Story of the Mongolian Tent House

By Julie Yeros

Discover how the traditional Mongolian tent house, known as a ger, was inspired by nature in its creation long ago and later became a symbol of harmony and friendship.

Story of the Mongolian Tent House is based on an original tale by award-winning Mongolian author, Dashdondog Jamba, retold by Polish American storyteller, Anne Pellowski, and illustrated by Argentinean painter, Beatriz Vidal.

Disclosure: We received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes; however, all opinions are our own. This post contains affiliate links. By clicking through and making a purchase, we receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. All proceeds help support our free global education website. Thank you!

Story of the Mongolian Tent House

The tale begins with a peaceful world of creatures living together happily.

One day they began to quarrel, and the animals became cruel and hurtful to each other. They had to separate, and they made their own dwellings in the ground, in the treetops, and under the water.

The human beings didn’t possess the qualities to dig, fly, or live in the water, but what they did have was intellect.

An old man and his seven sons began to construct their new dwelling, using the earth as their model. Willow branches were arranged in a circle, with slanted ones added to create a hole in the center. The sun’s rays could come inside, and the smoke from their fire could go outside.

Animal fleece was used to make a covering for their home, reminding them of the clouds. They fashioned a door on the south-facing side of their round home for protection from the wind, and twisted animal hair into ropes for securing their home to the ground.

The old man and his seven sons settled into their new home, round like the earth.

Soon it was time for the old man “to return to the earth home” from which he came. Before he died, he reminded his sons to work together and tighten the ropes that kept their home on the ground.

In their sadness, the sons hadn’t noticed that the ropes had become loose and their house fell down with the first strong winds. Blaming one another, they decided to go their separate ways. Each son took one part of the house, quickly realizing it was of no use without the other parts.

The seven brothers found their way back to each other, carrying their part of the house and worked together to rebuild and … tighten the ropes.

Ever since, the Mongolian white ger has been a symbol of friendship and harmony.

The Author’s Note at the end of the book shares interesting information about the interior of the ger, describing various uses of the twelve inside areas.

Mongolian tent house — Ger, Mongolia, 2010. Photo Credit: Carl Spetzler

After Reading

“A long time ago, all lived in a big house called the earth. With its blue roof and green floor, everyone lived in peace and harmony.” Ask students to identify what each term represents in this metaphor. (Big house: earth. Blue roof: sky. Green floor: grass.)
What are some possible reasons the creatures of the earth began quarreling? (territory, food, differences)
Use picture clues to identify the animals and where they’ll go: ground, water, treetops.
Review the steps and the materials used for building the ger. Write and illustrate a step-by-step guide to building a ger, or try this Mongolia Craft: Build a Model Ger from All Done Monkey.
What were the benefits of the ger? (bring in sunlight; keep out wind and cold; movable)
Whose fault was it that the ger blew down in the wind?
Describe why each part of the home was no good on its own. (the door wouldn’t stand on its own to protect; the willow walls couldn’t shield dangerous weather; the wall covering could be washed away in a flood, the roof cover could be swept away by the wind, the roof poles, the chimney hole and ropes provided no shelter)
Why do you think the white ger is a symbol of friendship and harmony to this day?
Compare a ger to other nomadic dwellings, like a yurt and tipi.
Learn more about Mongolia.

Watch how nomads put together a ger.

“The nomadic people of Mongolia don’t stay in one place for long. That’s why they live in gers (which American’s know by the Russian name, yurt), a home that is fast and easy to assemble and disassemble. Putting up a ger (pronounced gair) is fast and easy, but it’s best done by an entire family. This ger was moved by the family of Shagdarsuren Herelchuluun, on the east side of Lake Hovsgol, in northern Mongolia, not far from the Russian border. The soundtrack of this video is music recorded at the Choijin Lama Temple Museum in Ulaanbator, the Mongolian capital. “ Credit: @grossmanmedia

Visit our country profile for a detailed map, infographic, informational video, photo gallery, learning activities, and more!

Purchase Story of the Mongolian Tent House on Amazon or Bookshop.

Wisdom Tales Press is a small book publisher that concentrates on children’s books and books on different religions, and stories from around the world.

Read about Multicultural Children’s Book Day! Read our other book review this year: With Flying Colors – English Color Idioms. Learn about figurative language in a multicultural context!

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2021 (1/29/21) is in its 8^th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those book into the hands of young readers and educators.
Eight years in, MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves continues. Read about our Mission & History HERE.

Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use our official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.