why is he dancing all the time with her?” they said. “How rude!” But all the Prince could see was Cinderella. They laughed and talked, and they danced some more. In fact, they danced for so long that Cinderella did not see the clock. “Dong!” said the clock. Cinderella looked up.

“Dong!” went the clock again. She looked up again. “Oh, my!” she cried out. “It is almost midnight!” “Dong!” rung the clock. “Why does that matter?” said the Prince. “Dong!” called the clock. “I must go!” said Cinderella. “Dong!” went the clock. “But we just met!” said the Prince. “Why leave now?” “Dong!” rung the clock. “I must GO!” said Cinderella. She ran to the steps. “Dong!” said the clock. “I cannot hear you,” said the Prince. “The clock is too loud!” “Dong!” rung the clock. “Goodbye!” said Cinderella. Up, up the stairs she ran. “Dong!” went the clock. “Please, stop for a moment!” said the Prince. “Oh, dear!” she said as one glass slipper fell off her foot on the stair. But Cinderella kept running up. “Dong!” said the clock. “Please wait a moment!” said the Prince. “Dong!” rung the clock. “Goodbye!” Cinderella turned one last time. Then she rushed out the door.

“Dong!” The clock was quiet. It was midnight. “Wait!” called the Prince. He picked up her glass slipper and rushed out the door. He looked around but could not see her blue dress anywhere. “This is all I have left from her,” he said, looking down at the glass slipper. He saw that it was made in a special way, to fit a foot like none other. “Somewhere there is the other glass slipper,” he said. “And when I find it, I will find her, too. Then I will ask her to be my bride!” From hut to hut, from house to house, went the Prince. One young woman after another tried to fit her foot inside the glass slipper. But none could fit. And so the Prince moved on. At last the Prince came to Cinderella’s house.

“He is coming!” called one step-sister as she looked out the window. “At the door!” screamed the other step-sister. “Quick!” yelled the stepmother. “Get ready! One of you must be the one to fit your foot in that slipper. No matter what!” The Prince knocked. The stepmother flew open the door. “Come in!” she said. “I have two lovely daughters for you to see.” The first step-sister tried to place her foot in the glass slipper. She tried hard, but it just would not fit. Then the second step-sister tried to fit her foot inside. She tried and tried with all her might, too. But no dice. “Are there no other young women in the house?” said the Prince. “None,” said the stepmother. “Then I must go,” said the Prince. “Maybe there is one more,” said Cinderella, stepping into the room. “I thought you said there were no other young women here,” said the Prince. “None who matter!” said the stepmother in a hiss. “Come here,” said the Prince. Cinderella stepped up to him. The Prince got down on one knee and tried the glass slipper on her foot. It fit perfectly! Then, from her pocket Cinderella took out something. It was the other glass slipper! “I knew it!” he cried. “You are the one!” “WHAT?” shouted a step-sister. “Not HER!” screamed the other step-sister. “This cannot BE!” yelled the stepmother. But it was too late. The prince knew that Cinderella was the one. He looked into her eyes. He did not see the cinders in her hair or the ashes on her face. “I have found you!” he said

“And I have found you,” said Cinderella. And so Cinderella and the Prince were married, and they lived happily ever after.

c.)  Myths

These consist of narratives that play a fundaments role in a society such as foundational tales.

The main characters in myths are usually gods, demigods or supernatural humans.

d.)  Legends

This is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human action perceived or believed both by the story teller and listeners to have taken place within human history. They demonstrate human values, the events maybe possible and others may appear as miracles. Many legends operate within the realm of uncertainty, never being entirely believed by participants, but also never being resolutely doubted.

Sample story;

Kibuka omumbale.a “god of war” Once upon a time, there lived a man called Kibuka Omumbale. Kibuka omumbale was mukasa’s brother. Mukasa is the god of all lakes and waters in the world. Buganda kingdom waged war of expansion on bunyoro kingdom. In this war king Nakibinge ” ssekabaka Nakibinge” asked for help from mukasa the god of lakes. Mukasa asked his brother kibuka the god of war to fight for Buganda. Kibuka stationed him self in a cloud and threw arrows to bunyoro fighter’s. And they were defeated marking Buganda victorious in the war against bunyoro. There were a number of captives or prisoners of war and a variety of things captured from bunyoro like royal regalia this earned Buganda wealth. Kibuka omumbale’ death After the war, among the captives there was a gorgeous beautiful lady .kibuka admired the lady and fall in love within the lady this made kibuka to get  the lady into his hut. The lady asked kibuka how he managed to win the war. He told him his hiding place in clouds. The lady linked

the information to bunyoro fighter’s. In the next battle the bunyoro rised their bows and arrow to kibuka’s cloud. Kibuka died at war.

e.)  Ogre stories.

These are stories that depict large, hideous, man-like beings that eat ordinary human beings, especially infants and children. Once upon a time in the land of ogres there lived a boy called Mbui. Mbui lived with his grandmother. The ogres had eaten up all the other human beings but spared the old woman since she fetched water and firewood for them. The king of the ogres had vowed to one day eat up the little boy and this made the grandmother very worried. “Make sure you never open the door for anyone when I am away,” Mbui’s grandmother warned him. One afternoon, Mbui heard a knock on the door. “Mbui! This is your grandmother. Open the door!” a strange voice called. Mbui shouted back: “Go away! My grandmother does not talk like you. You are the ogre and you want to eat me.” But the ogre burst out laughing. “Just put your hand outside the window and touch me. You will feel it is your grandmother,” he told Mbui. Mbui put his hand out of the window and the ogre bit it off. When grandmother came back in the evening, she found Mbui with only one hand. She reprimanded him for disobedience. The following day, the ogre came back and called out: “Mbui, this is a friend of your grandmother’s. Please open for me.”

Mbui replied that he was afraid to open the door because an ogre had bitten off his hand. “I’m sorry my boy. I can give you another hand. Just show me the size of your hand and I will give you one that fits,” the ogre said. Mbui put his hand through the window and the ogre bit it off. Grandmother was very angry. She decided tie Mbui against the bed when she left. The following day, the ogre came and in a sweet voice called out to Mbui. “Mbui, this is a beautiful girl that has been sent by an angel to keep you company because you are lonely.” Mbui was excited and he wriggled out of the ropes that tied him. He passed his legs under the door so as to get out to the girl. The ogre immediately bit off the legs and went away laughing loudly. Today, Mbui is a grown man but he has no hands and legs because he refused to heed the advise of his grandmother. This story is usually told to disobedient children.

Activity.

 List down five moral lessons you have learnt from the story.

Activity of integration. The stories which we have shared with the class can also be role played. In this way they turn into short plays or what is also known as drama in literature. In groups, look at the stories you shared and prepare to present as a short play or skit on the story.