Fable

Fables are among the oldest and most widespread forms of storytelling. They are characterized by their brevity, use of anthropomorphic animals or natural forces as characters, and an explicit moral lesson. The tradition is most famously associated with Aesop (6th century BCE, Greece), but fable traditions exist worldwide — the Panchatantra (India, ~3rd century BCE), the Jataka Tales (Buddhist tradition), and La Fontaine's Fables (France, 17th century). Fables differ from fairy tales in their didactic purpose and typically lack the magical transformations common to wonder tales.