Yesha Desai

Once, Akbar asked Birbal to find four fools in his kingdom and being them to him. Birbal was amused at the Emperor’s wish and said, “Jahanpanah, it is not a difficult task as this world is full of foolish people. All I need is a few days.” Akbar readily granted Birbal’s request and gave him a few days' time to look out for the fools in his kingdom.Having taken permission from the Emperor, Birbal started looking for the fools. One day, he saw a man carrying a large plate full of clothes, sweets and other expensive gift items. Out of curiosity, Birbal asked the man, “My dear man, for whom are you carrying so many costly gifts?”The man replied, “These gifts are for my wife! She has left me and married someone else and now she has just been blessed with a baby boy. So, I have bought all these gifts for her.”When Birbal heard the man’s reply, he thought of him as the ideal candidate to present before the Emperor. Birbal asked him to appear in the royal court whenever he called him.Soon after, Birbal saw another man who was clumsily sitting on a buffalo and carrying a bundle of grass over his head.Birbal asked him, “Why are you carrying this bundle over your head?”The man replied, “Sir, my buffalo is pregnant. Don’t you think it would be cruel on my part to load this heavy bundle of grass on her at this time? I care about her very much and that is why I am carrying the bundle of this grass over my head.”Birbal could not help smiling and asked the second man also to appear in the royal court at a given time.Next morning, Birbal called both the men to court and presented them to Akbar as the biggest fools in the kingdom. Akbar asked, “But these are only two fools. I had directed you to bring four fools to me. Where are the other two?”Birbal folded his hands and said, “I beg your pardon , Alampanah, the third fool is none other than you, who asked me to bring these fools to you and the fourth fool is me, who has brought these fools to you.”The Emperor burst out laughing at Birbal’s humorous reply and commended him for his ready wit. Moral:There is no lack of fools in this world

This is a classic story from Akbar Birbal.Moral(s) of the story: foolishness

Four fools

Once, a poor old woman came to seek Birbal’s help. The Emperor had passed orders to build a big palace on the site where her small house was situated. He had already instructed his men to take down the house of the old lady and ask her to move to some other place. The old woman did not want to move out of her ancestral house as she had fond memories linked with it. Birbal understood the woman’s plight and promised to try his level best to save her house.Soon, the construction began at the chosen site. Birbal also happened to visit the construction site with the Emperor. There were many empty gunny bags lying on the ground. Birbal started to fill up the bags with mud. Out of curiosity, Akbar asked Birbal, “What are you doing?”Birbal answered, “I am doing this to earn merit in my next life.”Amused, Akbar also joined Birbal and started filling up the bags with mud. Birbal then loaded up a big bag with mud and sought Akbar’s help in lifting it up.Akbar lent a hand to Birbal. “Aah,this is very heavy! I am finding it very difficult to lift it up,” said Akbar, staggering under the weight of the bag.To this, Birbal retorted, “Jahanpanah, you say that this bag of mud is heavy. Imagine how much mud would be there in this piece of land. Will it not weigh heavily on your conscience to snatch a poor old woman’s ancestral house?”Akbar realised his mistake and gave orders to discontinue the construction. The poor old woman was overwhelmed with gratitude and profusely thanked Birbal for saving her house. Moral:We must consider other people’s losses and problems before doing something of our gain.

This is a classic story from Akbar Birbal.Moral(s) of the story: kindness

Heavy Burden

Ravina Sewani

Once upon a time, hundreds of wild goats lived in a cave situated upon a hill. A wolf also lived with his wife in another cave nearby. Just like all the other wolves, the wolf couple also liked the taste of goat-meat. So they caught the goats, one after another, and ate them all. But, there was one wise goat who always managed to outsmart the wolf couple. No matter how hard the wolf couple tried to catch the wise goat, she somehow always outsmarted them.One day the wolf said to his wife, "My dear, let us play a trick on that wise goat. You go alone to her cave and tell her that I am dead. Try to win over her sympathy by looking sad and then seek her help in burying my body. I am sure that the goat will feel sorry for you and agree to come here with you. When she will come near me, I will bite her in the neck and kill her. Both of us will enjoy her delicious meat then.”The wolf then lay down, and his wife went to meet the goat, saying what she had been told to say. The wise goat heard the she-wolf’s story but kept sitting inside the cave and said, “"My dear, you and your late husband have killed all my relatives and friends. I do not think I am too safe out there with you.""Do not be afraid! I am mourning the death of my husband and thus I have decided not to kill any animal for one week," said the wolf. "And my husband is dead now. So, what harm can a dead wolf do to you?"The she-wolf managed to convince the goat to accompany her. The wise goat set out to the wolf’s cave but as she was still unsure of the she-wolf’s intentions, she asked the she-wolf to stay ahead of her.Meanwhile the he-wolf who was pretending to be dead since a long time in front of his cave, started to get impatient. He was hungry and he raised up his head a little to see whether the goat was coming with his wife or not. The goat saw him raise his head, and ran back to her cave."Why did you have to raise your head? We almost had the wise goat in our clutches," the she-wolf scolded her husband. He had no good answer. The she-wolf said, “Though your foolishness has spoiled everything, I will still try once again to bring the goat back to our cave.”The she-wolf went back to the wise goat’s cave and said, "My friend, your presence is divine! The moment you came near my husband, he sprung back to life. He is now very much better. I am indeed very thankful to you. Let us be friends and have a good time together."The wise goat knew that the she-wolf was again trying to pull a trick on her. She said, “My friend, I am glad to hear the good news. We must share it with as many animals as we can. I will bring some of my friends also to your cave. Then we can all have a good time together."The she-wolf had no idea who these friends were, so she asked the goat, "Who are your friends? Tell me their names." The wise goat said, "I will bring the two hounds, Old Gray and Young Tan and a big bull-dog called Four-Eyes. I will also ask them to bring their mates."The she-wolf was scared of the dogs and fled to her cave. She told her husband about the ferocious friends of the wise goat. The wolf couple took to their heels and the wise goat never saw either of them again. Moral:Pride and might lead to nowhere. The wolves, though being stronger than the goat could not trick the goat because of their greed and pretension. On the other hand, the wise goat calmly and smartly escaped the wolves’ plan and saved its life.

This is a story of goat, Jataka tales and wolf.Moral(s) of the story: smartness and wisdom

The Wise Goat and The Wolf

Shina Utavani

India gained independence from the Britishrule on 15th August 1947. Since then every year, 15th August is celebrated as Independence Day in India to commemorate India’s freedom from the 200-year-old British government. The struggle for India’s independence began in 1857 in Meerut. Later, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, in the 20th century, the Indian National Congress launched an independent movement. After a lot of struggle and hard work, on August 15th, 1947, colonial powers were transferred to India. India’s struggle for freedom was a long process and witnessed the sacrifice of many freedom fighters. This day remarks the bravery of our freedom fighters. It reminds us of the sacrifices made by our forefathers, freedom fighters and leaders to free our motherland.&nbsp; For India, 15th August is a day of her re-birth. On 15th August 1947, India’s first prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru unfolded the tricolour flag of the nation. On this day, people pay homage to leaders who fought for the freedom of the nation. Flag hoisting ceremony along with various cultural programs are organised at various places on this day including schools and colleges.

This is a story of Independence day.

Independence Day

Pallavi Hota

Bible is the collection of 66 books written by different authors describing the God's action and purpose with all creations. Bible contains life stories of Jesus. The bible gives the messages God has desired for us to understand. Following is a story from “The Bible”. Moses, the most important Jewish prophet, played many vital roles in the holy book Bible. He had appointed Joshua, one of the twelve spies of Israel sent by Moses to explore the land of Canaan, to be his successor, as he was a man who loved God. God told Joshua to prepare the people to cross the river Jordan, so that they could go and take Jericho. Joshua sent two spies to scout the city, and they were given refuge by a woman named Rahab. She asked that when they took the city, they would spare her and her family. They agreed, and as she lived on the wall, she lowered them out her window to the other side. God told the people that the arc that held the Ten Commandments should be carried by twelve priests, and that they and all the people should march around the city of Jericho, sounding their trumpets once every day for six days, and on the seventh day, they were to march around it seven times. At the sound of the trumpet after the seventh round on the seventh day, the walls of Jericho would come crashing down. Joshua made the people obey, and everything happened just as God said. Joshua remembered Rahab, and took her and her family safely out of the city, after which, they burned the city of Jericho to the ground. Moral:God goes before His people and gives them victory in battle.

This is a story of Jericho, Joshua, and Jordan.

The Fall of Jericho

Once upon a time, there was a small dog that used to sneak in the royal shed to eat some food that was kept for the royal elephant. Since the royal elephant lived alone throughout the day in the shed, he also did not mind the dog visiting him daily and gladly let him eat his leftover food. Soon, the elephant and the dog became very good friends. They ate together, slept together and played together. A time came when they were almost inseparable from each other.Then one day, a farmer who came to visit the elephant-keeper, saw the dog. He liked it very much and asked the elephant keeper to sell it to him. Although the elephant keeper did not own the dog, He took some money from the villager and gave it to him. The king’s elephant became very sad after this incident. He missed his friend a lot and stopped eating, drinking and even bathing.Three days had passed and the elephant had not moved an inch from his place. The elephant keeper had to report the matter to the king. The king asked his wisest minister to look into the matter and find out what was wrong with his elephant. The minister went to the stable and checked the elephant. He could make out that there was nothing physically wrong with the elephant. He then arrived to the conclusion that the big animal was perhaps missing something or someone. He asked the elephant keeper, “ I think that the royal elephant is grief stricken, possibly due to the loss of a dear friend. Do you know if this elephant shared a close friendship with any person or animal?”The elephant-keeper hesitantly said, “Yes, Sir! There was a dog that used to eat, sleep and play with the elephant. A stranger took him away three days ago, but I do not know where he went.” The minister went to the king and told him, “Your Majesty, the royal elephant is fine but he is lonesome without his dear friend, the dog. Some stranger has taken away the dog and nobody knows his whereabouts.”The king was concerned about the well being of his elephant. He asked the minister, “How can we bring back the dog and make my elephant happy again?” The minister suggested, “Your Majesty, make a declaration, that whoever has taken the dog that used to live at the royal elephant’s shed shall be penalised.” The king did the same and the farmer who had taken the dog, quickly let him loose.Once freed, the dog found his way to the elephant’s shed easily. The elephant was so delighted to see the dog that he picked him up with his trunk and made him sit on his head. The king was content to see his elephant happy once again and suitably rewarded the minister for his wise judgement. Moral:True happiness is based on the relations you keep.

This is a classic story from Jataka tales.This is a story of dog and elephant.Moral(s) of the story: happiness

The elephant and the dog

Bible is the collection of 66 books written by different authors describing the God's action and purpose with all creations. Bible contains life stories of Jesus. The bible gives the messages God has desired for us to understand. Following is a story from “The Bible”. Once, while passing through the town of Jericho, Jesus showed the world the meaning of hating the sin, not a sinner! As he was passing through the town, a crowd of people followed him. They wanted to hear Jesus talk about God's Kingdom!In that crowd, there was also a man called Zaccheus, the tax collector. He too wanted to see Jesus Christ. But he was a short man and could not see over the crowd.So, Zaccheus hit upon a clever idea. He climbed to the top of a tree so he could see who Jesus was.As Jesus was passing under the tree, he looked up and said, Zaccheus, come down, I must stay at your house today.îThe jubilant Zaccheus climbed down and began walking with Jesus towards his home.But the crowd was not pleased with this change of events. Most people in Jericho did not like tax collectors as most of them were greedy and dishonest.Jesus followers did not want their savior to be kind to such a sinner. But Zaccheus was a changed man. He promised Jesus that he would give half of his earnings to the poor and also return the money he had grabbed from common folks.This is just what Jesus had hoped for. He blessed Zaccheus and showed the people that one must hate the sin, not the sinner. Moral:Hate the sin, not the sinner.

This is a story of Bible and Jesus Christ.

The Tax Collector

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.” Mahabharata means the story of the descendants of Bharata. The regular saga of the epic of the Mahabharata, however, starts with king Shantanu. Shantanu lived in Hastinapur and was known for his valor and wisdom. One day Shantanu went out hunting in a nearby forest. So while hunting, king Shantanu reached the banks of the river Ganga and there he saw a very beautiful lady appearing out of the water and walking on its surface. Her grace and Divine beauty struck Shantanu at the very first sight and he was completely spellbound. When the king inquired who she was, the lady curtly asked, “Why do you wish to know that?” Shantanu admitted that he was captivated by her Divine beauty and wished to marry her. He also introduced himself stating that he was Shantanu, the king of Hastinapur.The lady said, “I can accept your proposal provided you are ready to abide by two conditions.” The king asked her anxiously, “What are they?” “Firstly, you will never ask anything about my personal life, like who I am or where do I come from? Secondly, you will never stop me from doing anything or ask the reason for anything I do.” Shantanu was so fascinated by her beauty that he immediately accepted the conditions. She was known as Ganga. They instantly got married and returned to Shantanu’s palace. In the beginning everything was very smooth. But Ganga kept drowning all her seven sons one by one, to which Shantanu couldn’t say anything as promised earlier. Shantanu lost his patience and as soon as the queen was about to drown the eighth son, Shantanu stopped her. “I have lost seven sons like this and am left with no heir. I can no longer stand to see my flesh and blood decimated before my eyes.”Queen Ganga turned around and said, “Oh King, you have violated your pledge. I will not stay with you any longer. However before leaving you, I will open the secret that led to the death of your seven sons. Once it so happened that the saint Vashishtha got offended with eight gods known as Vasus (Deities of directions). He cursed them to be born as human beings on earth and undergo the mental torture of being a human. Hearing this, seven of the Vasus implored the saint to be excused but the eighth one, who was the most mischievous; Ganga said she would take her eighth son to heaven to train him properly for the King's throne and status. With these words she disappeared along with the child while Shantanu was struck with grief thinking about spending the rest of his life without her.

Shantanu and Ganga’s Wedding

Once, a weaver named Somilaka lived in a town. He was a very good weaver. The cloth he wove was fine, soft and beautiful. Even the king praised his work. In spite of this, Somilaka somehow could never earn much money. The other weavers who were not very good at their job were also richer than Somilaka. This depressed Somilaka very much. He thought of trying his luck in another town, but even there he did not meet with much success. In the end, Somilaka was so frustrated that he decided to commit suicide. He made a noose out of a rope and put it around his neck, tying the other end of the rope to a tall tree. He was just about to hang himself when he heard a loud voice coming from heaven, “Wait, don’t commit suicide. I am God. I am pleased with your talent and good work so I have decided to grant you a wish. Tell me what you want.”Somilaka was astonished. He said, “I want wealth.”God replied, “But you don’t need more wealth than what is required to keep you clothed and fed. What will you do with more wealth?”Somilaka answered, “I still want more wealth. A wealthy man is respected by everyone, even if he does not spend his wealth.”God said, “Alright. I will grant your wish. But first, you must go to your native village and visit two traders who live there —‘Secret Wealth’ and ‘Useful Wealth.’Somilaka did as he was told. First, he decided to meet ‘Secret Wealth.’Somilaka paid a visit to the house of ‘Secret Wealth.’ ‘Secret Wealth’ did not give him a cordial welcome, instead he seemed annoyed. His wife served food to Somilaka in a broken plate and banged a glass of water next to him on the floor. Somilaka did not say anything. He just thanked ‘Secret Wealth’ and his family and left.Next, he went to visit the other trader—‘Useful Wealth.’ ‘Useful Wealth was very happy to see Somilaka and welcomed him warmly into the house. All his family members were also very cordial to Somilaka. They served him delicious food and made comfortable arrangements for him to spend the night.Next morning, Somilaka saw the king’s servants bringing money for ‘Useful Wealth.’ He pondered over the contrast between the two traders. He thought, “This man is not as wealthy as ‘Secret Wealth,’ still he enjoys his wealth and lives more comfortably than ‘Secret Wealth.”Somilaka had understood the fact that wealth must not be merely hoarded; it should be used properly. When necessary, it should also be donated.Somilaka’s wish for wealth was granted by God and he enjoyed his wealth to the fullest, using it and also sharing it, just like ‘Useful Wealth.’ Moral:Wealth does not decide the respect of any individual. Whatever wealth you have, use it wisely and for good.

This is a classic story from panchtantra.Moral(s) of the story: kindness

moses 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.