Folk-Tales

Many, many years ago, a long time before there were books or newspapers, people had stories. People did not read stories because there were no books. Instead, they told stories to each other. Stories were very important in their life. They helped people to learn, to remember, and to enjoy their time together.

In the long winter evenings, when the days were short and cold, people could not work in the fields or the gardens. They stayed at home and sat near the fire. The fire was warm and bright. Around the fire, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, and sometimes grandparents, told stories. Children listened very carefully. They liked to hear about heroes, animals, magic, and adventures.

When the children grew up, they remembered the stories from their parents and grandparents. Later, they told these stories to their own children. In this way, the stories were passed from one generation to another. People changed some details, added new ideas, and made the stories interesting for the new children. For hundreds of years, the stories were told by mouth, until at last, someone wrote them down. Then the stories became books, and now everyone can read them.

Even today, people like to hear old stories. Some stories are very old, older than many houses and towns. They help us to know about the life of people many, many years ago. They teach lessons, make us laugh, and sometimes even make us think. This is how stories have lived for hundreds of years, and they will continue to live in the future.