It is World Folktales and Fables Week so I am bringing you pourquoi poetry to help find the how and why questions answered in many animal fables/folktales around the world in poetry form. For example, why the leopard has spots, or why do elephants have long noses, and so on. Read on to find out what pourquoi means, and tips to retell your favorite fable in verse.
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Poetic Sundays: Pourquoi Poetry: From Prose to Poem
This week for Poetic Sundays, as I mentioned earlier, I’m exploring pourquoi poetry—poems inspired by “why” (and “how” too) stories, the imaginative folktales that explain how something in nature came to be. (It comes from pourquoi – which literally means “why” in French?).
‘Pourquoi poetry’ isn’t a set form – just a playful idea that came to me! This week, I’m turning pourquoi tales, those classic ‘why’ stories, into poems.
Why I Love This Idea
- It’s perfect for World Folktales & Fables Week. Many cultures have stories that answer such “why” questions: Why the giraffe has a long neck, why the leopard has spots, why the sun and moon live in the sky.
- It naturally combines storytelling and poetry, making it a fun way to show readers how narrative transforms into verse.
- It’s highly participatory: anyone can try turning a short paragraph of prose into a mini poem.
- Think of pourquoi poetry as another branch of the storytelling tree I explored earlier with fables.
How to Turn a Pourquoi Story into a Poem (Step-by-Step, with Example)
Pick your story
Start with a short prose paragraph or a folktale that explains a “why” or “how.” Keep it simple—focus on the one moment that sparks the story, like a trick, mistake, or magical transformation.
Eyè‑omi, the flamingo, loved scooping shrimp from the river. One day she accidentally swallowed a king crab instead of shrimp. The crab folk were furious and threatened to snip at the flamingo’s pink legs which scared Eyè‑omi. But Eyè‑omi’s friend, little Asin ,whispered a clever idea: “Just stand on one leg—they won’t know it’s you!” Eyè‑omi followed the advice and lifted one leg high. From that day on, flamingos balanced on one leg, safe and graceful (source).
Spot the action and imagery
Circle the verbs and images that make the scene come alive. What jumps out? What could a reader picture in their mind or almost hear?
For the story above,
- scooped shrimp
- swallowed king crab
- crab folk threatened/snipping
- friend gave a clever idea
- lifted one leg high
- balanced, safe to this day
Strip it down
Remove extra explanation. Keep only the words that tell the story in action and image. Less is more—think of it like sculpting the story into its essence.
For the story above,
Eyè‑omi scooped shrimp,
swallowed the king crab.
Crabs were furious.
Asin whispered, “Stand on one leg!”
Eyè‑omi lifted one high.
Balanced, safe.
Break it into lines
Play with line breaks and rhythm. Short lines, repeated words or phrases, and small pauses make the poem playful and give it energy.
The water was cloudy where creatures fed,
Eyè‑omi scooped shrimp, swallowed king crab instead.
“They’ll snip all legs that are two and pink,”
Squealed tiny Asin quicker than you think.
“Just stand on one, they won’t know it’s you there,”
So Eyè‑omi balanced high with only one to spare.
And that is why, even today, if you take a peek,
Flamingos rest on one leg every day of each week!
End with the “why”
Close with a line that answers the big question: “And that is why giraffes still stretch toward the sky.” This is your origin—or your magical explanation.
Notice the last line answers the big question:
Flamingos rest on one leg every day, every week!
This is the magical origin—the “why” that defines the story
Optional: Sprinkle in some personality
You can personify, exaggerate, or even poke a little fun—remember, these stories are imaginative. Just like in fable poems, characters and action make it memorable, but here the focus is on the imaginative cause, not a moral.
You can add silly rhymes or fun repetition to make it extra playful:
- “wobbly but sly / balanced and danced under the sky”
My Final First Draft
Pourquoi Pink
The water was cloudy where creatures fed,
Eyè‑omi scooped shrimp, swallowed king crab instead.
“They’ll snip all legs that are two and pink, two and pink!”
Squealed tiny Asin quicker than you think.
“Just stand on one, they won’t know it’s you there,”
So Eyè‑omi balanced high, oh-so-high with only one to spare.
And that is why, even today, if you take a peek,
Flamingos rest on one leg every day of each week!
~ Vidya Tiru @ LadyInReadWrites
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Here are the posts that made their way out since my last Sunday Scribblings…
- Grammar That Grows: How Sentences Take Action
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Upcoming
On My Blog & Homefront
I hope to bring you green books and another episode of Grammar that Grows on my blog. While, on the home front, it is another busy-busy week.
This Week’s Celebrations
Literary Celebrations (close-to-it also!)
- Literary birthdays this week of March include: the 16th Alice Hoffman; 17th is Amitava Kumar and Penelope Lively; March 18th celebrates John Updike’s birthdate; the 19th is Irving Wallace; Lois Lowry and Louis Sachar on the 20th of March; and Phyllis McGinley on the 21st; Billy Collins, James Patterson, and Louis L’Amour on March 22nd
- National Freedom of Information Day is observed on the 16th of March.
- International Read To Me Day is on the 19th!
- Followed by World Storytelling Day on the 20th of March. This year’s theme is ‘Light in the Dark.’
- The 20th also happens to be Bibliomania Day. Read more about it here.
- Next up, it is World Poetry Day and World Puppetry Day on the 21st of March
- The third week of March observes World Folktales & Fables Week (March 15 – 21, 2026)
Foodie Celebrations
- The 16th observes National Artichoke Hearts Day
- It is s Tea for Two Tuesday on the 17th (celebrated every year on the third Tuesday of March)
- Followed by National Lacy Oatmeal Cookie Day on the 18th,
- and National Chocolate Caramel Day on the 19th of March
- Next up is World Flour Day and National Ravioli Day on March 20th
- While the 21st is National French Bread Day and National California Strawberry Day
- End the week with National Bavarian Crepes Day on the 22nd of March
Other Celebrations
- It is Everything You Do Is Right Day on the 16th of March as well as National Panda Day
- March 17th (being the third Monday of March) observes Act Happy Day. It is also Absolutely Incredible Kid Day and St. Patrick’s Day
- National Awkward Moments Day is on March 18th.
- While it is National Let’s Laugh Day and National Backyard Day on the 19th
- Followed by International Day of Happiness, National Jump Out Day, and World Frog Day on the 20th of March
- Next up, March 21st is International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, International Day of Colour, International Day of Forests, and World Down Syndrome Day. And National Common Courtesy Day, National Countdown Day, and National Fragrance Day
- The 22nd of March observes National Goof Off Day, World Water Day, and International Day of the Seal
Wrapping up my Sunday Scribblings
So dear reader, you have reached the end of this Sunday Scribblings! As always, I welcome your thoughts, comments, and suggestions about this post. And do let me know if you plan to celebrate any of these mentioned celebrations this coming week/month? Or if you write a pourquoi poem, do share it with me!
