For other uses of the term or its plural, see Fable (disambiguation).

In its strict sense a fable is a short story or folk tale embodying a moral, which may be expressed explicitly at the end as a maxim. "Fable" comes from Latin fabula (meaning 'conversation', 'narrative', 'tale') and shares a root with faber, "maker, artificer." Thus, though a fable may be conversational in tone, the understanding from the outset is that it is an invention, a fiction. A fable may be set in verse, though it is usually prose. In its pejorative sense, a fable is a deliberately invented or falsified account.

A fable often, but not necessarily, makes metaphorical use of an animal as its central character. Medieval French fabliaux might feature Reynard the fox, a trickster figure, and offer a subtext that was mildly subversive of the feudal order of society. A familiar theme in Slavic fables is an encounter between a wily peasant and the Devil. But the device of personification may be extended to anything inanimate, such as trees, flowers, stones, streams and winds.

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NPR Topics: Politics & Society

Shopping For Armed Forces In Hemet
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:00:00 -0400
For many young people in tiny Hemet, Calif., the first stop after graduation is that town's Armed Forces Career Center. More than five years into the Iraq war, the center provides one-stop-shopping for potential Army, Navy and Marine recruits.
Why Rural U.S. Towns See More Casualties
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:00:00 -0400
Residents of Hemet, Calif. know all too well about military casualties. They're not alone — that town's story has been repeated in rural communities across the country. We examine why soldiers from rural areas are more likely to die in combat and how voters in those areas see the Iraq war.
Is Obama Sliding To The Center?
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:00:00 -0400
Some of the Democratic candidate's supporters are expressing frustration with what they see as a slide toward the center. Markos Moulitsas, founder of The DailyKos political blog, discusses how Obama is trying to appeal to moderates.

The Talk of the Town

The Chill
Nick Paumgarten Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:00:00 -0000
If you had stumbled into Banjo Jim’s, in the East Village, on a recent Wednesday night and encountered a sixty-something guy leading a band through a fervent rendition of “Wild Thing,” for an audience of two dozen or so, you might have concluded, “This is lame,” and slipped back . . .
Oily Speculations
James Surowiecki Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:00:00 -0000
When bad things happen, it’s always nice to have a scapegoat. So, with Americans furious about soaring oil prices, Congress has gone in search of someone to blame. There are a number of usual suspects to choose from, depending on your politics--OPEC, greedy oil companies, lily-livered environmentalists opposed . . .
Obama’s Iraq Problem
George Packer Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:00:00 -0000
In February, 2007, when Barack Obama declared that he was running for President, violence in Iraq had reached apocalyptic levels, and he based his candidacy, in part, on a bold promise to begin a rapid withdrawal of American forces upon taking office. At the time, this pledge represented conventional thinking . . .

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