Fables are short stories that end with some sort of pithy moral. Often fables feature anthropomorphized animals (or even plants or elements) … Whether the character is a fox or a grape or the North Wind, it can speak, feel, and somehow exemplifies the maxim with which the tale concludes.
For warm-ups, read one of wise old Aesop’s fables.
So … this week’s writing practice: write a fable. It should not be longer than a page. The characters cannot be human, but must have human characteristics. End your tale with this age-old Spanish proverb:
“How beautiful it is to do nothing, and then rest afterwards.”