English stories for kids to read
20 Best Short Moral Stories for Kids (Valuable Lessons)
Want to expand your children’s vocabulary? Read to them. That’s all it takes — and there are other benefits to reading aloud to young children as well.
Reading to older children offers a great method to teach them life lessons in a way that they’ll understand. And it’s easier than ever to find these moral stories to read.
There is a large selection of short moral stories for kids online. They range from the classics like The Boy Who Cried Wolf, to somber ones talking about greed. To help you out, we’ve gathered a selection of the most 20 popular stories.
Table of Contents
- 20 Short Moral Stories For Kids
- How Moral Stories Benefit Children
- The Takeaway
20 Short Moral Stories For Kids
1. The Boy Who Cried Wolf
The Moral
Lying breaks trust — even if you’re telling the truth, no one believes a liar.
Once, there was a boy who became bored when he watched over the village sheep grazing on the hillside. To entertain himself, he sang out, “Wolf! Wolf! The wolf is chasing the sheep!”
When the villagers heard the cry, they came running up the hill to drive the wolf away. But, when they arrived, they saw no wolf. The boy was amused when seeing their angry faces.
“Don’t scream wolf, boy,” warned the villagers, “when there is no wolf!” They angrily went back down the hill.
Later, the shepherd boy cried out once again, “Wolf! Wolf! The wolf is chasing the sheep!” To his amusement, he looked on as the villagers came running up the hill to scare the wolf away.
As they saw there was no wolf, they said strictly, “Save your frightened cry for when there really is a wolf! Don’t cry ‘wolf’ when there is no wolf!” But the boy grinned at their words while they walked grumbling down the hill once more.
Later, the boy saw a real wolf sneaking around his flock. Alarmed, he jumped on his feet and cried out as loud as he could, “Wolf! Wolf!” But the villagers thought he was fooling them again, and so they didn’t come to help.
At sunset, the villagers went looking for the boy who hadn’t returned with their sheep. When they went up the hill, they found him weeping.
“There really was a wolf here! The flock is gone! I cried out, ‘Wolf!’ but you didn’t come,” he wailed.
An old man went to comfort the boy. As he put his arm around him, he said, “Nobody believes a liar, even when he is telling the truth!”
2. The Golden Touch
The Moral
Greed will always lead to downfall.
There once was a king named Midas who did a good deed for a Satyr. And he was then granted a wish by Dionysus, the god of wine.
For his wish, Midas asked that whatever he touched would turn to gold. Despite Dionysus’ efforts to prevent it, Midas pleaded that this was a fantastic wish, and so, it was bestowed.
Excited about his newly-earned powers, Midas started touching all kinds of things, turning each item into pure gold.
But soon, Midas became hungry. As he picked up a piece of food, he found he couldn’t eat it.
It had turned to gold in his hand.
Hungry, Midas groaned, “I’ll starve! Perhaps this was not such an excellent wish after all!”
Seeing his dismay, Midas’ beloved daughter threw her arms around him to comfort him, and she, too, turned to gold. “The golden touch is no blessing,” Midas cried.
3. The Fox and the Grapes
The Moral
Never despise what we can’t have; nothing comes easy.
One day, a fox became very hungry as he went to search for some food. He searched high and low, but couldn’t find something that he could eat.
Finally, as his stomach rumbled, he stumbled upon a farmer’s wall. At the top of the wall, he saw the biggest, juiciest grapes he’d ever seen. They had a rich, purple color, telling the fox they were ready to be eaten.
To reach the grapes, the fox had to jump high in the air. As he jumped, he opened his mouth to catch the grapes, but he missed. The fox tried again but missed yet again.
He tried a few more times but kept failing.
Finally, the fox decided it was time to give up and go home. While he walked away, he muttered, “I’m sure the grapes were sour anyway.”
4. The Proud Rose
The Moral
Never judge anyone by the way they look.
Once upon a time, in a desert far away, there was a rose who was so proud of her beautiful looks. Her only complaint was growing next to an ugly cactus.
Every day, the beautiful rose would insult and mock the cactus on his looks, all while the cactus remained quiet. All the other plants nearby tried to make the rose see sense, but she was too swayed by her own looks.
One scorching summer, the desert became dry, and there was no water left for the plants. The rose quickly began to wilt. Her beautiful petals dried up, losing their lush color.
Looking to the cactus, she saw a sparrow dip his beak into the cactus to drink some water. Though ashamed, the rose asked the cactus if she could have some water. The kind cactus readily agreed, helping them both through the tough summer, as friends.
5. The Milkmaid and Her Pail
The Moral
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.
One day, Molly the milkmaid had filled her pails with milk. Her job was to milk the cows, and then bring the milk to the market to sell. Molly loved to think about what to spend her money on.
As she filled the pails with milk and went to market, she again thought of all the things she wanted to buy. As she walked along the road, she thought of buying a cake and a basket full of fresh strawberries.
A little further down the road, she spotted a chicken. She thought, “With the money I get from today, I’m going to buy a chicken of my own. That chicken will lay eggs, then I will be able to sell milk and eggs and get more money!”
She continued, “With more money, I will be able to buy a fancy dress and make all the other milkmaids jealous.” Out of excitement, Molly started skipping, forgetting about the milk in her pails. Soon, the milk started spilling over the edges, covering Molly.
Drenched, Molly said to herself, “Oh no! I will never have enough money to buy a chicken now.” She went home with her empty pails.
“Oh, my goodness! What happened to you?” Molly’s mother asked.
“I was too busy dreaming about all the things I wanted to buy that I forgot about the pails,” she answered.
“Oh, Molly, my dear. How many times do I need to say, ‘Don’t count your chickens until they hatch?’”
6. A Wise Old Owl
The Moral
Be more observant. Talk less and listen more. This will make us wise.
There was an old owl who lived in an oak tree. Every day, he observed incidents that occurred around him.
Yesterday, he watched as a young boy helped an old man carry a heavy basket. Today, he saw a young girl shouting at her mother. The more he saw, the less he spoke.
As the days went on, he spoke less but heard more. The old owl heard people talking and telling stories.
He heard a woman saying an elephant jumped over a fence.
He heard a man saying that he had never made a mistake.
The old owl had seen and heard what happened to people. There were some who became better, some who became worse. But the old owl in the tree had become wiser, each and every day.
7. The Golden Egg
The Moral
Never act before you think.
Once upon a time, a farmer had a goose that laid one golden egg every day. The egg provided enough money for the farmer and his wife to support their daily needs. The farmer and his wife continued to be happy for a long time.
But, one day, the farmer thought to himself, “Why should we take just one egg a day? Why can’t we take them all at once and make a lot of money?” The farmer told his wife his idea, and she foolishly agreed.
Then, the next day, as the goose laid its golden egg, the farmer was quick with a sharp knife. He killed the goose and cut its stomach open, in the hopes of finding all its golden eggs. But, as he opened the stomach, the only thing he found was guts and blood.
The farmer quickly realized his foolish mistake and proceeded to cry over his lost resource. As the days went on, the farmer and his wife became poorer and poorer. How jinxed and how foolish they were.
8. The Farmer and the Well
The Moral
Cheating will not get you anything. If you cheat, you’ll pay soon enough.
One day, a farmer was looking for a water source for his farm, when he bought a well from his neighbor. The neighbor, however, was cunning. The next day, as the farmer came to draw water from his well, the neighbor refused to let him take any water.
When the farmer asked why, the neighbor replied, “I sold you the well, not the water,” and walked away. Distraught, the farmer went to the emperor to ask for justice. He explained what had happened.
The emperor called on Birbal, one of his nine, and wisest, courtiers. Birbal proceeded to question the neighbor, “Why don’t you let the farmer take water from the well? You did sell the well to the farmer?”
The neighbor replied, “Birbal, I did sell the well to the farmer but not the water within it.
He has no right to draw water from the well.”
Birbal said, “Look, since you sold the well, you have no right to keep the water in the farmer’s well. Either you pay rent to the farmer, or take it out immediately.” Realizing that his scheme had failed, the neighbor apologized and went home.
9. Elephant and Friends
The Moral
Friends come in every shape and size.
A lone elephant walked through the forest, looking for friends. She soon saw a monkey and proceeded to ask, ‘Can we be friends, monkey?’
The monkey quickly replied, ‘You are big and can’t swing on trees like I do, so I cannot be your friend.’
Defeated, the elephant continued to search when it stumbled across a rabbit. She proceeded to ask him, ‘Can we be friends, rabbit?’
The rabbit looked at the elephant and replied, “You are too big to fit inside my burrow. You cannot be my friend.”
Then, the elephant continued until she met a frog. She asked, “Will you be my friend, frog?”
The frog replied, “You are too big and heavy; you cannot jump like me.
I am sorry, but you can’t be my friend.”
The elephant continued to ask the animals she met on her way, but always received the same reply. The following day, the elephant saw all the forest animals run in fear. She stopped a bear to ask what was happening and was told the tiger was attacking all the small animals.
The elephant wanted to save the other animals, so she went to the tiger and said, “Please, sir, leave my friends alone. Do not eat them.”
The tiger didn’t listen. He merely told the elephant to mind her own business.
Seeing no other way, the elephant kicked the tiger and scared him away. Upon hearing of the brave tale, the other animals agreed, “You are just the right size to be our friend.”
10. When Adversity Knocks
The Moral
We can choose how to respond in difficult situations.
Asha was getting frustrated and tired of life, so she asked her father what to do. Her father told her to bring an egg, two tea leaves, and a potato.
He then brought out three vessels, filled them with water, and placed them on the stove.
Once the water was boiling, he told Asha to place the items into each pot and keep an eye on them. After 10 minutes, he asked Asha to peel the egg, peel the potato, and strain the leaves. Asha was left confused.
Her father explained, “Each item was placed into the same circumstance, boiling water. See how each responded differently?”
He continued, “The egg was soft, but is now hard. The potato was hard, but is now soft. And the tea leaves, they changed the water itself.”
The father then asked, “When adversity calls, we respond in the same manner as they have. Now, are you an egg, a potato, or tea leaves?”
11. The Needle Tree
The Moral
It’s important to be kind, as it will always be rewarded.
Once, there were two brothers who lived at the forest’s edge. The oldest brother was always unkind to his younger brother. The older brother took all the food and snatched all the good clothes.
The oldest brother used to go into the forest in search of firewood to sell in the market. As he walked through the forest, he chopped off the branches of every tree, until he came upon a magical tree.
The tree stopped him before he chopped its branches and said, ‘Oh, kind sir, please spare my branches. If you spare me, I will provide you with golden apples.’
The oldest brother agreed but was feeling disappointed with how many apples the tree gave him.
Overcome by greed, the brother threatened to cut the entire tree if it didn’t provide him with more apples. But, instead of giving more apples, the tree showered him with hundreds of tiny needles. The brother fell to the ground, crying in pain as the sun began to set.
Soon, the younger brother became worried and went to search for his older brother. He searched until he found him at the trunk of the tree, lying in pain with hundreds of needles on his body.
He rushed to him and started to painstakingly remove each needle with love.
Once the needles were out, the oldest brother apologized for treating his younger brother so badly. The magical tree saw the change in the older brother’s heart and gifted them with all the golden apples they could need.
12. A Glass of Milk
The Moral
No good deed goes unrewarded.
There once was a poor boy who spent his days going door-to-door selling newspapers to pay for school. One day, as he was walking his route, he started feeling low and weak. The poor boy was starving, so he decided to ask for food when he came to the next door.
The poor boy asked for food but was denied every time, until he reached the door of a girl. He asked for a glass of water, but seeing his poor state, the girl came back with a glass of milk. The boy asked how much he owed her for the milk, but she refused payment.
Years later, the girl, who was now a grown woman, fell sick. She went from doctor to doctor, but no one was able to cure her. Finally, she went to the best doctor in town.
The doctor spent months treating her until she was finally cured. Despite her happiness, she was afraid she couldn’t afford to pay the bill. But, when the hospital handed her the bill, it read, ‘Paid in full, with a glass of milk.’
13. The Ants and the Grasshopper
The Moral
There’s a time for work and a time for play.
One bright autumn day, a family of ants was busy working in the warm sunshine. They were drying out the grain they had stored up during the summer when a starving grasshopper came up. With his fiddle under his arm, the grasshopper humbly begged for a bite to eat.
“What!” cried the ants, “Haven’t you stored any food away for the winter? What in the world were you doing all summer?”
“I didn’t have time to store any food before winter,” the grasshopper whined. “I was too busy making music that the summer flew by.”
The ants simply shrugged their shoulders and said, “Making music, were you? Very well, now dance!” The ants then turned their backs on the grasshopper and returned to work.
14. The Bundle of Sticks
The Moral
There’s strength in unity.
Once upon a time, there was an old man who lived in a village with his three sons. Although his three sons were hard workers, they quarreled all the time. The old man tried to unite them but failed.
Months passed by, and the old man became sick. He asked his sons to remain united, but they failed to listen to him. At that moment, the old man decided to teach them a lesson — to forget their differences and come together in unity.
The old man summoned his sons, then proceeded to tell them, “I will provide you with a bundle of sticks. Separate each stick, and then break each into two. The one who finishes first will be rewarded more than the others.”
And so, the sons agreed. The old man provided them with a bundle of ten sticks each, and then asked the sons to break each stick into pieces. The sons broke the sticks within minutes, then proceeded to quarrel among themselves again.
The old man said, “My dear sons, the game is not yet over. I will now give you another bundle of sticks. Only this time, you will have to break them together as a bundle, not separately.”
The sons readily agreed and then tried to break the bundle. Despite trying their best, they could not break the sticks. The sons told their father of their failure.
The old man said, “My dear sons, see! Breaking every single stick individually was easy for you, but breaking them in a bundle, you could not do. By staying united, nobody can harm you. If you continue to quarrel, then anyone can quickly defeat you.”
The old man continued, “I ask that you stay united.” Then, the three sons understood there’s power in unity, and promised their father they would all stay together.
15. The Bear and the Two Friends
The Moral
A true friend will always support and stand by you in any situation.
One day, two friends were walking through the forest. They knew the forest was a dangerous place and that anything could happen.
So, they promised to remain close to each other in case of any danger.
All of a sudden, a big bear was approaching them. One of the friends quickly climbed a nearby tree, leaving the other friend behind.
The other friend did not know how to climb, and instead, followed common sense. He laid down on the ground and remained there, breathless, pretending to be dead.
The bear approached the friend lying on the ground. The animal started to smell his ear before slowly wandering off again because bears never touch those who are dead.
Soon, the friend who hid in the tree came down. He asked his friend, “My dear friend, what secret did the bear whisper to you?” The friend replied, “The bear simply advised me never to believe a false friend.”
16. The Miser and His Gold
The Moral
A possession is as important as what it’s used for.
There once was an old miser who lived in a house with a garden. The old miser used to hide all his gold coins under stones in his garden.
Every night, before he went to bed, the miser went out into his garden to count his coins. He continued the same routine every day, but he never spent a single, golden coin.
One day, a thief saw the old miser hiding his coins. Once the old miser went back into his house, the thief went to the hiding place and took all the gold.
The following day, as the old man came out to count his coins, he found it was gone and started wailing loudly. His neighbor heard the cries and came running, asking what had happened. Upon learning what had occurred, the neighbor asked, “Why didn’t you just save the money inside your house where it would’ve been safe?”
The neighbor continued, “Having it inside the house would make it easier to access when you need to buy something.” “Buy something?” answered the miser, “I was never going to spend my gold.”
When hearing this, the neighbor picked up a stone and threw it. Then, he said, “If that’s the case, then save the stone. It’s as worthless as the gold you’ve lost.
”
17. The Dog At the Well
The Moral
Always listen to what elders say and don’t defy them.
A mother dog and her pups lived on a farm. On the farm, there was a well. The mother dog always told her pups never to go near or play around it.
One day, one of the pups was overcome by curiosity and wondered why they weren’t allowed to go near the well. So, he decided he wanted to explore it.
He went down to the well and climbed up the wall to peek inside. In the well, he saw his reflection in the water but thought it was another dog. The little pup got angry when his reflection was imitating him, so he decided to fight it.
The little pup jumped into the well, only to find there was no dog. He began to bark and bark until the farmer came to rescue him. The pup had learned his lesson and never went back to the well again.
18. Controlling Anger
The Moral
Anger is like a knife — one of the most dangerous weapons.
When you use it, the wounds will heal, but the scars remain.
Once, there was a young boy. This boy had problems controlling his anger. When he got angry, he would say the first thing that came to mind, even if it affected people.
One day, his father gifted him a hammer and a bundle of nails, then said, “Whenever you get mad, hammer a nail into the backyard fence.”
In the first days, the boy used up half of the nails. Over the next weeks, he used up fewer nails, until his temper was under control. Then, his father asked the young boy to remove a nail for each day he didn’t lose his temper.
On the day when the boy removed his last nail, his father told him, “You have done good, boy. But, can you see the holes in the wall? The fence is never going to be the same. Likewise, when you say mean things in anger, you’ll leave a scar.”
19. The Leap at Rhodes
The Moral
It’s the deeds that count, not the boasting words.
Once, there was a man who visited foreign lands.
When he returned, all he could talk about was the wonderful adventures he had and the great deeds he had done.
One of the feats he told was about a leap he made in a city called Rhodes.
“The leap was so great,” the man said. “No other man can make such a leap. Many persons in Rhodes saw me and can prove I am telling the truth.”
“No need for witnesses,” said one who was listening. “Suppose that this city is Rhodes, now show how far you can jump.”
20. The Wolf and the Sheep
The Moral
A person’s ulterior motives are easy to spot if someone is paying attention.
A wolf had gotten seriously hurt during a fight with a bear. He wasn’t able to move, and so, could not satisfy his thirst or hunger.
One day, a sheep passed by his hiding place, and so the wolf decided to call out to him. “Please fetch me some water,” said the wolf. “That might give me some strength to get some solid food.”
“Solid food!” the sheep said. “I suppose that means me.
If I brought you something to drink, it would merely be to wash me down. Don’t speak to me about fetching a drink.”
How Moral Stories Benefit Children
Moral stories offer several benefits for children of all ages. They work to engage your child’s imagination, are entertaining, and can make your little one smile. Short moral stories work well at getting your child’s attention, keeping them focused during the length of the story.
However, the best moral stories will also teach a truth to your child. Children, especially younger ones, love repetition, and with moral stories, that’s the whole point. The more you read the same moral stories, the more your child will familiarize with the story and the moral lesson (1).
Reading Tip
When you read the story, remember to discuss the situations and events that occur, if your child is old enough. This is an excellent teachable moment, as well as providing an opportunity for bonding (2).
The Takeaway
Short moral stories for kids are fantastic for teaching valuable life lessons in a fun way children can understand. Short stories work well as they’re just long enough for your child to concentrate.
There’s a large selection of great stories online, and here you have 20 examples to get you started. When reading the story, try to discuss the content afterward with your child.
Feedback: Was This Article Helpful?
Thank You For Your Feedback!
Thank You For Your Feedback!
What Did You Like?
What Went Wrong?
25 Best Moral Stories For Kids In English
Read the collection of 25 short moral stories in English
Share This Page
Telegram
Reading has a significant impact on all of us, particularly children.
Short moral stories for kids teach life lessons to kids in a creative and entertaining way. It also guides them to distinguish between right and wrong and instills moral principles from an early age.
Do you recall the stories you used to read as a kid? Even if your answer is no, we have put together the perfect list for you to begin with your family. This is a collection of 25 short moral stories for kids in English.
For tons of great moral stories for kids and families to enjoy together, download Chimes mobile app from Google Playstore or Apple App Store .
25 Best Short Moral Stories for Kids in English
- Classic Moral Stories in English
- Indian Moral Stories in English
- Traditional Moral Stories in English
Classic Moral Stories in English
An amazing collection of short moral stories in English from India and around the world.
Start with classic moral stories for kids.
1. The Lion and The Mouse
When a lion was resting in the jungle, a mouse began racing up and down his body for amusement. The lion’s sleep was interrupted, and he awoke enraged. The lion was going to eat the mouse when the mouse begged him to let him go. “I assure you, if you save me, I will be of immense help to you in the future.” The lion laughed at the mouse’s self-assurance and freed him.
A group of hunters arrived in the forest one day and captured the lion. They had him tied to a tree. The lion began to roar as he struggled to get out. Soon, the mouse passed by and spotted the lion in distress. He dashed off, biting on the ropes to free the lion, and the two hurried off into the woods.
Moral of the story: Always be kind to one another.
2. The Wolf and The Crane
One day a wolf was eating the flesh of an animal it had killed. A little bone got stuck in his throat, and he was unable to swallow it.
He soon felt severe pain in his throat and raced up and down, trying to find a way to ease it. He begged everyone he saw to help him. Finally, the wolf came face to face with the crane.
“Please help me,” the wolf pleaded. “I’ll give you exactly what you want.”
The crane agreed to give it a shot and instructed the Wolf to lie down on its side with its jaws spread as wide as it could. The crane then inserted its long neck into the Wolf’s throat and pulled out the bone. The crane then requested its reward.
“Be joyful,” the wolf added, grinning and showing his teeth. You’ve inserted your head into a Wolf’s mouth and then taken it back out safely. Scroll down to enjoy the next story with moral in English.
Moral of the story: Kindness and Greed cannot go hand in hand.3. Cinderella
Author: Hamilton Wright Maybe, Edward Everett Hale, and William Byron Forbush
Probably the most popular English story for kids ever, Cinderella narrates the story of a beautiful orphaned girl.
She lives with her step mother and step sisters who make her do all household chores. Till one day, there is a ballroom party to which Cinderella manages to go with little help from her fairy godmother. Host of the party, a prince, is smitten by her beauty and uses the glass shoe that she leaves behind to track her down and makes her his queen. Scroll down to enjoy the next story with moral in English.
Read the detailed story of Cinderella or listen to the podcast>>
4. The Boy Who Cried Wolf
A boy and his father lived in a village. While the sheep grazed in the fields, the boy’s father instructed him to keep an eye on them. He had to take the sheep to the grassy fields every day. The boy, on the other hand, was dissatisfied and wanted to run and play. He decided to have a good time. “Wolf! Wolf!” he yelled, and the entire village came storming with stones to chase the wolf away before it could eat any of the sheep.
The villagers went muttering under their breath about how the boy had wasted their time when they discovered there was no wolf.
The boy shouted out again the next day, “Wolf! Wolf!” and the villagers hurried over to chase the wolf away.
The villagers walked away enraged this time. On the third day, as the boy climbed the tiny hill, he came face to face with a wolf attacking his sheep. “Wolf! Wolf! Wolf!” he screamed as loudly as he could, yet not a single person came to his aid. The villagers assumed he was trying to trick them once more and did not come. That day, the small boy lost a lot of sheep due to his folly.
Moral of the story: Always be truthful, you never know what lies may lead to.
5. The Fox and The Stork
A selfish fox once asked a stork to dinner. The invitation made Stork very delighted, and she arrived at the fox’s house on time, knocking on the door with her long beak. The fox escorted her to the supper table and gave them both soup in shallow bowls. She couldn’t eat any soup since the bowl was too shallow for her. The fox, on the other hand, quickly lapped up his soup.
The stork was upset and irritated, but she didn’t show it. She asked the fox to supper the next day to teach him a lesson. She served soup in two tall thin vases, as well. The stork sipped the soup from the vase, but the fox was unable to do so due to his small neck. The fox realized he had made a mistake. Scroll down to enjoy the next story with moral in English.
Moral of the story: Never be selfish.
6. The Little Ginger Bread Man
Author: Gaston Herbert Putnam
An all-time classic story of a gingerbread man that was baked by a lady cook for a young boy named Bobby. The gingerbread looked like a jolly little man but as soon as he was taken out of the oven, it ran away.
What follows is a funny little chase that involves the cook, a cat, a dog, and a monkey till finally, Bobby manages to enjoy the dish made for him.
Explore the full story or listen to the podcast of “The Little Gingerbread Man” >>
7.
King Midas and The Golden TouchMidas, a king, once conducted a brilliant job for a Satyr and received a boon from Dionysus, the God of Wine. Midas asked for the transformation of everything he touched into gold as his wish. Despite Dionysus’ best efforts to persuade him otherwise, Midas persisted that his wish was a good one, and it was granted!
Midas was delighted as he touched everything and turned it to gold. He was soon famished. He took a bite of food, but it had changed to gold in his hand, and he couldn’t eat it! When Midas’ beloved daughter saw his distress, she wrapped her arms around him to console him, and she, too, turned to gold!
Midas exclaimed, “The golden touch is no blessing.”
He cried as he walked down to the river. The sand of the river turned as yellow as “gold” King Midas washed away his hand in the river and the curse of the golden touch flowed away. When he went back to his palace, everything was normal again. Did you know this is one of the most popular moral stories for kids?
Moral of the story: Greed can always fire back.
8. The Milkmaid and Her Pail
Patty the Milkmaid was on her way to the market with a pail of milk on her head. She began calculating what she would do with the money she would receive for the milk as she went along.
“I’ll get some quails from Farmer Brown, and they’ll lay eggs every morning,” she explained, “which I’ll sell to the parson’s wife.”
I’ll buy myself a new dress and a hat with the money I get from the sale of those eggs, and when I go to the market, won’t all the young men come up to me and talk to me? Polly Shaw would be envious, but that shouldn’t bother me. I’m simply going to stare at her and fling my head around like this. As she talked, she flung her head back, causing the pail to fall off its stand, spilling all of the milk! Scroll down to enjoy the next story with moral in English.
Moral of the story: Count your chickens only after they’re hatched.
9. A Bundle of Sticks
Once upon a time, there was a man who lived with his three boys.
The three sons were great workers, yet they often fought. The old man tried everything he could to bring them together, but he was unsuccessful.
Months went by, and the old man became ill. He urged his boys to remain united, but they disobeyed him. As a result, he decided to teach them a practical lesson in order for them to put their differences aside and remain unified.
His sons were summoned by the old guy. “I’ll give you a bundle of sticks,” he said. You’ll have to break each stick in half once you’ve separated them. “Whoever breaks the sticks the fastest will be rewarded more.”
The old man handed each of them a bundle of ten sticks and instructed them to break each stick into pieces. They shattered the sticks in a matter of minutes and began to argue once more about who was the first to do it.
The father then handed each of the boys another bundle of sticks, instructing them to break them together.
They attempted to break the stick bundle. Despite their best efforts, they were unable to break the bundle.
“Dear sons,” the old guy said. See! The single sticks were easy to break into bits, but the bundle was impossible to split! So, as long as you are unified, no one can hurt you.”
The sons saw the value of unity and pledged to stick together. Scroll down to enjoy other moral stories for kids in English.
Moral of the story: Unity is strength.
10. The Ant and The Grasshopper
A grasshopper was jumping around in a field one summer day, chirping and singing its heart out. An ant went by, dragging a grain of corn to his nest with much difficulty.
“Rather than toiling away your life, why don’t you come and chat with me?” the Grasshopper suggested!
“I’m helping with the storage of food for the winter, and I suggest that you do the same.” the Ant added.
The Grasshopper asked, “Why care about winter? At the moment, we have plenty of food.”
The Ant, on the other hand, resumed its struggles. When winter arrived, the Grasshopper died of starvation while the ants distributed maize and grain from the stocks they had accumulated during the summer.
Moral of the story: Every struggle and hard work leads to a fruitful result
11. The Woodcutter and The Golden Axe
A long time ago, in a small village, there lived an honest woodcutter. He went into the surrounding forest every day to cut trees. He returned to the village with the woods and sold them to a merchant to get money. He was content with his modest lifestyle.
His axe slipped out of his hand and fell into the river one day while he was cutting a tree near a river. He couldn’t imagine retrieving it on his own because the river was so deep. He had only one axe, which he had lost in the river. He got really concerned about how he would be able to make a life today and prayed to the Goddess for help.
Mercury emerged as the God of Water. He enquired as to why he was crying. The woodcutter expressed his dissatisfaction. Mercury then split the water and gave him a golden axe. The woodcutter refused to accept it. Mercury returned, this time with a silver axe, but the woodcutter turned it down once more.
After that, he arrived with an iron axe. It was graciously accepted by the woodcutter. The river God blessed him with the golden and silver axe since Mercury was so pleased with the woodcutter’s honesty. Did you know this is one of the most popular moral stories for kids?
Moral of the story: Honesty is the best policy.
12. The Greedy Lion
It had been a hot day. A hungry lion was on the loose. He emerged from his den and began searching for food. He simply came across a little hare. With some hesitation, he caught the hare.
“This hare can’t fill my stomach,” the lion reasoned.
A deer rushed that way as the lion was going to kill the hare. The lion got greedy.
“Let me eat the enormous deer instead of this small hare,” he thought.
He walked behind the deer and let the hare escape. The deer, on the other hand, had fled into the woods. The lion felt bad about letting the hare go.
Moral of the story: A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.
13. The Golden Egg
Once upon a time, a cloth merchant with his wife and two children resided in a village. They had a lovely hen who laid one egg each day. It wasn’t just any egg; it was a golden egg. But the man was dissatisfied with what he was getting on a regular basis. He desired to increase his wealth.
The man wanted to collect all of his hen’s golden eggs at once. So one day, after much thought, he came up with an idea. He made the decision to kill the hen and collect all of the eggs.
When the hen laid a golden egg the next day, the man cut off its neck and split open its body. There was nothing but blood and no egg to be found. He was heartbroken since he would no longer be able to obtain even a single egg.
With one egg a day, his life was going smoothly, but suddenly he had made his own life a misery. As a result of his greed, he began to become poorer and poorer by the day, eventually becoming a bankrupt. Enjoy other moral stories for kids below.
Moral of the story: Be satisfied with what you have. Too much greed can lead to disaster.
14. The Miser And His Gold
A miser hid his riches in a hidden location in his garden. He went to the location every day, dug up the wealth, and counted it piece by piece to ensure it was all there. He made so many journeys that a Thief who had been watching him figured out what the Miser had concealed and discreetly dug it up and stole it one night.
The Miser was struck with anguish and despair when he learned his loss. He moaned, sobbed, and ripped his hair out.
When a passerby heard his cries, he inquired as to what had occurred.
“My prized possession! “Someone has robbed me!” exclaimed the Miser, furiously.”
“Your gold! There in that hole in the ground? Why did you place it there in the first place? Why didn’t you keep it in the house so you could grab it quickly when you needed to buy something?”
“Buy!” the Miser said fiercely.
“I never touched the gold, to be honest. I couldn’t think of a good way to spend any of it.”
The stranger hurled a hefty stone into the hole.
“”If that’s the case,” he advised, “then hide that stone.” It’s just as valuable to you as the treasure you’ve lost!”
Moral of the story: A possession is only as valuable as how we use it.
15. The Hare and The Tortoise
Once upon a time, there was a Hare who boasted about his speed. The Tortoise, tired of hearing him brag, challenged him to a race. The forest’s animals had gathered to watch.
The Hare jogged down the road for a while before stopping to rest. “How can you expect to win this race when you’re plodding along at your slow pace?” he said back to the tortoise.
“There is plenty of time to rest,” the Hare thought as he spread himself out alongside the road and fell asleep.
The Tortoise walked and walked and walked till he reached the finish line. The animals who were watching applauded for Tortoise so loudly that the Hare was startled awake.
The Hare stretched, yawned, and began to run again, but it was too late. Tortoise had already crossed the finish line. Scroll down to enjoy the next story with moral in English.
Moral of the story: Slow and steady wins the race.
16. The Crow and The Pitcher
During a long drought when the Birds couldn’t find much to drink, a thirsty Crow discovered a pitcher with some water in it at the bottom. But the pitcher was tall and had a narrow neck, so the Crow couldn’t reach the water no matter how hard he tried. The poor creature felt as if he was going to die of thirst.
Then he had an idea. He took a handful of little pebbles lying in the ground and dropped them one by one into the pitcher. The water rose a little higher with each rock until it was close enough for him to drink. Did you know this is one of the most popular moral stories for kids?
Moral of the story: A good use of wit and cleverness always helps us out.Continue reading classic moral stories in English>>
Indian Moral Stories for Kids
Enjoy reading some short Indian moral stories in English below
17.
The Blue JackalThere lived a jackal in a forest. Due to old age, he could no longer hunt like before. He was followed by few dogs. The jackal had to run to save his life and entered the street of the clothes dyers. There he saw a big pot and he jumped into the vessel to save his life. Blue color solution was kept in the vessel to dye the clothes.
When he came out of it, he saw that the whole color of his body had turned blue. Any animal who saw its blue color would be frightened and run away from it.
Taking the advantage of the situation, he declared himself the ruler of the animal world. The lions, tigers and cheetahs were surprised to hear his words. No one dared to cut him off.
For a few days his kingdom went on very smoothly, but then one day when he was resting in his cave, he heard the sound of other jackals outside. Without thinking, he also started whining like jackals in his original voice. The lion and the tiger realized that the jackal has outsmarted them and he they killed him.
Enjoy more moral stories in English below.
Moral of the story: No pretense can last long, so it is better to stay in your true form always and improve yourself.
18. The Speaking Cave
One day a lion was searching for food. He was very old and weak and unable to catch his preys by chasing them. Suddenly the lion saw a cave on his way and upon inspecting inside he found it to be empty.
That gave the lion an idea and he thought to himself, “ If I stay here, the owner of the cave is bound to return and that’s when I’ll jump upon it and make it my meal.”
He waited patiently till the night fell and the jackal who actually lived in the cave came back. Jackal saw the footprints of the lion and he got suspicious. Jackal decided to trick the lion and started asking cave why the cave was not speaking to him today.
Lion thought that may be cave actually does speak to Jackal every night and decided to call him in himself today. On hearing lion’s voice, Jackal got certain that lion is hiding inside and he ran away from the place to save his life.
Moral of the story: We should always be alert and take care of the things around us.
19. Birbal’s Khichdi
Once on a cold winter day, Akbar and Birbal were walking by the lake. Out of curiosity, Akbar stopped and put his finger into the freezing water and immediately took it out saying, “I don’t think anyone can sustain a night in this cold water”. Akbar promised a sum of 1000 gold coins to whoever could spend a night standing in the cold water of the lake.
Soon, a poor man came forward and spent the entire night standing in the freezing water. In the morning, when the poor man went to the court to collect his reward, Akbar asked him what made him able to stand in the freezing water whole night and the man replied, “My lord, I kept looking at a lamp that was burning at a distance on the roof of your palace, and spent my entire night looking at it”.
On learning this, the emperor refused to offer the reward as he felt it was the warmth of the lamp which helped the man.
The poor man then sought help from Birbal.
Next day Birbal didn’t go to the court. When Akbar sent a messenger asking about him, Birbal told him that he had put some polenta on fire and will come as soon as its ready. This intrigued Akbar and he came to Birbal’s house and found the polenta pot hung high in the air with a small fire burning on the floor.
When Akbar said that this heat can’t reach the pot, Birbal suggested that similarly the heat of a small lamp couldn’t warm the poor man in the lake. Akbar realized his mistake and gave the reward as promised to the poor man.
Moral of the story: A ray of hope is enough to inspire the one who is ready to work hard.
Continue reading short moral stories in English>>
20. The Magical Donkey
Once Akbar gifted a very precious necklace to his queen which she safely in her room. But unfortunately, one day necklace was misplaced and queen was unable to locate it.
Then Akbar came to know that not only the necklace but few other precious things have also gone missing in the past few days from his palace.
Unable to resolve the situation, he asked Birbal to help.
Birbal brought along a friend of his, a magical donkey, to solve the mystery. He asked each suspect to go alone in the tent and hold the donkey’s tail and if the person was the thief, the donkey will identify him and give him a good kick. Everyone followed Birbal’s instruction other than the thief. As Birbal had sprayed a powerful scent on Donkey’s tail and thief avoided touching the donkey’s tail out of fear, he was finally caught.
Moral of the story: A clever idea always saves the day.
21. Master and Disciple
A Guruji lived in an ashram with his 4 disciples. Once Guruji and his disciple went to the market in a bullock cart to sell fruits and vegetables. Guruji fell asleep after ordering the bullock cart not to stop anywhere. Then there was a stumble and Guruji’s turban fell. But as ordered by Guruji, the disciples did not stop. When Guruji woke up, he got very angry at his disciples.
This time, before going to sleep, Guruji ordered that whatever falls from the cart has to be picked up.
After going some distance, the oxen made cow dung. The disciples stopped the bullock cart and picked up the dung and placed it next to Guruji. When Guruji woke up again, he got very angry and this time he made a list on paper before going to sleep, in which it was written what to stop for picking up and which item not to stop for.
The bullock cart went some distance and then it stumbled. This time Guruji fell in a swarm after falling from the bullock cart. The disciples look at the list and saw that Guruji’s name was not mentioned.
Guruji kept shouting and the disciples stood with their faces bowed. Then an old woman came out from there. The disciples narrated the whole story. The old lady took the paper from the disciples and wrote Guruji’s name on the list of things to be carried. Then the disciples came out to Guruji and all went back to the ashram. Did you know this is one of the most popular moral stories for kids?
Listen this story as a full podcast: Indian Folk Stories
Traditional Moral Stories for Kids in English
Enjoy reading some traditional moral stories in English below
22.
PinocchioA clever puppet named Pinocchio, was carved by a carpenter Geppetto who treats the puppet like his own son.
But Pinocchio is determined to become a real boy and in the process, he learns a great many lessons. Every time he gets stuck in a difficult situation, he lies and lies, but mysteriously, he finds his nose growing longer with each lie he speaks. He also decides never to give in to his temptations again and again but his resolutions last only till the next available opportunity. But finally, he learns his lessons and proves himself to be worthy of being a real boy. Enjoy other moral stories for kids below.
Listen to full audiobook of Pinocchio here – Pinocchio story
23. Goldilocks and The Three Bears
Author: Hamilton Wright Maybe, Edward Everett Hale, and William Byron Forbush
Another all-time favorite kids story, in which a golden haired girl Goldilocks gets lost in a forest and ends up in a hut which belongs to 3 bears.
She eats their porridge, brake a chair and messes up their beds.
When the bears return, Goldilocks gets scared and manages to run back to safety.
Read the full story or listen to the podcast here – “Goldilocks And Three Bears” >
Continue reading short moral stories in English>>
24. The Frog Prince
Author: The Brothers Grimm
A beautiful princess seeks help from a frog to find her golden ball which she had accidentally dropped in a spring. In return, she promises to be the frog’s companion. But the girl changes her mind as soon as frog helps her. Frog followed her to the palace and king forces her to keep her word and finally the frog turns out to be the most handsome prince under a curse.
Read the full story or listen to the podcast here – “Frog Prince” >
Continue reading short moral stories in English>>
25. Jack and The Beanstalk
Author: Benjamin Tabbart; Edited by: Joseph Jacobs
A classic English tale tells the story of a young and poor country boy Jack who trades his family cow for a handful of magic beans, which grows into an enormous beanstalk reaching up to the clouds.
When Jack climbs it, he finds himself in a castle of a giant with great fortunes. He manages to take some away from the giant and in the process also manages to get rid of him for good by cutting the stalk when the giant is climbing down to catch him.
Read the full story or listen to the podcast here – “Jack and The Beanstalk” >
What are the benefits of Moral Stories in English?
Moral values have a significant role in forming a child’s character. Moral stories for kids is a powerful way to instill strong moral values.
Develops strength/ courage in kids
Moral stories for kids establish a standard that can enable them to remain upright during challenging times. These stories serve as guides for children, assisting them in making the best decisions possible.
Equip them for their future
You send your kids to school to help them build resilience and make them a good human being. Through moral stories for kids, this wisdom can be easily imparted.
Children can learn to distinguish between right and wrong by reading short moral stories.
Tackling Negative Influence
When all you see is negative influence, it’s easy to go wrong. Moral stories for kids can assist to combat this by instilling a strong sense of belonging and developing a strong base of moral principles. Grandparents usually teach us moral stories. So, sit and enjoy these fantastic collection of short moral stories for kids available.
Language Development
Reading and listening to stories develop your vocabulary and simultaneously helps in oral language development in kids. Reading is a good habit that every kid should practice from an early age.
Takeaway from Moral Stories for Kids in English
Short moral stories for kids are a wonderful approach to impart key life values to children in a fun and understandable way. Short English stories for kids are ideal since they allow your kids to focus for a short period of time.
FAQ'S on Short Moral Stories in English
What are some of the popular moral stories in English?
- The Boy Who Cried Wolf
- The Golden Axe
- The Fox and the Grapes
- The Proud Rose
- The Milkmaid and Her Pail
- The Golden Egg
What are some moral values that are must for kids to learn?
- Respect everyone
- Be Honest
- Help each other
- Never lie or misbehave
- Never steal things
Should moral stories be taught from young age?
Yes, to develop the moral conscience in kids
List of popular classic moral stories for kids in English
The list of popular classic moral stories for kids are- click here
English fairy tales for children | Examples of fairy tales in English
Content of the article:
- English folk tales
- Example of a fairy tale in English
- Text of a children's fairy tale in English
- Translation of a fairy tale from English
- Where to read British fairy tales in English 9005 Other ways of reading 9005 in English
- Other methods of learning English for children
Today we will analyze English fairy tales for children.
There will be both examples of popular fairy tales for reading, and one short fairy tale, which we will analyze in its entirety with translation. You've almost certainly never heard this tale before. We hope you are intrigued :)
English Folk Tales
Jack and the Beanstalk (Jack and the Beanstalk). The mother sent the boy to the market to sell the cow. The family was poor, and the proceeds from the sale of the cow could help them feed themselves. However, at the market, the boy meets an old man who offers to exchange the cow for magic grains, from which a tree will grow up to the sky. Jack agrees. At home, his mother scolds him for his naivete, and allegedly throws magic beans out the window. Later it turns out that the old man was telling the truth, and a magic tree grew out of the beans, leading to the world of giants...
Jack the Giant Killer This tale is also about Jack, and also about giants. Only now it was a completely different Jack, and completely different giants.
The boy was a strong and dexterous son of a wealthy English peasant. He lived in places where the owner of the mountain was a giant, who from time to time went out to feast on cows, sheep and other peasant livestock. Once the people got tired of it, and an important mission was entrusted to Jack - to defeat the giant.
The Blue Hat A Scottish fisherman named Ein Macrae went to the forest to collect wood to build a boat. A thick fog descended, and the fisherman got lost. After some time, he stumbles upon a house in the middle of the forest. You and I know that usually in fairy tales such houses do not bode well. However, McRae was tired and wet, besides, it was already night, and it was necessary to spend the night somehow. What happened next?
Dick Whittington and His Cat (Dick Whittington and his cat). Dick was an orphan who lived in an ordinary English village. The locals liked to talk about the big city of London, where everything is wonderful for everyone, and people do nothing but party and bathe in luxury all day long.
Dick liked these stories very much, and he wanted to see it with his own eyes. One day Dick saw a wagon passing by and asked the driver where he was going. He replied that in London. Word for word - and the driver took Dick with him, agreeing that on the way back he would take the boy back to the village. But the most interesting is yet to come. By the way, what about the cat?
The Well at the World's End The stepmother sent the girl to the well, which is at the end of the world, to bring water from it in a sieve. Already from the first sentence there is no optimism. What other well at the end of the world, and how can you draw water from there with a sieve? To the surprise of readers, the girl still finds the same well. The difficulties do not end there, but by a happy coincidence, a talking frog comes to the aid of the girl.
Molly Whuppie (Molly Wuppie). A large family could not feed all the children, and the parents decided to get rid of their three daughters.
They took them to the forest and told them to stay there. Three girls began to wander through the forest until they came across a house. The woman let them eat, but then her husband returns - a cannibal giant. The husband did not immediately attack the sisters, but allowed them to stay overnight - and put them to bed with his three daughters. Everyone fell asleep, and only the younger sister, Molly, decided to be careful. And not in vain ...
The Old Witch (Old Witch). The girl saw an oven with bread. The oven asked the girl to get bread. And so she did. Then the girl saw a cow. The cow asked her to be milked. The girl obeyed. After that, the girl stumbled upon an apple tree, which begged to be shaken from her apples. So the girl did. In the end, she came across the witch's house. If she is so obedient and trusting even in relation to stoves, trees and animals, what can the old witch do with her ...
Read also
About dreams in English
An example of a fairy tale in English
Let's analyze one simple fairy tale.
Remember, at the beginning of the article, we promised you a fairy tale that you have almost certainly never heard. This is what she is.
This is one of the Philippine legends that is told to children. It is called The Legend of the Chrysanthemum - The Legend of the Chrysanthemum. Most likely, you have never heard it, so it will be doubly interesting to read.
Here is the video, below is the text, below we have prepared the translation.
Text of a children's story in English
Once upon a time, there was a little girl living with her mom in a small thatched hut in a deserted hamlet. Her father had passed away when she was still young. So her mom and she had to work very hard to make ends meet.
One day, the mother fell ill. She told her daughter, "My dear daughter, call a doctor for me!" The little girl quickly left home with worries filling up her heart. Suddenly, she came across a snowy-haired old man.
He asked her, "Why are you so much in a hurry?" "I am looking for a doctor. My mother is very sick!" she cried.
The old man then told her, "I am a doctor! Take me to your home, I will cure your mother." When the old man arrived, after examining the mother, he told the girl, "Your mother's sickness is serious. I will try my best to cure her. Now, get to banyan tree by the woods. You'll find a daisy. Pick it up and bring it back to me!" It was bitterly cold outside, while the girl was only wearing a thin layer of clothes. She kept on walking and it was not until her feet felt worn that she reached the banyan tree. In front of her was a bush with a beautiful daisy. She picked it up and cherished it in her hands. All of a sudden, the old man's voice echoed in her ears, "Each petal represents a day your mother continues to live."
She looked down on the flower and counted, "One, Two, Three… Twenty! Oh, no! There are only twenty days left for my mother!"
Thinking for a while, she gently tore the petals into many small pieces.
Each piece turned into a thin glossy petal. The twenty-petal daisy turned into a countless-petal flower. She rushed home with the strange flower. The old man was waiting for her at the door. He told her cheerfully, "Your mother has recovered. It is the reward for your pious heart." Ever since then, every year during the autumn, the flowers with many thin glossy petals blossom created a picturesque scenery. They are called the Chrysanthemum, the symbol of piety.
Translation of a fairy tale from English
Once upon a time there lived a little girl who lived with her mother in a small thatched hut in an abandoned village. Her father passed away when she was still young. So she and her mother had to work very hard to make ends meet.
One day the mother fell ill. She said to her daughter, "My dear daughter, call a doctor for me!" The little girl quickly left the house with worries filling her heart. Suddenly, she came across an old man with snowy hair.
He asked her, "Why are you in such a hurry?" "I'm looking for a doctor. My mother is very sick!" - she exclaimed.
Then the old man said to her: "I am a doctor! Take me to your house, I will cure your mother." When the old man arrived, having examined the mother, he said to the girl, "Your mother's illness is serious. I will do my best to cure her. Now go to the banyan tree by the forest. You will find a daisy there. Pick it up and bring it to me!" It was very cold outside, and the girl was wearing only a thin layer of clothing. She kept walking, and only when her legs were tired did she reach the banyan tree. In front of her was a bush with a beautiful daisy. She picked it up and held it carefully in her hands. Suddenly, an old man's voice was heard in her ears: "Each petal symbolizes the day your mother continues to live."
She looked down at the flower and counted, "One, two, three... Twenty! Oh no! My mother is only twenty days away!"
After some thought, she carefully tore the petals into many small pieces.
Each piece turned into a thin glossy petal. The twenty-petalled daisy turned into a flower with countless petals. She rushed home with a strange flower. The old man was waiting for her at the door. He cheerfully told her, "Your mother has recovered. This is the reward for your godly heart." Since then, every year in autumn, flowers with many thin glossy petals bloom, creating a picturesque landscape. They are called Chrysanthemums, a symbol of piety.
Where to read British fairy tales in English
Here are some good sites:
- Bedtime Short Stories
- Kidsgen
- World of Tales
Or you can find any similar site in Google. It does not matter. As long as you are comfortable.
Other ways to practice reading in English
Reading children's stories is a good practice for beginners. Fairy tales usually have simple vocabulary and grammar.
And, importantly, a small amount of text. The tale from the example above can be read in just five minutes. Larger ones will take up to half an hour. Rarely does a children's story in English require more of your time.
But not only fairy tales are rich. For a comprehensive study of the language, it will be useful to combine different materials. Fairy tales have literary language. In news articles - journalistic. And so on.
See also:
- A selection of interesting magazines to read in English
- Reading books in English for different levels
- Top sites to read
Read also
Why does listening seem difficult?
Other methods of learning English for children
The younger the child, the more receptive he is to foreign languages. If you are a parent and you decide to help your child learn an international language, this is commendable and timely.
Before the age of three, there is a good chance of raising a bilingual child if enough effort is put in. In particular, it is necessary that one of the parents or the nanny speaks only English to the child. You also need to watch movies and cartoons in this language together. We wrote more about the methods of educating a bilingual in this article .
Speaking of cartoons. Watching a cartoon in English is a good thing at any age. At least three years old, at least forty years old. Many begin to train to perceive English by ear precisely from cartoons for children, since there are simple phrases that are pronounced with extreme accuracy. Read our selection of cartoons for learning English for different levels.
We showed you English folk tales, Scottish tales, and even Filipino tales. Now we are ready to let you go. Then it's up to you. Find fairy tales on the Internet and read.
We recommend installing extension ED Translator .
With it, you can highlight a word or phrase in English on any site - and see the translation. No need to constantly copy and paste into Google translator. You can also click on the plus sign to immediately add the word to your personal EnglishDom dictionary, and then fix it in our online simulators.
Let your life be like a fairy tale. Like a good fairy tale with a happy ending.
EnglishDom #we inspire to learn
Stories in English for children and short stories to read
Toddlers enjoy learning about the world around them, absorbing everything that happens in it. Take advantage of this sincere curiosity and add English to your baby's environment by reading stories in English for children with him. Short English fairy tales will give the child the opportunity to get acquainted with the sound of the language, learn new words and phrases, learn to read and understand English. In today's material you will find easy and interesting children's stories in English with a translation of the text into Russian, as well as useful recommendations for conducting such classes.
Contents
- Learning English with Fairy Tales and Stories
- Fairy Tales and Stories in English for Children
- The Goose that laid the Golden Eggs
- The crocodile (Crocodile) The who
cry “Wolf!” (The boy who shouted "Wolves!")
Learning English from fairy tales and stories
Before you involve your child in reading in English, you need to carefully plan your lesson and select suitable materials.
Children who are just starting to get acquainted with a foreign language are advised to take adapted literature in English for children. These fairy tales are reworked and simplified to a minimum: the text is written in short sentences, with frequently repeated words and bright auxiliary pictures.
Do not forget that a fairy tale for children in English must have a translation. Both you and your baby will feel more confident knowing that you can always check the correct meaning of the words.
To attract fidgets to read or listen to fairy tales, use game methods and your unlimited imagination. The main thing is to constantly interact with the child and not let him get bored. View beautiful pictures with your baby and play "questions and answers" ( who / what is it?), read the characters' lines in different voices, memorize new vocabulary together and try to build small dialogues.
It is not necessary to study children's stories and stories in English only in text format. Combine all possible methods of learning a language: listen to audio versions of fairy tales recorded by native speakers, or get distracted by watching colorful and dynamic videos with the text of a fairy tale.
Having mastered all the above tips, let's move on to putting them into practice. The following are short stories in English with a parallel Russian translation.
Fairy tales and stories in English for children
The Goose that laid the Golden Eggs
Once upon a time, a man and his wife had the good fortune to have a goose. It was not an ordinary goose. This goose laid a golden egg every day. |
Once husband and wife was lucky to buy goose. This was no ordinary goose. This goose laid golden eggs every day.
| It was a great luck! But the man and his wife soon began to think they were not getting rich fast enough. |
Luck smiled at them! But soon the husband and wife began to think that in this way they would not become prosperous rich for a long time.
| They imagined that if the bird must be able to lay golden eggs, its insides must be made of gold. And they thought that if they could get all that precious metal at once, they would get mighty rich very soon. |
They imagined that since a bird lays golden eggs, then, for sure, it is all golden inside. And they decided that you can immediately get all the precious metal and get rich instantly.
| So the man and his wife decided to kill the bird. However, upon cutting the goose open, they were shocked to find that its innards were like that of any other goose! |
So the husband and wife decided to kill the bird. However, when butchering the goose, they were greatly surprised: from the inside, it was exactly the same as all birds like it!
The crocodile
| There was once a baby crocodile. He had a beautiful shiny tail. All the other crocodiles were jealous of him. |
Once upon a time there was a little crocodile in the world. He had a very beautiful and shiny ponytail.
The other crocodiles were terribly jealous of his beauty.
| One day the little baby crocodile counted all his beautiful shiny scales and there were a thousand. A lot more than he thought. |
Once a baby crocodile counted all his shiny scales, and there were a thousand of them. There were more of them than he had thought before.
| He counted all the other crocodiles and there were twenty. He decided that he had many scales and could spare forty from his tummy. |
He counted other crocodiles. There were 20 in total. He decided that he had too many scales, and perhaps he could share 40 scales from his tummy.
| Even three weeks later there weren't any. |
The crocodile made a wish before going to bed so that 40 scales would fall on the pillow. But this did not happen. They did not fall out even after three weeks.
| Then one day a magic crocodile granted him a wish. He wished for forty of his scales to be on his pillow. |
And then one fine day the wizard-crocodile gave the kid one wish. He again wished for 40 scales to be on his pillow.
| He woke up. There were forty beautiful shiny scales on his pillow! He gave all twenty crocodiles, two scales each. From then on everybody was kind to the little baby crocodile. |
The crocodile woke up, and lo and behold! There were 40 shiny scales on the pillow. He distributed them to 20 crocodiles: each 2 scales. Since then, everyone has become friends with a kind baby crocodile.
The boy who cried “Wolf!” (The boy who shouted "Wolves!")
Once upon a time there lived a little boy. He lived in the village, and looked after sheep. But he was not a good boy because he often told lies. |
Once there lived a little boy in the world. He lived in the village and watched the sheep. But he was not a very good boy because he often lied.
| He had a joke which he often played on the people. The boy ran down and cried out very loudly: Wolf! wolf! Help me anyone! There is a wolf!” |
He had a joke that he often played with people. The boy ran downstairs and shouted very loudly: Wolf! Wolf! Someone help me ! The wolf is here!
| The neighbors ran very fast to him because they wanted to save his life. But when they came the boy laughed at them. He was playing the same trick again and again. |
Neighbors quickly ran to him because they wanted to save the boy's life. But when they came, the tomboy laughed at them.
He did this trick over and over again.
| Once upon a time there was a wonderful warm day. The boy was sleeping at the tree. Suddenly he heard a strange sound. The boy woke up and saw a big dark animal. It was a wolf. |
The boy was sleeping under a tree . Suddenly he heard strange sound. The boy woke up and saw a large gray animal. It was a wolf.
| Now the boy is really alarmed. Aaaaa! – he cried. – Pray, anybody, do come and help me! Please! The wolf is running after me! |
Now the boy is really worried.
“Aaah!” he shouts. “I beg you, someone come and help me! Please! Wolf is chasing after with me!”
