Folk Tales

A form of lengthy accounts based on real life, accompanied by a saz, in which words and gestures are employed. They can be classified in two forms, according to dimension:

1. Shorter stories with a simple structure based on legend, fable or real life. They last for at most two hours, together with their accompanying folk songs.

2. Longer stories dealing with more individuals, unexpected situations arising one after the other and the conflicts arising from them. These can last from 1-7 nights.

EXAMPLES OF FOLK TALES

The lion, the wolf and the fox

Once upon a time, a lion, a wolf and a fox became friends. They went hunting because they were hungry. By the end, they had caught an ox, a sheep and a rabbit. Bringing all the catch together, the lion turned to the wolf, saying, ‘Divide them up, so we can each have our share.’ The wolf replied: ‘The ox is yours, the sheep mine, and the fox can have the rabbit.’

The lion then grew very angry, hit the wolf with his paw and knocked him over a cliff. He then turned to the fox, and asked him to divide up the spoils. The cunning fox answered: ‘The ox is your evening meal. The sheep is your lunch and the rabbit your breakfast.’ The lion laughed, and asked where the fox had got the idea from. ‘From our friend who just went over the cliff,’ he responded.