Fables are an early form of storytelling that originated in India and were popularized by Aesop, a Greek slave from the 7th century BC. Fables typically feature animals, plants, or forces of nature with human qualities, teach a moral lesson, and reflect the culture in which they were created. For example, Native American fables often featured wolves, which symbolized different traits than foxes represented in European fables. One classic fable is "The Tortoise and the Hare," in which the hare's overconfidence causes him to lose a race to the tortoise who wins through slow and steady effort.