BackgroundBe careful what you wish for…. This is a theme of many folktales around theworld. Oftentimes, there is a lesson to be learned, such as the consequencesof greed and the reliance upon material possessions to bring happiness.Most often, the protagonist learns to be happy with the things he alreadyhas. In this tale from China, a young boy learns this lesson as a result of hisexperience with a magical and mischievous gourd. Folk literature terms rele-vant to this tale are provided below:

folk literature/folklore — Traditional tales, knowledge and beliefshanded down from generation to generation by word of mouth.folktale — A type of folk literature that has grown from the lives andimaginations of people. Folktales often tell of the adventures of human oranimal characters and sometimes attempt to explain the physical or spiri-tual world. Folktales can be organized into several different categories.moral tale — A story in which a lesson is learned or a message is con-veyed. Sometimes, the moral is left for listeners or readers to determinefor themselves, while at other times it is explicitly stated.magic and wonder tales — A type of folktale. Magic and wonder talescontain some element of magic. This magic can be used for good or bad.Transformations from human to animal or animal to human are commonin this type of folktale.

Program SummaryIt is Wang Bao’s lucky day! He goes fishing and catches a magic gourd thatwill grant him anything he wants. He enjoys many gifts from the gourd, fromcomic books to cash. However, he soon discovers that everything he wishesfor is stolen from someone else. He tries to return all of the stolen items, butthey all end up back in his home. When he deliberately tries to think aboutnot wanting things, the gourd still gives him those things because deepdown, Wang Bao really does want them. Frustrated, Wang Bao mentions hisdilemma to his friend and the magic gourd is infuriated. Wang Bao refuses tolisten to the gourd and threatens to tell even more people about its deceitfuland cheating ways. The magic gourd tries to appeal to Wang Bao’s friend butis also rejected, causing it to melt away.

Pre-viewing Discussion• Ask students to complete this sentence: “Be careful of what you wish for,

because...”• Locate China on a map. Discuss its location in Asia and the countries that

border it. Use the map and other geographical information to make infer-ences about the landscape and people of that place. How might this infor-mation be relevant to a story set in this location? (Continued)

• Review some of the different types of folktales so that students can classifythis tale after viewing.

Follow-Up Discussion • What lesson should Wang Bao take from his experience with the magic

gourd? • Recall the events and characters of this tale. Which parts were realistic?

Which parts were magical? • Discuss the cultural elements of the characters, setting and plot by asking

students which aspects of the tale appear to be unique to China and whichones are more universal in nature.

Follow-up Activities • China: The Magic Gourd is an example of a folktale that has a moral, or

lesson. Wang Bao thinks the magic gourd will bring him happiness throughall of the things he wishes for, but the gourd really only gives him moreproblems. Discuss the wide use of stories to teach lessons. Consider watch-ing Japan: Crossing the Snow or Caribbean: The Chief and the Carpenter.Both tales teach great lessons. Encourage students to get creative and comeup with their own moral tales. Students can write and illustrate theirstories or prepare for a dramatic storytelling.

• Magical objects are popular motifs of tales from around the world. Motifsare the smallest recurring elements found in folktales. They include every-thing from stock characters, such as tricksters, to magical objects, such asflying carpets. The gourd is made magical by the tiny spirit that lives insideof it. Work with students to generate a list of other tales that have magicalobjects. Students may also enjoy reading Baba Wague Diakite’s retelling of atale from Mali with the same name, The Magic Gourd (Scholastic, 2003), orRobert San Souci’s retelling of a Creole folktale, The Talking Eggs (Dial,1989). Discuss the role the magical objects play in each tale.

• Take an up-close look at the animations of this tale and discover a style ofChinese painting that has been practiced for many centuries. Calligraphicbrushstrokes, nature themes and black ink on silk or paper with the addi-tion of faint color washes are all elements of this style. Visit www.metmuseum.org/explore/Chinese/html_pages/colors.htm tolearn more about Chinese painting and then invite students to paint in thisstyle by using watercolor paints and a brush. They may wish to depict anature setting from the tale.

• While Wang Bao is relieved to be rid of the magic gourd, he worries thatsomeone else might discover it. Have students pretend they are Wang Baoand make posters warning people about the mischievous spirit that lives inthe gourd. Give a detailed sketch of what the magic gourd looks like andprovide information of what to do if someone finds the gourd. Hang theseposters around the classroom.

• Act it out! Recreate this tale in your classroom. This can be done as apuppet show, a mime skit, a student play, etc. In preparation for the produc-tion, examine and critically think about the story’s elements of characters,setting and plot. Consider how the story might change if the setting was adifferent time and place.

• Before folktales were written or turned into films, they were passed downorally, from one generation to the next. Introduce students to the art of sto-rytelling. Discuss different ways in which the storyteller can engage listen-ers (e.g., using sound and gestures, giving vivid sensory details). Practicestorytelling techniques by having each student retell a portion of this tale.

• Compare China today with the setting and people portrayed in the folktale.Organize these similarities and differences using a Venn diagram.

Page 1 of 2 Teacher’s Guide © 2007 by Schlessinger Media, a division of Library Video CompanyP.O. Box 580, Wynnewood, PA 19096 • 800-843-3620

China:The MagicGourd

Suggested Internet Resources• www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/china/

This site, by Minnesota State University, presents information on thehistory and culture of ancient China and the imperial dynasties.

• www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_chinaway/node_147.htmVisit this site for a wealth of information on the people and culture ofChina. Find out about what many in China do for fun, what they eat andthe festivals they celebrate.

• www.timeforkids.com/TFK/specials/goplaces/0,12405,405621,00.htmlDiscover China and what it is like to live there! This web site by Time Inc.presents information about China’s famous sites, history and the country’snational language.

• www.darsie.net/talesofwonder/This archive of folk and fairy tales from around the world presents a sampling of the many stories that make up our world’s oral tradition.

Suggested Print Resources To learn more about the land and people of China:• Gree, Robert. China. Thomson Gale, Farmington Hills, MI; 1999.• Simonds, Nina, Leslie Swartz and Children’s Museum of Boston Staff.

Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats: A Treasury of Chinese HolidayTales, Activities & Recipes. Harcourt Children’s Books, Orlando, FL; 2002.

If you are interested in tales from China, you might also enjoy:• Kimmel, Eric. Ten Suns: A Chinese Legend. Holiday House, New York, NY;

1998.• Poole, Amy Lowry. How the Rooster Got His Crown: A Chinese Folktale.

Holiday House; 1999.• Tseng, Grace. White Tiger, Blue Serpent. William Morrow & Company,

New York, NY; 1999.• Young, Ed. The Lost Horse: A Chinese Folktale. Harcourt Children’s Books

Orlando, FL; 2004.• Young, Ed. The Sons of the Dragon King: A Chinese Legend. Simon &

Schuster Children’s Publishing, New York, NY; 2004.

Teacher’s Guides for titles in this series are available at www.LibraryVideo.com

Teacher’s Guide Copyright 2007 by Schlessinger Media, a division of Library Video CompanyP.O. Box 580,Wynnewood, PA 19096 • 800-843-3620

Program © 2005 S4C International All Rights Reserved

Teacher’s Guide written by Megan Carnate, M.Ed., Curriculum Specialist, Schlessinger Media

Page 2 of 2

• Alaska: Raven Steals the Daylight• Arabia: The Crown and the Sceptre• Armenia: The Shoemaker’s Son• Australia: Bad Baby Amy• Burkina Faso: The Tyrant and the Child• Canada: Timoon and the Narwhal• Caribbean: The Chief and the

Carpenter• Catalonia: The Manairons• China: The Magic Gourd• China: The Magic Paintbrush

• Denmark: The Shepherdess and theChimney Sweep

• England: Cap O’ Rushes• Finland: The Raspberry Worm• France: Ewenn Congar• Germany: Frau Holle• Germany: The Enchanted Lion• Greece: The Myth of Persephone• Holland: The Tree with the Golden

Apples• India: The Multi-Coloured Jackal• Ireland: Fionn

• Ireland: The Boy Who Had No Story• Israel: King Solomon and the Bee• Japan: Crossing the Snow• Mongolia: Shepherd Boy Tumur• Namibia: Omuninyan• Norway: The Three Sisters Who Fell

Into the Mountain• Pakistan: Podna & Podni• Poland: The Flower of Fern• Poland: The Story of Flax• Russia: The Two Brothers

• Scotland: The Green Man ofKnowledge

• Scotland: The Loch Ness Kelpie• Singapore: Redhill• South Africa: How Tortoise Won

Respect• South Africa: Ummemo• Taiwan: Aunt Tiger• U.S.A.: John Henry: Steel-Driving Man• Wales: King March• Wales: Merlin and the Dragons