45
The world of fairy tales
Textbook: Part 3, pp. 4–7
GoalSay what a tale is and the difference between a folk tale and a literary tale; know how tales begin.
New words
fairy tale · ertakfolk tale · xalq ertagiliterary tale · adabiy ertakauthor · muallif
Explanation
A tale is an imaginative, adventurous work of art. A folk tale has passed from mouth to mouth and its author is unknown. A literary tale has a known author. Tales often begin with “Bor ekan, yo‘q ekan” (There was and there was not). In the Uzbek folk tale “Shirin uyqu” in the textbook three sons understand their father’s last wish in different ways. We read our own tale.
Worked examples
“The red apple”. There once was and was not a village with three friends. On the road they found one big red apple. The first said: “I will eat it, I saw it first.” The second said: “No, I will eat it, I picked it up.” The third said: “Let us eat it together.” They shared the apple equally and it tasted very sweet.
Conclusion: food that is shared tastes sweet.
Class activity
“Tale openers”: each child begins a tale with “Bor ekan, yo‘q ekan ...” and the next child continues.
Practice
1
What did the children find on the road?
A big red apple
2
What did the third child propose?
To eat the apple together, all three
3
Why did the apple taste sweet?
They shared it.
4
Does a folk tale have a known author?
No, the author is unknown.
5
With what words does a tale often begin?
Bor ekan, yo‘q ekan