n.1 a narrative or story, esp. fictitious and imaginatively treated.
2 a report of an alleged fact, often malicious or in breach of confidence (all sorts of tales will get about).
3 archaic or literary a number or total (the tale is complete).
Phrases and idioms:
tale of a tub an idle fiction.
Etymology: OE talu f. Gmc: cf. TELL(1)