The Cow-Tail Switch

A Liberian Folk Tale

Presented by: Ms. Wilkin

The Cow-Tail Switch

Summary- Exposition

The Cow-Tail Switch is a folk-tale about a hunter named Ogaloussa. Ogaloussa, his wife, and his sons lived in the village of Kundi in Liberia. One morning, Ogaloussa goes out hunting, but he doesn’t return. Days and weeks went by and his sons forgot about him.

Rising Action A few months after

Ogaloussa disappeared, his son, Puli was born. As soon as Puli could speak, he asked, “Where is my father?” Ogaloussa’s sons decided itwas time to look for their father.

His sons set out to find Ogaloussa and found his remains. Ogaloussa had been killed in the hunt. His sons worked together to put Ogaloussa back together. One puts his bones back together. Another gave him flesh and blood. One gave him breath, and still another gave him movement and speech.

Ogaloussa returned to his village and after staying in the house for five days, he came out. He killed a cow and made a beautiful cow-tail switch. All the villagers desired the cow-tail switch. So, Ogaloussa decided to give the cow-tail switch to the son who deserved it the most.

Climax

The sons and the villagers began to fight over the cow-tail switch. Each son thought he deserved the switch the most. Even the villagers took sides and fought over which son deserved it.

Falling Action

Finally, Ogaloussa decided that Puli, the son who was born while he was dead, deserved the cow-tail switch the most. It was Puli who remembered him when he was dead. Until then, his sons had forgotten him.

Resolution

“A man is not really dead until he is forgotten”

Ogaloussa is the protagonist of the story. He is the father who was killed

hunting. After he was put back together, he made a cow-tail switch and gave it to his most deserving son.

His sons are the antagonists. They caused the conflict by fighting over the cow-tail switch.

Puli, a supporting character, is Ogaloussa’s son who was born after he disappeared. He remembered Ogaloussa when his other sons had forgotten him.

His wife and the villagers are also supporting characters

Characters

The story takes place in the village of Kundi in Liberia.

Setting

External Conflict:Ogaloussa’s sons are fighting over the cow-tail

switch. This is man vs. man conflict.

Conflict

•Internal Conflict: • Ogaloussa must decide which son to

give the cow-tail switch. This is man vs. himself because he has to make the decision.

The moral of the story is that people are not dead if they are remembered. When Ogaloussa decided to give the cow-tail switch to Puli he said that “A man is not really dead until he is forgotten.” This means that by remembering people you help to keep them alive.

Moral