noun

fable

FAY-bul/ˈfeɪbl/

A made-up story, usually told to teach a lesson.

The sleeping hare and steady tortoise appear in a familiar fable.

A small tortoise steadily approaches a simple finish marker while a hare sleeps beside the path; recognizable moral animal tale, natural animal anatomy and no costumes or text.

Etymology

Latin fabula meant a story, literally “that which is told,” and could already describe a tale with a lesson. The narrower association with animal stories grew from the popularity of Aesop’s tales.

In context

Storytime Haven458:08

He was always thinking of the diamonds in that remote spot which he had ignorantly let slip from his grasp, like the dog in the fable dropping the substance for the shadow.

🌑 The Moon Rock 🌒 | A Haunting Tale of Mystery and Ambition by Arthur J. Rees

More examples

A talking fox appears in the familiar fable.
She reads the children a fable before bedtime.
The collection contains short fables from several traditions.

Forms

fable · fables

Similar words

parable: A lesson-teaching story usually involving people rather than talking animals.
allegory: An allegory conveys meaning through sustained symbolism; a fable usually tells a brief moral story.