Index of Folktales, Stories, Plays, Poems and Songs in AppLit

for alphabetical listings see Site Index


Teaching Unit on West Virginia's Appalachian Music and Literature contains text and audio files of tales, songs, poems, and excerpts from books by Cynthia Rylant.

Folktales from Oral and Written Sources (see also Poems and Music below)

Mutsmag

Adapted by R. Rex Stephenson
Illustrated by school children

Munsmeg

A folktale collected by Richard Chase

The Big Old Sow and the Three Little Pigs

A folktale collected by James Taylor Adams

Jack and His Lump of Silver

A folktale told by Raymond Sloan
to R. Rex Stephenson

Jack and His Lump of Silver

Collected by James M. Hylton

The Boy Who Was Sent for Soap

A folktale collected by James Taylor Adams

Jack and the Giants

Retold by R. Rex Stephenson

The Soap Tale

A folktale collected by Emory L. Hamilton

Jack and the King's Girl

Collected and retold by R. Rex Stephenson

The Babes in the Woods

A folktale collected by James Taylor Adams

Jack Goes to Seek his Fortune

A folktale collected by James Taylor Adams

The Little Babes in the Woods

A folktale collected by James M. Hylton

 Jack and the Robbers

A folktale collected by James Taylor Adams

The Three Gold Nuts

A folktale told by Dicy Adams
to James Taylor Adams

 How Jack Got a New Shirt

A folktale collected by James M. Hylton

Seneca The-Mush-Stick (Catskins)

A folktale told by Dicy Adams
to James Taylor Adams

Jack Plays The Banjo For Tom

A folktale collected by James M. Hylton

Old Guy Frye

A folktale collected by Richard Chase

How Jack Got Tom To Do Will's Hard Work

A folktale collected by James M. Hylton

Ferradiddledumday

(A Blue Ridge version of "Rumpelstiltskin")
Written by Becky Mushko

Jack and Mossyfoot

A Jack tale collected by James Taylor Adams

The Gingerbread Boy and The Johnny Cake Boy

Folktales collected by James Taylor Adams

The Tale Without an End - and - The Endless Tale

Jack tales collected by James Taylor Adams

The Three Bears

A folktale collected by James Taylor Adams

Fool Jack and the Talking Crow

A folktale collected by Richard Chase

Willie and the Devil

A folktale collected by James Taylor Adams

The Thieving Boy

A Jack tale collected by James M. Hylton

Cinderella's Slipper

A folktale collected by Emory L. Hamilton

Pretty Polly

A folktale collected by Emory L. Hamilton

The Greenbrier Ghost

Retold by Avis Caynor and Dennis Deitz
With audio reading by Dewitt Wyatt

Tony Beaver and the Watermelon Party

By Mary E. Cober
With audio reading by Phil Wyatt

 Through Thick and Thin

A folktale collected by James M. Hylton

The Old Man and His Seven Sons

A fable collected by James M. Hylton

Old Joe Grady

Original tales by Peter Crow
Ferrum College

Mountain Marbles: An Appalachian Tale

Written by Tracy L. Roberts
Illustrations by Stella Reinhard

The Neighbor's Pigs

Words & audio by storyteller Bonnie Collins

Down Come a Leg

A "Haunted House" tale collected by Richard Chase

Death and the Old Woman

A folktale collected by Richard Chase

Hold Your Breath

Words and audio by Ernest Caynor

The Hairy Woman

A folktale collected by James Taylor Adams

The Poor Boy and Rich Girl

A folktale collected by Emory L. Hamilton

Mutsy of the Sea

A California adaptation of "Mutsmag" by Shelby Mahan

The Boy Who Wanted Gold

A folktale collected by Richard Chase

How the Cricket Got its Churp

By elementary student Drew Echols

How the Porcupine Got His Quills

By Jessica Faught in 7th grade

Students Write Jack Tales by Merri Hess, with tales written by fourth graders

Fiction and Drama (see also Folktales above)

Appalachia: The Voices of Singing Birds

Excerpt of picture book text by Cynthia Rylant,
with audio reading

Spelldown

Story by Becky Mushko

Accendo   /   The Tire Swing

Stories by Raven Walker

The Last Rose

Story by Marina Powell

Puppet Plays by Fifth-Grade Students

Four plays compiled by DeAnn Setler

A Midsummer Night's Recollection

A One-Act Play by Becky Mushko

Dear Diary

Fantasy story by elementary student Erin Miller

The Magic Ruby

Fantasy story by 4th-grader Wendy Trotter

Peter Rapp-It

(A Very Modern Version of the Peter Rabbit Story)
By Bob Henry Baber

The Good Heart of Thunderpants

Story by Bob Henry Baber

Poems and Music (see also Folktales above)

for alphabetical listings see Site Index

Poems by Marilou Awiakta     Out of Ashes Peace Will Rise
Smoky Mountain-Woman
Song of the Grandmothers

When Earth Becomes an "It"

I am a Modern Day Appalachian Woman

Poem by Lisa Norvell

The Art of Being Southern

Poem by Jessica Wimmer

"Where I'm From" Poems

By Ferrum College Students, inspired by George Ella Lyon

Where I'm From

By Billie Quesenberry, inspired by George Ella Lyon

Where I'm From

By Marina Powell, inspired by George Ella Lyon

Where I'm From

By Caroline King, inspired by George Ella Lyon

I Am

Poem by Jasmine White, inspired by George Ella Lyon

A Tale of Two Places

Poem by Carl Childers

Sexism in Agriculture

Poem by René Settle

More than a Map Dot

Poem by Billie Quesenberry

Chestnuts, Sleep

Poem by Danny Adams

Mountain Ranges

Poem by Ashley Dalton

Mr. Al's Steam Machine

Poem by Madison Cline

Fall is near, just listen

Poem by Autumn Potkay

My Home Among the Hills

Words & Music by E. W. James, Jr.
Audio by West Virginia Wesleyan Choir

The West Virginia Hills

Words by Mrs. Ellen King, music by H. E. Engle, with audio

Rhododendron Song (about West Virginia)

With musical score & audio singing

West Virginia

Poem by Louise McNeill
Audio reading by Karen Morgan

Polly is Dead (about Polly Vaughn)

Poem by Drew Howell

In Grandma's Day

Folk ballad collected by James M. Hylton

Pretty Polly

Folk ballad collected by  James M. Hylton

Molly Vaunder

Song collected by Juanita Dawson with words & audio singing

John Henry

With musical score & audio sung by Noel Tenney

Lord Randal

Folk ballad collected by  James M. Hylton

Froggie Went A-Courting

Three versions of the folk ballad collected by James M. Hylton

A Frog Went A-Courting

Collected by Cecil Sharp in Kentucky

The Piggy Song

Words (2 versions) & audio sung by Bonnie Collins

Jenny Put the Kettle On

 A playparty song collected by  James M. Hylton

Mother Goose (a "Jack" Rhyme)

Poem collected by  James M. Hylton

My Golden Castle

Folk ballad collected by  James M. Hylton

The Blackberry

Verse collected by James M. Hylton

Two Orphans

Song collected by Emory L. Hamilton

The Two Babes

Song collected by Emory L. Hamilton

The Babes Who Were Stolen Away

Folk ballad collected by James M. Hylton

The Crow Song

Folk ballad collected by  James M. Hylton

Cindy

Traditional dance tune with words & audio singing

The Booger Family

Poem by Bob Henry Baber

O Soldier, Soldier

Traditional song with score, words & audio singing

Appalachian Home

Poem by student Shelby N.

Morning in Blacksburg

Poem by student Mary Catherine L.

Appalachian Riddles, including "The Riddle Song"

Compiled by Tina L. Hanlon

Appalachian Folk Instruments
also contains samples of instrumental music.
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Site Index

Index of Student Writing in AppLit

See Digital Library of Appalachia for many other digital copies of tales, songs,  images, and documents from archives of ACA colleges.

AppLit's Appalachian Picture Gallery with Illustrations by Ashton Long for Don West Song "Kentucky Miners"

NOTE: These selections are reprinted with permission in AppLit. Please observe copyright restrictions when citing or printing them for personal use or teaching.

AppLit is grateful for assistance with typing folktales to Michelle Vincent, Sandy Doss, Danny Adams, and Denna Austin.

Abigail McGovern, editor of Chrysalis Literary and Arts Magazine, selected student writings reprinted here in 2022.

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