Fables: Sub-genre of Fantasy

This week we're talking about the nuances of fables so you can contemplate, plan out, and write your own.

A fable is a short fictional story that teaches a lesson. ('fable' comes via French from the Latin fābula meaning "talk, conversation, gossip or the subject of gossip, a story for entertainment or instruction, a fable.") The most well-known fables are Aesop's Fables. And since Aesop was an enslaved person in Greece around 550 BC, I'd say that they are also the epitome of "timeless." He and his stories have made such an impact in the world that we say things like "slow and steady wins the race," "look before you leap," "birds of a feather flock together," "pride comes before a fall," and many more sayings that come directly from his stories. These are the types of lessons fables teach, and Aesop was a master at directing the narrative toward the conclusion, giving everyone a quick, simple message at the end.

Since fables are short stories, usually pretty darn brief and to the point, you'll only need to plan out three things:

1.       Choose your main character:

a.       Animal: The most common main character in a fable is an animal. Think about: "The Tortoise and the Hare," "The Grasshopper and the Ants," and "The Lion and the Mouse." In these stories, the relationship between the animals directs your reader's eye to the lesson. In "The Tortoise and the Hare," they compete on who can win a race. The need to compete is a very human-like characteristic. As the author puts them into a typical human situation, the animals' traits also emerge. One would expect a Hare to win a race over the Tortoise because rabbits run, and tortoises walk slowly. However, the final moral of the story brings about the conclusion: "Slow and steady wins the race." In other words, slow productive progress will lead to success.

b.       Human: Less common in Aesop's fables is when a human being is a protagonist. Think of: "The Boy Who Cried Wolf," "The Farmer and the Sea," and "The Young Man and the Swallow." In these stories, the human reacts to his world and learns a lesson, too. In "The Boy Who Cried Wolf," a shepherd boy repeatedly fools the villagers into believing that a wolf is attacking the sheep. Then, when it eventually happens, nobody believes him. How often have you warned your children or grandchildren about this? The English idiom, "Never cry wolf," has been said so many times through the years. Thanks to Aesop, who took his moral from Aristotle's philosophical statement, "when they speak the truth, they are not believed," the meaning can be captured in a fable and taught through generations.

c.       Plants: The protagonists are plants and given human traits. Some of Aesop's less-known fables are in this category, such as—" The Fir and the Bramble," "The Oak and the Reed," and "The Rose and the Amaranth." A popular theme in these fables is arguing over who is better. The moral of "The Fir and the Bramble" is: "Renown is accompanied by risks of which the humble are free." In contrast, "The Rose and the Amaranth" fable falls on the opposite side. They don't argue about who is better; they admire each other for their beauty. The moral of this story is "beauty does not last, and enviable conditions often have a downside." The moral is tied to humans' feelings, so they will learn not to be envious, etc.

d.       Mythological. A deity or mythical creature will be your main character in this type of fable. Aesop has a few of these: "Hercules and the Wagoner," "Horkos, the god of oaths," "Zeus and the Tortoise," "The Satyr and the Traveler," and "The Statue of Hermes." In "Horkos, the god of oaths," Aesop has created a cautionary tale indicating that retribution is quickly doled out if you defy a god. As in: "Justice is swift." This message needed a mythological deity to get the point across. This means that if you are trying to decide which kind of protagonist to use, just think of the moral of your story, then think of what type of character could relay that message best, and choose that.

e.       Objects/things. These inanimate objects in the real world have human traits and will become your protagonist. An example is the Tin Soldier, an inanimate toy that tells a story.

f.        Nature: Only two fables come to mind when thinking of a Nature motif within a fable: "The North Wind and the Sun" and "The Rivers and the Sea." In "The North Wind and the Sun," there are three characters: the North Wind, the Sun, and a traveler bundled up in a cloak. The wind and the Sun want to see who is stronger, and they challenge each other. Whoever can make the traveler take off his cloak wins. The North Wind tries to blow it off the traveler, but no matter how hard he blows, the traveler grips his cloak tighter around him. Then it was the Sun's turn. With the heat from the Sun, the traveler is warm, so he takes off his cloak. The North Wind has to agree that the Sun is the stronger of the two.

2.       Choose the moral of your story. Although, you may want to decide on the story's moral first, so you can choose the best way to get there, what type of main character will be able to take you there the best. Through my research on this topic, I see that Aesop took many of his messages from Greek philosophers.

3.       Decide how you'll get there. First: You will introduce your characters in a way that defines or characterizes them and their needs. What is the issue? This will then lead you to the middle of the story, where your reader won't know the outcome yet. However, the characters are starting to find out. Then, the story ends with either a positive or negative resolution.

Let's follow a story outline comparing it with a well-known fable: "The Tortoise and the Hare."

The Tortoise and the Hare (Aesop)

First part:

Introducing your main characters:

One day a proud and swift hare saw a tortoise walk along the road, and he approached him.

Introducing the issue:

The hare began to mock the other animal's slowness and the length of its legs.

Introducing the challenge:

However, the Tortoise replied that she was sure that despite the hare's incredible speed, she could win a race against the hare.

Middle part:

Accepting the challenge:

The hare, sure of his victory and considering the challenge impossible to lose, accepted. Both asked the fox to point out the route and the ending. They also asked the crow to act as a judge.

The day of the competition and moving toward the conclusion:

The hare and the Tortoise arrived at the starting line simultaneously. They began. The Tortoise walked slowly and never stopped.

The hare was very fast and, seeing his advantage over the Tortoise, decided he didn't have to try very hard to win the race. He stopped and rested occasionally and acted like he had all the time in the world. But on one occasion, the hare fell asleep. The turtle, little by little, continued to advance.

The moral unfolds through the ending:

The conclusion:

When the hare woke, he found that the Tortoise was about to cross the finish line. Although he ran, it was too late, and the Tortoise won the race.

The moral:

After being congratulated by the spectators, the Tortoise says, "Slow and steady wins the race."

If you were to deconstruct this method, you would see that the best way to write a fable would be to go backward. Decide on your moral first and determine how to create the best outcome to thoroughly and genuinely teach that moral. Then decide on what type of main character can best lead the story there (animal, human, plant, mythological creature, object, or nature). Plan it out, then write the story from the beginning to its natural conclusion.

Enjoy!