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.

Ravina Sewani

Once a cat and a fox were discussing about hounds. "I hate hounds," said the fox. "So do I," said the cat. “They are swift runners,” said the fox, "but they can't catch me, I know many tricks to get away from them.""What tricks can you perform?" asked the cat. "A lot of tricks," boasted the fox. "I can run along a thorny hedge. I can hide amidst thick bushes. I can hide in burrows. These are only a few of the many tricks that I can perform," said the fox."I know only one good trick," said the cat. "How sad! Only one trick? What is it?" asked the fox."I am going to do it just now. Look out, the hounds are coming," said the cat and ran up a nearby tree. There she was safe from the hounds.The hounds chased the fox. He tried one trick after another. But the hounds caught him at last and killed him."My one trick is better than all the tricks of the poor fox," said the cat to herself. Moral:It is better to be a master of one art than to be a jack of all trades.

This is a classic story from Vikas story.This is a story of cat and fox.

THE CAT AND THE FOX

Once upon a time, there was a donkey named Udhata who used to work for a washer man. Every day, the washer man used to make the donkey carry loads of clothes to the river for washing and then again back home. The donkey was dissatisfied because he thought that his master made him work a lot and gave him very little food to eat. So, he stealthily wandered into the nearby fields and ate the crops growing there. One day, as the donkey was roaming around in the fields, he met a fox. They talked to each other and soon became friends. They began to roam around together looking for good food. One night, the fox and the donkey came across a field where large, juicy watermelons were growing. As the farmer and his family were asleep, the fox and the donkey quietly slipped into the field and ate the delicious watermelons to their hearts’ content.After having many watermelons, the donkey became so happy that he felt an intense desire to sing a song. He said to the fox, “Friend, I am so happy after having this wonderful meal that I must express my joy by singing a melodious tune.” The fox replied, “Don’t be such a fool! There are people sleeping around the field. If you sing a song, they will wake up and will beat us up with their sticks.” “I don’t care,” said the donkey. “Singing makes one happy and healthy. Whatever happens, I am going to sing a song.”The fox became worried because the farmer was sleeping just a little distance away from them. But he realised that the donkey was adamant and would not change his mind. So, he said, “Okay, friend. If you have made up your mind to sing, then do so. But wait for just a moment while I jump over to the other side of the fence for my safety.So, the fox jumped over the fence and got out of the field. The donkey began singing happily in what he thought to be his most melodious voice. Hearing a donkey braying loudly, the farmer woke up from his sleep. When the farmer saw the donkey and all the damage that he had caused to his crop, he was furious. He took a thick, heavy stick and beat the donkey till he could hardly walk.After getting this severe beating, the donkey somehow managed to crawl out of the field. There he met his friend, the fox. The fox said to him, “I’m really sad to see you in this sorry state, my friend. I warned you. Had you listened to my advice, you would not have got into trouble.” The donkey realised his mistake and hung his head low in shame. Moral:Think before you act.

This is a classic story from panchtantra.This is a story of donkey, farmer and fox.

The donkey who sang a song

Nishita Sanghvi

A pack of jackals roaming around in the forest suddenly saw a big elephant. They got excited thinking how good it would be to feast on him, but for that they had to find a way to kill him. They knew that if they managed to kill him, they would not have to look for food for several days. They could feast on its meat continuously. But it was a difficult task to kill such a big animal.The old jackal made a smart plan and went on to meet the elephant. He said hello to the elephant in a very courteous way and started the conversation, “O’ Mighty elephant! O’ King of kings! May you live long!” The elephant asked, “What is the purpose of your visit, dear jackal?”To which, the jackal said, “I represent a small pack of jackals. It is becoming difficult for us to live without protection in this jungle. We need an able King like you for us. The elephant was completely flattered. The jackal requested the elephant to come along. The elephant immediately agreed as the jackal added to his story that according to his astrologers, crowning ceremony should happen that day itself.The elephant was taken near a swamp and as expected, the elephant soon started sinking in the swamp due to his heavy weight. The terrified elephant moaned and cried for help but there were only deaf ears around him. The jackal laughed at the elephant’s misery, saying that he was foolish enough to believe him.The elephant sank and died. The jackals pulled him and feasted on his meat for many days. Moral:Never trust strangers and fall for flattering words.

This is a story of hitopadesha tales, elephant, fox and forest.Moral(s) of the story: betrayal

The Shrewd Jackals and The Elephant

Once upon a time, a foolish donkey used to live in a small town. There was a forest near the town where many wild animals lived. The king of the jungle—the lion also lived in the forest along with his minister, a cunning fox. Now it so happened, that a few days back, the lion had got into a fight with a wild elephant and was badly injured. The lion was weak and wounded and was unable to go and hunt for his prey himself. So, his minister, the fox was in charge of bringing food for the lion. Like every day, the fox set out to hunt for prey, so that he could bring back food for his master. He had not gone far when he saw the donkey. The donkey was looking nervous, foolish and hungry. The fox walked up to him and said, “Hello! You seem to be new here. Where have you come from?” The donkey replied hesitantly, “Yes, I have come to the forest for the first time. I used to live in the nearby town. My master, the washer man, used to make me do a lot of work and hardly gave me anything to eat. So I have run away from his house in search of a better place.”The fox realised that this was his chance. He said cheerfully, “You have come to the right place, friend! I am a minister of this kingdom. Our king is looking for a bodyguard for his palace. He wants to give the job to someone who has experienced town life. You will have a very comfortable life here, living in the palace and feeding on the fresh, soft grass that grows around the palace.”The donkey was very happy on hearing this and he agreed to follow the fox back to the palace at once. When the lion saw the fox leading a donkey to the palace, he became very impatient with hunger. He pounced upon the donkey immediately and grabbed him. Due to his injuries and constant hunger, the lion had lost much of his strength and so he could not overpower the donkey. The donkey freed himself and ran as fast as he could.“My Lord,” the fox said to the lion, “You have scared away your prey. You should not have attacked him in such a hurry.” The lion was disappointed. “See if you can manage to bring him back,” he said to the fox.So, the fox ran behind the donkey and at last, caught up with him. “Why did you run away, you fool?” he said to the donkey. “Of course, I had to! Your king would have eaten me up,” the donkey replied. “Oh you silly fellow, that was just a test of your alertness for the job of the royal bodyguard of the king. If you had not shown alertness and quick reflex action, the king would have rejected you for the job. Come back with me to the palace now.” The donkey believed the fox’s story and followed him back to the palace. This time, the lion was hiding behind some thick bushes. As soon as the donkey passed by these bushes, the lion pounced on him and killed him.The lion was very pleased with himself. He thought of feasting on the donkey right away. Just as he was about to start eating, the fox said, “My lord, you are going to have a meal after a long time. Shouldn’t you take a bath and say your prayers first?”“Yes, you’re right,” the lion replied. “Stay here till I get back” While the lion was gone, the fox ate up the whole of the donkey’s brain. When the lion got back and began eating, he noticed that the donkey’s brain was missing. He questioned his minister about it angrily. “Where is the donkey’s brain?” he roared. The fox replied, “The donkey’s brain? But, Your Majesty, you must be aware that donkeys don’t have brains. If this creature had a brain, do you think he would have come back with me to the palace after being attacked the first time?”“Yes, you have a point,” said the lion and resumed eating. Thus, the fox managed to fool not only the donkey but also the lion with his cunning arguments. It is true that sometimes, a cunning argument can outwit normal intelligence. Moral:Be aware of how people behave with others. If they trick one person, they can trick everyone.

This is a classic story from panchtantra.This is a story of donkey, fox and lion.

The donkey and the cunning fox

Once upon a time there lived a very old tiger in a jungle. When he lost the strength and speed of his youth, he thought, “Now I can’t hunt any more. I must find out some trick to save myself from starvation.”After thinking for a long time, the tiger hit upon a plan. He proclaimed, “Now I am very old. Therefore, I will spend the rest of my life piously. I will live on fruits and grass and chant the name of God all the time. Birds and animals of the jungle need not fear me anymore.”Some innocent animals believed every word of the tiger. “What a great saint!” they said. “We must go and pay our respects to him.” So every day a few animals went to meet him in his cave. The tiger jumped upon the innocent animals and ate them. Thus he managed to keep off starvation.A fox came to know about the saintly tiger. He said to himself, “I can’t believe it. How can a tiger ever live on fruits and grass? I must go and find out the truth myself.”So one day the fox went to the tiger’s cave. He stopped at the entrance of the cave. Very carefully and minutely he examined the footprints of the animals who had visited the cave earlier. He noticed that all the footprints pointed towards the cave. There was no sign of footprints going out of the cave. So he said, “I don’t want to die to keep this false saint alive,” and went away. Moral:Never take a satan’s words for granted.

This is a classic story from Vikas books.This is a story of fox and tiger.Moral(s) of the story: smartness

The Saintly Tiger

There was a fox called Dabbu. One day, he was very happy after having a hearty meal. He had seen the lion going for a stroll after his meal and had gone into the lion’s den and gorged on the remains of the lion’s feast. It was a scrumptious meal of deer meat. “I wish I was lucky enough to have such a feast every day,” Dabbu thought. Dabbu started walking, looking at the clear sky, singing his favourite song, much contented with his lovely meal. He thought about film heroes and how they would sing and walk like this when they were in love.Dabbu wasn’t in love, but he thought that the emotional satisfaction obtained from a good meal was no less than the feeling of being in love. Dabbu’s eyes were almost filled with tears as myriad emotional thoughts crossed his mind, when he suddenly found himself falling into something really deep.“Dhuuummm, dhumm,” the sound came, and Dabbu understood that he was in trouble. On looking around he realized that he had fallen into a shallow well. He was lucky that there wasn’t much water in the well. It was a wide mouthed well that Dabbu had noticed every day while passing by it. It was only today that he was lost in his thoughts and had simply overlooked it. Dabbu was really angry at himself for being so foolish and careless and wanted to hit himself.He tried his best to get out of the well by climbing on its walls, but all in vain as the walls were too slippery. Frustrated, he waited for someone to come to help.Suddenly, Dabbu heard a squeaky voice, “What on earth are you doing down there?” Dabbu looked up and much to his relief he found Laadla the goat standing at the mouth of the well. He was a young and gullible goat. Dabbu knew that Laadla was innocent and ignorant of the world, as he was always asking very irritating questions. Dabbu was determined to get out of the well using Laadla’s help. It has never been difficult for a fox to fool a goat. He said, “Aren’t you aware that there has been a huge drought in the northern part of Bihar (they lived in a jungle in Bihar)?” “Really? I haven’t heard of any such thing” said the innocent goat. Dabbu replied, “That’s strange. Shantaram crow gave me the news this morning and he has also seen it with his own eyes as he was travelling from the same area. That is why I jumped into this well to save some water for myself.”“Oh God, how terrible!” exclaimed Laadla and jumped into the well in no time. As soon as Laadla jumped into the well, Dabbu climbed on his long horns and jumped out of the well. Dabbu said, “You are such a silly creature. You are not even aware that there have been floods all around the northern part of the country, and you believed my story of a drought. Instead of talking about a frog in a well, now people will talk about a goat in a well.”Laadla was stupefied and said to himself, “One should never trust anyone blindly.” Moral:One should never trust anyone blindly. Always use your wisdom and analyse the situation before putting in your trust.

This is a classic story from panchtantra.This is a story of fox and goat.Moral(s) of the story: trust

The fox and the goat

Shina Utavani

There was once an eagle living in a jungle. He met fox and they both became friends. Their friendship grew stronger and they became best friends. They decided to build their homes next to each other. The fox lived near the bushes so eagle decided to build its nest near the bushes. They lived happily.After some time, both of the friends had their children. They adored and loved their children. One day, the fox wanted to go hunting. She left its cubs in the bushes and left in search of food. She said the cubs that she will be back soon. On the other side, the babies of the eagle were crying out of hunger. They were very hungry. The eagle did not have any food to feed her babies.The eagle tried searching for food but could not find anything. The eagle saw fox’s cubs playing near the bushes. The eaglets were crying out of hunger so she decided to feed one of the cubs to her children. The eagle went near the bushes and picked one of the cubs and fed her babies. She gave her friend’s baby to her children to eat. When the fox returned, she saw the eagle feeding her child to her babies. The fox was shocked and quickly went to the eagle. “What have you done?” said fox while crying. She was heartbroken and hurt. She was in extreme pain and said, “You have done very wrong with me eagle, you have cheated a friend, a good friend.” The fox took her cubs and left to never see the eagle again.The fox, even after being cheated by a friend, never wished for any harm to her friend. The fox was a good friend. But God had his plans.One day, the eaglets were very hungry and the mother eagle did not have anything to feed them. She decided to go to a nearby village to hunt. She thought she would surely find something there. She left for the hunt. There she found a dead goat. She took that and quickly flew back to her babies. When she came back, she was shocked to see the nest. The nest had caught fire and her babies were inside the nest. She pulled them out but it was too late. The poor eaglets were hurt badly and one of them even died. The eagle was heartbroken and in pain.At that moment, the fox was passing by. She saw the eagle’s nest. Looking at the eagle she said, “God has punished you for betraying a dear friend.” The fox left the place with a heavy heart. She did not wish for her friend to suffer but this was her justice. God had punished the one who did wrong to others. Moral:We should never betray other friends.

This is a story of eagle and fox.Moral(s) of the story: betrayal and friendship

The Eagle and the Fox

Once there lived a very greedy fox. One day he was very hungry and decided to hunt something big. With the hope that he would get something big, he went off the woods to find a nice, big supper.He saw a fat cuckoo sitting on the top of a bush. He was happy that he found a big meal for the day. He did not want to scare the cuckoo, so he sat down beside the bush and spoke to her softly, “What a beautiful bird you are! Your feathers are glowing. I think you will look even more beautiful when you are sleeping.”After hearing this, cuckoo was pleased and felt very happy. She began to open her feathers in the Sun. After looking at this, the fox said, “Beautiful! Your feathers look amazing. I wish I can see you when you sleep. I think you will look even more beautiful.”The cuckoo was pleased by the comment and closed her eyes so that the fox could witness her beauty while sleeping. As soon as the partridge closed her eyes, the foxgrabbed her in his mouth. The fox was very happy that he got his meal for the day. When cuckoo realized she said in a little voice, “OH, Mr. Fox please tell me one last time how beautiful I am. Tell me how beautiful my feathers look and then kill me please.”The fox thought there was nothing bad in telling that once again. So, he opened his mouth as said, “You are….” As soon as he opened his mouth the cuckoo flew away. She reached on the highest branch of a tree. The fox was shocked. He said to himself, “Why did I open my mouth?”. The cuckoo asked herself, “Why did I shut my eyes?”.The hungry little fox went on his way further into the woods, looking for his supper! Moral:Do not trust easily.

This is a story of cuckoo and fox.Moral(s) of the story: idiot

THE fox and the cuckoo 

Once upon a time, there was a very clever fox that lived in the forest. One day, the fox was hungry. He really wanted to eat something sweet, like a cookie. Just then, he saw a crow sitting on a branch. The crow had a cream biscuit in his beak which he had snatched away from a little boy. The fox’s mouth started watering on seeing the biscuit. He started thinking of a way of getting the biscuit for himself.The fox said to the crow, “Dear crow, the lion king told me that you sing beautifully. But I have never heard your voice. Will you sing a song for me?” The crow was so pleased on hearing the fox’s flattering words that he immediately opened his beak and began, “Caw, caw, caw.” As soon as the crow opened his beak, the cream biscuit fell down. The cunning fox immediately munched it up and went off.The next day, the fox came across the crow again. This time, the crow had a piece of cake in his mouth. The fox also wanted that cake. He said, “Dear crow, please forgive me about yesterday. Your song was so sweet and I really wanted to hear the whole song but I spotted a rabbit nearby so I ran away. Please sing that song for me again.” But the crow had understood the fox’s trick. He flew off towards his nest with the piece of cake in his beak. After keeping the cake safely in his nest, he returned to where he was sitting and began singing loudly, “Caw, caw, caw.” The fox could not bear to listen to the crow’s voice and ran away.This story tells us that we cannot fool someone every time. Moral:You can never fool anyone more than once.

This is a classic story from panchtantra.This is a story of crow and fox.Moral(s) of the story: foolishness

fox 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.

THE CAT AND THE FOX

The donkey who sang a song

The Shrewd Jackals and The Elephant

The donkey and the cunning fox

The Saintly Tiger

The fox and the goat

The Eagle and the Fox

THE fox and the cuckoo

The fox and the cream biscuit

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