Opening

Good tales tend to help in keeping and transmitting a culture, says the American psychologist Jerome Bruner, and also tells that the intimate aspects of culture are transmitted through narratives. Culture "provides us with the toolkit by which we construct not only our worlds but our very conceptions of our selves and our powers," he also tells (Bruner 1996, 39-40; 178; x) [Bruner on stories]

Some forms of food contains seeds and sprouts. Appealing fables can quite similarly contain life lessons, such seeds and seedlings, if you like. Compare a little of what ancient Zoroaster is credited with:

Imagination is . . . the most accurate and truth-telling factulty which the human mind posseses. . . . Imagination, its true force lies in its marvellous insight and foresight. [More]

A developing fantasy is allied with the inherent capacity of children to enjoy tales (Lissau 2012:103). How? David Mitchell writes that stories extend the range of the child's experience beyond her actual life circumstances [and] provide an excellent opportunity for the kind of collaborative talk between adult and child that helps children understand the world and stimulates the child's inner dialogues. This self-talk forms a key stage in the development of independent thinking. This applies to stories to read and stories to hear. (Mitchell 2003, 143-44)

Understanding through narrative helps children organize their experience. Further, stories are crucial to cognitive development and in the child's developing relationship to self and the world (Ib. 145, 153).

Also:

Constructing stories . . . is one of the most fundamental means of making meaning; as such, it is an activity that pervades all aspects of learning. - Gordon Wells (in (Mitchell 2003:145)

Janni Nicol (2010) goes into details about how fables and other tales may be enabling:

Storytelling is . . . one of the ways in which we learn about the world and make sense of our experiences. By giving children the experience of listening we enliven their imaginations and fantasy and educate their memory; we help them to understand their world and to become effective communicators and listeners. Family stories or those from personal experience are the easiest way to begin . . .

Next is learning stories, so that they can be told rather than read to the children. The reason for this is that it enables the children to form their own pictures. There is nothing wrong with reading stories to the child either, but the effort of learning the story beforehand . . . allows you to add something . . . which is felt inwardly by the child. . . .

'Fairy-tale children' experience more, they can express themselves more fully either in words or through art, are open, can listen better, and display greater pleasure in creative endeavours. They form thoughts into well-structured sentences containing a more extensive vocabulary. (von Kugelgen 1993:48)

There are certain fairy tales suitable for different ages. . . . The most important consideration is the storyteller's own relationship to the story. The teacher needs to understand it and be comfortable with it.

(Nicol 2010:66-68, passim)

There are ancient occupations, trades and craftsmen and gods in some fables, as well as plants, trees and animals. It is an opportunity for the fable teller to explain them well, and make sure they make sense. Added to the fable such information is fine for building knowledge in biology, zoology, foreign cultures and so on. Decent fables may rally many sorts of interests to build on as time goes by, and a fine sign that they do, is that they are enjoyed.