A folktale is a type of traditional story that tries to explain or understand the world. Such stories were orally passed down through the generations and feature morals or lessons. The stories usually take place long ago in a faraway place and are woven around talking animals, royalty, peasants, or mythical creatures.

In a folktale, goodness is always rewarded. Heroes and heroines live happily ever after while villains are suitably punished. Throughout the generations, the story may change but its core remains the same. Folktales usually have no identified author, but they mirror the values and culture of the society from which they originated.

Before the Internet, newspapers, radio, television, and other types of media, the world relied on storytellers for entertainment and education. Storytellers related magical tales to eager listeners that taught valuable lessons by providing glimpses into strange, faraway worlds. These stories continued to thrive, passed down throughout the centuries.

In 1450, when Johan Gutenberg invented the movable type printing press, the emergence of the book publishing industry made it possible for people to print books of folktales. Having folktales in hard copy form helped preserve the rich array of folktales floating around Europe. In the 1800s, Europeans began to double their efforts in recording their cultural history by collecting regional folktales into books.

People like Joseph Jacobs from England, Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm from Germany, and Peter Asbjornsen and Moe Jorgen from Norway, were all early collectors of regional folktales. Their versions of these stories can still be found in anthologies and picture books throughout the world.

Various types of folktales exist in the world today. A cumulative folktale features a plotless story where events follow a repetitious pattern. Examples of this type include The House That Jack Built or There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. Talking animal folktales feature animals who speak like humans. These stories teach lessons about the rewards of being brave, independent, and clever. Examples include stories such as The Three Little Pigs or The Three Billy Goats Gruff.