A fictitious narration intended to enforce some useful truth or precept, usually with animals, birds etc as characters; an apologue. Prototypically, Aesop's Fables
A fable is a story which teaches a moral lesson. Fables sometimes have animals as the main characters. the fable of the tortoise and the hare Each tale has the timeless quality of fable
Any story in which the characters are talking animals and have both human and animal traits
A poetic story that illustrates a moral or teaches a lesson, usually in which animals or inanimate objects are represented as characters (Compare Allegory, Aphorism, Apologue, Didactic Poetry, Epigram, Gnome, Proverb)
The plot, story, or connected series of events, forming the subject of an epic or dramatic poem