The phrase «The moral of the fable is…» is usually considered the traditional beginning of fable morality. In fact, this line appeared
«Мораль сей басни такова»: от дидактизма к пародии 187
only in 1860 in the satirical fable by P.I. Weinberg as a parody of the fable morality. As a common saying, Weinberg’s line was often used in a purely ironic way. Among Russian rhymists of the 20th century, it is found either in parody, or in student and epigone fables.
Keywords
fable; satire; family phrases; P.I. Weinberg; S.V. Mikhalkov; N.R. Erdman; Leonid Filatov.