Introduction TRICKSTER Stories What are tricksters How do tricksters act in stories There are many folktales about tricksters Tricksters are characters who play tricks They usually have magical powers They’re both good and bad They’re both smart and dumb They’re both kind and mean Sometimes they help others They’re heroes Heroes are good guys Sometimes they make trouble They’re villains Villains are the bad guys Tricksters can be fools They add humor to stories Humor means being funny Most tricksters are talking animals Some are human 4
Tricksters play tricks Tricks are also played on them Tricksters have a weakness They use their wit to overcome weaknesses They survive They escape Often they create order from chaos Chaos means a mess Tricksters make stories more interesting I follow my own rules 5
BRER Rabbit Where do the Brer Rabbit stories come from How did Brer Rabbit trick Sis Cow Brer Rabbit is a trickster Brer means brother Brer Rabbit comes from African stories African slaves brought these stories to the United States Brer Rabbit was walking home one day He lived in a briar patch A briar patch is an area of land with thick thorny plants Brer Rabbit saw Sis Cow Sis means sister Sis Cow was eating grass It was a hot day Brer Rabbit was thirsty He wanted milk He asked Sis Cow can I have some milk 6 Chapter 1
Brer Rabbit tricks bigger animals This shows how the weak can overcome the strong Sis Cow said No you may not This happened every day for many weeks Brer Rabbit was tired of hearing no So he came up with a plan Brer Rabbit walked up to Sis Cow He said Can you help me I want some fruit from that tree But it’s too 7
