[Allegory] The Moral of the Story is...

Read the winning entry for our June 20, 2025 prompt, "The Moral of the Fable"

Neurodivergent Narratives Presents: Autistic Morals

Bonus points if you wrote the whole fable

‘The Armadillo and the Cactus’
By Genya Vasilov

Armadillo and Snake, two lifelong friends, decided to attend a daytime party where all the other animals were gathered. Snake was excited about the party. Armadillo was scared. He much preferred the quiet night, but Snake pressured him into going, calling him a “Scaredy Wabbit.” As they entered, Snake started to run off and speak with the other animals. He had promised Armadillo, though, that he would stay by his side at the party. Being alone, Armadillo curled up into a ball every time one of the animals came up to him. They did not like this, and eventually, the other animals all made fun of him. Snake even joined in, as they all laughed at him. Armadillo started to cry, and so he ran away from the party.
As he was walking through the desert, he came upon a lonely Cactus. He started curling up into a ball. “Don’t be afraid of me,” the Cactus told the Armadillo. “I don’t mind if you curl up into a ball around me. I am just happy to have some company.” The Armadillo slowly uncurled and approached the Cactus. “I like you.” He then sat next to him. As the two watched the sun go down together in silence, they softly smiled at each other, waiting for the next day.

Moral: Friends are those who value the unmasked you

‘The Runt and the Kitten’
By Fiona Baker

The runt lived in a pen with his two sisters and two brothers who liked to play loud, rough games and to fight over food and treats. The runt preferred to sit quietly watching the birds in the yard, the lady beetles crawling across the white painted wall, and the spiders building their webs in the cornices. This angered the siblings, who would push the runt with their squat square bodies and steal away his favourite foods. One day, they pushed the runt so hard that he tumbled out of the pen. On trying to re-join his siblings, his way was blocked by four fierce bottoms crowned with curling tails.

Sadly, the runt turned away from the pen, flopped on the cold wooden floor, and whimpered. After some time, he felt a soft tickly thwack on his snub nose. He opened one big brown eye and spied a ginger-striped kitten whipping her tail expectantly. Cautiously, the runt pushed the ball of wool back to the kitten and in this way they began to play. They played happily together until they were both tired out. To rest, they sat side by side and watched a spider weave its intricate patterns.

As the sun began to retreat across the floor boards the runt and the kitten were scooped up in the warm embrace of the old lady. The old lady placed them together in a basket by the fire and sat with them in her comfortable armchair and knitted while the fire blazed. Next to their basket she had placed a bowl of warm milk and delicious cuts of meat. To the naughty siblings she had given only water and dry biscuits.

The moral: When your family are not your friends, find friends who will be your family.

The mouse thought the cat was kind and thoughtful
By Cat Anne