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.

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”.In ancient India, nearly 5000 years ago, there lived a young prince of Nishada (a tribe of hunters) named Ekalavya. Even though he was a hunter by birth, he aspired to become a great archer and a brave warrior. He wanted to to learn archery from the great Guru Dronacharya. Dronacharya was the greatest teacher of the art of archery and the science of warfare in the kingdom. He was the royal teacher of the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Ekalavaya approached Dronacharya but he refused to teach him because he belonged to a lower caste.Ekalavya felt very bad but he did not give up his will to become an archer. He collected the soil on which Dronacharya walked and made an idol out of it. He believed that if he practised faithfully in front of his Guru, he would be able to master the art of archery. So, every morning he would pray in front of the idol and practise throughout the day. After years of practising, he became a skilled archer, even surpassing the best archer in the kingdom- Arjuna.One day, Dronacharya came to know about Ekalavya’s skill, he visited him to know about his Guru. Ekalavya then showed him the idol and said, “You are my Guru.” Dronacharya was worried that Ekalavya would become a better archer than Arjuna, his favourite student. Therefore, Dronacharya asked Ekalavya to pay him Guru Dakshina. Ekalavya was overjoyed with this and said, “I am blessed that you ask me for guru Dakshina. I would never refuse anything that you ask.” Dronacharya then said, “You have to give me your right thumb as Guru Dakshina.”Ekalavya looked steadily at Dronacharya. Without any further questions, he said, “I will never disobey your wish, sir.” Saying this he took out a knife and cut off his right thumb and placed it at his Guru’s feet.Later Ekalavya learned to shoot with his forefinger and middle finger and remains an example of an ideal student till today. Moral:This story teaches us to be determined and stay dedicated to our goal. It teaches us to respect our teachers.

This is a story of Dronacharya, Eklavya, educator and student.Moral(s) of the story: dedication and hard work

Ekalavya’s allegiance to his teacher

Yesha Desai

Raj was a very impatient child.He could barely focus at one task before launching himself towards another.One day, while watching a television show, he decided that he wanted to be a wrestler. So he told his grandfather, “I want to become a wrestler! What should I do?”His grandfather took him to a teacher. The teacher trained Raj in different wrestling moves. And even though the little boy was very enthusiastic, he could do hardly one thing before jumping onto another. Thus, he never properly practised his moves.Days passed yet Raj did not get better at his sport and he frowned at his grandfather, “I am not getting stronger. What will I do now?”His grandfather took him on a walk by the beach and pointed to the cliffs. “Do you know Raj, that the water breaks down these rocks?”Raj’s eyes widened, “Really? But these rocks are so big? How can the sea break them down?”His grandfather smiled and watched as Raj lightly splashed around in the water, “It takes many years, it does not happen overnight. Just like you cannot become a wrestler overnight. You need to be disciplined in your work and be patient. Then you will one day become capable enough to achieve your goals.” Moral:You need to be disciplined and hardworking to achieve your goal.

This is a story of grandfather, grandmother, rock, sea and water.Moral(s) of the story: discipline and hard work

The fruits of discipline

When we talk about cricket one thing that comes to our mind is Sachin Tendulkar who is also known as God of cricket. If cricket is considered as a religion than Sachin is a God of it. His determination and passion have made him a powerhouse.Sachin was born and brought up in a middle-class family. He started his coaching classes when he was 11 years old. He was talented but with that, he was a hardworking and passionate sportsperson. His discipline and hard work helped him in achieving success. Sachin was a normal kid with no privilege but his practice and passion made him the ‘God of cricket’.All his passion and hard work finally paid off when India won the World Cup in 2011. After playing cricket for 24 years the best moment for Sachin was winning the world cup in 2011. The night was the biggest night not only for cricketers but for India too. It was the proud moment for everyone as after all India waited for 24 years to win another world cup.The whole team was filled with joy and excitement as they had finally won the world cup. They all together celebrated and partied all night. The team was happy that Sachin was a part of the team when they won the world cup. Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, and Harbhajan Singh even dedicated a song to Sachin named ‘TujhmeRabDikhta Hai’. It was a big night for them.Sachin was happy and overwhelmed. His hard work and passion were finally paid off.

This is a story Sachin Tendulkar.Moral(s) of the story: hard work and passion

Winning the World-cup

Ravina Sewani

An old farmer had three sons. They were young and strong. But they were all very lazy. They wanted money to spend. But they did not want to work to earn money.One day the farmer said to them, “I have buried some treasure in our field. Dig out the treasure and share it among you.” So the next day the young men eagerly went to the field and started digging it. They worked hard for several days. They dug each and every inch of the field but found no treasure anywhere.They went to their father and told him that they had failed to find the treasure. The father said, “Never mind. Now that you have dug the field so well, let us sow it with corn.”So they sowed the field with corn. Luckily for them, it rained very well that year. The corn ripened and the field looked beautiful with the rich crop. The young men showed the field to their father with great pride.The farmer said, “What a bumper crop! This is the very treasure I wanted you to share among you. If you work hard, you will get such treasure year after year.” Moral:Hard-work pays off in every way.

This is a classic story from Vikas books.This is a story of farmer.Moral(s) of the story: hard work

The Hidden Treasure

Alihusen Momin

Marvan Atapattu was a Sri Lankan cricketer who played for the national team up until 2007. He is currently the coach of Sri Lanka's national cricket team. His cricket career story had its own ups and downs but his story is surely an inspirational one! When Marvan made his debut in test cricket for Sri Lanka, he scored a duck in his first innings. In the second innings as well, he scored a duck! The team hence dropped him from further matches. Marvan went back to the nets for more rigorous practice. Marvan started playing a lot of domestice first-class cricket (matches to last for three or more days). He kept on scoring and waited for a call from the Sri Lankan national team. After about 21 months, he finally got a second chance. He tried harder this time. And when he played his second international match, his scores were: 1st innings: 0 runs, 2nd innings: 0 runs. He was dropped from the team again and went back to practising again. He scored tonnes of runs in the domestic first-class cricket. He scored many runs but nothing seemed to erase the painful memories of his test cricket performances. And 17 months later, Marvan welcomed a new opportunity again. His scores for the test matches were: 0 and 0 in both the innings. What he did next is something you wouldn't expect; he was back at the grind AGAIN! Everyone was now wondering whether the selectors would ever again give him a chance or not. The selectors felt that he neither had the temperament nor the technique for big matches. Nonetheless, Marvan never stopped trying. Then 3 years later, he got a more chance; who would have thought, right? And this time, he played and played with all his heart and scored good. Then there was no stopping him. He went on to score over 5000 runs for Sri Lanka. That included sixteen centuries and six double hundreds. Not just this, he also captained his country. All this, after SIX years of struggle, determination, dedication, and hard-work. Six years of trying and failing again and again; how many of us can stand so many failures? He must have been tempted to pursue another career, play just the domestic cricket, change his sport altogether, or just give up. But he did not do any of these things. He knew where his heart was and worked only towards that. So the next time you think of quitting something you love whole-heatedly, think again and remember Marvan Atapattu's story and never give up. Moral:Never give up your passion. Work towards it with full determination and dedication.

This is an inspiring story based on Marvan Atapattu's (Sri Lankan cricketer) cricket career.Moral(s) of the story: determination, hard work, dedication

An inspiring story of Marvan Atapattu, a Srilankan Cricketer

One of the many disciples of Guru Ram Dass, the fourth Sikh Guru, was Arjun Dev who was always dedicated to the duties assigned to him.His duty was scrubbing the utensils and the other disciples asked him to also serve the Guru sometimes.Arjun Dev replied, “My work is of cleaning the utensils, I do upon Guru’s orders.”The others insisted that the Guru will not be pleased simply by this and that Arjun should serve the Guru too. They went quiet when Arjun replied, “My duty is to serve and obey, not please the Guru.’Time went on and the other disciples did not advice more. Arjun continued his work and the Guru’s health declined.When Guru Ram Dass died everybody wanted to know what was written in his will. Every disciple was so sure that they will succeed the Guru and inherit his fortune.When the ‘will’ was opened, Arjun Dev had been declared the successor.Everyone, particularly those who had high hopes, was surprised and some even questioned Arjun’s qualities.The wise men said, “In the Guru’s views Arjun Dev was the only deserving successor to him.” The disciples asked, “But he never said his prayers. He never took part in the religious discourses. He was only cleaning utensils. Nothing else did he do. Then where lies the justification in making him the successor.”The reply was that the eligibility for becoming the Guru’s successor is one’s innate faith, absolute devotion and discipline, as well as his knowledge and wisdom. Moral:Pleasing others does not take you far, being disciplined and completing the work given to you with devotion brings rewards.

This is a story of Guru Ram Das.Moral(s) of the story: devotion, discipline and hard work.

The Guru’s Successor

Pallavi Hota

There was an ant who lived on a hilltop with his friend. He was very hardworking. He went on collecting food for the future requirement, while his friend slept all day and did no work. His friend asked the ant why he is always busy collecting so much food. The ant said the food was for future requirements because bad times never knock before coming. His friend laughed it off and went back to sleep.Winter arrived and there was snow all over and his friend had no food. He was starving and crying out for help. The ant helped him and gave him some of his food. His friend thanked him and realised his mistake. The winter passed and summer arrived. The ant again started collecting food. This time his friend also joined him. He said that he suffered and realised how important it is to be prepared for bad times. Both of them collected food and worked hard together. Moral:You reap what you sow.

This is a story of ant and friendMoral(s) of the story: hard work, laziness

The Ant and His Lazy Friend

One hot day, a thirsty crow flew all over the fields looking for water. For a long time, she could not find any. She felt very weak, almost giving up hope. Suddenly, she saw a water jug below her. She flew straight down to see if there was any water inside and could see very little water in it.The crow tried to push her head into the jug. Sadly, she found that the neck of the jug was too narrow. Then she tried to push the jug down for the water to flow out. She found that the jug was too heavy.The crow thought hard for a while. Then looking around her, she saw some pebbles. She suddenly had a good idea. She started picking up the pebbles one by one, dropping each into the jug. As more and more pebbles filled the jug, the water level kept rising. Soon it was high enough for the crow to drink. Her plan had worked! Moral:If you try hard enough, you may soon find an answer to your problem. Pro tip: Demonstrate the story by putting something in a glass half filled with water. Let your child see how water rises in the glass.

This is a story of crow.Moral(s) of the story: dedication and hard work

The Thirsty Crow

Tina lives with her parents in a peaceful countryside manor. Her parents are scientists with many awards in their names.Tina also wants to be a scientist. Tina’s parents set up equipment for her in their garage where she constantly invents new things. She can build roller coasters and flying cars. Her parents are very proud of her.One day at school, she injures her hand in the playground right before her english test.&nbsp;Now, she is not able to write her test.Tina is disappointed now. She wished that there was a pencil that could write everything that you said to it by itself. That way she could give her test even with her injured hand.She decides to make that pencil. She goes to her garage and starts making formulas. Tina does her intelligent people thing and works the entire night. Her parents sternly put her to sleep and tell her that she can work tomorrow. They kiss her goodnight and she goes to sleep.Tina wakes up the next morning and its weekend so she can work on her pencil.After a few days of hardwork the pencil is built. Her parents are a little worried for her as she is constantly working but she assures them that she is fine.She realises that the pencil she built can write things not just by listening but can also read everyone’s thoughts.She is surprised. She really is a genius.She gets many awards for this brilliant invention and Tina becomes one of the youngest and the most successful scientists in the world.

This is a story of car, garage, pencil and roller coaster.Moral(s) of the story: hard work and determination

hard work 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.

Ekalavya’s allegiance to his teacher

The fruits of discipline

Winning the World-cup

The Hidden Treasure

An inspiring story of Marvan Atapattu, a Srilankan Cricketer

The Guru’s Successor

The Ant and His Lazy Friend

The Thirsty Crow

Tina’s garage

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