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

It was dark in the afternoon and all the lights were on because it was Christmas Eve. There were lights everywhere and places were crowded with people. The streets were busy and every shop was open because of the eve. People were busy buying presents and delicious food items.Everyone was in a hurry as they wanted to reach home to celebrate the festival. There were many shops but one shop named ‘The Little Charity Shop’ caught no one’s eye. No-one stopped to go inside the shop. The shop sold second-hand clothes, footwear, and toys.The shelves of the shop were filled with things people had given away. At the back of the shop, on the top of a dusty shelf, there was the saddest looking teddy bear. The teddy bear was the saddest thing on the earth.The teddy bear was kept on the shelf for a long time. Some books were kept beside the teddy bear. But the teddy could not read books. Who would help this teddy bear?In the busy street, there was a man who was wondering about something. He wanted to buy a present for little Lou but did not have enough money. His name was Uncle Bob and was wondering where could he find a special gift? The things in the toy shop were very expensive. He was trying to find something that was affordable. He came across the charity shop and decided to go inside it. He went inside and greeted the old lady sitting at the shop counter.Uncle Bob looked around the shop at different things. He saw ladies’ hats, coats, skirts, scarves, and different types of clothes for ladies. He asked the lady if she had any toys. The lady showed some toys to him but some of them were broken and parts of some toys were missing. Then Uncle Bob saw the teddy bear up on the shelf. He asked the lady how much it cost. The lady told the amount and Bob counted the coins he had. He did not have enough money. The lady agreed to sell in a lesser amount as the teddy was very untidy.Bob carefully took the teddy bear to his home. After that, he washed the teddy bear and dried it with a dryer. The teddy bear looked like a brand new one after the wash. Then Bob tied a red bow on the teddy bear. The bear looked cute and handsome.The next day, Bob went to Lou’s home. Little Lou lived with his mother. As it was Christmas, Lou’s mother was in the kitchen making delicious food. Little Lou came running to uncle Bob and wished him a ‘Merry Christmas’. Lou had made a letter for uncle Bob. Bob was very happy to see the letter. He gave Lou his gift and wished him a ‘Merry Christmas’. On seeing the bear, Lou got very excited and hugged the teddy.Little Lou celebrated Christmas with her mother, uncle Bob, and his new friend, teddy bear. "Look, mum, he is my new friend,” little Lou said to his mom. Moral:Happiness can be found in the littlest of things if only one looks closely.

This is a story of Christmas and Teddybear.Moral(s) of the story: happiness

Lonely Teddybear

Guru Gobind Ji along with being a great warrior was also a great teacher. He taught Sikhs to meditate and also taught them to train their bodies. He was an expert in shooting.One day, Aurangzeb sent an army to surround Anandpur Sahib gurudwara where Guru and his followers were living. The army set up a camp about two miles away. Anandpur was cut off from all the food and water that was coming in.One day, two generals named Zabardast Khan and Wajir Khan were playing chess in the camp. They were not aware that Guruji was watching them from distance through a telescope. Guruji shot an arrow high into the sky from the Anandpur fortress. The arrow soared through the sky and fell into the leg of the bench on which the generals were sitting. Everyone was shocked after seeing the arrow. They thought someone was attacking them.Wajir Khan took the arrow and wondered who would dare to shoot an arrow on them. A prince who lived near Anandpur said, “I know who has shot the arrow. It has a gold arrowhead so it must be of Guru Govind Singh.” The guru always put gold on his arrows so the families of the dead will be cared for. The generals were confused as they thought if he was around them, they would have seen and captured him.The other prince said, “Guru is a very brave man. I have heard many stories of his heroism. He must have shot the arrow from the top of the fortress.” After hearing this,the soldiers started laughing they thought nobody can shoot from that far.Wajir Khan ordered to resume the game. When they sat for the game, again an arrow soared through the sky. This time it hit the same spot as the last one. Everyone freaked out.This time the arrow had a letter with it. The letter read, “This is not a miracle. This skill comes from practice. I was not trying to kill anyone. The arrow was not meant to hit anyone.”The general was shocked. He could not believe how someone can shoot from that far. Guruji’s message to them was clear, the Sikhs will never give up. The Sikhs will be kind but with that will never surrender.

This is a story of arrow and guru har Gobind.

Gobindji’s Arrow

Makar Sankranti is celebrated every year on the 14th of January. Makar means Capricorn and Sankranti means transition. Makar Sankranti indicates the entry of the sun into the zodiac sign ‘Capricorn'. Makar Sankranti is the only Indian festival that has been observed according to solar cycles (cycles of sun), while most other festivals are set by the lunar cycle (cycles of moon). It is the festival of harvest. It happens on the equinox on which the length of day and night is equal. The equinox marks the end of the winter season and the beginning of spring- the season of harvest. It is celebrated in many parts of India with some regional variations. It is known by different names and celebrated with different customs in various parts of India. In Tamil Nadu, it is celebrated as ‘Pongal' which means ‘boiling over’ or ‘spill-over’. Just as harvested crop spills over in the collecting pot, it is hoped that prosperity will also spill over. The cow is well regarded in this festival because of its importance in agriculture. It is a four-day festival in Tamil Nadu, each day having its own significance. In West Bengal, it is known as ‘Poush Sankranti’ named after the Bengali month in which it falls. In Assam, it is known as ‘Magh Bihu' which is celebrated for almost a week. People of Assam make different varieties of rice such as shunga ritha, Tilpitha and some other sweets of coconut called large or laskara. In Punjab, Lohri is celebrated a day before Makar Sankranti which marks the end of the winter season and is a traditional welcome of longer days and sun’s journey to the northern hemisphere. In Gujarat, it is called ‘Uttarayan', where people enjoy the festival by flying kites in the sky and eating delicious food items. The festival lasts for two days, the next day i.e. 15th January is known as ‘VasiUttarayan'. ‘Undhiyu' and ‘chikkis' are the special festival recipes made on this day. The whole sky is filled with colourful kites and you’ll hear loud music and people dancing with full energy and enthusiasm on the terraces. The beauty of this festival is that though it is named differently in various regions, it has a common goal of celebrating the season of harvest and people worship the sun’s transition.&nbsp;

This is a story of Uttrayan and kite.

Makar Sankranti

Ravina Sewani

Once, a great number of mice used to live in a grocer’s shop. They ate the fresh, tasty wheat, rice, bread, cheese and biscuits that were kept in the shop. They were having a great time and living easy, comfortable lives, growing fatter day by day.But the grocer was concerned about the losses that he was suffering because of the damage done to his stock by the mice. So, he thought of a solution and bought a big, fat cat to keep in his shop.From that day onwards, the cat began to catch the mice every day. The mice were terrified of even stepping out of their holes. They could not reach the food anymore. This was a great cause of worry for them. They decided to call a meeting of all the mice in the shop to discuss this problem.They got together and started thinking. One of them suggested that they must get rid of the fat cat but no one could think of a way of doing so. So they kept thinking of other ways. Finally, one mouse spoke up, “We should tie a bell around the cat’s neck. That way, whenever the cat is near or is coming in our direction, we would get to know by the ringing of the bell and we can quickly run back to our holes.”This idea was much appreciated by the other mice. They thought that this was the best plan. They began dancing and celebrating with joy. But their celebrations did not last very long for soon an old and experienced mouse said, “You fools! Stop celebrating and first tell me: who will bell the cat?”None of the mice had an answer to this question. They had not thought about this major problem in their seemingly perfect plan. This is why it is said that making a plan is one thing but executing it is an entirely different thing. Moral:Do not count your chickens before they are hatched. The mice were over excited and proud of themselves without thinking about the actual execution of their seemingly perfect plan.

This is a story of bell, cat, greengrocer, mouse and panchtantra.Moral(s) of the story: foolishness and over confidence

Who will bell the cat?

There was once a tennis ball. He was very lonely as he could not find his home. The lonely ball was very sad. The ball knew there were many balls just like him so he decided to search more balls that looked like him. He thought that it would be easy for him to find his home if he met a tennis ball.At first, he went to a basketball court and there he saw a huge ball. He knew that this was not his home. The ball was very big and was brown. The ball thought to himself, “This is not my home, I should look somewhere else”. So off he went.The lonely ball went ahead to search his home. Next, he went to a baseball field. The tennis ball saw a ball lying on the field. The ball was the same size as him but was white. The tennis ball thought, “I am yellow and the ball lying on the ground is white.” He knew it was not his home. He decided to look somewhere else.The ball then went to a football field. He saw the ball and was again disappointed. “This is not my home; the ball does not look like me,” he said. He was tired. It was evening already and the sun was about to set. The lonely ball could not find his home. But he decided to again go somewhere else. He thought he would find his home one day. He said to himself, “I can do it. I have to look somewhere else.” The lonely ball did not lose hope and decided to try again.Next, he went to a badminton court. The place was very weird for him because shuttlecocks were lying in the court instead of balls. But the rackets looked familiar to him and he thought that he was closer to his home. He decided to look in different courts.He went to a court next to it and saw balls that looked just like him. He saw rackets lying on the floor. He was happy and filled with joy. He had finally found his home! The lonely tennis ball was no longer lonely. He was back home. The ball made some new friends and played with them. They called him Freddie. Freddie was very happy and satisfied. He happily played tennis with his friends. Moral:Never lose hope.

This is a story of ball, house and tennis.Moral(s) of the story: hope

A Lonely Tennis Ball

Nishita Sanghvi

In a village lived Madhuril. She was a poor carpenter's daughter who did not have too many toys, hence she would stand outside the toy shop longing to get at least some of them.Her father did take notice of this and felt really dissapointed as he felt he was not able to fulfill his daughters wishes. Even the shopkeeper would see Madhuri's sad face and feel bad for her, but none could do anything.It was then Madhuri's mother who thought of a great idea, that they could pay for her toy over a period of time and as mischells luck would have it, the shopkeeper also agreed.It was a doll that Madhuri had her eyes on. Finally her dream came true and the doll was given to&nbsp;her. She would play with the doll day and night not realizing the time, and also carry the doll wherever she went though her mom had advised her not to.A fun fair took place every year in the village where all the kids would really enjoy. As usual Madhuri's doll accompanied her. The fair had lots of games, rides, and food for the kids, it also had shopping for the elders. So it kept all ages quite busy. However in the midst of this commotion someone picked up the doll.Hell broke loose for Madhuri, she could not find the doll anywhere. She realized now that it was difficult to find her doll in the fair. She was terribly disappointed; she wished so badly she had left it at home. She felt so bad that she went back to search for her doll starting at the toy shop.Fortunately a lady with her child came to the toy shop, she recognized Madhuri as she had seen her at the fun fair holding the same doll as her daughter. She asked Madhuri, “Why are you looking so sad?”. Madhuri replied, “Because I lost my only favourite doll.” The lady then realized what she had picked up by mistake was Madhuri's doll. She said “Come to my place, I shall give your doll back”. Madhuri was really amazed to hear this. At the lady's place she saw her doll and another one that looked exactly the same, “Oh! What a coincidence!”, uttered Madhuri, “they both are the same”.She not only got her favourite doll back but also made a friend.

toy items 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.

Lonely Teddybear

Gobindji’s Arrow

Makar Sankranti

Who will bell the cat?

A Lonely Tennis Ball

What a coincidence!

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