Fables A fable is a short story which conveys a moral, often with animals as the characters. Probably the best known of all fable writers is Aesop, a storyteller who lived in Greece around 600 BC. At that time the stories were passed on orally and it was not until several centuries later that they were written down, by which time probably many other fables not written by Aesop himself were attributed to him. These fables now form a part of our own culture and are very well know. We have just published six short fables as starting points for children to write their own. They are: The fox and the grapes This is all about a fox which becomes increasingly hot and bothered when trying to reach some grapes. The moral is: it is easy to despise what you can’t get. The wind and the sun The wind and the sun have a competition to see which of them is the stronger. The wind huffs and puffs without success. The moral of the story is: kindness can be more effective than harshness. The horse and the rider A boastful young man leaps onto the back of a horse he has never ridden before. The moral: act in haste and accept the consequences. The lion and the mouse A well known fable about how a mouse helps a lion. Several morals to this story, including: never underestimate anyone and one good turn deserves another. The hare and the tortoise Perhaps the best known fable of all, this is about a race between a hare and a tortoise. Obviously, the hare should win. The moral is: slow and steady wins the race. Each of these short stories is an excellent starting point for children to write their own tales. Go to English, Writing, Fables.