Tale vs. Fable — What's the Difference?

A fictitious or true narrative or story, especially one that is imaginatively recounted

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, and that illustrates or leads to a particular moral lesson (a "moral"), which may at the end be added explicitly as a concise maxim or saying. A fable differs from a parable in that the latter excludes animals, plants, inanimate objects, and forces of nature as actors that assume speech or other powers of humankind.

A number or total

A usually short narrative making an edifying or cautionary point and often employing as characters animals that speak and act like humans.

A recital of events or happenings; a report or revelation

A story about legendary persons and exploits.

A malicious story, piece of gossip, or petty complaint.

A falsehood; a lie.

A deliberate lie; a falsehood.

To recount as if true.

A narrative of real or imaginary events; a story.

To compose fables.

(Archaic) A tally or reckoning; a total.

A fictitious narrative intended to enforce some useful truth or precept, usually with animals, etc. as characters; an apologue. Prototypically, Aesop's Fables.

An account of an asserted fact or circumstance; a rumour; a report, especially an idle or malicious story; a piece of gossip or slander; a lie.

Any story told to excite wonder; common talk; the theme of talk.

A rehearsal of what has occurred; narrative; discourse; statement; history; story.

Fiction; untruth; falsehood.

A number told or counted off; a reckoning by count; an enumeration.

The plot, story, or connected series of events forming the subject of an epic or dramatic poem.

(slang) The fraudulent opportunity presented by a confidence man to the mark or victim.

To compose fables; hence, to write or speak fiction; to write or utter what is not true.

(obsolete) Number; tally; quota.

To make up; to devise, and speak of, as true or real; to tell of falsely; to recount in the form of a fable.

(obsolete) Account; estimation; regard; heed.

A Feigned story or tale, intended to instruct or amuse; a fictitious narration intended to enforce some useful truth or precept; an apologue. See the Note under Apologue.

(obsolete) Speech; language.

The plot, story, or connected series of events, forming the subject of an epic or dramatic poem.

(obsolete) A speech; a statement; talk; conversation; discourse.

Any story told to excite wonder; common talk; the theme of talk.

A count; declaration.

Fiction; untruth; falsehood.

A number of things considered as an aggregate; sum.

To compose fables; hence, to write or speak fiction ; to write or utter what is not true.

A report of any matter; a relation; a version.

To feign; to invent; to devise, and speak of, as true or real; to tell of falsely.

To speak; discourse; tell tales.

A deliberately false or improbable account

To reckon; consider (someone) to have something.

A short moral story (often with animal characters)

See Tael.

A story about mythical or supernatural beings or events

That which is told; an oral relation or recital; any rehearsal of what has occured; narrative; discourse; statement; history; story.

A number told or counted off; a reckoning by count; an enumeration; a count, in distinction from measure or weight; a number reckoned or stated.

A count or declaration.

To tell stories.

A message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program;

A trivial lie;