TRICKY! TRICKY!The Trickster Tale

What is a trickster?

•A clever animal or person in a story who plays a trick on other characters, causing

them problems.

•The character uses a trick to solve a problem they have.

What is a trickster like?• They think they are smarter than the other

characters in the story and they won’t get caught in their trick.

• They have character flaws such as being greedy or too proud of themselves.

• Even if their trick doesn’t work out, the trickster often doesn’t learn from their

mistakes.

What are the characteristics of a trickster story?

• It is traditionally a folktale, passed down through many generations.

• The story reads as if someone was telling it out loud.

• The plot moves fast.• The ending comes quickly.

• The other characters learn a lesson or moral from the story.

Who are some famous tricksters?

• Brer Rabbit….

a trickster of the

southern United States,

he often got in trouble as

Brer Fox tried to catch him

to eat. Brer Rabbit had to

use his tricks to get out

of trouble.

• Anansi the Spider…

a trickster of West Africa.

He uses his wits and

tricks to get what he

wants. His tricks don’t

often work out the way

he hopes. Anansi often

appears as a man.

• Coyote…

a trickster in the

Native American culture.

Though coyote is a

trickster, we can learn

important lessons

through his stories.

• Bugs Bunny

a modern trickster.

He uses his wits to

outsmart Elmer Fudd

and others either to

escape capture or

get what he wants.

Now let’s get tricky!