Most traditional stories in Appalachia feature an unlikely hero or heroine who overcomes fantastic obstacles on the way to success by using wit rather than strength or force. A cycle of stories called the Jack Tales, for example, tell the adventures of Jack, a humble boy who can outwit the most challenging opponents. The telling of the story likewise reveals the storyteller's wit to the audience. Cleverness with words is highly prized in Appalachian culture, and so are good storytellers.

Storytelling has been so important in Appalachia that the region is home to the National Storytelling Festival each October and to a multi-million-dollar, state-of-the-art International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough, Tennessee. While much of the storytelling that receives attention in the region today is performed by professional or revivalist storytellers, when family or friends in the region gather, funny and poignant stories still fill the air.

If all the men were put into one man, what a great man that would be.
And if all the trees were put into one tree, what a great tree that would be.
And if all the poleaxes were put into one axe, what a great axe that would be.
And if all the seas were put into one sea, what a great sea that would be.
And if that great man cut down that great tree with that great axe,
and it landed in that great sea, what a great splash that would be!