Is there a difference between a tale a fable and a parable?

Answer 1

Not really. Fables are usually concerned with teaching some moral lesson. Fables often have characters which are animals or heroes or gods.

In contrast parables are usually concerned with spiritual truths and often use everyday events to illustrate the spiritual truth.

Answer 2

Yes, there are differences between a tale, a fable, and a parable. A tale is a story that conveys events and characters, often for entertainment. A fable is a type of story that includes animals or objects that speak and act like humans, with a moral lesson. A parable is a short story that teaches a moral or spiritual lesson using human characters and everyday situations.

Answer 3

There are shades of meaning for all of those terms. A tale is any kind of narrative, which could be realistic or unrealistic, factual or fictional, believable or unbelievable. A fable is a fantasy, especially a traditional fantasy that has been around for centuries or millennia. A parable is an instructional story, which is intended to illustrate some moral point, especially in a religious context (the New Testament contains several parables told by Jesus).