What is the term for a short moral story often using animals as characters?

• A. Allegory
• B. Parable
• C. Fairy tale
• D. Fable

Answer: (D)

A fable is a short tale that delivers a moral, often using animals that act and speak like people to teach a lesson. The animal characters make the message memorable by showing familiar traits—such as patience, cunning, or pride—through their actions. This format is specifically about a concise story with a clear takeaway, usually meant to be learned and remembered quickly. An allegory uses symbolic figures to convey a broader or more complex message and is typically longer. A parable tells a moral through human-centered, everyday situations, not usually with talking animals. A fairy tale involves magical elements and adventures and isn’t primarily focused on a single moral lesson. So the term that fits best is fable.