Before people could write, they told stories to each other. Stories began before people could write. This is called the oral tradition.
One type of story from the oral tradition is the fable.
Fables are stories that often have animal characters that behave like humans. Fables also have a moral, or a lesson, to help people to behave properly or to treat others well. Characters in fables are often simple and represent something important to emphasise the moral of the story.
Although many fables seem to be simple when you first read them, they often work at many different levels and can be enjoyed over and over again.
Fables come from around the world. Read the fable below: it comes from China.
The Frog in the Shallow Well
Have you heard of the frog that lived in a shallow well?