A short account of an interesting event is ________

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks for the term that means a short account of an interesting event. The key words are "short" and "interesting event."

Step 2: Explain the concepts Let's look at each option:

• Tale: a narrative, often long and imaginative or traditional (e.g., folktales). It is not defined by being short.
• Anecdote: a short, entertaining account of a real incident or event, usually about a person. It is brief and meant to amuse or illustrate a point.
• Episode: one part or section of a larger story, series, or sequence of events. It is not a standalone account.
• Story: a general term for any narrative, long or short, real or imagined. It does not specify brevity.

Step 3: Match to the definition "Short" together with "interesting event" matches the dictionary definition of an anecdote: "a short and amusing or interesting story about a real person or incident."

The other options fail on one point:

• Tale and story are too general and carry no idea of brevity.
• Episode is only a part of something bigger.

Step 4: Answer an anecdote**.

Tip: Remember that an anecdote is always narrow and brief, a little account of one incident. If you see "short" plus "interesting/amusing incident" in a literature question, think anecdote. Also remember that an episode is a piece of a bigger whole.