Today I thought I’d take a closer look at the differences between fables and parables and come up with some recommendations for readers of all ages who enjoy a little learning with their leisure.
A fable is: a short story that conveys a moral to the reader, typically with animals as characters.
A parable is: a short story designed to illustrate or teach some truth, religious principle, or moral lesson.
The first fable that comes to mind is the story of the hare and the tortoise who race each other. Everyone knows this one, the race seems unfair in the beginning because the hare is so fast, but he becomes smug knowing he’s going to win and takes a break to rest. Meanwhile, the slower tortoise continues to plod along and cruises past for the win. The moral of this fable is: slow and steady wins the race. If you want to teach your young ones this lesson, then check out The Tortoise and the Hare by Gerald Rose or Tortoise Vs Hare the Rematch by Preston Rutt and illustrated by Ben Redlich.
Most iconic of all is the collection of fables collated by the slave and storyteller Aesop in ancient Greece, of course it’s Aesop’s Fables. Check out this hardback edition of Aesop’s Fables illustrated by Ernest Griset, it contains more than 300 stories bound to please.
For YA and adult readers looking for a good fable to read, there’s: The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly by Sun-mi Hwang, Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White, Watership Down by Richard Adams and of course Animal Farm by George Orwell.
Recently I read The Pearl by John Steinbeck, which started me off thinking about parables and fables in the first place, and is about greed. Having said that, the first parable that comes to mind for me is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. This book that has sold millions of copies all around the world, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it a few years ago.
Those looking for religious principles in their reading would do well to check out The Shack by William P. Young, it’s a real life-changing read. The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason is a collection of parables set in ancient Babylon based around financial wisdom and how to achieve wealth and financial independence.
A parable that’s on my TBR list is A Christmas Carol by none other than Charles Dickens. Even though I already know what the parable is, I still think it’d be nice to read it in the lead up to Christmas this year.
So, what’s your favourite fable or parable? Have any of them changed the way you think about the world? I’d love to know, so tell us in the comments below.