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

It was a regular classroom. In a corner, there sat a boy with a puddle at his feet. He had accidentally wet his pants. Then he sat there thinking about how he would be teased if anyone were to find out. The boy constantly prayed to God to help him. Just then, a girl came walking by with a goldfish bowl in her hand. She tripped in front of him and dumped the bowl of water onto his lap. The boy was relieved but pretended to be angry.The entire class as well as the teacher ridiculed the girl for being clumsy. But the boy knew in his heart that the girl had saved him from the unlimited number of teases and jibes. At the end of the day, the girl came up to him and said: “I wet my pants once too”. The boy thanked him with a grateful heart.Moral: Always try to understand others’ situations and look for ways to help them.

This is a story of girl, boy and pantsMoral(s) of the story: helpfulness

The Wet Pants

Long ago, people lived happily under the rule of a king. The people of the kingdom were very happy as they led a very prosperous life with an abundance of wealth and no misfortunes.Once, the king decided to go visiting places of historical importance and pilgrim centers at distant places. He decided to travel by foot to interact with his people. People of distant places were very happy to have a conversation with their king. They were proud that their king had a kind heart.After several weeks of travel, the king returned to the palace. He was quite happy that he had visited many pilgrim centres and witnessed his people leading a prosperous life. However, he had one regret.He had intolerable pain in his feet as it was his first trip by foot covering a long distance. He complained to his ministers that the roads weren’t comfortable and that they were very stony. He could not tolerate the pain. He said that he was very much worried about the people who had to walk along these roads as it would bepainful for them too!Considering all this, he ordered his servants to cover the roads of the entire country with leather so that the people of his kingdom can walk comfortably.The king’s ministers were stunned to hear his order as it would mean that thousands of cows would have to be slaughtered in order to get sufficient quantity of leather. And it would cost a huge amount of money also.Finally, a wise man from the ministry came to the king and said that he had another idea. The king asked what the alternative was. The minister said, “Instead of covering the roads with leather, why don’t you just have a piece of leather cut in appropriate shape to cover your feet?”The king was very much surprised by his suggestion and applauded the wisdom of the minister. He ordered a pair of leather shoes for himself and requested all his countrymen to also wear shoes. Moral:Instead of trying to change the world, we should try to change ourselves.

This is a story of king.Moral(s) of the story: helpfulness and wisdom

A King and a Smart Servant 

In a far away village, lived a young man in a very poorly built house. The young man was mentally challenged and was always seen working very hard. He used to collect leftover food and unwanted items. None of the villagers liked him and they also warned their children to never be around him.One day, the young man passed away and no one seemed to know the reason behind his death. When the villagers went to his house, they were shocked to see his old parents lying on the bed, helplessly.The villagers quickly realized that though the man was mentally challenged, he tried all his life to feed his sick parents and took care of them. The villagers realized their mistakes and felt guilty of never trying to help and understand the man’s situation. With his death, the young man taught a lesson to the villagers: We should never make assumptions about others and treat them rudely for sometimes the most caring individuals are those we wouldn't even think of to be. Moral:Never judge anyone without knowing their situation. Always be caring towards others.

This is a story of village.Moral(s) of the story: caring and helpfulness

Caring is in the heart

A long time ago, some mice lived happily in a colony in the forest. There was a big lake located near their colony. Once, a herd of elephants visited the lake to drink water. On their way to the lake, the elephants trampled many small mice under their heavy feet. After that they started coming to the lake every week. Whenever they came, they killed many mice by walking over them. Due to this, the population of the mice was getting affected. The king of mice decided to meet the chief of the elephants and discuss the problem. The king of the mice went to the chief of those elephants and requested him to take an alternative route to the lake. The chief of the elephants was very kind hearted. He accepted the request of the mice and asked the other elephants to find another way to reach the lake. The king of mice thanked the chief and said, “Dear Sir, we are indeed very grateful to you. We also promise to help you in the hour of your need.” The elephant chief laughed on hearing this and said,” You mice are too small to help giants like us. But still, many thanks for your offer.”One day a group of elephant-hunters came in the forest and trapped the elephants in big and strong nets. The elephants struggled hard to free themselves, but were not successful. A small mouse who was passing from there saw the elephants helplessly trapped in the nets and ran to inform his king.The mice king immediately took some of his strongest mice with him to rescue the herd. The mice quickly nibbled the thick net from various places, making it loose enough to set the elephants free. The chief of the elephants apologised to the king of mice for what he had said and thanked him for the great help he had rendered.Moral: Never underestimate anyone’s ability. Always try to help one another. You never know who you might need in the difficult times.A long time ago, some mice lived happily in a colony in the forest. There was a big lake located near their colony. Once, a herd of elephants visited the lake to drink water. On their way to the lake, the elephants trampled many small mice under their heavy feet. After that they started coming to the lake every week. Whenever they came, they killed many mice by walking over them. Due to this, the population of the mice was getting affected. The king of mice decided to meet the chief of the elephants and discuss the problem. The king of the mice went to the chief of those elephants and requested him to take an alternative route to the lake. The chief of the elephants was very kind hearted. He accepted the request of the mice and asked the other elephants to find another way to reach the lake. The king of mice thanked the chief and said, “Dear Sir, we are indeed very grateful to you. We also promise to help you in the hour of your need.” The elephant chief laughed on hearing this and said,” You mice are too small to help giants like us. But still, many thanks for your offer.”One day a group of elephant-hunters came in the forest and trapped the elephants in big and strong nets. The elephants struggled hard to free themselves, but were not successful. A small mouse who was passing from there saw the elephants helplessly trapped in the nets and ran to inform his king.The mice king immediately took some of his strongest mice with him to rescue the herd. The mice quickly nibbled the thick net from various places, making it loose enough to set the elephants free. The chief of the elephants apologised to the king of mice for what he had said and thanked him for the great help he had rendered. Moral:Never underestimate anyone’s ability. Always try to help one another. You never know who you might need in the difficult times.

This is a classic story from panchtantra.This is a story of elephant and mouse.Moral(s) of the story: helpfulness and strength

The mice and the elephants

One hot day, an ant was searching for some water. After walking around for some time, she came to a spring. To reach the spring, she had to climb up a blade of grass. While making her way up, she slipped and fell into the water.She could have drowned if a dove up a nearby tree had not seen her. Seeing that the ant was in trouble, the dove quickly plucked a leaf and dropped it into the water near the struggling ant. The ant moved towards the leaf and climbed up onto it. Soon, the leaf drifted to dry ground, and the ant jumped out. She was safe at last.Just at that time, a hunter nearby was about to throw his net over the dove, hoping to trap it.Guessing what he was about to do, the ant quickly bit him on the heel. Feeling the pain, the hunter dropped his net. The dove was quick to fly away to safety. Moral:One good turn begets another.

This is a story of ant, dove and karma.Moral(s) of the story: benevolence, helpfulness and kindness

The Ant and The Dove

Once upon a time, the King's two Princes were playing in a forest, and - meeting one at a time -, they came across four dwarves who asked them to be more careful. The first dwarf had a headache and he asked them not to shout. The second dwarf was painting a landscape, and he asked the children to move away because they were blocking out the light. The third dwarf was doing a giant jigsaw puzzle in the middle of the road, and he asked the children not to tread on it. The fourth dwarf was watching a butterfly and he asked them not to frighten it away.The Prince who respected others did as the dwarves asked, but the disrespectful Prince ignored the dwarves´ pleas, and kept bothering them. In the evening, both boys had become separated and lost. They needed to get back to the palace quickly.Each of them separately came across the four dwarves again, and asked for their help. They refused to help the disrespectful Prince, but with the respectful Prince they did whatever they could to help, and took him along some secret tracks which led right to the palace.The other Prince arrived much later, and was punished for it. He now understood that it's much better to respect everyone if you want to have friends. Moral:Respect everyone regardless of age, authority, caste and creed.

This is a story of dwarf and prince.Moral(s) of the story: helpfulness and respect

A respectful prince and dwarves

Mahatma Gandhi, honored as the father of India, was a very special person. The following story illustrates one of the reasons for him to be called ‘Mahatma’ (great soul).Once, Gandhi went on an expedition to collect funds from various cities and villages for an organization to help the poor. He went to several places and finally reached Orissa. He organized a meeting in Orissa.There, he gave a speech to the public, requesting them to give him funds for the organization. At the end of his speech, a very old woman with bent back, tattered clothing, white hair, and shrunken skin got up. She requested the volunteers to allow her to reach Gandhi. However, the volunteers stopped her. She did not give up. She fought with them and reached Gandhi.She touched the feet of Gandhi. Then she took out a copper coin kept in the folds of her saree and placed it at his feet. Then the old lady left the stage.Gandhi very carefully took the coin. The treasurer of the organization for the poor asked Gandhi for the copper coin, but Gandhi refused to give it.“I keep cheques worth thousands of rupees,” said the treasurer. “Yet you won’t trust me with a copper coin!”Gandhi said, “This copper coin is worth much more than those thousands. If a man has several lakhs and gives away a thousand or two, it doesn’t mean much.”This poor old lady gave away the only coin she possessed. She did not even have proper clothes and could not even afford good food. Yet she gave everything she had. That is why Gandhi regarded the coin as very precious.

This is a story of Mahatma Gandhi.Moral(s) of the story: gratitude and helpfulness

The Value of a Copper Coin

Once, there was a poor boy who made a living by selling various objects from door to door. This was the way he earned money to pay for his school. One day, as he was selling the objects, he felt very hungry and weak. He felt that he couldn’t walk even a few steps. He decided to ask for food at a house. He knocked on the door and was stunned to see a beautiful young girl open the door. With much hesitation, he asked the girl for a glass of water.The young girl understood his condition and offered him a huge glass of milk. With an astonished look, the boy drank the milk very slowly. “How much do I owe you for this milk?” he asked her. The girl replied, “I do not want any money for this.” The boy thanked the girl from the bottom of his heart and left the place.Years passed by. The young girl grew up. In her youth, unfortunately, she fell ill and was diagnosed with the rarest kind of nervous disorder. Many experienced doctors were baffled at her condition, and she was admitted in the city hospital with the most advanced facilities. Dr. Kevin, a renowned neuro-specialist was called in by the hospital to examine her. Even with his extraordinary expertise, Dr. Kevin found the girl’s illness very hard to cure. However, with perseverance and hard work that lasted months, he was finally able to get the disease under control. With careful medication and monitoring, the girl was completely cured in the end.Everyone praised the doctor, but the girl was quite worried about how much the hospital bill would come to. Her family had just a little money kept away in the bank, which was by no means enough to pay for such a long treatment in that reputed hospital. The girl was given the hospital bill finally. With trembling hands, she opened it. She was stunned to see that the bill had been crossed out and cancelled, and there was a note underneath signed by Dr. Kevin.“Bill paid years ago with a glass of milk!” Moral:One good turn begets another.

This is a story of karma,Moral(s) of the story: benevolence, helpfulness and kindness

A glass of Milk

Once upon a time, there lived a woodpecker and a lion. One day, the lion hunted a big bison and sat down to devour it. It so happened that while having his meal, a big bone got stuck in the lion’s throat. He was not able to remove it and was in great pain.A kind hearted woodpecker lived nearby. He offered to help the lion. He, however, told the lion that he would only take out the bone if the lion promised not to eat him while removing the bone. The lion gladly agreed and opened his mouth in front of the woodpecker. The woodpecker hopped inside the lion’s mouth, stretched his head deep inside the lion’s throat and easily pulled out the bone. The lion kept his promise and let the woodpecker fly away to safety after taking out the bone.Soon the lion recovered completely and made another kill. The woodpecker also thought of joining the lion and asked for a small share of meat. To his utter disappointment the lion blatantly refused to share his meal and said, “How dare you ask me for more favours? I have already done so much for you!” The woodpecker did not understand what the lion was talking about. The lion then clarified, “You should be thankful to me that I did not gobble you up when you were taking out the bone from my throat. Now do not expect anything else from me and go away.” The woodpecker said to himself, “It was indeed a mistake to help such an ungrateful creature!” Moral: The wicked are always ungrateful. Some people have the tendency to turn a blind eye towards all the kindness they have received.

This is a story of lion, woodpecker and Jataka tales.Moral(s) of the story: helpfulness and kindness

helpfulness 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 Wet Pants

A King and a Smart Servant

Caring is in the heart

The mice and the elephants

The Ant and The Dove

A respectful prince and dwarves

The Value of a Copper Coin

A glass of Milk

The Woodpecker and the Lion

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