Gods and goddesses, talking animals, strange and wondrous events—these are some of the elements of myths, legends, and folk tales. Although writers retell these stories in print, most of the tales originated long before reading and writing began. They have survived by being handed down from generation to generation. Taken together, these forms—myths, legends, folk tales, and fables—make up what is known as the oral tradition of literature. Check out the Additional Questions, Hot Links, Internet Activities, Reading Strategies, and Self-Tests for this unit using the navigation bar at the left.
Juliet Piggott	Popocatepetl and Ixtlaccihuatl	Mexican Legend	788
Comparing Literary Works
Virginia Hamilton	The People Could Fly	African American Folk Tale	798
Aesop	The Lion and the Statue	Fable	802
	The Fox and the Crow	Fable	803
Harold Courlander	All Stories Are Anansi's	African Folk Tale	804
Comparing Literary Works
Olivia E. Coolidge	Phaëthon, Son of Apollo	Greek Myth	814
Anne Terry White	Demeter and Persephone	Greek Myth	818
Josephine Peabody	Icarus and Daedalus	Greek Myth	822