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

The Grasshopper and the AntsAs 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 Hare and the Tortoise

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.