A fable is…

…an instructional tale about human emotions and human behavior.

Fables…

…are usually short

…can be written as either poetry or prose (stories)

…convey a clear moral or message, usually stated at the end.

Fables…

use animal characters

to stand for human "types."

For example…

The hare may be used to represent someone who is talented, but overconfident.

The tortoise may be used to represent someone who is determined.

More examples…

The mouse may represent…

and the lion may represent…

The fable…

…is one of the oldest literary forms - much, much older than the novel or the short story.

Animal Farm is a fable!!!!!