Final answer:
A beast fable is a story that uses anthropomorphized animals to impart a moral lesson, with animals standing in for humans and societies. Aesop's Fables and tales by the Grimm brothers exemplify this genre. Chicken Little is one such tale that teaches not to believe everything one hears.
Step-by-step explanation:
A beast fable is a prose or verse fable or short story that often imparts a moral lesson through the use of animals that exhibit human feelings and motives. The animals within these tales are anthropomorphized, which means they are given human characteristics and behaviors, serving as stand-ins for humans and society.
One of the best-known collections of these fables is Aesop's Fables, told by Aesop, a storyteller from ancient Greece around 500 BCE. Classic examples in Western societies also include tales collected by the Grimm brothers from 1812-1857.
In the context of the beast fable, each animal usually represents a particular human characteristic or moral lesson. For example, the tale of Chicken Little conveys the moral that we should not be quick to panic or believe everything we are told. It demonstrates how even the smallest of animals, or characters, can play a role in conveying important teachings or morals.