A folktale is a story passed down through generations by word of mouth, usually teaching a lesson or explaining something about the world. These stories weren't written down originally: people told them out loud to their children, who told them to their children, and so on, sometimes for hundreds of years before anyone recorded them in books.

You probably know folktales without realizing it. “The Tortoise and the Hare” is a folktale that teaches about persistence. “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” warns about lying. “Stone Soup” shows how cooperation works. Different cultures have their own folktales: Anansi stories from West Africa feature a clever spider, while Japanese folktales might include magical tanuki (raccoon dogs) or helpful cranes.

Because folktales spread by being retold rather than read, they changed slightly each time someone told them. A grandmother in one village might emphasize different details than a grandfather in another village. That's why you might find different versions of the same basic story.

Folktales differ from fairy tales (which often have magical elements like fairy godmothers) and myths (which explain how the world was created or involve gods). Folktales usually feature ordinary people or talking animals facing everyday problems, using their wits, kindness, or courage to succeed.