A
fairy tale (pronounced /ˈfeəriˌteɪl/) is a type of short story that typically features European
folkloric fantasy characters, such as
dwarves,
elves,
fairies,
giants,
gnomes,
goblins,
mermaids,
trolls, or
witches, and usually
magic or
enchantments. Fairy tales may be distinguished from other folk narratives such as
legends (which generally involve belief in the veracity of the events described) and explicitly moral tales, including beast
fables.