Short easy story for kids

22 Short Moral Stories for Kids in English

There was a time when storybooks were the only means of entertainment for children. A decade or two ago, kids spent their time reading stories and role playing their favourite characters from the stories. However, times have changed now – in the age of the internet; kids spend most of their time playing games on smartphones or watching cartoons or videos on YouTube.

Video: The Fox and the Stork Moral Story for Kids in English

But if you want your kids to take a break from screens and experience your childhood, you can read short stories to them. By narrating stories to your kids, you will impart wisdom and spend much-needed quality time with them. We have a collection of some popular short stories with moral values that you can read to your kids.

Also Read: Short Stories of Mahabharata for Kids with Moral Lessons

Video: Short Moral Stories for Kids – Part 1

Benefits of Moral Stories for Kids

Moral stories for kids benefit them in more ways than one can imagine. The following are the benefits:

1. Prepare kids for their role in society.

Moral stories help kids understand what’s right and what’s wrong. They impart a belief system which will help the child cope very well with whatever life has to offer.

2. Help kids become resilient.

Moral stories help the child navigate life’s ups and downs by imparting strong ethics and moral values to them. These stories act like guidelines to help the little ones make the right choices.

3. Counter bad influence.

Many children start picking up vices under peer pressure. Good values from moral stories help the child stay strong and not succumb to temptations.

Fun and Entertaining Short Moral Stories for Your Children

If you want to imbibe good habits in your kids from early on and watch them grow up to become good individuals, read moral stories to them. Here are 22 children’s stories with moral values that you can read to your kids!

1. The Lion and the Mouse

A lion was once sleeping in the jungle when a mouse started running up and down his body just for fun. This disturbed the lion’s sleep, and he woke up quite angry. He was about to eat the mouse when the mouse desperately requested the lion to set him free. “I promise you, I will be of great help to you someday if you save me.” The lion laughed at the mouse’s confidence and let him go.

One day, a few hunters came into the forest and took the lion with them. They tied him up against a tree. The lion was struggling to get out and started to whimper. Soon, the mouse walked past and noticed the lion in trouble. Quickly, he ran and gnawed on the ropes to set the lion free. Both of them sped off into the jungle.

Moral of the Story

A small act of kindness can go a long way.

Also Read: Childhood Stories of Lord Krishna for Kids

2. Count Wisely

One day, king Akbar asked a question in his court that left everyone in the courtroom puzzled. As they all tried to figure out the answer, Birbal walked in and asked what the matter was. They repeated the question to him.

The question was, “How many crows are there in the city?”

Birbal immediately smiled and went up to Akbar. He announced the answer; he said there were twenty-one thousand, five hundred and twenty-three crows in the city. When asked how he knew the answer, Birbal replied, “Ask your men to count the number of crows. If there are more, then the relatives of the crows must be visiting them from nearby cities. If there are fewer, then the crows from our city must be visiting their relatives who live outside the city.” Pleased with the answer, Akbar presented Birbal with a ruby and pearl chain.

Moral of the Story

Having an explanation for your answer is just as important as having an answer.

Also Read: Fascinating Ramayana Stories for Children

3. The Boy Who Cried Wolf

In a village, lived a carefree boy with his father. The boy’s father told him that he was old enough to watch over the sheep while they graze in the fields. Every day, he had to take the sheep to the grassy fields and watch them as they graze. However, the boy was unhappy and didn’t want to take the sheep to the fields. He wanted to run and play, not watch the boring sheep graze in the field. So, he decided to have some fun. He cried, “Wolf! Wolf!” until the entire village came running with stones to chase away the wolf before it could eat any of the sheep. When the villagers saw that there was no wolf, they left muttering under their breath about how the boy had wasted their time. The next day, the boy cried once more, “Wolf! Wolf!” and, again, the villagers rushed there to chase the wolf away.

The boy laughed at the fright he had caused. This time, the villagers left angrily. The third day, as the boy went up the small hill, he suddenly saw a wolf attacking his sheep. He cried as hard as he could, “Wolf! Wolf! Wolf!”, but not a single villager came to help him. The villagers thought that he was trying to fool them again and did not come to rescue him or his sheep. The little boy lost many sheep that day, all because of his foolishness.

Moral of the Story

It is difficult to trust people who lie, so it’s important to always be truthful.

4. The Fox and the Stork

One day, a selfish fox invited a stork for dinner. Stork was very happy with the invitation – she reached the fox’s home on time and knocked at the door with her long beak. The fox took her to the dinner table and served some soup in shallow bowls for both of them. As the bowl was too shallow for the stork, she couldn’t have soup at all. But, the fox licked up his soup quickly.

The stork was angry and upset, but she didn’t show her anger and behaved politely. To teach a lesson to the fox, she then invited him for dinner the next day. She too served soup, but this time the soup was served in two tall narrow vases. The stork devoured the soup from her vase, but the fox couldn’t drink any of it because of his narrow neck. The fox realised his mistake and went home famished.

A selfish act backfires sooner or later!

Also Read: Indian Mythological Stories for Kids

5. The Golden Touch

Once there lived a greedy man in a small town. He was very rich, and he loved gold and all things fancy. But he loved his daughter more than anything. One day, he chanced upon a fairy. The fairy’s hair was caught in a few tree branches. He helped her out, but as his greediness took over, he realised that he had an opportunity to become richer by asking for a wish in return (by helping her out). The fairy granted him a wish. He said, “All that I touch should turn to gold.” And his wish was granted by the grateful fairy.

The greedy man rushed home to tell his wife and daughter about his wish, all the while touching stones and pebbles and watching them convert into gold. Once he got home, his daughter rushed to greet him. As soon as he bent down to scoop her up in his arms, she turned into a gold statue. He was devastated and started crying and trying to bring his daughter back to life. He realised his folly and spent the rest of his days searching for the fairy to take away his wish.

Moral of the Story

Greed will always lead to downfall.

6. The Milkmaid and Her Pail

Patty, a milkmaid milked her cow and had two full pails of fresh, creamy milk. She put both pails of milk on a stick and set off to the market to sell the milk. As she took steps towards the market, her thoughts took steps towards wealth. On her way, she kept thinking about the money she would make from selling the milk. Then she thought about what she would do with that money.

She was talking to herself and said, “Once I get the money, I’ll buy a chicken. The chicken will lay eggs and I will get more chickens. They’ll all lay eggs, and I will sell them for more money. Then, I’ll buy the house on the hill and everyone will envy me.” She was very happy that soon she would be very rich. With these happy thoughts, she marched ahead. But suddenly, she tripped and fell. Both the pails of the milk fell and all her dreams were shattered. The milk spilt onto the ground, and all Patty could do was cry. “No more dream,” she cried foolishly!

Moral of the Story

Do not count your chickens before they are hatched.

Also Read: Popular Fairy Tale Stories for Kids

7. When Adversity Knocks

This is a story that explains how adversity is met differently by different people. There was a girl named Asha who lived with her mother and father in a village. One day, her father assigned her a simple task. He took three vessels filled with boiling water. He placed an egg in one vessel, a potato in the second vessel, and some tea leaves in the third vessel. He asked Asha to keep an eye on the vessels for about ten to fifteen minutes while the three ingredients in three separate vessels boiled. After the said time, he asked Asha to peel the potato and egg, and strain the tea leaves. Asha was left puzzled – she understood her father was trying to explain her something, but she didn’t know what it was.

Her father explained, “All three items were put in the same circumstances. See how they’ve responded differently.” He said that the potato turned soft, the egg turned hard, and the tea leaves changed the colour and taste of the water. He further said, “We are all like one of these items. When adversity calls, we respond exactly the way they do. Now, are you a potato, an egg, or tea leaves?”

Moral of the Story

We can choose how to respond to a difficult situation.

8. The Proud Rose

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful rose plant in a garden. One rose flower on the plant was proud of its beauty. However, it was disappointed that it was growing next to an ugly cactus. Every day, the rose would insult the cactus about its looks, but the cactus stayed quiet. All the other plants in the garden tried to stop the rose from bullying the cactus, but the rose was too swayed by its own beauty to listen to anyone.

One summer, a well in the garden dried up and there was no water for the plants. The rose slowly began to wilt. The rose saw a sparrow dip its beak into the cactus for some water. The rose then felt ashamed for having made fun of the cactus all this time. But because it was in need of water, it went to ask the cactus if it could have some water. The kind cactus agreed, and they both got through summer as friends.

Moral of the Story

Never judge someone by the way they look.

Also Read: Bible Stories for Children

9. The Tale of the Pencil

A boy named Raj was upset because he had done poorly in his English test. He was sitting in his room when his grandmother came and comforted him. His grandmother sat beside him and gave him a pencil. Raj looked at his grandma puzzled, and said he didn’t deserve a pencil after his performance in the test.

His grandma explained, “You can learn many things from this pencil because it is just like you. It experiences a painful sharpening, just the way you have experienced the pain of not doing well on your test. However, it will help you be a better student. Just as all the good that comes from the pencil is from within itself, you will also find the strength to overcome this hurdle. And finally, just as this pencil will make its mark on any surface, you too shall leave your mark on anything you choose to.” Raj was immediately consoled and promised himself that he would do better.

Moral of the Story

We all have the strength to be who we wish to be.

10. The Crystal Ball

Nasir, a small boy, found a crystal ball behind the banyan tree of his garden. The tree told him that it would grant him a wish. He was very happy and he thought hard, but unfortunately, he could not come up with anything he wanted. So, he kept the crystal ball in his bag and waited until he could decide on his wish.

Days went by without him making a wish but his best friend saw him looking at the crystal ball. He stole it from Nasir and showed it to everyone in the village. They all asked for palaces and riches and lots of gold, but could not make more than one wish. In the end, everyone was angry because no one could have everything they wanted. They became very unhappy and decided to ask Nasir for help. Nasir wished that everything would go back to how it was once – before the villagers had tried to satisfy their greed. The palaces and gold vanished and the villagers once again became happy and content.

Moral of the Story

Money and wealth do not always bring happiness.

11. A Bundle of Sticks

Once upon a time, three neighbours living in a village were having trouble with their crops. Each of the neighbours had one field, but the crops on their fields were infested with pests and were wilting. Every day, they would come up with different ideas to help their crops. The first one tried using a scarecrow in his field, the second used pesticides, and the third built a fence on his field, all to no avail.

One day, the village head came by and called the three farmers. He gave them each a stick and asked them to break it. The farmers could break them easily. He then gave them a bundle of three sticks, and again, asked them to break it. This time, the farmers struggled to break the sticks. The village head said, “Together, you are stronger and work better than you do it alone.” The farmers understood what the village head was saying. They pooled in their resources and got rid of the pests from their fields.

Moral of the Story

There is strength in unity.

12. The Ant and the Dove

On a hot scorching day of summer, an ant was walking around in search of water. After walking around for some time, she saw a river and was delighted to see it. She climbed up on a small rock to drink the water, but she slipped and fell into the river. She was drowning but a dove who was sitting on a nearby tree helped her. Seeing the ant in trouble, the dove quickly dropped a leaf into the water. The ant moved towards the leaf and climbed up on it. The dove then carefully pulled the leaf out and placed it on the land. This way, the ant’s life was saved and she was forever indebted to the dove.

The ant and the dove became the best of friends and days passed happily. However, one day, a hunter arrived at the forest. He saw the beautiful dove sitting on the tree and aimed his gun at the dove. The ant, who was saved the dove saw this and bit on the heel of the hunter. He shouted from the pain and dropped the gun. The dove was alarmed by the voice of the hunter and realised what could have happened with him. He flew away!

Moral of the Story

A good deed never goes unrewarded.

13. The Fox and the Grapes

On a hot summer day, a fox wandered across the jungle in order to get some food. He was very hungry and desperately in search of food. He searched everywhere, but couldn’t find anything that he could eat. His stomach was rumbling and his search continued. Soon he reached a vineyard which was laden with juicy grapes. The fox looked around to check if he was safe from the hunters. No one was around, so he decided to steal some grapes. He jumped high and high, but he couldn’t reach the grapes. The grapes were too high but he refused to give up. The fox jumped high in the air to catch the grapes in his mouth, but he missed. He tried once more but missed again. He tried a few more times, but couldn’t reach. It was getting dark and the fox was getting angry. His legs hurt, so he gave up in the end. Walking away, he said, “I’m sure the grapes were sour anyway.”

Moral of the Story

We pretend to hate something when we can’t have it.

14.

Once upon a time, there were two best friends – an ant and a grasshopper. The grasshopper liked to relax the whole day and play his guitar. The ant, however, would work hard all day. He would collect food from all corners of the garden, while the grasshopper relaxed, played his guitar, or slept. The grasshopper would tell the ant to take a break every day, but the ant would refuse and continue his work. Soon, winter came; days and nights became cold and very few creatures went out.

On a cold day of winter, a colony of ants was busy drying out some grains of corn. The half-dead grasshopper, cold and hungry, came up to the ant who was his friend and asked for a piece of corn. The ant replied, “We work day and night to collect and save up the corn so that we don’t die hungry on cold winter days. Why should we give it to you?” The ant further asked, “What were you doing last summer? You should have collected and stored some food. I told you as much before.”

The grasshopper said, “I was far too busying singing and sleeping.”

The ant replied, “You can sing all winter as far as I am concerned. You will not get anything from us.” The ant had enough food to last through the winter, without any worries at all, but the grasshopper didn’t and he realised his mistake.

Moral of the Story

Make hay while the sun shines.

15. The Bear and Two Friends

One day, two best friends were walking on a lonely and dangerous path through a jungle. As the sun began to set, they grew afraid but held on to each other. Suddenly, they saw a bear in their path. One of the boys ran to the nearest tree and climbed it in a jiffy. The other boy did not know how to climb the tree by himself, so he lay on the ground, pretending to be dead. The bear approached the boy on the ground and sniffed around his head. After appearing to whisper something in the boy’s ear, the bear went on its way. The boy on the tree climbed down and asked his friend what the bear had whispered in his ear. He replied, “Do not trust friends who do not care for you.”

Moral of the Story

A friend in need is a friend indeed.

16. Friends Forever

Once upon a time, there lived a mouse and a frog, who were the best of friends. Every morning, the frog would hop out of the pond to visit the mouse, who lived inside the hole of the tree. He would spend time with the mouse and go back home. One day, the frog realised that he was making too much of an effort to visit the mouse while the mouse never came to meet him at the pond. This made him angry, and he decided to make things right by forcefully taking him to his house.

When the mouse wasn’t looking, the frog tied a string to the mouse’s tail and tied the other end to his own leg, and hopped away. The mouse started getting dragged with him. Then, the frog jumped into the pond to swim. However, when he looked back, he saw that the mouse had started to drown and was struggling to breathe! The frog quickly untied the string from his tail and took him to the shore. Seeing the mouse with his eyes barely open made the frog very sad, and he immediately regretted pulling him into the pond.

Moral of the Story

Don’t take revenge because it can be harmful to you.

17. The Elephant and Her Friends

Once upon a time, a lone elephant made her way into a strange forest. It was new to her, and she was looking to make friends. She approached a monkey and said, “Hello, monkey! Would you like to be my friend?” The monkey said, “You are too big to swing like me, so I can’t be your friend.” The elephant then went to a rabbit and asked the same question. The rabbit said, “You are too big to fit in my burrow, so I can’t be your friend.” The elephant also went to the frog in the pond and asked the same question. The frog replied, “You are too heavy to jump as high as me, so I can’t be your friend.”

The elephant was really sad because she couldn’t make friends. Then, one day, she saw all the animals running deeper into the forest, and she asked a bear what the fuss was about. The bear said, “The lion is on the loose – they are running from him to save themselves.” The elephant went up to the lion and said, “Please don’t hurt these innocent people. Please leave them alone.” The lion scoffed and asked the elephant to move aside. Then, the elephant got angry and pushed the lion with all her might, injuring him. All the other animals came out slowly and started to rejoice about the lion’s defeat. They went to the elephant and said to her, “You are just the right size to be our friend!”

Moral of the Story

A person’s size does not determine their worth.

18. The Woodcutter and the Golden Axe

There was once a woodcutter working hard in the forest, getting wood to sell for some food. As he was cutting a tree, his axe accidentally fell into the river. The river was deep and was flowing really fast – he lost his axe and could not find it again. He sat at the bank of the river and wept.

While he wept, the God of the river arose and asked him what had happened. The woodcutter told him the story. The God of the river offered to help him by looking for his axe. He disappeared into the river and retrieved a golden axe, but the woodcutter said it was not his. He disappeared again and returned with a silver axe, but the woodcutter said that was not his either. The God disappeared into the water again and came back with an iron axe – the woodcutter smiled and said it was his. God was impressed with the woodcutter’s honesty and gifted him both the golden and silver axes.

Moral of the Story

Honesty is the best policy.

19. The Needle Tree

There lived two brothers near a forest. The elder one was very mean to the younger brother – he would finish all the food and wear all the new clothes of his younger brother. One day, the elder brother decided to go into the forest to get some firewood and sell it at the market. As he went around, chopping tree after tree, he stumbled upon a magical tree. The tree said, “Oh, kind sir, please do not cut my branches. If you spare me, I will give you golden apples.” He agreed but was left disappointed with the number of apples the tree gave him. As greed overcame him, he threatened the tree to cut the entire trunk if it didn’t give him more apples. The magical tree, instead, showered upon the elder brother hundreds and hundreds of tiny needles. The elder brother lay on the ground, crying in pain, as the sun set.

The younger brother was worried, and so he searched for his elder brother. He found him lying in pain near the tree, with hundreds of needles on his body. He rushed to his brother and removed each needle lovingly and gently. After he finished, the elder brother apologised for treating him badly and promised to improve. The tree saw the change in the elder brother’s heart and gave them all the golden apples they would ever need.

Moral of the Story

It is important to be kind and gracious, as it will always be rewarded.

20. The Greedy Lion

On a hot day, a lion in the forest started feeling hungry. He was starting to hunt for his food when he found a hare roaming around alone. Instead of catching the hare, the lion let it go – “A small hare such as this can’t satisfy my hunger”, he said and scoffed. Then, a beautiful deer passed by, and he decided to take his chances – he ran and ran behind the deer, but since he was weak because of hunger, he struggled to keep up with the deer’s speed. Tired and defeated, the lion went back to look for the hare to fill up his stomach for the time being, but it was gone. The lion was sad and remained hungry for a long time.

Moral of the Story

Greed is never a good thing.

21. The Goose and the Golden Eggs

Once upon a time, a farmer lived with his wife in their cottage. They had a goose who would lay one golden egg every day. The farmer and his wife were mighty pleased because of this. Every morning, the wife would set out with her basket to collect all the eggs from the hens and the goose. But over time, they started getting greedier. They wondered if the process could be speeded up. They were very upset that they were getting just one golden egg daily. They wondered that if the goose was laying golden eggs, its insides must surely be made of gold too! They imagined getting rich as they would get all the gold at once. So, they caught hold of the poor bird and killed it. Alas, upon opening it, they didn’t find any gold, and the insides of the goose were like that of any other bird.

Think before you act.

22. The Greedy Dog

Once upon a time, there was a dog who was roaming around the village in search of food. He was a greedy dog and never satisfied with whatever he had. On one particular day, he managed to snatch a piece of bone from a butcher’s shop and ran away to eat it in peace. On the way, he came across a river. He was very curious, so holding the bone, he peeped into the river. He was astonished when he saw his reflection. But he thought that it was another dog with a bone. As this dog was greedy, he wanted that bone too. So he opened his mouth and started barking in the hopes that the other dog would get scared and leave his bone behind. But, as soon as he opened his mouth, his bone fell into the river and started floating away. The dog then got upset that in his greed to get the second bone, he lost his own bone.

Do not be greedy.

Tips on Making Storytime Interesting for Your Kids

No matter how good or engaging a story may be, how you recite it to your kids will make all the difference. If you want to make story sessions fun (and less preachy) for your kids, here are some tips on narrating stories.

1. Be creative while you read the story to your child. Usually, the personality or character of the story catches a child’s interest the most. So use different voices for each character or act out various parts from the story to bring life to those characters. Acting out parts from the story will make story sessions fun and memorable for your kids.

2. If you use books or pictures, lay them before your kids. You can ask them to turn the pages or trace the words as you read.

3. Talk about the story after you’ve finished reciting it. Ask your children questions along the way and discuss the moral of the story in the end. This way, you will also know if your children understood what happened in the story. Asking questions from time to time will keep children engaged and promote speech development in kids. You can also highlight new words in the story and tell their meanings to your kids – this will develop their vocabulary.

4. Read aloud together with your kids. Ask your child to read with you. This will encourage your child’s reading habits and improve his reading skills.

5. Take stories outdoors. You don’t have to sit on the bed with your kids while narrating a story to them – you can take the story beyond the four walls of your home. For instance, if you are reading a story on ‘fun in the park’, take your child to an amusement park, lay a blanket under the tree in that park, and read the story there. This will make the story more life-like, and your kid will enjoy it even more.

6. Try reading stories at different times of the day. Storytime need not always be bedtime. Try reading stories to your kids at different times of the day, like in the afternoon or evening, to understand your child’s attention span. Once you know the time when your child’s attention span is the highest, read stories to him during that time.

Make storytime fun and exciting with the above tips. These tips will help you leave an impact on your kids and make storytime the favourite part of their day. Also, read the above short moral stories to your kids – we are sure they will enjoy listening to these stories. Furthermore, these short stories with moral values will even teach your children some important lessons which they will always remember.

Also Read:

Interesting Bedtime Stories for Kids
Short Panchatantra Stories for Children
Inspirational Stories for Kids
Bedtime Princess Stories for Children

10 Lines Short Stories With Moral Lessons for Kids

Published February 4, 2021

When trying to impart an important moral lesson to kids, short stories are often the go-to for most parents. It not only tickles their imagination, but it also teaches them about life.

Short stories have a way of teaching lessons that makes them more relatable and interesting. Rather than just telling your kid not to lie, relating a short story about it helps them understand what happens when they lie. It helps them become more aware of their actions and their consequences. The moral lessons from these stories also help shape their character and moral compass as they grow old.

Here are 10 short stories with moral lessons that your kids (and even some adults) will learn a thing or two from:

1. The Hare and the Tortoise

There was once a hare who was friends with a tortoise. One day, he challenged the tortoise to a race. Seeing how slow the tortoise was going, the hare thought he’ll win this easily. So he took a nap while the tortoise kept on going. When the hare woke up, he saw that the tortoise was already at the finish line. Much to his chagrin, the tortoise won the race while he was busy sleeping.

Moral of the story:

There are actually a couple of moral lessons we can learn from this story. The hare teaches that overconfidence can sometimes ruin you. While the tortoise teaches us about the power of perseverance. Even if all the odds are stacked against you, never give up. Sometimes life is not about who’s the fastest or the strongest, it’s about who is the most consistent.

Once there was a dog who wandered the streets night and day in search of food. One day, he found a big juicy bone and he immediately grabbed it between his mouth and took it home. On his way home, he crossed a river and saw another dog who also had a bone in its mouth. He wanted that bone for himself too. But as he opened his mouth, the bone he was biting fell into the river and sank. That night, he went home hungry.

Moral of the story:

If we always envy what others have, we’ll end up losing what we already have, just like the greedy dog.

After flying a long distance, a thirsty crow was wandering the forest in search of water. Finally, he saw a pot half-filled with water. He tried to drink from it but his beak wasn’t long enough to reach the water inside. He then saw pebbles on the ground and one by one, he put them in the pot until the water rose to the brim. The crow then hastily drank from it and quenched his thirst.

Moral of the story:

If there’s a will, there’s a way. Every problem has a solution if we just look hard enough and don’t give up.

There was a boy named John who was so lazy, he couldn’t even bother to change his clothes. One day, he saw that the apple tree in their yard was full of fruits. He wanted to eat some apples but he was too lazy to climb the tree and take the fruits. So he lay down underneath the tree and waited for the fruits to fall off. John waited and waited until he was very hungry but the apples never fell.

Moral of the story:

Laziness can get you nowhere. If you want something, you need to work hard for it.

Once there was a hungry fox who stumbled upon a vineyard. After seeing the round, juicy grapes hanging in a bunch, the fox drooled. But no matter how high he jumped, he couldn’t reach for it. So he told himself that it was probably sour and left. That night, he had to sleep on an empty stomach.

Moral of the Story:

Most of us have the tendency to act like the fox. When we want something but think it’s too hard to attain, we make up excuses. We tell ourselves that it’s probably not that great instead of working hard for it.

The ant and the grasshopper were good friends. In the summer, the ant works hard to fill his storage with food. While the grasshopper was enjoying the fine weather and playing all day. When winter came, the ant was lying cozily in his home surrounded by the food he stored during the summer. While the grasshopper was in his home, hungry and freezing. He asked the ant for food and the ant gave him some. But it wasn’t enough to last the entire winter. When he tried to ask the ant again, the latter replied: “I’m sorry my friend but my food is just enough for my family to last until the end of winter. If I give you more, we too will starve. We had the entire summer to prepare for the winter but you chose to play instead.”

Moral of the story:

Winter, in this story, represents a time in our life where food and resources are scarce. While summer is that time where everything is abundant. So if you have a lot right now, save some of it for the winter.

There was once a shepherd boy who liked to play tricks. One day, while he was watching over the herd, the boy decided to play a trick and cried “wolf! wolf!”. The people who heard rushed over to help him. But they were disappointed when they saw that there was no wolf and the boy was laughing at them. The next day, he did it again and people rushed to his aid only to be disappointed once again. On the third day, the boy saw a wolf devouring one of his sheep and cried for help. But the people who heard him thought this is just another of the boy’s pranks so no one came to help him. That day, the boy lost some of his sheep to the wolf.

Moral of the story:

If you always lie and cheat on other people, there will come a time when no one will believe you anymore.

Most of us have probably heard of this story as this is one of the most popular fairy tales in the world. The story revolves around a duckling who from the moment of his birth has always felt different from his siblings. He was always picked on because he didn’t look like the rest of them. One day, he had enough and ran away from the pond he grew up in. He wandered near and far looking for a family who would accept him. Months passed and seasons changed but everywhere he went, nobody wanted him because he was such an ugly duck. Then one day, he came upon a family of swans. Upon looking at them, he realized that during the months he spent looking for a family to call his own, he had grown into a beautiful swan. Now he finally understood why he never looked like the rest of his siblings because he isn’t a duck but a swan.

Moral of the story:

We shouldn’t be too quick to judge others based on their physical appearance. Just because someone doesn’t fit societal definitions of beauty doesn’t mean they’re ugly. Each of us is beautiful in our own unique way and it’s time we accept and celebrate that individuality.

There was once a slave who was treated cruelly by his master. One day, he couldn’t take it anymore and ran away to the forest to escape. There he chanced upon a lion who couldn’t walk because of the thorn in its paw. Although he’s scared, the slave mustered his courage and took out the thorn in the lion’s paw. When the lion was finally free of the thorn, he ran into the forest and didn’t harm the slave. Sometime later, the slave was caught by his master along with some animals in the forest. The master then ordered the slave to be thrown into the lion’s den. When the slave saw the lion, he recognized it as the same lion he helped in the forest. The slave was able to escape the den unharmed and he freed all the other animals.

Moral of the story:

The good you did will always have a way of coming back to you. So do good deeds and be kind to others and the world will be kind to you.

There was once a proud elephant who always bullied smaller animals. He would go to the anthill near his home and spray water at the ants. The ants, with their size, could do nothing but cry. The elephant just laughed and threatened the ants that he would crush them to death. One day, the ants had enough and decided to teach the elephant a lesson. They went straight into the elephant’s trunk and started biting him. The elephant could only howl in pain. He realized his mistake and apologized to the ants and all the animals he bullied.

Moral of the story:

Be humble and treat everyone with kindness. If you think you’re stronger than others, then use your strength to protect them instead of harming them.

story by Nikolai Nosov, read online

Once Pavlik took Kotka with him to the river to fish. But on this day they were not lucky: the fish did not bite at all. But when they went back, they climbed into the collective farm garden and picked up pockets full of cucumbers.

The collective farm watchman noticed them and blew his whistle. They run away from him. On the way home, Pavlik thought how he would not get at home for climbing other people's gardens. And he gave his cucumbers to Kotka.

Kotka came home happy:

— Mom, I brought you cucumbers!

Mom looked, and he had full pockets of cucumbers, and there were cucumbers in his bosom, and two more large cucumbers were in his hands.

— Where did you get them? Mom says.

- In the garden.

— In what garden?

- There, by the river, on the collective farm.

— Who let you?

- Nobody, I narwhal myself.

— So you stole it?

— No, I didn’t steal it, but it’s so simple… Pavlik took it, but I can’t, or what? Well, I took it.

Kotka started taking cucumbers out of his pockets.

- Wait, wait! Don't upload! Mom says,

Why?

- Bring them back now!

— Where can I take them? They grew in the garden, and I plucked. They won't grow anyway.

— Nothing, take it and put it on the same bed where you plucked it.

— Well, I'll throw them away.

— No, you won't throw it away! You didn’t plant them, didn’t raise them, you don’t have the right to throw them away.

Kotka started crying:

— There is a guard there. He whistled at us and we ran away.

— You see what you are doing! What if he caught you?

He wouldn't catch up. He is already an old grandfather.

- Shame on you! Mom says. - After all, grandfather is responsible for these cucumbers. They will find out that the cucumbers are gone, they will say that grandfather is to blame. Will it be good?

Mom began to put the cucumbers back into Kotka's pocket. Kotka was crying and shouting:

- I won't go! Grandpa has a gun. He will shoot and kill me.

- And let him kill! It would be better for me to have no son at all than to have a son of a thief.

— Well, come with me, mommy! It's dark outside. I'm afraid.

— Aren't you afraid to take it?

Mom gave Kotka two cucumbers, which did not fit in her pockets, and led him out the door.

- Either bring cucumbers, or leave home completely, you are not my son!

Kotka turned and walked slowly down the street.

It was already completely dark.

“I'll throw them here, into the ditch, and I'll tell you that I took them,” Kotka decided and began to look around. “No, I’ll take it: someone else will see it and grandpa will get hit because of me.”

He walked down the street and wept. He was scared.

“Pavlik is well! thought Kotka. - He gave me his cucumbers, and he sits at home. He's not scared, I suppose."

Kotka left the village and went through the fields. There was not a soul around. From fear, he did not remember how he got to the garden. He stopped near the hut, stands and cries louder and louder.

The watchman heard and approached him.

— Why are you crying? he asks.

— Grandpa, I brought the cucumbers back.

— What cucumbers?

- And which Pavlik and I picked. Mom told me to take it back.

— Here it is! the watchman was surprised. “That means I whistled for you, but you still stole the cucumbers. ” Not good!

— Pavlik took it, and I took it. He gave me his cucumbers too.

— Don't look at Pavlik, you should understand yourself. Well, don't do that again. Come on cucumbers and go home.

Kotka took out the cucumbers and put them in the garden.

— Well, is that all? the old man asked.

— No… one is missing, — Kotka answered and started crying again.

— Why is it missing, where is it?

- Grandpa, I ate one cucumber. What will happen now?

- Well, what will happen? Nothing will happen. He ate, he ate. To health.

- And you, grandfather, will not be in trouble because the cucumber is gone?

- Look what's the matter! Grandpa chuckled. - No, nothing will happen for one cucumber. Now, if you had not brought the rest, then yes, but no.

Kotka ran home.

Then he suddenly stopped and shouted from afar:

— Grandfather, grandfather!

— What else?

- And this cucumber that I ate, how will it be considered - did I steal it or not?

— Hm! grandfather said. - What a challenge! Well, what is there, let it not be stolen.

— But what about?

- Well, consider that I gave it to you.

— Thank you, grandfather! I will go.

- Go, go, son.

Kotka rushed at full speed across the field, across the ravine, along the bridge over the stream and, no longer in a hurry, went home through the village. His heart was joyful.

Short and kind bedtime stories for children. We read to children online Short and kind

Short bedtime stories for children

Fairy Tales

Rainbow fairies
Kissing fairy
White cat and moon fairy
Chatty fairy
How the forest fairy protected the animals
Forget-me-not forest fairy
Nymphea, Fairy of Flowers
Adventures of Winter Fairy
Journeys of Salto the Dolphin and Pearl Fairy
Tale of the Fairy Who Loved Picking Her Nose
Tale of the Fairy Who Spoke Bad Words
Tale of the King, the Princess and the Forest Fairy
Fairy Fairies
Fairy of flowers
Fairy who cares for animals
Ninelli Fairy
Tale of Fairy Sparkle
Little Fairy
About Fairy Sandman
Fairy Tinker Bell
Adventures of Fairy Tinker Bell
Fairy Tale of Fairy Alphabet

Other short good bedtime stories

Large ball
Squirrel and wolf
Big stove
Wolf and mare
Vanka-Vstanka
Hair Great
Questions Small Submur
Magic magic
Blue Traffic Light
Ice Cream Palace
Day and Night
Wishes Come True
Hare and Man
Liar Bunny
Winter is on the doorstep
Why does a camel need a hump?
Castle of the magician Bobo
History of the Kingdom of Glutton
Story about a scooter
Cat and mouse
Hen Ryaba
How to fall asleep as soon as possible
Carousel
How Alice went to the sea
How one boy played with a stick
How a husband weaned his wife from fairy tales

How the master bought the sheep
Who is stronger
The king of confusion
How he was looking for a ball of a friend
Who is in charge in the forest
How the Bunny learned to jump
The Fox and the Crane
The Fox and the Horse
The Little Mouse and the Pencil
The Mouse That Eaten Cats
The Man and the Bear
The Miller, the Boy and the Donkey
The Little Girl Who Could Fly
Little Tommy and the Apple Tree
An Unusual Story
Legs… Wings… Main — tail
Masha and the mirror
Unnecessary doll
Lucky hunter
Where does the hedgehog get needles from?
About a grandfather who couldn't tell fairy tales
About Alice, with whom something always happened
About a wind and a flower
About a drip
Princess on a pea
Sninker
Parsley
Turnip
Disperted boy
Sun and cloud
Old man-core
Tale of smart doctor
Silver wings and prince
Proit
Mainten Sleep
The Tale of the Rhino who Couldn't Sleep
The Tale of the Mosquito Egoza
The Tale of the Flying Cat
The Tale of the Frog Pearl
The Tale of Senya the Pig
The Tale of the Sunbeam
The Tale of the Little Fox Kuzya and the Sparrow Gosha
The Tale of the Cockerel
The Tale of the Cat Nezhenka
The Tale of Tyoma the Hare
Fear has big eyes
The Tale of the Greediest Man The Tsar and the Shirt
The Chocolate Road
How Lera Learned Order
The Tale of the Sprat
The Tale of the Chamomile
The Gingerbread Man
The Tale of the Simple Pencil
The House on the Lake
Lenny the Inventor
Hidden Treasures
Capricious Princess
Sneedley the Troll from Under the Bridge
New Neighbors
Bun Goes to Bed
Three Kittens and a Lion
Mrs. Alder and Her Friends
Counting Sheep Correctly
Princess Mei-Mai Meets the World1907 New Friends Smiles — make peace”
Secret agreement
Dewy flowers and the sun
About the deer who couldn’t sleep
How Tisha was looking for sleep
Hare’s foot
Tale about summer
About the squirrel Tick and the squirrel Tak
Wonderful Kindergarten
The Tale of the Pomarka
The Tale of the Crybaby
About the Hare and the Turtle
About the Monkey
The Tale of the Rabbit
The Tale of the Ill-mannered Sparrow

New Year's bedtime stories

Bedtime story "Christmas Adventure"
Nighttime story about a Christmas tree for children
Nighttime story for children about a garland
Nighttime story about Santa Claus and the Snow Maiden

Bedtime stories certainly contribute to a serene and sound sleep of the baby. Short kind fairy tales for the night will calm the little child and give him wonderful, magical dreams.

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