Narrative text is designed to entertain or to tell a story. The text is not intended to discuss or describe something seriously, but merely as an entertainment.

The structure of the text consists of :

1. Orientation

     It tells the readers about :

-         the story’s setting

-         the time in which it took place

-         who the major characters are

-         you may begin to hint at some important details that will follow

2. Complication

    This is an event or series of events that unfold and lead to a complication ( problem or conflict ) as they lead to the climax of the story

3. Resolution

    This is the final part of the story where the problem or complication is solved and the loose ends are tied up

4. Re- orientation ( Optional )

    This part shows the moral value that the story brings

   In longer stories the complication and resolution may appear several times depending on the episodes of the story. 

EXAMPLES :

The wise peasant daughter

 

 

 

 

ORIENTATION

          There was once a poor peasant who had no land, but only a small house, and one daughter.  Then said the daughter,” we ought to ask our lord the king for a bit of newly-cleared land”.  When the king heard of their poverty, he presented them with a piece of land, which she and her father dug up, and intended to sow with a little corn and grain of that kind.  When they had dug nearly the whole of the field, they found in the earth a mortar made of pure gold. “ Listen”, said the father to the girl,” as our lord the king has been so gracious and presented us with the field, we ought to give him this mortar in return for it”.  The daughter, however, would not consent to this, and said,” father, if we have the mortar without having the pestle as well, we shall have to get the pestle, so you had much better say nothing about it”.  But he would not obey her, and took the mortar and carried it to the king, said that he had found it in the cleared land, and asked if he would accept it as a present.  The king took the mortar, and asked if he had found nothing besides that.  No, answered the countryman.

COMPLICATION

Then the king said that he must now bring him the pestle.  The peasant said they had not found that, but he might just as well have spoken to the wind, he was put in prison, and was to stay there until he produced the pestle.  The servants had daily to carry him bread and water, which is what people get in prison, and they heard how the man cried out continually,” ah, if I had but listened to my daughter. Alas, alas, if I had but listened to my daughter, and would neither eat nor drink”.  So he commanded the servants to bring the prisoner before him, and then the king asked the peasant why he was always crying, ah, if I had but listened to my daughter, and what it was that his daughter had said. “ She told me that I ought not to take the mortar to you, for I should have to produce the pestle as well.  If you have a daughter who is as wise as that, let her come here.”   She was therefore obliged to appear before the king, who asked her if she really was so wise, and said he would set her a riddle, and if she could guess that, he would marry her.  She at once said yes, she would guess it.  Then said the king, come to me not clothed, not naked, not riding, not walking, not in the road, and not off the road, and if you can do that I will marry you.  

RESOLUTION    

So she went away, put off everything she had on, and then she was not clothed, and took a great fishing net, and seated herself in it and wrapped it entirely round and round her, so that she was not naked, and she hired an ass, and tied the fisherman’s net to its tail, so that it was forced to drag her along, and that was neither riding nor walking.  The ass had also to drag her in the ruts, so that she only touched the ground with her big toe, and that was neither being in the road nor off the road.  And when she arrived in that fashion, the king said she had guessed the riddle and fulfilled all the conditions.Then he ordered her father to be released from the prison, took her to wife, and gave into her care all the royal possessions.

mortar and pestle