Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar states, “The past is always present; to live as ourselves, we are compelled to reckon with it and reach an understanding with it at every moment.” These observations, which Tanpınar expresses for the life of the individual, have manifested themselves in the life of the nation through folktales. These texts, which sometimes cause internal reckonings for individuals, have become documents of agreement where the common experiences and dreams of every nation are collected.

Since ancient times, humankind has conveyed its own truths, proposed solutions, and expectations by projecting them onto the events and characters of folktales, attempting to warn and educate future generations and make them resilient against the hardships of life. This is because there are similarities between the problems faced by folktale characters and the realities of life. Furthermore, truths regarding the existence of the society to which they belong can also be reached through folktales. In this respect, folktales have become one of the fundamental elements that educate and shape society.

When talking about folktales, the past is generally brought up, and whatever belongs to the old is laid out, but the present is somehow never reached. Those who witness this often think that folktales belong to the past. Historically, this is true. Yes, folktales are one of the earliest genres of the oral literature tradition and have held an important place in human history. However, when evaluated functionally, it is seen that folktales continue to maintain their importance today, and sometimes even keep their existence alive in the social consciousness, and at other times, in the subconscious. For this reason, we can view folktales as “both our past and our future.”

It is possible to view this work as an effort to understand and benefit from folktales by reading and listening to them, or in other words, to “listen to the voice of the folktale and join in this voice.” In this regard, necessary information about folktales has been presented at the beginning, followed by examinations of how folktales can be used in education today, whether at school or within the family.

Having concentrated his work on the fields of education, Turkish language, and linguistics, and known particularly for his academic articles on children's literature and the world of the child, Ali Fuat Arıcı opens new paths for education from the world of folktales and offers proposals in The Voice of the Folktale.