Tiger is strong, but is not as skilled as his cousin the cat at hunting. Tiger asks for hunting lessons and promises to be Cat's protector. The smart cat does not teach all of his tricks to Tiger. Cats can climb trees. Tigers cannot. Storytelling Motif J1662.0.1

Rabbit seeks to become wise and demands the Sky God give him wisdom. Rabbit is given three seemingly impossible tasks to do to earn wisdom. Rabbit completes tasks and is given wisdom.

Mouse claims to be stronger than elephant and sets off to prove it. Mouse meets different animals who run away due to different reasons. Mouse thinks they ran away out of fear. Mouse finds elephant. Elephant drinks up water and blows mouse across the jungle and leaves. Mouse thinks elephant ran away in a rainstorm. Mouse continues telling everyone that elephants are afraid of mice.

Wolf wakes up hungry and tells COW/HORSE/PIG he will eat them. (Original tale had RAM. Dr. Lockett changed Ram to Cow for telling the story to Chinese and Spanish listeners where Ram is not used in their language.) Three animals fool wolf. Wolf is still hungry at end of story. Storytelling Motif K553.3.1 and K553.4.1

Rabbit is always helping other animals, including bear. Then bear eats all of rabbit's food and goes to sleep in rabbits home - a hollow log. Other animals block bear into the log. It wakes up and always finds it is dark and goes back to sleep. When spring arrives the leaves and mud blocking the log wash away and bear wakes up. Bear feels so good that he hibernates every winter now. Dr. Margaret Read MacDonald lists the storytelling motif for the tale as 'A2481.1' Why Bears Hibernate. Animals stop up hollow tree to be rid of disliked bear. He sleeps all winter."

Yiddish Folktale - Two men are good friends. One had faith that God has a purpose in everything and that God is good all of the time. There is no room for the two in town and they must sleep in the word. Their donkey is eaten by a lion. Their rooster is eaten by a wildcat. Their torch will not light, and they must sleep in the dark woods without a fire. These seem like bad things. But the man of faith explained God's purpose for each happening and shows God's love.

Native American Tale from the Hopi Tribe - The sky is lifting up and going high into the sky. Moose, Bear and other animals try unsuccessfully to hold the sky to the earth. Grandmother Spider wants to help the other animals and is turned down. On her own, she catches the sky with a web - then climbs up and down using webs to hold the sky to the earth. Sometimes when you see sunbeams, you might be seeing Grandmother Spider's webbing that still holds the sky to the earth.

Frog lives in a small well where all of its needs are met. It believes it lives in the greatest place possible. Other animals try to tell Frog that the world is bigger. But Frog does not believe them. Like humans - Frog can only see the world from its own personal experiences. A bird takes Frog out of its small world and widens Frog's viewpoint.

Audience Participation Story as adapted by Dr. Mike Lockett, The Normal Storyteller

Adaptation of ancient Scottish story a mystical elf-like creature called a Brownie. Story incorporates the legend and tells how working happily together makes the work easier and gets it done faster. Story is often told to accompany the song of Aiken Drum.

Monkey and Rabbit have bad habits. Monkey scratches. Rabbit twitches. They have a contest to see who can sit still and not use their bad habits. They tell each other stories and use their habits as gestures in their stories. Folk Tale Motif K263.1

Little Pigs leave mother to built houses of their own. They build houses of Straw, Sticks and Bricks. Big Bad Wolf comes and blows down straw and stick houses. Wolf cannot blow down brick house, and pigs are saved. Folktale Motif number - K891.1.1

Fox tricks bear into using his tail in icy water to catch fish. The bear puts tail in water. Water freezes. Bear stands up fast as advised by fix and loses tail. Storytelling Motif - K1021

Audience Participation Activity written by Dr. Mike Lockett, The Normal Storyteller. - Based on pattern in The Button Factory learned from storyteller Michael Parent.

Filipino Folktale As Retold by Dr. Mike Lockett. Seven friends take a day trip. They count each other to make certain all are present before returning home. Each time - the counter forgets to count himself/herself. So they believe someone is missing. Only when a stranger counts them everyone is found, and they can celebrate. Another version of the same plot can be found among tales of the Wise Men of Gotham.

Cumulative story from Philippines about why male mosquitos do not buzz or sting as retold by Dr. Mike Lockett. - Frog blames croak that keeps bird from sleeping on turtle who carries house on his back. Turtle carried house because afraid of firefly. Firefly afraid of mosquito and his sharp knife. Male mosquito is punished for threatening others and no longer buzzes and does not bite. Storytelling Motif - A2426.3.5.1

Lion is tired of being King of Land and the Air and asks birds to select their own king. The birds hold a contest to see who can fly the highest. However, the agreed upon words are not who can FLY the highest, but who can GO the highest. Little Bird hides in falcon's wings. Falcon FLIES the highest and expects to become king of the birds. Then LITTLE BIRD flies up from falcon's back after falcon lands - proving Little Bird WENT the highest. Brains win out again.

Anansi and his family have a good harvest. Anansi does not want to share his food with anyone including his family. His greed causes him to behave in ways embarrassing to his family. In humiliation he often takes the shape of a spider and hides in corners.

Appalachian Tale as retold by Dr. Mike Lockett, The Normal Storyteller - The Gunny Wolf is an American Folktale handed down through the generations in the Appalachians.  The actual origin is unknown.  It was made popular by American librarian/folklorist Wilhemina Harper in her 1967 re-telling as "The Gunniwolf." A Little Girl disobeys her mother and enters the woods. She is forced by a Gunny Wolf to sing for him. She escapes and never goes into the woods again. Folktale Motif G555.1.4