Do you remember the stories that you read as a child? Moral stories can needn’t be serious, but they can be funny at the same time help your child learn something. We have compiled a list of 07 short moral stories that are inspirational, from India, and from around the world. <h3>1. The Boy Who Cried, Wolf</h3><img src="https://bee-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com/image/the_boy_who_cried%2C_wolf.webp_image_1638188646554.webp" width="359">There was a young boy whose father, a farmer, had asked him to take their herd of sheep grazing every day.One day, the boy was extremely bored as he watched over the sheep and so he cried: “Wolf! Wolf!”On hearing his cries, the villagers rushed to help him chase the wolf away and save the sheep.When they saw the grinning boy and realised he had cried wolf for his amusement, they scolded him and told him to not cry wolf!The next day, the boy cried out that the wolf was there. The villagers came, scolded him again, and left.Later that same day, a wolf came and terrorized the sheep.The boy cried, “Wolf! Wolf! Please help me.”But, the villagers assumed that he was pulling a silly prank again and did not come to his rescue. The sheep ran away and the boy cried.Moral of the story: Don’t lie or engage in foolish pranks, for no one will believe a liar even when he is telling the truth! <h3>2. The Golden Touch Of Midas</h3><img src="https://bee-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com/image/the_golden_touch_of_midas.jpg_image_1638188804006.jpg" width="365">A long time ago, there lived a king in Greece named Midas.He was extremely wealthy and had all the gold he could ever need. He also had a daughter whom he loved very much.One day, Midas saw a Satyr (an angel) who was stuck and was in trouble. Midas helped the Satyr and asked for his wish to be granted in return.The Satyr agreed and Midas wished for everything he touched to be turned to gold. His wish was granted.Extremely excited, Midas went home to his wife and daughter touching pebbles, rocks, and plants on the way, which turned into gold.As his daughter hugged him, she turned into a golden statue.Having learnt his lesson, Midas begged the Satyr to reverse the spell who granted that everything would go back to their original state.Moral of the story: Stay content and grateful for what you have. Greed will not get you anywhere. <h3>3. The Foolish Thief</h3><img src="https://bee-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com/image/the_foolish_thief.jpg_image_1638188856227.jpg" width="362">Once, a wealthy merchant came to King Akbar’s court to seek help from Birbal. He suspected that one of his servants had robbed him.On hearing this, Birbal thought of a clever plan and summoned the merchant’s servants.He gave each servant a stick of the same length. He told them that the thief’s stick would grow two inches by the next day.The next day, Birbal summoned the servants again. He noticed that a servant’s stick was two inches shorter than the others.He knew who the thief was.The foolish thief had cut the stick shorter by two inches as he thought it would grow two inches. Thus, proving his guilt.Moral of the story: Truth and justice will always prevail. <h3>4. Two Frogs With The Same Problem</h3><img src="https://bee-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com/image/two_frogs_with_the_same_problem.png_image_1638188962564.png" width="346">Once, a group of frogs was roaming around the forest in search of water. Suddenly, two frogs in the group accidentally fell into a deep pit.The other frogs worried about their friends in the pit.Seeing how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that there was no way they could escape the deep pit and that there was no point in trying.They continued to constantly discourage them as the two frogs tried to jump out of the pit. But keep falling back.Soon, one of the two frogs started to believe the other frogs — that they’ll never be able to escape the pit and eventually died after giving up.The other frog keeps trying and eventually jumps so high that he escapes the pit. The other frogs were shocked at this and wondered how he did it.The difference was that the second frog was deaf and couldn’t hear the discouragement of the group. He simply thought they were cheering him on!Moral of the story: People’s opinion of you will affect you, only if you believe it to be so. It’s better to believe in yourself. <h3>5. The Milkmaid and Her Pail</h3><img src="https://bee-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com/image/the_milkmaid_and_her_pail.jpg_image_1638189037353.jpg" width="348">There was once a milkmaid named Patty.She milked her cow and carried the two pails of milk she fetched on a stick and set out to sell the milk at the market.As she was walking to the market, she began to daydream about what she would do with the money she fo for the milk.She thought of buying a hen and selling its eggs and she planned on becoming wealthy.She dreamt of buying a cake, a basket of strawberries, a fancy dress, and even a new house with the money she would make selling the eggs and the milk!In her excitement, she forgot about the pails she was carrying and began to skip.Suddenly, she realised that the milk was spilling down and when she checked her pails, they were empty.Moral of the story: Don’t count your chickens before they hatch! It is important to focus on the process of achieving success and not just success alone. <h3>6. The Elephant Circus</h3><img src="https://bee-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com/image/elepahnt_circus.jpg_image_1638189224771.jpg" width="361">Once upon a time in a circus, five elephants performed circus tricks. They were kept tied up with weak rope that they could’ve easily escaped, but did not.One day, a man visiting the circus asked the ringmaster: “Why haven’t these elephants broken the rope and run away?”The ringmaster replied: “From when they were young, the elephants were made to believe that they were not strong enough to break the ropes and escape.”It was because of this belief that they did not even try to break the ropes now.Moral of the story: Don’t give in to the limitations of society. Believe that you can achieve everything you want to!<h3> </h3>7. The Elephants And The Mice<img src="https://bee-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com/image/1_xvfat_v8xumqnkx7-3jcka.png_image_1638189285226.png" width="350">In an earthquake-hit village abandoned by humans, a colony of mice lived. Near the village was a lake, which was used by a herd of elephants.The elephants would have to cross the village to go to the lake. Thus, one day, as they walked through, they trampled a lot of mice.The leader of the mice met with the elephants and requested them to take a different route to the lake. He promised them that their favour would be returned in the time of their need.The elephants laughed. How could such small mice help these large elephants in any way? But then, they agreed to take a different route.Not so long after, the mice heard that hunters had caught the herd of elephants and were tied in nets.Immediately, they rush to rescue the elephants. They gnawed through the nets and ropes with their sharp teeth.The leader of the elephants repeatedly thanked the mice for their help!Moral of the story: A friend in need is a friend indeed. Make sure you help your friends out whenever they need it. They should always be able to count on you. That’s all folks!We hope children like these short yet interesting stories with morals that we have read growing up!There are more and more stories with morals on <a href="https://www.beeparenting.com/s/moral-stories" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bee Stories</a>.

Short stories with moral values will teach your children some important lessons which they will remember always.

07 Must Read Short Moral Stories For Children

Short stories with moral values will teach your children some important lessons which they will remember always.

Pallavi Hota

Mahabharata is an ancient Indian epic about the brothers, Pandavas and kauravas. It describes the battle between them in the Kurukshetra war for the throne of Hastinapura. It is an epic tale that combines war, religion, philosophy and Hindu history. Following is a story from ìThe Mahabharata.There are some devotees who want to show off. For hours they meditate, for hours they chant, for hours they repeat the name of Lord Krishna. They look down upon others who do not spend so much time meditating and chanting. Arjuna happened to be one of these. Bhima, one of the five Pandava brothers, was the strongest in the family. Bhima never prayed to any god. He used to eat and he used to fight. He was a voracious eater and at the same time a great fighter.Arjuna used to pray to Lord Shiva. For two hours, Arjuna used to collect hundreds of flowers and offer them to Lord Shiva one by one. Each time while offering the flowers he used to utter the name of Lord Shiva. On the other hand, Bhima would put his fingers on his forehead and concentrate for a couple of minutes before each meal. Then he would eat voraciously. This was his meditation. Poor Arjuna would spend hours gathering flowers, but Arjuna's pride could not escape Sri Krishna. Sri Krishna took Arjuna for a walk. As they were walking, they saw a man drawing a cart. The cart was loaded with flowers. All kinds of flowers. Arjuna asked the man, ìWhat are you doing with these flowers? And where are you going?î The man had no time to respond to Arjuna. Sri Krishna said, ìArjuna, let us follow him.î When the man reached his destination, there were many more carts of flowers. ìWhat are you going to do with all these thousands and millions of flowers?î, Arjuna inquired. ìI have no time to speak to you. I am now in serious concentration, said the man. The man continues, ìI can speak only to one person on earth, and that is Bhima, the second Pandava. He is the greatest spiritual seeker. When he meditates before his meals just for a minute or two, saying O mighty Lord Shiva, thousands of flowers are offered by him to Lord Shiva. His concentration is the most intense. His meditation is the most sincere. Arjuna only throws flowers at Lord Shiva. He just shows off.îThis made Arjuna realise that it's not the time or the resources one offers to the Lords but the dedication which matters the most.

This is a story of Arjun and Bheem.

Bheema's power of concentration and dedication

Shina Utavani

Mahabharata is an ancient Indian epic about the brothers, Pandavas and kauravas. It describes the battle between them in the Kurukshetra war for the throne of Hastinapura. It is an epic tale that combines war, religion, philosophy and Hindu history. Following is a story from “The Mahabharata” about Karna and his generous nature.&nbsp;There was a boy named Karna who was very kind and generous. He Duryodhan’s (eldest Kaurava) best friend. Karna used to help people in need. He never denied helping anyone. Karna had a routine of going for a bath to the riverbank every morning and offer his prayers to Sun-God. While returning, if he met a needy person, he would always give something to that person.&nbsp;Lord Krishna was aware of the generous nature of Karna. Once Arjun and Lord Krishna were having a conversation about Karna. Lord Krishna was impressed by Karna’s kindness and he was praising his generosity. Lord Krishna even said that he had never seen anyone as generous and kind as Karna. Arjun was amazed to hear that. Arjun argued saying that his brother Yudhishthir was also very generous. Lord Krishna said, “Yes he is but not as generous as Karna. Let me prove it to you that Karna is the most generous.” Arjun agreed.They both went to Yudhisthir the next morning. It was a rainy season. Yudhisthir saw Lord Krishna and Arjun and welcomed them both. He said, “I am pleased to see you. What brought you here early in the morning?” Lord Krishna replied, “Actually, some important construction work has to be undertaken immediately and we do not have enough wood. We need some wooden logs for that.” Yudhisthir called his servants and told them to bring the best quality wood for construction. After a long time, one servant came back and said that due to monsoon, the wood had become wet and they cannot use that for construction. Yudhisthir was helpless and expressed his helplessness to Lord Krishna and Arjun. After that Arjun and Lord Krishna went to Karna.Karna welcomed Lord Krishna and Arjun with great respect and love. He also inquired about their well-being. Then, Arjun expressed their urgent need of wooden logs for the construction. Karna immediately asked his servant to fetch some wood for construction. The servant took a lot of time to return. Karna was waiting for his servant. After some time, the servant returned saying that due to rain, the wood had become wet. After hearing this, Karna went inside his room and did not return for a long time. Lord Krishna and Arjun decided to go inside as he did not return for a long time. When they entered Karna's room, they saw him cutting the legs of his bed. He had already cut many pieces of his furniture. Looking at him cutting his furniture, Arjun asked, “Karna, why did you cut off your artistic sandalwood furniture?” He replied, “There is no other greater gief for me than to send away a person in need, empty-handed. This furniture can be made again but it was important to fulfil your urgent need.”Arjun was surprised to see the generosity of Karna. He said to Lord Krishna, “Karna is really very generous, I have never seen someone as kind as him”. This is one of the examples of Karna’s sacrifice and generosity.&nbsp;&nbsp; MORAL:Friends, you just read about the generosity of Karna. Karna gave away his armour and earrings, which he had received as a blessing at birth. However, we are never willing to give even the smallest of our possessions to others. From this, we must learn that we too should be ready to sacrifice our things for the sake of the ones in need.

This is a story of Karana, Arjuna, Yudhisthira and Krishna.Moral(s) of the story: kindness and sacrifice

Daanveer Karna

Mahabharata is an ancient Indian epic about the brothers, Pandavas and kauravas. It describes the battle between them in the Kurukshetra war for the throne of Hastinapura. It is an epic tale that combines war, religion, philosophy and Hindu history. Following is a story from ìThe Mahabharata.The Pandavas returned home with Draupadi as Arjunaís wife. Kunti was waiting for them thinking that her five sons will return home soon with their daily collection of alms. ?As soon as they reached their cottage, Yudhishthira called out to Kunti, ìMother! See what we have today!î Kunti was inside and did not see what Yudhishthir was talking about. So she casually replied, ìWhatever it is, divide it equally among yourselves.î But as soon as she noticed Draupadi she felt highly embarrassed at what she had said.In order to solve the complicated situation of Draupadi having wed the five Pandavas, Narada advised the brothers to draw up a code of conduct whereby none of the others could invade their brother's privacy when the latter was with Draupadi. Failing which the violator was to go into exile for a period of twelve years.The dharma-abiding Pandava brothers accepted these conditions and life proceeded smoothly until one day, a Brahmin came wailing bitterly. He told Arjuna that thieves had stolen his cows. Arjuna consoled and promised to go after the thieves. But he suddenly realised that his weapons were in Draupad's chamber and Yudhishthira was with her at that time. Arjuna was in a dilemma. But he chose to violate the code and accept exile instead of falling short in his duty as a Prince. He walked into Draupad's chamber, picked up his bow and quiver, and went after the thieves.?Arjuna returned after restoring the cows to the Brahmin. He straightaway went to his elder brother Yudhishthira and apologised for breaking the code. He said, ìI am guilty of violating our mutual agreement and now I seek your permission to go into exile for twelve years.î An aghast Yudhishthira tried to persuade Arjuna to change his mind by arguing that his selfless act of abiding by dharma negated the terms of the agreement. But Arjuna insisted on not making any exception and soon left for the forest.

This is a story of Arjun and Yudhishtra.

Arjun's Exile

Mahabharata is an ancient Indian epic about the brothers, Pandavas and kauravas. It describes the battle between them in the Kurukshetra war for the throne of Hastinapura. It is an epic tale that combines war, religion, philosophy and Hindu history. Following is a story from “The Mahabharata”.Arjuna was one of the five Pandava brothers and was married to Subhadra. They both had a son named Abhimanyu. When Subhadra was pregnant with Abhimanyu, Arjuna decided to tell his wife about the Chakravyuh war technique. Chakravyuh is a maze formed by armed soldiers to trap the enemy. He narrated to Subhadra how to break the Chakravyuh. Abhimanyu who was inside the Subhadra’s womb memorized the entire process while it was narrated by Arjuna.While Arjuna was telling about the strategy of the Chakravyuh, Subhadra fell asleep. As a result, Abhimanyu only learned about entering the mazebut could not learn the way out from the Chakravyuh. After years when Abhimanyu reached his youth, he had to fight in the Kurukshetra War of Mahabharata. In the war, he had to confront the enemy’s Chakravyuh Formation. He entered the formation as he knew the strategy but was not able to get out of it. Abhimanyu didn’t lose hope and fought vigorously with the enemies. He fought with the enemies by a chariot wheel. He didn’t give up and fought bravely till his last breath. Moral:Never Give Up on something and try your best until you succeed. Always stay determined and focused even when the situation is not in your favour.

This is a story of Abhimanyu, Arjun and Subhadra.Moral(s) of the story: bravery and determination.

The Brave Abhimanyu

Mahabharata is an ancient Indian epic about the brothers, Pandavas and kauravas. It describes the battle between them in the Kurukshetra war for the throne of Hastinapura. It is an epic tale that combines war, religion, philosophy and Hindu history. Following is a story from “The Mahabharata” about Karna and his generous nature.There was a boy named Karna who was very kind and generous. He Duryodhan’s (eldest Kaurava) best friend. Karna used to help people in need. He never denied helping anyone. Karna had a routine of going for a bath to the riverbank every morning and offer his prayers to Sun-God. While returning, if he met a needy person, he would always give something to that person.Lord Krishna was aware of the generous nature of Karna. Once Arjun and Lord Krishna were having a conversation about Karna. Lord Krishna was impressed by Karna’s kindness and he was praising his generosity. Lord Krishna even said that he had never seen anyone as generous and kind as Karna. Arjun was amazed to hear that. Arjun argued saying that his brother Yudhishthir was also very generous. Lord Krishna said, “Yes he is but not as generous as Karna. Let me prove it to you that Karna is the most generous.” Arjun agreed.They both went to Yudhisthir the next morning. It was a rainy season. Yudhisthir saw Lord Krishna and Arjun and welcomed them both. He said, “I am pleased to see you. What brought you here early in the morning?” Lord Krishna replied, “Actually, some important construction work has to be undertaken immediately and we do not have enough wood. We need some wooden logs for that.” Yudhisthir called his servants and told them to bring the best quality wood for construction. After a long time, one servant came back and said that due to monsoon, the wood had become wet and they cannot use that for construction. Yudhisthir was helpless and expressed his helplessness to Lord Krishna and Arjun. After that Arjun and Lord Krishna went to Karna.Karna welcomed Lord Krishna and Arjun with great respect and love. He also inquired about their well-being. Then, Arjun expressed their urgent need of wooden logs for the construction. Karna immediately asked his servant to fetch some wood for construction. The servant took a lot of time to return. Karna was waiting for his servant. After some time, the servant returned saying that due to rain, the wood had become wet. After hearing this, Karna went inside his room and did not return for a long time. Lord Krishna and Arjun decided to go inside as he did not return for a long time. When they entered Karna's room, they saw him cutting the legs of his bed. He had already cut many pieces of his furniture. Looking at him cutting his furniture, Arjun asked, “Karna, why did you cut off your artistic sandalwood furniture?” He replied, “There is no other greater gief for me than to send away a person in need, empty-handed. This furniture can be made again but it was important to fulfil your urgent need.”Arjun was surprised to see the generosity of Karna. He said to Lord Krishna, “Karna is really very generous, I have never seen someone as kind as him”. This is one of the examples of Karna’s sacrifice and generosity.&nbsp; Moral:Friends, you just read about the generosity of Karna. Karna gave away his armour and earrings, which he had received as a blessing at birth. However, we are never willing to give even the smallest of our possessions to others. From this, we must learn that we too should be ready to sacrifice our things for the sake of the ones in need.

This is a story of Arjun, Karna, Krishna and Yudhistra.Moral(s) of the story: generosity, kindness and sacrifice.

Karna‘s Generosity

Mahabharata is an ancient Indian epic about the brothers, Pandavas and kauravas. It describes the battle between them in the Kurukshetra war for the throne of Hastinapura. It is an epic tale that combines war, religion, philosophy and Hindu history. Following is a story from ìThe Mahabharata.The Kauravas and the Pandavas were given an archery test by their Guru, Dronacharya. They were asked to aim at the eye of a toy bird on the branch of a tree. When the teacher asked them what they saw, with the exception of Arjun, all others claimed to see the sky, trees, the bird, the leaves, the branches, etc. Only Arjun said that he just saw the blackness of the bird's eye. Only he was permitted to shoot at the target, which he did successfully.

Arjun and the Bird's Eye Test

Mahabharata is an ancient Indian epic about the brothers, Pandavas and kauravas. It describes the battle between them in the Kurukshetra war for the throne of Hastinapura. It is an epic tale that combines war, religion, philosophy and Hindu history. Following is a story from “The Mahabharata.” On the 17th day of the war, Karna was faced with Arjuna, his ultimate rival. But by now, Karna had also exhausted the Divyastra, the weapon that Lord Indra had given which he had to use on Ghatothkach, the son of Bhima and Hidimba. He had no Kavach-Kundal to protect him anymore and he found his chariot's wheels stuck in the squish of the battlefield. He forgot the Brahmastra as Parshuram his Guru had cursed him that he would forget the very potent mantra on the battlefield when he most needed it. Lord Krishna had promised Lord Indra that he will protect Arjuna. At one point, Karna found himself stuck with an immobile chariot, all weapons lost, broken or useless. Krishna inspired Arjun to fire a salvo. Karna died at the hands of his own brothers. After the death of Karna, Kunti rushed to the battlefield when the war machine went silent for the day. She held his face and hugged her son tight. Pandavas learnt the truth about their relationship with Karna that evening. They also carried out the last rites of fallen Karna.

This is a story of Karna, Krishna, and Arjuna

Reason Behind Karna’s Death

Mahabharata is an ancient Indian epic about the brothers, Pandavas and kauravas. It describes the battle between them in the Kurukshetra war for the throne of Hastinapura. It is an epic tale that combines war, religion, philosophy and Hindu history. Following is a story from The Mahabharata.Sri Krishna and Arjuna once were guests of a widow. The widow had no children, nobody. She was all alone. But she had a cow. This cow was her only means of support. She used to sell milk, and by selling milk she used to sustain her life. At the same time she was a great devotee of Sri Krishna.When Sri Krishna and Arjuna visited her in disguise, she was so happy to see the two divine guests. She fed them with whatever she had in her house. Sri Krishna was extremely pleased with her surrendering attitude and her devotion. On their way back, Arjuna said to Krishna, ìYou were so pleased with her. Why didn't you grant her a boon? Why didn't you tell her that she would be prosperous soon, now that you are pleased with her?îìI have already granted her the boon that her cow must die tomorrow, replied Krishna. ìWhat? Her only means of support? She has only the cow, and nothing else. Without the cow how can she live on earth? asked Arjuna. Krishna answered, You don't understand me, Arjuna. She always thinks of the cow. The cow has to be fed, has to be milked, has to be bathed and so forth.ìI want her only to think of me, and when the cow is gone, she will think of me all the time, twenty-four hours. Then soon the time will be right for me to take her away from this world, and after a few years I will give her a better and more fulfilling incarnation. When she has nobody on earth, not even the cow, she will try and spend all her time, day and night, devoting herself to me. Otherwise, this way she will linger on earth and constantly think of the cow and not of me.

This is a story of Arjun and Krishna.

Krishna, Arjuna, the widow and her cow

Mahabharata is an ancient Indian epic about the brothers, Pandavas and kauravas. It describes the battle between them in the Kurukshetra war for the throne of Hastinapura. It is an epic tale that combines war, religion, philosophy and Hindu history. Following is a story from “The Mahabharata”.Kauravas and Pandavas were trying to get support from various kings in order to prepare for the war. Duryodhana went to Krishna, the king of Dwarka, to ask for his support. He reached Krishna’s place but at that time Krishna was sleeping. So, Duryodhana went and took a seat beside Krishna’s head and waited for him to wake up. At that time, Arjuna also came to ask for Krishna’s support. Arjuna was very humble so, he sat near Krishna’s feet and waited for him to wake up.When Krishna woke up, he saw Arjuna first because Duryodhana was sitting behind him. Duryodhan said, “I have come to ask for your support in the war.” Arjuna also made the same request. Duryodhana said, “I came before Arjuna, so you should help me and not him.” Krishna said, “Due to your pride, you sat beside my head due to which I saw Arjuna first. So, he will be given the first chance.” Krishna said, “To one of you I will give my army and to the other, I will give my moral support.”Krishna asked Arjuna first what he wanted. Arjuna, without wasting a second chose Krishna’s moral support. He knew that with his support and guidance, the Pandavas would win the war.When Duryodhana heard Arjuna’s choice, he was happy. He thought Arjuna was very stupid to choose Krishna as he would not even fight in the war. So, he was happy that he got Krishna’s army.At the time of the Great War of Kurukshetra, Kauravas lost even though they had a large army. Pandavas won because of the righteousness and with Lord Krishna’s support. Moral:Always be modest and respect others.

This is a story of Arjun, Dronacharya, Kauravas, Krishna and Pandavas.Moral(s) of the story: modesty

arjun stories

Kids moral stories help in improving their imagination & relate to real-world life. Here are age-specific bedtime stories for children by renowned storytellers.

Bheema's power of concentration and dedication

Daanveer Karna

Arjun's Exile

The Brave Abhimanyu

Karna‘s Generosity

Arjun and the Bird's Eye Test

Reason Behind Karna’s Death

Krishna, Arjuna, the widow and her cow

Arjuna and Duryodhana seeking help from Krishna

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