Tying the Knot

Folk tales of love and marriage from around the world

 by Edel Wignell

Folk tales are part of the oral tradition – stories handed down through word-of-mouth by storytellers in families and communities. They emerged from the lives and experiences of ordinary people, long before the first printing presses were invented in the 15^th century.

This collection, suitable for students from Year 6 to Year 9, includes:

• A tall tale tells how a young husband learns to cope with a stubborn wife and, eventually, to outwit her! In another, a man and his wife argue, and neither will give in, so they wager on the outcome.

• In the 'clever girl' tradition are 'The Maiden Wiser than the Tsar' and 'The Riddles', in which young women improve their condition and that of their families by their wit and wisdom.

• A poor, but resourceful young man enters a royal household by courting a princess who appreciates his outrageous sense of humour, while a lazy one relies on luck and a snippet of effort.

• In an African tale, six young women seek an elusive young man, and in a Chinese one, a queen outwits a cruel husband who seeks immortality.

• The Cinderella tale, popularised by Perrault (France), can be found in more than 300 cultures. This collection includes the variant told by the Algonquin First Nations of North America.

And there’s more…...

 Tying the Knot is accompanied by a Teacher’s Resource Book which includes background information on the stories and the cultures they came from, and ideas and activities to use in the classroom.

For more information about Edel Wignell see www.edelwignell.com.au

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Contents Outline

Encore Contents:

The Capture of Walter Schnaffs    Guy de Maupassant 

Nothing to be Afraid of                  Jan Mark

Tooking for a Lowel                        Patrick Campbell        

The Open Window                        Saki (H H Munro)

 High Tea                                         Des Field       

The Tell-tale Heart                          Edgar Allan Poe

 William's Version                           Jan Mark        

The Second Bullet                          Anna Katherine Green

 The Bottle Imp                                R L Stevenson 

A Retrieved Reformation              O. Henry (William Sydney Porter)

 Teach me to Dance                      Kerry Goldsworthy    

A Birthday                                       Katherine Mansfield

 The New World                            William Lane  

Mrs Cart                                          Jack Cox

Striker                                              Matthew Fitt   

The Judgement of Paris               Leonard Merrick

Black Hole                                      Geraldine Stow          

Waking Up                                     Kate Stephens

Encore Teacher Resource Book includes a range of related student activities encouraging students to reflect, analyse, challenge and create.