Partner Share

1. Partner Share Discuss the characteristics of a tall tale.

2. Learning Objective: Identify the structural characteristics of a legend. RC 3.1

3. What are identifying today? Identify the structural characteristics of a legend.

4. Legends Legends are about people and their actions or deeds. The people lived in more recent times and are mentioned in history. The stories are told for a purpose and are based on facts, but they are not completely true. Characteristics include: • Has a hero or popular character. • The hero is real but some parts of the story are not completely true. They have been stretched or expanded upon. • Handed down through generations. Examples: Legend of King Arthur and the Knight’s of the Round Table, Robin Hood, Davy Crocket, Daniel Boone

5. Why is it important to know structural characteristics of a legend? It will help us to become readers by strengthening our comprehension.

6. What is the heroic act? Who is the hero? Jesse James and the Widow A Missouri Folktale retold by S.E. Schlosser One day, as Jesse James and his gang were riding through Missouri, they saw a farmhouse and stopped to ask for something to eat. A widow lived there with three small children. She didn't have much in the house, but shared with them what she had. It was while they were eating lunch that Jesse James noticed that something was bothering this generous widow. He questioned her about it, and she broke down and told him her story. The mortgage was due on the house that very day, and since her husband had died, she did not have the money to pay it. Her landlord was not a generous man, and was sure to put her children and herself out on the street. "How much money do you need to pay the mortgage?" Jesse asked the widow. "Fifteen hundred dollars," the widow sobbed. Jesse James took out his money bag, counted out $1500 dollars and presented it to the widow. "I can't take this," she protested, but Jesse James insisted she use the money to pay off the mortgage. "Just make sure you get a receipt," he warned her, and she promised that she would. Then he got a description of the man, and left with his gang. Jesse James and his gang waited in the woods near the house until the man had collected his money from the widow. Then they rode out onto the road and stole their money back from the landlord. What is the effect of the heroic act?

7. The widow and her family were able to stay in their house. Gave the widow money for the mortgage. Jesse James Legend

8. Legend? Read the text. Ask yourself, “Is there a hero? What was the heroic act? What was the effect of the heroic act? THE ANTS were spending a fine winter's day drying grain collected in the summertime. A Grasshopper, perishing with famine, passed by and earnestly begged for a little food. The Ants inquired of him, "Why did you not treasure up food during the summer?' He replied, "I had not leisure enough. I passed the days in singing." They then said in derision: "If you were foolish enough to sing all the summer, you must dance supperless to bed in the winter." Not a legend but a Fable as there is talking animals and it teaches a leson.

9. King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table All the knights in the country wanted to be soldiers for King Arthur. The bravest of them were allowed to sit at the round table. They were known as the ‘Knights of the Round Table’. Because it was round, the positions of all the seats were equal. No-one could say they were more important because they sat at the end. The Saxons were still attacking the British. Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table fought against the Saxons in many battles. They finally defeated them at the Battle of Mount Badon. Everyone was happy and felt very safe again. Arthur thought he was doing a better job than the Roman Emperor in Italy. He decided to take his army to Europe. After a lot of fighting, the Emperor agreed to give the western half of Europe to Arthur. Back in Britain, the Knights of the Round Table had lots of adventures. Some rescued princesses. Some fought dragons or bad knights. • Read the text. • Ask yourself, “Is there a hero? • What was the heroic act? • What was the effect of the heroic act?

10. Made the British People feel safe once More. Saved the British People From their Enemies. King Arthur Knights of Round Table Legend

11. What are the structural characteristics of a legend? Why is it important to know the structural characteristics of a legend? • Read the text. • Ask yourself, “Is there a hero?” • What is the heroic act? • What is the effect of the heroic act? Casey Jones

12. Casey Jones • A Tennessee Legend • retold by • S.E. Schlosser • Casey Jones, that heroic railroad engineer of the Cannonball, was known as the man who always brought the train in on time. He would blow the whistle so it started off soft but would increase to a wail louder than a banshee before dying off. Got so as people would recognize that whistle and know when Casey was driving past. • April 29, 1900, Casey brought the Cannonball into Memphis dead on time. As he was leaving, he found out one of the other engineers was sick and unable to make his run. So Casey volunteered to help out his friend. He pulled the train out of the station about eleven p.m., an hour and thirty-five minutes late. Casey was determined to make up the time. As soon as he could, he highballed out of Memphis (highballing means to go very fast and take a lot of risks to get where your headed) and started making up for lost time. • About four a.m., when he had nearly made up all the time on the run, Casey rounded a corner near Vaughin, Mississippi and saw a stalled freight train on the track. He shouted for his fireman to jump. The fireman made it out alive, but Casey Jones died in the wreck, one hand on the brake and one on the whistle chord.