A fable is a short didactic story, consisting of two equivalent parts: a description of an event and an aphoristic ending or beginning. The tale does not have a clearly expressed preaching attitude. Its content conveys in detail the events as a result of which the hero defeats evil and receives a reward.
Unlike the tale as a predominantly narrative genre, the fable is a satirical work.
In a fairy tale, the main means of artistic expression are metaphor and constant epithets, in a fable - an allegory.
Characters of fairy tales are most often people and mythical creatures, less often - animals. In fables, the characters are usually animals.