Famous Parables & Fables

Parables & fables have been teaching life lessons to those that would hear them for centuries. There are many famous parables & fables that teach different lessons using different characters.

The Tortoise and the Hare

A tortoise and a hare enter a race, the hare boasting about how he is faster, and will therefore win. The hare foolishly over-estimates his speed, and it ends up costing him the race.

The Emperor's New Clothes

This fable teaches the lesson of thinking for yourself. It stars an emperor who hires two con-artists who convince him they have made a suite of material that cannot be seen by people who are stupid. It is a child who reveals the truth, and makes a mockery of the king.

The Prodigal Son

This parable is about a father whose son squanders his inheritance. Eventually the son comes home, and his father welcomes him.

The Good Samaritan

This parable is about a man who has been beaten and left on the side of the road. The religious men pass the beaten man by, while the Samaritan, an enemy, helps him.

The Boy Who Called Wolf

This fable is about a small boy who thinks it's fun to alert the town of a wolf when there is none. When a wolf actually appears, no one comes to the boy's aid.

References

• A Short History of Aesop's Fables