ENG1517
ASSIGNMENT 1
DUE DATE: MAY 2026
, ENG1517 ASSIGNMENT 1 2026
DUE MAY 2026
Question 1
Access the story The Old Woman and Her Pig, via the following link:
https://nalibali.org/stories/the-old-woman-and-her-pig/
Answer the following questions based on this story.
Question 1.1
The Old Woman and Her Pig is a classic cumulative tale. A cumulative tale is a type of
story where words, actions, or events are repeated as the story continues. The study
guide explains that in these tales, “words or actions are repeated as the plot unfolds”
and that “these tales use repetition, rhyme or rhythm to make an impression” (Unit 1, p.
11). This can clearly be seen in the story. The old woman has a problem because her
“pig won’t go over the stile.” She then asks different characters and objects for help in a
chain of events. Each request and refusal is repeated in the same pattern. For example,
she asks the dog to “bite pig,” but “dog won’t.” As the story continues, more characters
and objects are added, such as the stick, fire, water, and others. Every new part repeats
the earlier events while adding something new. In the end, the solution happens when
the whole chain is repeated again: “the cat began to kill the rat; the rat began to gnaw
the rope…” This building up of actions and characters is the main feature of a
cumulative tale.
ASSIGNMENT 1
DUE DATE: MAY 2026
, ENG1517 ASSIGNMENT 1 2026
DUE MAY 2026
Question 1
Access the story The Old Woman and Her Pig, via the following link:
https://nalibali.org/stories/the-old-woman-and-her-pig/
Answer the following questions based on this story.
Question 1.1
The Old Woman and Her Pig is a classic cumulative tale. A cumulative tale is a type of
story where words, actions, or events are repeated as the story continues. The study
guide explains that in these tales, “words or actions are repeated as the plot unfolds”
and that “these tales use repetition, rhyme or rhythm to make an impression” (Unit 1, p.
11). This can clearly be seen in the story. The old woman has a problem because her
“pig won’t go over the stile.” She then asks different characters and objects for help in a
chain of events. Each request and refusal is repeated in the same pattern. For example,
she asks the dog to “bite pig,” but “dog won’t.” As the story continues, more characters
and objects are added, such as the stick, fire, water, and others. Every new part repeats
the earlier events while adding something new. In the end, the solution happens when
the whole chain is repeated again: “the cat began to kill the rat; the rat began to gnaw
the rope…” This building up of actions and characters is the main feature of a
cumulative tale.
