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.

Yesha Desai

On a fine, beautiful day Tara’s school takes all first graders out on a field trip. The aim of this field trip is to tell the children about different places in the city.Firstly they went to a police station. There Tara learned how a police station works and the police work.&nbsp;In the police station she met policemen. Police works very hard to keep us safe and punishes people who do wrong.&nbsp;Next they went to a post office. A post office is where the mail we write goes. We can write our letters and send it at the post office, from there it gets delivered to other cities and the postman takes it to our desired location.After that they went to a fire station and they met firefighters. Fire fighters put their lives on a risk to protect people who are stuck in a fire. Tara saw fire trucks and giant hose pipes which are used to spray water over fires.Next came a grocery store. A grocery store is where you can buy vegetables, dairy products, fruits that you need daily.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then they went to the airport. An airport is where planes land and you can board them. There so many different types of planes. She saw the airport security, pilots and passengers.After the airport they went to the library which was Tara’s personal favourite stop. They saw many different types of books all neatly arranged.That day the kids learnt a lot about how different institutions in the city work.

This is a story of airport. fire station, grocery store, library, police station, post office and post man.

Field trip!

Shina Utavani

In a schoolyard, there were many bright, shiny new buses lined in a row. The buses would leave the schoolyard early morning to pick up the children for school. Children enjoyed in buses and happily travelled on the buses. In the afternoon, the buses would take them back to their homes.In the schoolyard, at the back, there was an old school bus that was hardly noticeable. The bus looked very old and was no longer shiny and bright. No driver was ready to ride that bus because it looked ugly. So, every morning the old bus sat there and watched as the other buses left to pick up the children. The bus left very bad that it did not go to pick the children as other buses did.One day, one of the bright, shiny buses would not start. The mechanic informed the principal that the bus was broken. It would take a few days to repair it. The principal was worried about how the children would reach school.The bus driver, Herb, spotted the old bus at the back in the schoolyard. The bus driver questioned, “Hey, how about if I try this old bus?” The principal wanted to provide transportation for the kids anyhow. So, he agreed. The driver quickly filled the fuel in the old bus and tried to start the bus. The bus chocked, coughed and sputtered. After some time, the bus finally started. The old bus shook as its engine came to life.Herb took the old bus out of the schoolyard to pick up the children. The driver was happy that the bus got started. He loved taking the kids for the school. He had been doing it since he retired from the factory. He liked his job. Herb had been pretty lonely since his wife passed away. He loved his job because the job kept him busy and made him feel better.First Herb picked up the little boy who lived on the East Street. Herb liked him, he always made people laugh. The boy entered the bus and said, “OH! The old bus is finally out of the schoolyard.” Herb laughed.Next, the old bus and Herb picked up a boy who lived on the Seventh Street. He was well mannered and behaved nicely with everyone. When he entered the bus, he said ‘Hello’ to everyone and everyone liked him. The driver then took off to pick other children. They picked the sisters from the Oak Street.Then, they went to pick another girl. Herb stopped the bus for the little girl. The girl used a wheelchair so Herb got out of the bus and picked up the girl on the bus. Herb put the wheelchair beside her carefully. The little girl’s name was Becky and she felt very embarrassed. She always felt that she was different. Herb tried to make her feel better. He said, “Each one of us is different in our way.” Becky said sadly, “You are not different.” To which Herb smiled and said, “Yes, I am. You see, every morning, I get up and brush my teeth and then I put them in my mouth.” He clacked his dentures together to demonstrate for her. Becky laughed out loud. She felt comfortable with Herb.The old school bus felt very good and proud to be carrying the children again. The bus felt very good when the children laughed and talked to each other. The bus did not care that it was not bright and shiny anymore. The bus was happy to carry the children again. The bus wished that it could carry children every day.Herb carried the children back to their homes in the evening. For the rest of the days, the old school bus and Herb carried the children to school and then dropped them back to their homes. Herb and the school bus both were very happy.The principal got a call from the school-board saying that they had hired a new driver for the bus. The Principal asked about Herb and they replied that it was time for Herb to retire. The principal did not want to fire Herb, and he did not think that Herb would want to retire. The principal got an idea. He went to meet Herb the next day.He conveyed the message to Herb. He was very shocked and surprised when he heard about the new driver. He said, “I guess that means I am fired.” The Principal said but we can do one thing. He said, “We are going to fix this old bus and convert it so that the handicapped children can get on and off easily. Would you drive this bus?” Herb’s eyes sparkled with joy and he gave the principal a big smile. He said, “Yes, sir. I will!”The old bus was repaired and made into a new one. Herb was happy to see the bus. He took out the bus from the schoolyard on the first run. It looked beautiful. Herb took the bus and went to pick up the children.This time, Becky got onto the bus easily because of the new facility. Herb lowered the special new chair lift and she easily entered the bus. Becky was very happy as she could enter the bus onto her own. She smiled happily.The old bus and Herb were also very happy. Herb drew the bus for a long time and he also never felt lonely because of the bus. Moral:All of us are unique in our own little ways. We should try to overcome our problems with the support of our loved ones.

This is a story of bus, driver, school and wheelchair.Moral(s) of the story: inclusivity, kindness and optimism

The Lonely School Bus

Sam’s mother takes him to get his first haircut. He is seven month old and already has a mop of long, curly hair.He is too tiny to fit in the chair at the shop so they place him on a pillow.Sam’s clothes are covered by a white coverall. The barber is very kind and thinks that Sam is a very happy baby.The barber sprays a little water on Sam’s hair and he giggles. The barber begins cutting with a few different types of scissors. It takes a lot of time.But then the barber is done and Sam looks cleaner with shorter hair. His clothes itch and he wants to play with the water spray.Sam goes home and takes a bath. His first haircut looks really pretty.

First visit to the barber’s shop.

Ravina Sewani

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

One upon a time, there lived a carpenter whose name was Gepetto. He was very old. One day, the carpenter carved a puppet in the shape of a boy and named it Pinocchio. He wished that the boy was real. He wanted the puppet to be a real one. Fortunately, a fairy heard his words and fulfilled his wish. She added life to the puppet. The only condition of the fairy was that if the puppet becomes a real boy then he must always be a good boy.Gepetto loved Pinocchio and he was very dear to him but Pinocchio was very naughty and he rarely spoke the truth. He used to lie very often. As soon as he lied, his wooden nose would grow long. He had had enough of his long nose so he promised to be a good boy. He soon left school and joined a circus. He started missing Gepetto.One day, he got the news that his father had been swallowed up by a huge whale. As soon as he got the news, he went to find the whale. He saw a big whale and as he went ahead, the whale swallowed him as well. Inside the whale’s belly, Pinocchio saw Gepetto and was very happy. They both were very happy to see each other. They made a plan to get out of the whale. They started tickling the whale’s stomach. The whale opened his mouth and sneezed and Pinocchio and Gepetto slipped out from the whale’s mouth.Pinocchio and Gepetto went to their home. They safely reached their home. The fairy was impressed by the Pinocchio’s bravery and she turned him into a real fleshed and blood boy. He now looked exactly like a human being. After that day, he became a good boy and he never missed school. They both lived happily ever after. Moral:We should never lie. We should always speak the truth.

This is a story of carpenter, fairy and pinnochio.Moral(s) of the story: trust

Pinnochio

Ajay is the only child of rich parents who have worked very hard to get where they are but growing up in the lap of luxury, he barely understands the struggles.He heavily relied on the house help to get his daily chores done. He had a maid who would clean his room, to fold his clothes, to wash his clothes, to make his bed. He had a chef who would cook food for him and serve his food. He had a driver who would drive him everywhere, even if it was just nearby, so he did not have to walk or use his cycle.In short he rarely did any work on his own.More than that, he seemed to not respect the house help either. He often degraded the trash collector, who collected trash from his house and helped in keeping the city clean, as he thought that he was more superior than the worker.This really bothered his parents because they did not want Ajay to grow up to be a brat.So one evening her mother asked every worker to take a few days of paid leave. When Ajay woke up in the morning, he asked for someone to make his bed but no one came.He asked for someone to bring his clothes, but no one came. He asked for someone to pack his lunch but no one came to help him do this either. He asked his mother, “Ma? Where is everyone? I am getting late for school.” His mother replied, “I have sent them home for a few days. You will have to do your chores by yourself now. Come on, get to it.”Ajay frowned but did not say anything. That day, he packed the wrong books, he forgot his tie, his bed was unmade. He had tried to do all his chores but he realised that he was truly lost and would not survive without help.Ajay realised that he should do his own work by himself instead of handing it off to others otherwise he would never learn. Moral:We must not be totally dependent on others for our tasks and learn to do it ourselves.

This is a story of chef, driver, house help, maid, parent and trash collector.Moral(s) of the story: gratitude and responsibility

Ajay’s lesson

A poor Fisherman, who lived on the fish he caught, had bad luck one day and caught nothing but a very small fry. The Fisherman was about to put it in his basket when the little Fish said:“Please spare me, Mr. Fisherman! I am so small it is not worth while to carry me home. When I am bigger, I shall make you a much better meal.”But the Fisherman quickly put the fish into his basket.“How foolish I should be,” he said, “to throw you back. However small you may be, you are better than nothing at all.”Moral: A small gain is worth more than a large promise.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

This is a story of Aesop fables, fish and fisherman.Moral(s) of the story: smartness

The fisherman and the little fish

Once upon a time there was a very rich and corrupt noble. He was the King’s most trusted man and thus had many responsibilities. He also had his own businesses due to which he was very rich and had multiple servants at his disposal.Often, while taking his breakfast in the lawns of his estate, he would witness the gardener and his son at work.He had known that the gardener’s son was a very intelligent young man and thus wanted to give him a job in his business.He approached the young man multiple times but he refused. One day he asked, “Son, why do you keep refusing to work at my company. We could use your skills over there and we could pay you better too”The boy smiled, “No, kind sir. Thank you, but I have everything I need.”The nobleman was truly confused and a little angry too. How could a poor boy like him have everything in this world. He was young and poor. The nobleman was already very stressed due to work and arrogantly asked, “Oh really? And what do you have exactly. Money? A big house? A wife?”The gardener’s son calmly replied, “I don’t have any of that, sir. But I have something that you do not have. Peace of mind.”The nobleman understood, and confessed to his crimes in front of the King, the very same day. Moral:Peace of mind is more important than any materialistic gain.

This is a story of gardener and king.Moral(s) of the story: peace

The nobleman’s lesson

Once a village moneylender lost his purse so he announced a reward of a hundred rupees to the person who found it and returned it to him. A poor farmer found it. It contained one thousand rupees. The farmer was poor and needy but, at the same time, he was an honest man. He went to the moneylender and returned the purse to him.The moneylender opened the purse and counted the money in it. It was one thousand rupees. Then he said to the farmer, "You are a smart fellow. You have taken your reward beforehand."The farmer angrily asked, "What do you mean?" The moneylender said, "I mean what I say. The purse contained eleven hundred rupees. But now there are one thousand rupees in it. This means that you have already taken the reward money from the purse."The farmer said, "I have not taken any money from the purse. Let us go to the Sarpanch and settle the matter." So they went to the Sarpanch. The Sarpanch heard both the parties. He felt sure that the moneylender was dishonest.He asked the moneylender, "Are you sure that your purse contained eleven hundred rupees?" The moneylender said, "Yes, Sir." The Sarpanch said, 'Then this purse is not yours." And the Sarpanch gave away the purse to the farmer. Moral:You get what you deserve.

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

service provider 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.

Field trip!

The Lonely School Bus

First visit to the barber’s shop.

The donkey who sang a song

Pinnochio

Ajay’s lesson

The fisherman and the little fish

The nobleman’s lesson

The moneylender and his purse

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