fable crossword clue – All Crossword Answers
Welcome to Answercrossword.com! If you're looking for solutions to the "fable crossword clue," you've come to the right place. We provide accurate answers categorized by letter count, along with detailed explanations to help you understand the context and improve your crossword-solving skills.
Solutions for "fable crossword clue" by Letter Count
4 Letters
TALE: A brief story, often fictional, sometimes conveying a moral. "The boy who cried wolf" is a classic example of a cautionary tale, much like a fable.
MYTH: A traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining a natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events. While not always moralistic, myths share the storytelling aspect of fables.
7 Letters
PARABLE: A simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, as told by Jesus in the Gospels. Parables are very similar to fables in their didactic purpose, often featuring human characters.
8 Letters
ALLEGORY: A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one. Like fables, allegories use symbolic elements to convey deeper truths, such as in George Orwell's "Animal Farm."
APOLOGUE: A moral fable, especially one in which animals or inanimate objects speak and act like humans. This word is a more specific and less common synonym for fable, perfectly fitting its definition.
More About "fable crossword clue"
A fable is a literary genre: a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are anthropomorphized (given human qualities such as speech) and that illustrates or leads to a particular moral lesson (a "moral"), which may at the end be explicitly stated in a pithy maxim. The oldest fables date back to ancient times, with collections like Aesop's Fables being universally recognized.
When "fable" appears in a crossword clue, it's typically prompting you for a word that means a short story with a moral, or a synonym for such a narrative. The length of the answer is key here, guiding you towards options like TALE, MYTH, PARABLE, or ALLEGORY. Understanding the core characteristic of a fable – its instructive moral – will help you identify the correct solution even when presented with less obvious synonyms.
Beyond simple definitions, fables are profound tools for teaching ethics and values across cultures. Their simplicity makes them memorable, and their allegorical nature allows them to address complex human behaviors and societal issues in an accessible way. This rich background makes "fable" a popular and versatile clue in crosswords.
Tips For Your Next Puzzle
- Consider Word Length: Always start by checking the number of letters required. For "fable crossword clue," if it's 4 letters, 'TALE' or 'MYTH' are strong candidates; if 7, 'PARABLE' comes to mind.
- Think Synonyms and Related Concepts: Crossword constructors love synonyms. For "fable," consider words that mean a story with a moral, a legend, or even a parable. Brainstorming related literary terms can often unlock the answer.
- Look for Contextual Clues: Sometimes the clue might be "Aesop's _______" or "Moralistic story." These extra words provide crucial context that narrows down the possibilities and points directly to 'FABLE' or its close relatives.
- Check Intersecting Letters: If you've filled in a few letters from intersecting words, use those to your advantage. They can confirm or rule out potential answers for your "fable" clue.
For more advice, visit our page on general crossword strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a fable in a crossword?
In crosswords, a 'fable' clue often points to a short story designed to teach a moral lesson, frequently featuring anthropomorphic animals. Common answers include TALE, MYTH, PARABLE, or ALLEGORY, depending on the number of letters required.
Are all short stories considered fables?
No, while fables are short stories, not all short stories are fables. A defining characteristic of a fable is its explicit moral lesson and often, but not always, the use of talking animals or inanimate objects to convey that moral.
What's the difference between a fable and a parable?
Both fables and parables are short stories with moral lessons. The main difference lies in their typical characters and focus: fables often feature animals or inanimate objects, while parables usually feature human characters and focus on spiritual or religious lessons, as seen in biblical parables.