Stories for children are the most effective method to teach children life lessons. Children can learn about morals and values, but you won’t come out as preachy in the narrative route. Why not create an interesting moral story for children to enjoy an enjoyable learning experience?
If you’re not sure and are overwhelmed, here’s an assortment of entertaining stories that include videos you can consider using when your child asks for an adventure story.
Very Short Stories for Children with Morals
These are classics that rank among the most popular. They are short stories that we’ve read more than once and sometimes even read several times. However, we enjoy hearing these stories and then telling the stories to our kids, as well as anyone who wants to listen!
Classic Moral Stories
1. The Boy Who Cried Wolf
Once, there was an unnamed shepherd boy who was bored with his sheep on his hill. To entertain himself the boy shouted “Wolf! Wolf! They are pursued by the wolf!” The villagers came and ran to aid the boy and help the sheep. They didn’t find anything, and the boy was just in their faces, smirking.
“Don’t cry ‘wolf’ when there’s no wolf boy!” They yelled angrily and then left. The boy laughed at them.
After a short time after which he became bored, he began to cry ‘wolf! and fooled the villager another time. The angry villagers warned him, boy, again and then left. The boy continued to watch the flock. After a few minutes, the boy saw an animal and cried out loudly “Wolf! Help! The wolf is trying to chase the sheep. Help!”
However, this time nobody showed up for assistance. When the night came around, and the boy wasn’t at his home, the villagers wondered about what had happened to him and headed up the hill. The boy was seated on the hill, crying. “Why didn’t you come when I called out that there was a wolf?” He asked him with a furious grin. “The flock is scattered now” He declared.
An old villager came up to him and told him “People will not believe lies even when they’re telling the truth. We’ll search for your sheep on Monday morning. We’ll go home right now”.
Moral
False statements undermine trust. Anyone can be trusted by a lying person even if he’s lying.
2. The Midas touch
In ancient Greek, the king was called Midas. He was wealthy and had plenty of gold and all the things he needed. Additionally, Midas had a gorgeous daughter. Midas was a fan of his gold often, but he preferred his wife more so than wealth.
A Satyr known as Silenus became drunk and passed out of Midas the rose garden. As a belief system in the fact that Satyrs always bring good fortune, Midas lets Silenus rest in his home until he’s sober, despite what he wishes for his daughter and wife. Silenus is a close friend of Dionysus God of celebration and wine. When he learns of Midas’ kindness toward his friend, Dionysus decides to honour the bottle.
When asked to wish for anything, Midas says “I wish everything I touch turns to gold”. Even though Dionysus knew that this was not an ideal idea, he complied with Midas’s wish of his.
The happy result of his wish being realized, Midas went around touching random objects in the garden and his palace, and then turned everything into gold. The apple was touched and it changed into a shining gold apple. His guests were shocked but delighted to see so plenty of gold inside the palace.
In his excitement, Midas went and hugged his daughter. However, before he could realize that he had turned her into an un-lifeless gold statue! At first, Midas ran back to the garden and called for Dionysus. He pleaded with god to remove all his powers and help save his daughter. Dionysus provides Midas with the solution to bring everything back to the way it was before the wish. Midas was able to learn from his mistakes and went on to live for the rest of his life happy with the things that were available to him.
Moral
Do not get greedy. Be content and happy with what you have.
3. The golden egg
In the past, there was a farmer who had a ewe that laid an egg with a golden colour every day. The egg brought enough money to the couple to cover their everyday requirements. The couple enjoyed their time together for many years. One day, the farmer had an idea, and thought “Why do I need to take only one egg every day? Why shouldn’t I collect all of them in one go and earn a good amount worth of cash?”
The wife of the farmer accepted the idea and cut off the goose’s stomach to get eggs. The moment it was killed, they removed the goose’s stomach to discover nothing but blood and guts. The farmer, aware of his error, weeps over the resource he lost!
The English phrase “kill not the goose that lays the golden egg” is also derived from this famous story.
Moral
Be aware before you take action.
4. The Miser And His Gold
A miser of old age lived in a home with an enclosed garden. The miser kept his coins of gold beneath the stones of the garden. Every day, before going to bed the miser would go to the stones under which he kept the gold and count his coins. He did this every day, yet never did he never spent the money that he had kept.
A criminal who was familiar with the miser’s routine waited patiently for the old man’s departure back to his home. When it got dark the thief walked to the place where he was hiding and stole the gold. The following day, the miser discovered that his prize was gone, and began crying.
The neighbour was able to hear the cries of the child and asked about the incident. When he learned of the incident the neighbour asked “Why didn’t you keep your money in the house? It would have been much easier to get the money if you needed to purchase something!”
“Buy?”, said the fool. “I have never used gold to purchase anything. I never intended to spend it.”
After hearing that the neighbour threw the stone in the pit and declared, “If that is the situation, you should take the stone out. It’s worthless just like the gold that you’ve lost”.
Moral
A thing is enough for the purpose it is employed for.
5. The tortoise as well as the bird.
A tortoise was laying on a tree on the tree a bird had constructed its nest. The tortoise said to the bird snarkily, “What a shabby home that you’ve built! It’s made from twigs broken and rotten It does not have a roof and it looks shabby. It’s even worse than the fact that you built the structure yourself. My house is my shell is much more beautiful than your humble nest”.
“Yes, it’s constructed from broken sticks. It has a rustic appearance and is exposed to nature’s elements. It’s not fancy however, I made it and I love it.”
“I guess it’s just like any other nest, but not better than mine,” told the tortoise. “You must be jealous of my shell, though.”
“On the contrary”, the bird said. “My home is big enough that can accommodate me and my friends. your home is not able to accommodate anybody else than you. Perhaps you have a better home. But I have a much better house” The bird said happily.
Moral
Better to live in a crowded house than a solitary mansion.
6. The Cows And The Tiger
Four cows were in a forest, close to the meadow. They were great friends and shared everything. They ate together and stayed together, which is why there were no lions or tigers capable of killing them to feed.
One day, the two friends fought and the cows went to feed in an opposite direction. A lion and a tiger observed this and decided it was the ideal time to take out the cows. They went into the bushes and shocked the cows, killing the entire herd, one at a time.
Moral
Unity is strength.
7. The four students
There were four of them who disliked studying. They had a party all night before the exam and intended to skip the exam by telling the professor lies. They visited the dean and explained to the dean that they went to a wedding earlier that night, and on returning they ran into an issue with their tire. They continued to explain that they were required to be able to drive the vehicle back all the way because they didn’t have spare tires and, therefore they were not prepared to write the test.
The dean listened, and he was willing to let them take the exam on an earlier date. They were happy to get another chance and that they had the chance to study intensely and prepared to take the test. On the day of the exam, the dean requested students to take seats in separate classrooms. students were happy too.
The exam paper contained only two questions for an overall score of 100 marks. The exam questions were as follows:
- Your name is:
- Which tire of the vehicle has exploded at (a) Front left) front right) Rear left) Rear right
Moral
You might be clever however, there are others more intelligent than you in the world.
8. The Boasting Traveler (Aesop’s Fables)
A man returned from a trip and gushed about his thrilling travels. He spoke at length about the many people he encountered and the incredible feats that earned him fame and admiration from all over the world. Then he went on to mention that he had visited his home at Rhodes where he jumped to such a distance that no other person could be able to match his feat.
He went on to state the existence of witnesses could confirm his claims. When he boasted to the point of bursting into tears, a smart person in the crowd told him, “Oh good man, we don’t need any witnesses to believe what you say. Imagine this as Rhodes and then leap over us”.
The traveller who was lying didn’t know what to do, so he went away in peace.
Moral
Anyone who can do a job perfectly does not have to be proud.
9. The Camel And The Baby
A few days ago an evening, the camel and her infant were having a chat. The baby inquired, “Mother, why do we have humps?” The mother responded, “Our humps are for storing water so that we can survive in the desert”.
“Oh”, said the child, “and why do we have rounded feet mother?” “Because they’re meant to allow us to walk easily in the desert. They help us move about within the sand.”
“Alright. What is the reason why our eyelashes are longer?” “To protect our eyes from desert dirt and dust. They’re the eyelashes” she replied to the mother camel.
The baby camel pondered for a few minutes and was thinking, “So we have humps to keep water in storage for desert travels as well as rounded hooves to make us feel comfortable when we wander in the desert sand and eyelashes that are long to shield us from dust and sand in the event of the desert storm. What then do we do in the enclosure like a zoo?”
The mother was awestruck.
Moral
Your skills, strengths and experience are ineffective If you’re not at the right spot.
10. A farmer, and a well
A farmer in search of water sources to run his farm bought an undeveloped well from his neighbour. The neighbour was shrewd, however, and was unable to allow the farmer access to the water from the well. When asked why the farmer refused, he said, “I sold the well to you, not the water” and then went away. The distraught farmer was unsure how to proceed. So he turned to Birbal who was a smart man and was also one of the courtiers of Emperor Akbar to find solutions.
The emperor contacted both the farmer as well as his neighbour and asked the man why he wasn’t letting the farmer drink water from his well. The sly man replied the same thing over and over again “I have sold my well but it was not water. This means he is not able to use the water I supply”.
In response, Birbal responded, “All is fine with me. However, if you’ve purchased the well and it is yours then you are not legally conserving your water in the well of his. Get rid of the water or use it up immediately. If not, the water will be an owner who has the right to the well”.
Convinced that he’s been manipulated and learned his knowledge, the victim apologised and left.
Moral
Doing something illegal won’t earn you any reward. If you cheat, you’ll be paying for it shortly.
Fables from Everywhere
The section is filled with fables and excellent short stories that have morals for kids, from all over the world.
11. True Friends Love You Anyway
Lord Krishna along with Sudama were childhood pals. While Krishna prospered and flourished, Sudama didn’t. He lived the life of an ordinary Brahmin man who lived in a tiny hut together with his spouse and children. The kids didn’t have enough to eat out of the food Sudama received as alms. One day his wife suggested the kid go and seek help from his friend Krishna for assistance.
Sudama was wary of asking for favours, however, he did not want his kids to be harmed. So, his wife borrowed some rice from her neighbours to prepare the rice-based snacks Krishna enjoyed, and offered the rice to Sudama to deliver with him to his friend. Sudama picked it up and went to Dwaraka. He was awed by the amount of gold used to construct the city. He made it to the palace gates and was stopped by guards who judged him based on the dhoti he ripped and his unattractive appearance.
Sudama asked the guards to at a minimum notify Krishna of the fact that Sudama has arrived to meet him. The guard, despite being reluctant, informs the Lord. When he learns that Sudama was there, Krishna stops doing whatever it was he was doing and starts running in barefoot to greet his friend from childhood.
Krishna, hugs Sudama and welcomes him to his house and greets him with love and respect. Sudama is ashamed of the rice snacks that he received to give to Krishna and tries to conceal the gift. However, Krishna is all-knowing. Krishna demands Sudama to present him with a gift and then eats his favourite rice snacks, which his friend gave him.
Krishna and his pals are joking and laughing about their childhoods, but Sudama is overwhelmed by the generosity and compassion shown by his friend and is unable to seek assistance. When he returns to his home, Sudama finds that his house has been converted into an enormous mansion, and his family and wife have been dressed in designer clothing.
Sudama was aware of how lucky he found himself to be a genuinely close friend like Krishna. He didn’t ask for it for anything, but Krishna understood what Sudama desired and offered the item to Sudama.
Moral
True friends don’t differentiate between poor and rich. They will always be there to help you when you require their help.
12. Elephant and Friends
An elephant solitary wandered through the forest in search of friends. She saw a monkey, and asked “Will you be my friend, monkey?” “You are too big to move on the trees as I do. That’s why I’m not your friend” said the monkey.
The elephant then spotted an animal and asked whether she would like to become his best friend. “You are far too large to be able to fit in my burrow. You can’t be my friend” said the rabbit.
The elephant then met the frog and asked if she would be a friend. The frog responded, “You are too large and heavy. You are not able to jump as high as me. Sorry I am sorry, but you are not my friend”.
An elephant inquired about a fox and received the same answer, that he was just too big. The following day, all of the wildlife in the area were running around in terror. The bear stopped an elephant and inquired as to what was going on and was informed that a tiger had been invading all the animals.
The elephant was determined to protect the other weak animals, so it approached the tiger and told him “Please please, let my friends in peace. Don’t feed them”. The tiger refused to listen and demanded that the elephant take care of her own business. Not knowing how to resolve the issue the elephant slapped the tiger, and then terrified it away.
Then she returned to her companions and explained to them what had happened. When they heard the tale of how they were saved by the elephant, all the other animals said to say, “You are just the right size to be our friend”.
Moral
Friends can be found in different shapes and sizes!
13. The shepherd and the wolf
This is just one of the many Aesop’s stories that one can connect to regardless of time or age.
A wolf was taken away from a farm after attempting to take a portion of the sheep in search of food. In the following period, the wolf returned returning to the farm in hopes to find food. He walked into the house and saw the farmer and his family savouring roast lamb.
“Aha!”, he thought. “If I were to do the same thing that the farmer and his family are doing now, I would be shunted and chased, or even killed for killing a weak, innocent lamb.”
Moral
We tend to be often quick to condemn and punish others for their actions and yet we can see no fault in our judgments and actions.
14. The Young Crab And His Mother
A young crab was with his mum on the beach and spent time with each other. The young crab rises to move but cannot walk in a straight line. His mother scolds him for walking sideways and demands him to walk forward by pointing his feet towards the front. The crab’s young son responds, “I would like to walk forward mom, but I do not know how to”.
When she hears this, her mom is ready to demonstrate the proper way she can help, but she’s not able to move her knees forward. She realizes that she is doing something wrong, apologizes humbly and then lies back in the sand.
Moral
Don’t judge an individual for doing something that you are not able to accomplish.
15. The Other Side Of The Wall
A young woman was given the most beautiful landscape by her mother. She also loved gardening and was happy with her garden. A few days ago, she came across the most stunning plant in a catalogue and decided to purchase it to plant in her garden. She purchased it and placed it in the middle of the stone wall at the back of her garden. She took excellent care of the plant which developed quickly and was gorgeous leafy greens on it.
The months passed and no flower blossomed on the trees. Afraid, she would have cut off the entire tree. In the midst of all this, her invalid rang and told her, “Thank you so much for the gorgeous flowers. You’ll never know how much I appreciate admiring the flowers of the vine that you planted”.
As she hears this, the girl rushes to the neighbour’s wall’s side and can see the most gorgeous flower blooming. All the effort she had put in has paid off. The vine only slipped through the cracks, because it didn’t flower on that side, but did so on the opposite side.
Moral
Even if you don’t observe the positive results of your work does not suggest that it did not bear fruit.
Modern Moral Stories
The morals that fables are typically paired from are timeless though they may have been written in the past. Therefore, here are a couple of contemporary short stories that contain the same morals for children that the fables of the old came with.
16. The Dog At The Well
The dog as well as her puppies resided on agricultural property, and there was the well. It was the mother dog who advised the pups to you should not approach the well, or play with the area. A pup pondered what the reason was for not going to the well, and decided to look around. He ventured into the water. Then he climbed the wall and looked inside.
Then, he observed his reflection and assumed that it was another dog. The puppy saw the other animal in the water (his reflection) doing whatever it was he was doing, and became annoyed at him for mimicking his actions. He decided to fight the dog, and then jumped into the well but was shocked to see that there was no dog there. The dog barked again and was swimming until the farmer arrived and helped him. The puppy had learned his lesson.
Moral
Always listen to what elders have to say. Be sceptical however, do not challenge them.
17. Controlling anger
There was a child who had trouble managing his temper. When he was upset, he’d speak whatever came to his mind and then hurt others. The father of his son handed him a bag of nails and hammers. told him “Every time you get angry, hammer one nail into the fence in our backyard”.
In the initial few days, the boy was hammering so many nails that he was able to empty almost the entire bag. As time passed the number of nails he used to the fence dropped and slowly his temper grew under control. Then, a day came when he did not lose his temper in any way. His father instructed him to cut off one nail every day to ensure that he could keep his temper in check.
Then, on the day the child had removed the last nail from the wall, his dad told him, “You have done well you boy. But can you spot those holes in the walls? The fence will never remain the same no matter how much repainting. Also, if you speak insults in anger it will make a mark on the mind of the person, just as the nails made on your fence”.
Moral
Anger can be a deadly weapon similar to knives. If you place an instrument in the body of a person and pull it out, the wound heals, however, the wound is left.
18. The wet pants
A nine-year-old boy was seated at his desk in class, and suddenly his pants became wet with a pool of water on his feet. The boy’s heart nearly skipped one beat because he was worried his classmates would notice and mock the boy.
He was compelled to do something when he saw his teacher and classmate Susie coming towards him. Susie had a goldfish bowl. When they got closer and the boy thought the teacher was noticing his wet pants. Then Susie stumbles and falls over the bowl in his lap. As he thanks God for his help and pleads for help, he pretends to be angry at Susie and shouts at her.
Everybody in class believes Susie is the one to blame for why his pants became wet. The teacher aids the boy dressed in dry pants then the group continues. In the evening the boy asks Susie, “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” “I wet my pants once too”, she says to Susie.
Moral
Everyone experiences good days as well as bad ones. Only those who are there to help you on those bad days are the true friends you need.
19. Bad habits
A prominent businessman was worried about his son’s poor behaviour. He sought advice from an experienced, wise man. The old man visited his son, who was the son of the man and took him to take a walk. They strolled through the woods, and the man gave the boy a tiny tree and begged him to take it out. The boy was able to do it easily, and they continued.
The man asked the boy to remove one of the plants. The boy also did this with only a bit of effort. While they walked, the man in the middle asked the child to remove the tree and he did. The next one was a tiny tree that the child had to fight for hours to pull out. Then an old man showed a larger one and asked him to remove it.
The child was unable to remove it despite trying several times, using various ways. The man who is old looks at the child smiling and saying “So is the case with habits, good or bad”.
Moral
It is difficult to eliminate once they’ve established themselves in our systems. It is recommended to eliminate them earlier on.
20. Good Company, Bad Company
Two parrots built their nests in the banyan tree. They stayed with their two babies, which they cared for well. The father and mother parrot would go out to collect food early in the morning and return home in the evening. A few days later, while their parents were absent, the parrots were captured by the cruel hunter.
One bird was able to flee and escape from his hunter. The bird ended up in an encampment and grew up being surrounded by gentle words and a sense of compassion. The hunter placed the other parrot in a cage and it soon learned the basics of phrases and words. Hunter, his wife and family members were rude and didn’t care about the kind phrases.
A passerby was sitting in the hunter’s cabin. When he saw someone out of the hut, the parrot said “Fool Why are you here? Fool! Leave! I’ll cut your throat”. In a panic, the man fled away. Later, on his way to the hermitage in which the other parrot was. The parrot of the hermitage said, “Welcome you, traveller. You’re free to stay as long as you’d like”.
The traveller was shocked, and he told the parrot that he had met another parrot like it and that it was extremely cruel. What is it that makes you so gentle?” The parrot replied, “That must be my brother. I am a sage My brother is with hunters. I was able to learn the language of the sage and my brother learnt the language of hunters. The company we choose to work for determines who we’ll be”.
Moral
Maintain good relationships If you wish to be a nice person.
21. The Man And The Cat
A man was walking along the road when he heard an animal yowling in the nearby bushes. The cat was trapped and needed help to get out. When the man was able to get out the cat was terrified and scratched at the man. The man was screaming in pain, but he didn’t slow down. He repeated his attempt, while the cat kept scratching his hands.
A passerby noticed the incident and said, “Just let it be! The cat will figure out an escape route in the future”. The man was not paying attention however he did try to assist the cat. After he had let the cat go and then told the other man “The feline is an animal and its instincts force him to be biting and attacking. It is a person, and my instincts are what make me kind and compassionate”.
Moral
Treat others as you would like to be treated. Follow your ethics or rules that are not theirs.
What kinds of stories would be good to read with my kid?
As they grow youngsters love listening to or reading stories that are easy and easy to follow. They also include a compelling story. Fables, fairy tales, folktales, trickster stories, and rhyming tales are some of the most engaging story genres that kids will love.
What is it that makes a story compelling?
A captivating and thrilling story with memorable characters, and an engaging narrative with plots, subplots and plots. It must have suspense, drama, emotion as well as a sense of relatability. It should also stimulate your child’s imagination.
What are the various types of books for children?
They’re typically composed of two types: the fiction genre and those that are nonfiction. They can further be classified into chapter-based stories such as classic fairytale tale books and children’s literature. They also include pictures or illustrative titles such as folklore, juvenile fiction or novels, nonfiction books and many more.
Moral stories for children are an excellent method to teach your kids essential life lessons. They can aid in the growth of a solid character and morality. They help your child stay solid and keep them from deviating from moral principles. The Boy Who Cried Wolf, The Golden Egg,’ and The Miser and The Gold’ is classic moral tales that they will enjoy. Therefore, include the moral tales in your bedtime routine to create an engaging and enjoyable reading time that can enable them to learn good morals easily.