This article aims at tracing the transformation of the traditional tale into a short story and a vignette over a period of about five decades. In the process one finds that the principal trends have been set by a few outstanding talents which shaped the structure, content, vision and scope of the emerging genre. The two major schools of thought happen to be complementary and inclusive and contribute to the growth of the genre. Be it ‘trick-ending’ or ‘zero-ending’, it is an aesthetic choice rather than a dogmatic omission. Key-words: vignette genre, Complementary trick-ending, Zero- ending, dogmatic, aesthetic etc.