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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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