In the Bible a "parable" is a short story or comparison used to illustrate a point; Matthew 13 records that Jesus taught the crowds by parables.
Matthew 13:34 in the King James Version reads:
All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:
The verse appears in Matthew 13, a chapter that contains several of Jesus' parables side by side. Read it in context at Matthew 13:34, or the full chapter at Matthew 13. Encyclopedia entry: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parables_of_Jesus.