What do we call a story that teaches a moral lesson?

A story that teaches a moral lesson is commonly referred to as a fable. Fables are short stories that often feature animals as characters which illustrate human traits and convey important life lessons or morals at the end. The simplicity and straightforwardness of fables make them particularly effective for teaching values, especially to children.

While myths, epics, and parables may also contain moral lessons, they differ in their primary characteristics and purposes. Myths typically explain natural phenomena or the origins of a culture's beliefs and gods. Epics are long narrative poems that recount the adventures of heroic figures, often focusing on grand themes like honor, bravery, and the human condition. Parables are short, simple stories used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, often found in religious texts, but they do not typically use animals as main characters as fables do. Thus, the distinction lies in the specific format and attributes of a fable that align it with teaching moral lessons.