A Fable
A Fable
Writing Short Fiction with a Message
Writing Short Fiction with a Message
Write your own fable—a short, fictional story that features animals, plants, or objects acting like humans and ends with a moral lesson.
Your fable should:
Be short (200–500 words)
Feature at least one personified non-human character
Deliver a clear message or moral
Be simple, clever, and meaningful
A fable is a story that teaches a lesson about human behavior—but it usually does this by using non-human characters, like animals who talk, reason, or act like people.
Fables are ancient, universal, and powerful because they use storytelling to teach wisdom—often in funny, subtle, or surprising ways.
🦢 "The Tortoise and the Hare"
Moral: Slow and steady wins the race.
🦊 "The Fox and the Grapes"
Moral: It’s easy to despise what you can’t have.
🦁 "The Lion and the Mouse"
Moral: Even the small and weak can help the mighty.
Start with a truth you want to share.
Examples:
Don’t brag too much.
Greed destroys friendships.
Kindness returns to you.
Appearances can be deceiving.
Animals are the most common: foxes, frogs, snakes, lions, etc.
You can also use plants, weather, mythical creatures, or objects.
Give them names and traits that reflect the role they’ll play (e.g., a clever cat, a nervous squirrel, a proud tree).
The story should build around a situation that brings the moral to life:
A competition
A disagreement
A trick or betrayal
A difficult choice
End with a simple action or twist that shows the consequence of the behavior—and makes the lesson clear.
📝 Option: You can include the moral as the last line (like Aesop), or let it be implied through what happens.
Title
200–500 words
At least one personified animal or object
Clearly implied or stated moral lesson
Submit on Google Classroom or your class site