Conte \Conte\, n.; pl. Contes. [F.]

A short narrative or tale, esp. one dealing with surprising or marvelous events.

The conte (sic) is a tale something more than a sketch, it may be, and something less than a short story. . . . The ``Canterbury Tales'' are contes, most of them, if not all, and so are some of the ``Tales of a Wayside Inn.'' --Brander Matthews.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)