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Apologue - (from the Greek "απολογος," a "statement" or "account") A moral fable, usually featuring personified animals or inanimate objects which act like people to allow the author to comment on the human condition. Often, the apologue highlights the irrationality of mankind. The beast fable, and the fables of Aesop are examples. Some critics have called Samuel Johnson's Rasselas an apologue rather than a novel because it is more concerned with moral philosophy than with character or plot.

Examples:
George Orwell, Animal Farm
Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book

An apologue differs from a parable in several respects. A parable is equally an ingenious tale intended to correct manners, but it can be true in the sense that "when this kind of actual event happens among men, this is what it means and this is how we should think about it", while an apologue, with its introduction of animals and plants, to which it lends ideas, language and emotions, contains only metaphoric truth: "when this kind of situation exists anywhere in the world, here is an interesting truth about it." The parable reaches heights to which the apologue cannot aspire, for the points in which animals and nature present analogies to man are principally those of his lower nature (hunger, desire, pain, fear, etc.), and the lessons taught by the apologue seldom therefore reach beyond prudential morality (keep yourself safe, find ease where you can, plan for the future, don't misbehave or you'll eventually be caught and punished), whereas the parable aims at representing the relations between man and God (know your role in the universe, behave well towards all you encounter, kindness and respect are of higher value than cruelty and slander). It finds its framework in the world of nature as it actually is, and not in any parody of it, and it exhibits real and not fanciful analogies. The apologue seizes on that which man has in common with creatures below him, and the parable on that which he has in common with God or with God-like virtues and thoughts.
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Now, I thoroughly enjoyed learning the difference between apologue and parable. However, I have already worked 40 hours for the week, and am currently attempting to bake cookies for a child's school event tomorrow, dealing with the finances from hell, and deflecting the laser beams of a grumpy spouse.

And I'm a dissdent writer. The idea of attempting my own apologue at this point is laughable. However, I would love to see someone else's attempt. Be sure to post a link to your work in the comments section.