Letters to Bear: Trickster Tale Advice from the Third Grade

As part of a study of different cultures who have influences American history, students read a variety of Trickster Tales.  Trickster tales are short, imaginative narratives that usually use animal characters to convey fold wisdom and to help us understand human nature and develop proper human behavior.  These stories were originally passed down through oral tradition and were eventually written down.  Trickster tales provide comic relief but also explain how humans have the knowledge they possess.  

To introduce the topic of trickster tales to the third graders, a modern trickster tale, Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens, was read to the students.  In this story, lazy Bear sleeps through every planting season, so conniving Hare makes him a deal.  Hare and his family will work Bear's land and split the crops in half.  He'll even let Bear choose which half he wants, tops or bottoms.  Bear chooses but each season Hare ends up reaping all of the vegetable profits.

Afterwards, students wrote a letter to poor Bear to give him some advice. I always enjoy reading student writing because it is possible to gain insight into their personalities and also to see the parts of the stories with which they made a connection.  Below are three samples of student writing:  

Dear Bear, Plant your own crops.  Don't let Hare plant
your crops next time.  Say, "I want middles, tops and bottoms."
And let them plant it.  Say, "You plant it.  I eat it."  Buy your land back
and stop being lazy.  You are not nocturnal.  You sleep during the winter.
Stop sleeping on the front porch in that rocking chair.  Sincerely, Alivia
P.S.  If you're going to be lazy you're going to need to go to a furniture
store and get you a Lazy Boy Recliner.

Dear Bear, I heard Hare is tricking you.  You should stop being lazy
 and do your own work and plant your own crops
and I will come to your house to help you.
Sincerely, Da'Maireon  P.S. Stop being lazy.

Dear Bear, I heard you are getting tricked by Hare.  Hear is mean.
I think you learned your lesson to not be lazy.  You should grow your own
crops so Hare don't take all of your food like he done in the book.  He took your
corn, lettuce, broccoli, tomatoes, and your carrots.  He took a lot of your food.
Bears sleep in the winter not in the summer. You should go
to sleep in your home.,  I think I know how he come to you house
every summer.  He came to your house to plant so me
crops.  But he tricked you.  Ever summer you should have
said,  "tops and bottoms, and middles."  You didn't even know
at first but ever summer he took you food because you gambled.
You should be more careful.Your Friend, Karissa  P.S. Stop slacking and get up!

In class we read several trickster tales including Anansi the Spider:  a Tale of the Ashanti (West Africa) by Gerald McDermott and Anansi and the Cattle Ranch (Nicaragua) by Harriet Rohmer.  We also watched the following video clip:

We also read the tale of Zomo the Rabbit by Gerald McDermott who is known as Bre'er Rabbit in the United States.  The following video clip told a story of Bre'er Rabbit: