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Focus on the Genre
Trickster TalesWhat is a trickster tale?
What is the purpose of trickster tales?
How do you read a trickster tale?
Who writes trickster tales?
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Features of a Trickster Tale
The trickster has a problem or
helps someone with a problem.
© 2010 Benchmark education company, LLc • GWP012
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The trickster outwits another
character to solve the problem.
The story is short and usually funny.
The main characters are
usually animals.
The trickster may have a flaw.
Gr3Trickster_pstr.indd 1 5/21/10 2:04:02 PM
Earth and sky were as black
as night even in the daytime.
Foxes could not hunt in the
dark. Birds could not fly.
Tricky Raven hated flying
in the dark. He could not see
where he was going.
One day Raven heard a
mean old fisherman talking to
his daughter. The fisherman
said he kept all the light
in his fishing box.
Raven had an idea. He had
a special power. He could
change his shape. He could
look like a rock, or a tree,
or anything. Raven followed
them to the river.
When the fisherman’s
daughter took a drink from
the river, Raven turned into a
drop of water. The fisherman’s
daughter drank Raven. Inside
the girl, Raven changed again.
He changed to look like a
human sleeping inside the girl.
Later, the girl had a baby. The
baby looked like Raven. When
the fisherman and his daughter
weren’t looking, Raven crawled
to the fishing box and took the
ball of light. He changed back
into a bird and flew high into
the sky with the light in his
beak. Everyone rubbed their
eyes. They were amazed to
see the sun in the sky.
Tricky Raven Steals the Light
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Raven, the trickster character, tricks the girl into drinking him by turning himself into a drop of water.
The trickster solves the problem by stealing light and is the hero.
The tale is short.
The main character is an animal.
The author introduces the problem. There is no light.
© 2010 Benchmark education company, LLc • GWP012
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Gr3Trickster_pstr.indd 2 5/21/10 2:04:14 PM
Fox and Guinea Pig
Illustration: Bill Greenhead
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© 2010 Benchmark education company, LLc • GWP013
Night after night, Guinea Pig stole food
from a farm. To stop the thief, the farmer
made a guard out of sticky tar.
When Guinea Pig spotted the tar guard,
he thought it was another thief. “Go away,”
Guinea Pig ordered. “This is my food.”
The guard did not answer.
“Can you hear?” Guinea Pig asked.
“Go away!”
The guard remained still and silent.
Guinea Pig tried to push the guard out
of the yard, but his paws stuck in the goo!
Just then, Fox came along. “What are you
doing?” he asked.
Guinea Pig saw a chance and said, “The
farmer said I could marry his daughter if
I were taller. This magic tar will make me
grow. But I’m tired of waiting to become a
giant. Help pull my paws out of the magic
tar and I’ll let you put your paws in. By
morning, the farmer will see how tall you
are and will ask you to marry his gorgeous
daughter.”
“I’ll be rich!” Fox exclaimed. “All the
chickens will be mine to eat!”
Fox helped Guinea Pig get loose and
then put his paws into the gooey tar. Now
Fox was stuck!
“Thanks for helping me escape,” Guinea
Pig said. Then he swiftly ran away, laughing.
Gr3Trickster_pstr.indd 3 5/21/10 2:04:28 PM
Make Connections Across Texts
Tricky Raven Steals the Light
Fox and Guinea Pig
Describe the trickster.
Describe the other character(s).
How does the author describe the trickster?
How does the author describe the other character(s)?
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© 2010 Benchmark education company, LLc • GWP013
Gr3Trickster_pstr.indd 4 5/21/10 2:04:40 PM
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