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

There was once a clown named Lemon. He was a lot of fun, but also very careless. Whenever he did anything, he almost always ended up tearing his jacket, getting a hole in his sock, or ripping the knee of his trousers.Everyone said he should take more care, but Lemon found that really boring. So, one day, he had the happy idea of buying himself a sewing machine. This machine was so fantastic that it sewed everything up within a moment. It seemed like Lemon wouldn't have to worry about his things anymore.Soon, the most important day in Lemon's life arrived. It was the day when everyone in town prepared a party for him, in celebration of Lemon's many years of service in making the citizens chuckle. On that day he wouldn't have to wear his colourful clown suit. That day he would be dressed like anyone else; very elegantly in his suit, and everyone commenting on his smart appearance.However, the night before, he had a look in his closet, and there wasn't a single suit in good condition. They were all ripped and torn, with dozens of stitching marks. Lemon couldn't possibly go to the party dressed in those. Well, Lemon was sharp and quick-witted, and he solved this problem by attending the gala celebration in his usual clown suit. That definitely amused the audience, but Lemon wasn't as keen on it.He had dreamed of being, just for one day in the year, the hero of the show, and not just the clown.Very early the next day, Lemon replaced all those damaged old suits, and since then, he has looked after his clothes with great care. He realised that using short-term remedies ends up being no remedy at all. Moral:Caring about your things and the people around you brings immense happiness in life.

This is a story of clown, jeans, pant and t shirt.Moral(s) of the story: carelessness and regret

The careless clown

A wizard gave a young Princess a magic chest which would bring happiness if it is opened in the presence of generosity.So the Princess gathered the most generous people from around her kingdom and opened the chest.However, nothing happened.That was, until one day when, returning to her castle, she saw a poor beggar girl. She had nothing to give to her at that time but the girl asked her to give her the magic chest which the Princess carried.Seeing how poor the girl was, the princess gave her the chest even though she was not so sure at first.As soon as the little girl opened the chest beautiful things began to appear and a song began playing."Why look for it in others? Goodness always starts in yourself", went the song.As happiness spread, the Princess learned to always set an example in virtue. She grew up to be a great Queen to her Kingdom. Moral:Change starts from you. Be an example before finding examples in others.

This is a story of magic, princess and wizard.Moral(s) of the story: generosity

The wizard’s present

King Vikram was given the duty of bringing Betal to a tantric. Betal traditionally means ‘evil spirit’. Each time Vikram tried to capture Betal, it told him a story that ended with a riddle. If Vikram could not answer the question correctly, Betal agreed to remain in captivity. But, if the king knew the answer and still kept quiet, his head would burst into a thousand pieces. And if King Vikram spoke, Betal would escape and return to his tree.Betal told another interesting story, as King Vikramaditya carried him on his shoulders.Many years ago, there lived a king named Badsa. He was a great ruler and was loved by all his subjects. He had a son named Agni, who was wicked and had many vices. Unlike his father, he would not make a good ruler. This worried Badsa very much.One day, while the king was holding court, Agni burst into the room and announced, “I feel I am ready to take over the throne. You are old and I suggest you step down. If you do not, I will form an army to overthrow you.”Badsa was a peace-loving man and knew his son would go to great extents to take the throne. Ashamed that he was giving up the throne to his son without a fight, he denounced his title and decided he would spend his life in the forest in meditation.Meanwhile, in his kingdom, Angi tormented his subjects and the kingdom grew very unhappy.One day, as Badsa sat in meditation, he heard an old woman sobbing loudly. When he asked what the matter was, she replied, “I have only one son and a demon has vowed to eat him tonight!”Disturbed by what he had just heard, Badsa offered to sacrifice himself to the demon.The old woman and her son tried to convince him to change his mind but the king was adamant to help her out.As per his plan, when the demon arrived later that night, Badsa offered himself. The demon did not think twice before quickly eating the king. Thus, the old woman’s son was saved.Here, Betal asked King Vikramaditya, “What do you think of the old king’s sacrifice?”King Vikramaditya thought for a moment and then replied, “There is no sacrifice here. This was not a selfless act by the king. He felt guilt for leaving his subjects at the hands of his unworthy son and offered himself to the demon in the hope of achieving moksha.Betal replied, “I think you are right in your judgement. But since you have spoken, I will fly back to my peepul tree.”Saying this, Betal flew away, leaving King Vikramaditya to draw his sword and chase him once more. Moral:Always be ready to take accountability of your actions.

This is a story of king, demon, salvation and Vikram Betal.Moral(s) of the story: sacrifice

King Badsa and His Son

Pallavi Hota

There was once a clown whose name was Shaggy. He was always sad as he thought he did not entertain people. One day before his show he ate a lot of jalebis. Food and sweets made him happy.That day there was a huge crowd that had gathered to see him perform. He was very nervous as he had a stomach ache due to the jalebis that he overate. He still gave his best and started to perform all the acts to make the audience happy. While dancing and jumping, there was a loud sound and the audience started laughing loudly. He realised it was the sound of his fart and he himself started laughing. From that day onwards he started remaining happy and found happiness in small things.

This is a story of clown.Moral(s) of the story: happiness

The Happy Clown

Yesha Desai

The TV was very proud to be the favourite member in the house. The kids loved it, so did the adults. They never stopped admiring the television and abandoned everything else.One day the books on a lonely bookshelf were crying because nobody looked at them anymore.A magic fairy appeared and asked the books what was wrong. The books sobbed, “Nobody likes us anymore. Are we that useless?”The toys in the corner frowned and the newspaper looked sad. Nobody paid any attention to their misery.The fairy felt bad about their state and decided that humans in the house need to be taught a lesson. So she took everything except for the tv and went away.Soon chaos broke out in the house. Everything was unorderly. The children could not find textbooks to study with and there was no radio to get the cricket scores. No newspaper to get the latest news and no toys to play with.The humans realised that their addiction to television shows had led to this and begged for the forgiveness of the fairy.The fairy smiled and returned their materials. Moral:Watching television for a long time is bad for health, there is a huge world outside of that and we must explore the same.

This is a story of fairy, magic, notebook and tv.

The proud Television

Manu came from a poor family, they had enough money to meet their needs but not enough for unnecessary expenditures. Manu’s friend, Shanu was rich enough to enjoy his life.Lord Ganesha’s festival came near and everyone brought colourful idols in their home to welcome the Lord. Shanu brought a very big idol, it was decorated with flowers and crowns.Manu was in awe of the idol Shanu had bought. He asked his parents to get the same for him but they refused. They did not have the money to do so. Manu sat quietly in a corner, thinking God would not come to him because he could not spend enough.However, with as much as he could manage, he built a small clay idol to worship. That night, in his dreams Lord Ganesha appeared and said, “ Hello, Manu.”Manu was shocked before he finally remembered his manners and bowed. Lord Ganesha explained it to him that he was visiting because Manu’s devotion was real and God resides in hearts, not in fancy idols. Moral:God resides, not in rituals and clay idols, but in our heart and our devotion.

This is a story of Ganesh and idol.Moral(s) of the story: devotion

Where is God?

Once, there was a careless clown. He always ended up losing his things and breaking stuff.Everyone said that he should be more responsible about his things and be careful when he uses other people’s stuff.One day while performing, his jacket tore up a little bit because he carelessly bumped into something. The clown did not pay it much heed and just stitched it up loosely instead of properly fixing it.Soon, there was a very important performance. The town’s mayor and his family were going to be watching the show. The clown was nervous and wanted to impress the mayor.During the performance, the clown was perfect. He made people laugh and was very proud of that.But then during the final event, his jacket tore entirely. Everyone laughed but this time it was not because of the clown’s talent. The clown was very embarrassed and wished that he had fixed his jacket properly.Since then the clown decided to properly take care of his things and be responsible. Moral:Being talented is not the only thing that matters. Being responsible and taking care of the belongings can help us go the long way.

This is a story of clown.Moral(s) of the story: responsibility

The clown learns responsibility

Shina Utavani

One upon a time, there were two beautiful princesses. They both were kidnapped by a vicious king when they were young. The princesses were taken to a lake where they were abandoned on a small island. The princesses had to live there forever under the guidance of a terrifying lake monster.After some time, the wicked king and his court of wizards and fortune-tellers were overthrown. And everybody knew that a brave prince was destined to release the princesses from their imprisonment.When princesses came to know about the news, their lives were finally filled with hope. Out of the two princesses, the youngest one was more beautiful and pretty than the elder one. She had a hope that one day prince will come to rescue her. So, she patiently waited for him, making small decorations from the flowers and singing songs. However, the older princess did not enjoy having to wait. She thought that she had to do something to help the prince rescue her. She thought that the prince should at least know where she was.The elder princess started working to help the prince. She started making signals, building towers, digging tunnels and a thousand other things. However, the lake monster always tried his best to ruin her plans.As time passed, the elder sister felt insecure and uncomfortable. She knew that the prince would choose her younger sister because she was more beautiful. So, she thought there was no point in waiting for the prince instead she started making plans to escape from the island not worrying about the prince.Every morning she would prepare a different escape plan, but the monster would always do something to ruin her plan. She attempted every day to plan an escape but the monster used to ruin it every time. It became like a game of cat and mouse between the princess and the monster. The princess tried to plan a new escape every day which used to be more original and creative. And the monster used a different creative way to destroy those plans. They put so much effort and imagination in their plans that at the end of each day the princess and the monster would spend hours chatting like friends. They used to discuss how they had planned their strategy. At night they both would say Goodbye and the monster would go back to the watery depths.One day the monster said to the princess that he will allow her to go the next day. He said that she was a clever and brave girl. She did not deserve to remain imprisoned like that. But the next morning the princess did not try to escape. She sat beside the lake, waiting for the monster to appear. When the monster came, he asked, “Why have not you gone?” The princess replied, “I did not want to leave you alone. You are indeed scary, but you are clever too. You deserve something better than guarding the princesses. Why don’t you come with me?” The monster sadly replied, “I cannot. I can’t leave the island; I’m attached to it by a long chain. You will have to leave on your own.”The princess went to the monster and hugged him tightly. She hugged him so tightly that the monster broke into a thousand pieces. And from those pieces appeared a slim, smiling young man, with the same expression and intelligence as he had as the lake monster.So, it was the Prince that had been with them all along. The princesses did not know that for the prince to rescue them, first, they would have to rescue him. This was only possible because of the spirit and the positive attitude of the older sister.The prince at the end decided to marry the older princess, leaving the younger princess to her songs, beauty, and her sweetness. Moral:You don’t achieve things by waiting for them to happen; instead you must work hard to achieve them. The story teaches us the importance of taking initiative with a positive attitude to achieve what we want.

This is a story of lake, monster, prince and princess.Moral(s) of the story: hard work, smartness

The Lake Princesses 

Harry was a mischievous clown who loved playing with the children of the town. Every day before his show, he used to go to the park and hide all the things that the children got with them to play. He called it his version of the hide and seek. He gave one free ticket to his show to the child who found the maximum number of missing items.One day on being asked why he did so, he said that he is still a child and his grey hair, and tiny hands and legs make him look old. He loved playing with the children. He feared that the children wouldnít want to play with him, which is why he offered one free ticket to one of them. He said that there was once a magic show in his village, and the magician turned him into an old man. He did not want anybody to make a fool out of him, thatís why he decided to be a clown. The children said that they loved him the way he was and he did not have to make anything up to play with them.The childrenís love made him realise his worth and he accepted that no matter how he looks, he will be loved by people through his actions and ways of treating them. Moral:People will love us if we accept ourselves the way we are.

This a story of clown, amusement park and magic.Moral(s) of the story: acceptance

general words 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 careless clown

The wizard’s present

King Badsa and His Son

The Happy Clown

The proud Television

Where is God?

The clown learns responsibility

The Lake Princesses

The Mischievous Clown

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