Folktales are traditional fictional stories that have been transmitted from narrator to narrator, often orally, and have acquired the form and style that is characteristic of traditional oral narratives the world over. They are stories for people, usually simple, and are closely related to many storytelling traditions, including fables, myths, and fairy tales. Folktales are passed down from generation to generation and do not have a single author. They are an important way of passing along knowledge, information, and history. Folktales can be about many different parts of life, such as joys and sorrows, animals and magic beings, and heroes and villains. They can be scary, funny, or exciting. Different types of folktales may entertain, teach a lesson, or try to explain things that people do not understand. Some examples of folktales include fables, fairy tales, tall tales, and animal tales.