There was once a fable with a moral longer than its text. But it slipped and fell over the edge of a cliff.
¶ This fable is metafictional, in the sense that it refers to itself, partly for simple entertainment purposes, partly in an attempt to question the very nature of fables, which is an ironic function. When walking on cliff tops it’s always best not to wander too close to the edge. Metafiction is feared by traditional literary critics, who deride it and pretend it doesn’t exist. If you look before you leap, make certain that you are looking in the right direction; there’s no point looking south if you are leaping north, unless your vision stretches right around the world.