What+are+Fables?

What are Fables?
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Added by Megan Smith A fable is a relatively short story that implies a message or moral. Usually there are only a few characters in the story. In many fables, the characters are animals that talk and act like humans. The fable’s plot is entertaining, yet straightforward. The characters’ actions are simple, and build up to a climax. For example, in //Chicken Little// by Rebecca Emberly (2009)//,// the main character is a chicken. After being hit on the head with an acorn, the chicken runs for his life crying, “The sky is falling! The sky is falling!” The climax builds as the other animals, like Henny Penny and Loosey Goosey join Chicken Little, running for their lives. Finally, they run into Foxy Loxy who suggests they go into a warm cave (his mouth) to be safe. At the end, the fox sneezes and Chicken Little and his friends come flying out of Foxy Loxy’s mouth. There are two implied morals to this version which has a happy ending: One is not to believe everything you hear. The second is to have courage, instead of being a chicken.

The moral of a fable is not always easy for children to identify. For that reason, some authors state the moral to make it easier for young children to understand. //What about Me?// By Ed Young (2002) is an example of this. This is a Middle Eastern fable about a boy who wanted knowledge. When he goes to the Grand Master to ask for it, the Grand Master demands a small carpet. He then goes to a carpet maker who demands thread, a spinner who demands goat hair, a goat keeper who needs a pen, and a carpenter who needs a wife. The end of the story brings him back to the Grand Master asking for knowledge. The Grand Master tells him he already has it. The morals to this story may not be obvious to young readers. As a result, Young reveals the two morals on the last page of the book. One is that the best gifts we get are the ones we get from giving, and that knowledge comes when it’s least expected.

Fables are excellent examples of stories that have been passed down from generation to generation, both orally and in writing. They are found throughout the world. An example of a popular fable is //Stone Soup// by Jon Muth (2003). This version is set in China. Other versions have been traced back to France, Sweden, Russia, England, and Belgium. In this version, three travelling monks lure unhappy villagers, one by one, into making soup from stones. At the end of the story, the villagers have a feast and invite the monks to share their home. The implied moral in this story is that sharing makes us rich at heart.

The most popular fables are those of Aesop. Many fables are mistakenly identified as Aesop’s Fables when in reality they are not. Another source of fables is Jatakas, which are animal stories relating to the incarnation of Buddha. La Fontaine, a French poet, also writes fables in verse form. Although fables are relatively short stories with a simple plot and only a few characters, the message they convey is actually complex. Young people may not see the lesson unless it is pointed out to them. Fables are fictional stories that are designed to entertain while teaching a lesson. As a result, many are passed down from generation to generation, such as //The Boy Who Cried Wolf,// and //The Tortoise and the Hare.// __ References __ : Emberley, Rebecca. //Chicken Little//. New York: Roaring Book, 2009. Print. Mia’s PPT Muth, Jon J. //Stone Soup//. New York: Scholastic, 2003. Print. Norton, Donna. //Through the Eyes of a Child: An Introduction to Children’s Literature.// NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1995. Young, Ed. //What about Me?// New York: Philomel Books, 2002. Print.

Added by Tracy Landry A fable is a short story that is meant to teach a lesson, or illustrate a point. In many fables, animals take on human characteristics to demonstrate the moral of the story. Aesop fables are familiar to most small children, as well as adults. Children often learn a life lesson or skill by reading a fable. Fables can be attractive to children because they are short, have limited character development, and affirm their belief in justice and goodness. Because the moral is often implied, older children are better able to extract the moral of the story. Younger children will need guidance.

A familiar example of a fable is //The Boy Who Cried Wolf//. Originally an Aesop’s Fable, a version by B.B. Hennessy tells the story of a shepherd boy who wants some excitement in his boring afternoons. He cries wolf twice and ends up having a friend stay to play, but the third time, when there really are three wolves, he cries for help, but nobody comes. The moral: A person who lies will not be trusted or believed. //Seven Blind Mice// by Ed Young, based on the fable //Blind Men and the Elephant//, tells the story of seven blind mice who come upon a strange object. Each mouse touches the object and declares what it is based on only the part that he or she touched. One mouse says it is a snake, one says it is a spear, one says it is a rope. This continues until they put it all together, and realize that it is an elephant. The moral: Understanding comes from knowing the ‘whole’, not just the ‘pieces’. //Frederick// by Leo Lionni is the tale of a mouse that collects color, words and sun for the cold winter ahead. The other mice are frustrated that he isn’t helping with the ‘real’ work of gathering supplies for the winter. Once their supplies were depleted, the mice asked Frederick about his supplies. He happily warms them with words about the sun. Frederick reminds them of the red poppies, and the yellow wheat, and the mice close their eyes and see them perfectly. Finally, Frederick uses his supply of words to recite a beautiful poem about the seasons. The moral: It is our dreams that sustain us during our darker, harder times. Everyone has something to contribute.

These fables offer a valuable life lesson using animals with human characteristics. Because it can be difficult for younger children to extract the moral of fables, the authors of //Seven Blind Mice// and //The Boy Who Cried Wolf// explicitly state the moral at the end of the story. These lessons are simple and easy for children to relate to.  Hennessy, Barbara G. //The Boy Who Cried Wolf//. Illus. Boris Kulikov. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2006. Print. Lionni, Leo. //Frederick//. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1967. Print. Morgan, Mia. "Traditional Literature." Salem State College LBS 803. 12 Sept. 2009. Power point. Norton, Barbara E. //Through the Eyes of a Child An Introduction to Children's// //Literature//. 5th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice-Hall, Inc, 1995. Print. Young, Ed. //Seven Blind Mice//. New York: Philomel Books, 1992. Print.