A parable...
Other seed fell into good soil. (Mark 4:8)
‘A parable, that is a metaphorical story, always points externally beyond itself, points to some different and much wider referent. Whatever its actual content is, a parable is never about that content. Whatever its internal subject, always points you towards and wants you to go to some external referent.’ (pg 9)
There are three types of parable; riddle, example & challenge.
With riddle parables you need to get each part of the riddle right for the parable’s meaning to be clear.
The Power of Parable: How fiction by Jesus became fiction about Jesus, John Dominic Crossan, Harper Collins 2012