FABLE

INTRODUCTION

A fable is a form of a short story that teaches a
moral lesson. Originally told as oral stories,
written fables first appeared in Greece and
Rome around 500 B.C. with Aesop being one of
the earliest fable writers. Characters in a fable
usually take nonhuman form; animals, plants
and fantasy creatures or objects are common
figures. However, the fable characters speak and
act in the same ways as people.


WHAT IS FABLE?

A genre that features animals, mythical
creatures, plants, inanimate objects or forces of
nature which are anthropomorphized (given
human qualities such as verbal communication)
and play the main role, and that consists of moral
values.
CHARACTERISTICS OF FABLE

Has characters who are usually animals and
can talk, think, and act like humans
Has everyday problems people face
Short, direct stories with lots of action
Teaches useful lessons or moral that usually
stated at the end of the story
Fiction
Structure

Has a basic three-part story structure: a
beginning, middle and end.
The opening introduces the characters in their
natural setting, then a major event leads to
the conflict the main character must
overcome.
In the middle part, the main character
struggles, often to the delight of his opponent.
When the main character finally prevails over
the conflict, the fable ends with a moral
lesson.
Language

Fables use simple, short sentences that are
easy to read and understand, especially for
children.
Use prose or a rhyming verse style to add to
its readability and enjoyment.
The main function of the dialogue, which
often uses questions, is to advance the story
to its moral conclusion.


Setting

The setting for a fable gives a particular
location that is important to the characters'
actions.
Common nature settings include a forest,
mountains or a fantasy environment, such as a
castle.
Characters

Fable characters are stereotypes with human
strengths and weaknesses instead of
multidimensional characters.
A fable normally has only a few characters,
sometimes just two: a hero and a villain.
Typical nonhuman characters with human traits
include a brave bug, wise owl, crafty fox or shy
donkey.
Using these types of characters eliminate
complex personalities so the fable can focus on
its moral theme.

Moral Lesson

The most important part of a fable is its moral
lesson at the story's end.
Useful and valuable, the moral summarizes
the fable in a short statement that is a source
of practical wisdom for daily life.
"The Tortoise and the Hare," the moral is that
slow and steady wins the race. The moral of
Hans Christian Andersen's "The Emperor's
New Clothes" is that honesty is the best policy.

Examples of Fable
As in the classic fable, the grasshopper
plays his fiddle and lives for the moment,
while the industrious ants squirrel away
massive amounts of food for the winter.
With his song, he's able to convince at
least one small ant until the queen arrives
and scares him back to work. The queen
warns the grasshopper of the trouble he'll
be in, come winter. Winter comes, and the
grasshopper, near starvation, stumbles
across the ants, who are having a full-on
feast in their snug little tree. They take
him in and warm him up. The queen tells
him only those who work can eat so he
must play for them.

The tortoise and the hare follows
the story of the two animals
racing. While the hare has a quick
pace and is much faster than the
tortoise, he encounters a variety
of problems and distractions.
Ultimately, the slower but
consistently-paced turtle wins the
race in the end. The moral of the
story is that slow and steady wins
the race.