Home » Misc » Short stories for elementary students

Short stories for elementary students


Short Stories Elementary Students will Love

Reading is a crucial element to the education of elementary students. However, students who don’t find the activity enjoyable are less likely to stick with it as they age. That’s where really great short stories come in. 

Short stories are an effective way to engage students in reading while teaching them important life lessons and skills. We’ve already shared our favorite modern short stories for middle school and contemporary stories for high school students; now here’s a look at the best stories for elementary students.

The Missing Mail by R.K. Narayan

This story is taken from the Malgudi Days story collection, which is set in India. It follows the theme of arranged marriage and touches on the many traditional virtues still followed there. The Missing Mail includes the theme of human relationships, including those between the woman and her father, and the people in the town, including the postman. 

The story shows what happens when one person makes a decision that affects many others, especially when it isn’t taken with full integrity. The Missing Mail also touches upon the theme of honesty, and the repercussions of being dishonest. This story can be used to raise discussions around cultural differences and can support lessons on culture and identity.

All Summer in a Day by Ray Bradbury

Ray Bradbury was a highly imaginative science fiction writer, and this story is a great way to bring science fiction to an upper elementary classroom. All Summer in a Day is mostly an anti-bullying story, and contains messages about the importance of kindness and compassion. It is set on the planet Venus with nearly no sun, and follows the students’ imaginations, wishes and memories. A short film adaptation on YouTube can be used to accompany this story.

Zlateh the Goat by Isaac Bashevis Singer

This book of short stories is translated from Yiddish and written by Polish-American author Isaac Bashevis Singer. The story follows a boy, Aaron, and his relationship with the goat, who he needs to take to the butcher. While the goat meat would bring money necessary to buy Hanukkah necessities, it would also mean losing a friend.

This story can be a great accompaniment to the holiday season, as one of its central themes are Hanukkah and its traditions. Additionally, it shows the importance of bonds between people and humans, and the role of compassion in these relationships. The story has an uplifting ending and can spark conversations about family, animals, cultural traditions and following one’s heart.

Queen Raggy by Templeton Moss

Templeton Moss includes this hilarious modern fairy tale with a lighthearted, unexpected twist in his book, Talking Pigs & Magical Ladies. The story follows a kingdom on its quest to find a new king after he dies. After a poetic prophecy is delivered through the Court Wizard, the kingdom goes in search of a person that can meet that criteria. This results in a funny mix-up of a doll being deemed the queen of the kingdom, shedding light on the fact that appearances aren’t always what they seem.  

This story also shows the importance of authenticity and truth, and how societal standards don’t always allow for the most important aspects of a person to be seen and heard. It can spark discussions about prophecies and can be accompanied by an activity in which students write their own.

Mrs. Pepperpot Stories by Alf Proysen

Mrs. Pepperpot is constantly shrinking! This poses a number of funny and unexpected predicaments that children have loved reading for decades. Each Mrs. Pepperpot story by Alf Proysen places her in a new challenge as a mini human, whether it’s swimming through a pond with frogs or climbing over a mountain of ice cream. 

Young readers will benefit from the creativity of these stories, as it helps spark their imaginations and can provide great fodder for other creative writing activities. For example, what would you do if you were faced with a giant mousetrap? What would you say to a crafty fox? These are the kinds of questions that work well for writing exercises paired with Proysen’s stories.

Little Bad Wolf and Red Riding Hood by Timothy Tocher

This is a funny, fresh twist on a classic children’s tale. Little Bad Wolf and Red Riding Hood by Timothy Tocher follows the big bad wolf and his new food stealing scheme and his encounter with Red Riding Hood. Rather than the traditional story, in which Red Riding Hood relies on the huntsmen to save her, this new version offers a more empowering and feminist twist. 

Red Riding Hood saves the day and herself by using common sense and the help of technology. This is a great story for teaching morals, including why it’s important to be honest and not steal. It also has themes around why you shouldn’t talk to strangers and why trustworthiness is an important virtue.

The Witch’s Vacuum Cleaner by Terry Pratchett

This lighthearted and funny short story collection is praised by children and adults alike. The Witch’s Vacuum Cleaner, like the others in the book by Terry Pratchett, is magical and imaginative. The stories follow characters as they interact with mystical items like a magical vacuum cleaner, a time-traveling television and silly gnomes. 

This fantasy collection offers endless amusement and engagement for elementary students, especially those interested in adventure and magic. This collection, written when Pratchett was just 17, was published posthumously and is an ode to his brilliance and dedication to the craft of storytelling.

Once Upon an Alphabet by Oliver Jeffers

This is a beautiful alphabet book for pre-K, kindergarten and first grade students. Instead of being one whole story, Once Upon an Alphabet by Oliver Jeffers offers a mini story surrounding each letter to explain its importance in the alphabet. These stories are quirky, humorous and filled with imagination and joy. 

Jeffers book takes ordinary alphabet lessons and turns them into important stories about letters and language. Though short, each story is sweet and filled with life lessons and reflections. This book of stories effectively explores themes of humanity and feelings to achor the importance that letters play in our world.

Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories by R.J. Palacio

Auggie & Me by R.J. Palacio is an amazing story collection that introduces young students to the ideas of tolerance and understanding. It is a companion book to Wonder by the same author, which follows the tale of a student named Auggie, though it can be read as a stand alone. 

The book is comprised of three stories all revolving around the same events, yet from three different points of view. This helps students understand what other characters are doing in a story, what they might be thinking, and why they act the way they do. It also helps children develop compassion and sensitivity towards those who are different, and can foster a sense of acceptance among students who may feel they are different themselves.

Images by: Jozef Polk/©123RF.com, soloway/©123RF.com, wckiw/©123RF. com

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?

Stories for children 7-8-9-10 years old

Search by title on page

Search results ""

Dragunsky's funny and instructive story about how Denis imagined himself as an adult. The boy dreamed about how he would reprimand his father, mother and grandmother for misbehavior: being late, walking without a hat, talking at dinner, etc. This ...

An interesting and informative story about two friends who bought two toy phones to talk to each other . Yes, only Mishka decided to disassemble his apparatus and see how it works. And to collect, as it was, and ...

A story about two friends who were left alone at the dacha for two days. When leaving, my mother explained how to cook porridge and soup. Yes, only the boys did not listen to advice at all. Read how the friends caught the escaping porridge, got out the bucket...

A funny story about how the yard dog Bobik came to visit his master Barbos. Bobik was surprised by everything in the house: a wall clock, a hairbrush, a mirror, a TV set. Watchdog, as a hospitable host, explained to a friend about the purpose of objects. And then…

Dragunsky's story about Denisk and Mishka, who did their homework together. At the same time, Deniska tells a friend about lemurs. Then the boys decide to check each other's work and find many mistakes - everything needs to be redone. After…

A funny story about a boy who didn't want to eat semolina. Mom promised to take him to the Kremlin if he ate all the porridge. Deniska adds sugar, salt, water and even horseradish to the porridge to make it more…

Dragunsky's story about three guys who didn't pronounce the letter Sh. It all started when a truck with a Christmas tree drove into the courtyard of the house. Alyonka says: “Look, there are detectives hanging on the Christmas tree.” This is where it started…

Dragunsky's story about Denisk, who came to visit his friend Mishka. Mishka gathered a lot of guys. And then it was decided to play hide and seek. Deniska decided to outsmart everyone and hide in one of the communal rooms….

A story about how a teacher witty weaned Fedya Rybkin from laughing in class. The boy was smeared with mascara, the whole class could not look at him without laughing. This made Fred very happy. The teacher, discovering the reason for the fun, said that on ...

An instructive story about the blacksmith's son Vasya. The boy was very fond of riding a cart drawn by his father's horse. The blacksmith did not approve of this. Once Vasya took a cart and went to the forest. A branch got into the wheel and started whipping the boy…

A story about rescuing a dog and a kitten on a river during an ice drift. The guys threw a board on the ice floe and the dog in its teeth with the kitten moved to the shore. She missed her master very much and was very happy when he…

Nosov's instructive story, which teaches that one should not take someone else's property. Pavlik and Kotka once picked cucumbers in the collective farm garden. Kotka's mother saw cucumbers in her son's pocket and found out how he got them. This is strong for her…

A story about a boy, Kotka, who was sitting at home and did not want to build a hill. However, when the guys built a slide and went home, Kotka went out into the yard to skate. And he wanted to ride from a new mountain. Climb up…

A cautionary tale about honesty. Minka got an A at school and got so upset that he forgot his diary on a park bench. They brought him a new diary and again put a unit there. In the evening a guest came and brought a forgotten diary…

Dragunsky's story about the boy Deniska's sympathy for a circus performer. One day he went to the circus with his class. He liked the show very much. Especially the number with a huge blue ball on which a little girl danced. After the performance of Denis was ...

A humorous story about Denis and Mishka, who were assigned to sing a duet with satirical verses at a concert. The boys rehearsed for a long time, but during the performance Mishka got excited and repeated the first verse three times. The whole hall was falling from…

The commander left the horse wounded in the leg in the village and the miller Pankrat cured him. But he could not feed the horse, so the horse walked around the village and everyone fed him little by little. But one day the unkind boy Filka hit...

A funny story about how three friends went on a trip around the world, taking with them a dog and a whole bag with things: plates, forks, pencils, pillows and other utensils. Read how their campaign ended and Styopka succeeded ...

Once Deniska and Mishka played hockey and were late for the lessons. They came up with a good reason, but never agreed. As a result, the deceit came out. A fire in an outhouse or a feat in the ice read We…

Pyotr Terentyev, preparing to go to war, received from his son a beetle, which he found in the garden, as a gift. Peter put him in a box, fed him and let him fly. The beetle went through the whole war with the soldier. Adventures of a rhinoceros beetle…

Site news

This section of our site contains stories of favorite Russian writers for children 7-8-9-10 years. Many of them are included in the main school curriculum and the extracurricular reading program for grades 2 and 3. However, these interesting stories for children are worth reading not for the sake of a line in the reader's diary. Being classics of Russian literature, the stories of Tolstoy, Bianchi and other authors have educational and educational functions. In short children's stories, the reader is faced with good and evil, friendship and betrayal, honesty and deceit. Younger students learn about the life and way of life of previous generations.

The stories of the classics not only teach and edify, but also entertain. Funny stories of Zoshchenko, Dragunsky, Oster are familiar to every person since childhood. Plots understandable to children and light humor made the stories the most readable works among junior schoolchildren aged 7-10. Read interesting stories of Russian writers online on our website!

  • Pumpkin boy

    Vietnamese fairy tale

    A woman gave birth to an ugly baby that looked like a pumpkin. As soon as he was born, he immediately ate a whole pot of rice porridge, and since then every day he ate more and more. He…

  • Miraculous pearl

    Vietnamese fairy tale

    A story about a poor girl named Ua. She was an orphan and from an early age worked for the elder: she cut down large trees, and when the rice ripened, she cleaned it from early morning until dark. Never…

  • Bamboo about a hundred knees

    Vietnamese fairy tale

    In ancient times, one owner had a beautiful daughter. And in the house he kept a farmhand. The owner wanted the laborer to try even harder, and once promised him that he would marry his daughter to him if the laborer was ...

  • Cunning Kuoi

    Vietnamese fairy tale

    A fairy tale about a boy named Kuoi, who was good at making up stories and learned how to deftly fool people, especially the rich. The rumor about Kuoy's abilities reached one rich old man, and he decided to test Kuoy himself...

    This is a romantic story about how important it is to follow the goal without giving up and not paying attention to various life obstacles. The protagonist, chasing a dream, goes through many adventures, in which he is assisted by the legendary patroness of sailors….

  • First love

    Turgenev I.S.

    The story of the first youthful love and adult relationship between the heroine and Volodya's father. The author shows the character of the heroine not from the best side: she is cunning, prudent. In addition to Volodya, she had several other potential suitors ... Dedicated to P. V. Annenkov ....

  • Arena

    Frederic Brown

    A fantastic story about an irreconcilable war between the inhabitants of the earth and aliens. Pilot Carson and the Alien are at war for the future of civilization and whoever wins will grant great prosperity and existence to this civilization. "Arena" read Carson...

  • Netochka Nezvanova

    Dostoevsky F.M.

    The most lyrical and poignant of all the stories of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky about the life of a little girl who lives in constant dreams, and completely misunderstands everything that is happening around her. Chapter I I don't remember my father. He died…

  • Poems about spring for children 3-4-5 years old

    Poems about spring for children 3-4-5 years old

    Welcome to the section of our site dedicated to poems about spring for children 3- 5 years! Spring is the time of the year when everything around wakes up from hibernation, the earth begins to turn green, flowers bloom, and birds return from ...

  • Poems about spring for children 5-6-7 years old

    Poems about spring for children 5-6-7 years old

    Welcome to the section of our site devoted to poems about spring for children 5-7 years old! Spring is the time of the year when a new cycle of life begins. During this wonderful period, children especially love to walk in the street, watch ...

  • Poems about summer for children 5-6-7 years old

    Poems about summer for children 5-6-7 years old

    Here you will find bright and colorful poems about summer adventures, about animals and nature in summer, as well as about how pleasant it is to spend time outdoors in the warm season. Poems teach children to feel poetic ...

  • Poems about summer for children 3-4-5 years old

    Poems about summer for children 3-4-5 years old

    Welcome to the section of our site devoted to poems about summer for children 3-5 years old! Summer is a wonderful time of the year when children especially want to play outdoors, swim, pick berries and fruits, have picnics...

  • 1 - Little Red Riding Hood

    Charles Perrault

    A short tale about a gullible girl and a cunning gray wolf. Disobeying her mother, the girl turns off the road and talks to a stranger - a gray wolf ... "Little Red Riding Hood" read Once upon a time there was a little girl. Her mother loved her without memory, and her grandmother ...

  • 2 - Kolobok

    Russian folk tale

    The tale about Kolobok is found in Russian and Ukrainian folklore, and also has analogues in fairy tales of many other nations. Our site presents a version of a folk tale in the processing of A.N. Tolstoy. "Gingerbread Man" read Once upon a time there was an old man with an old woman. Here ...

  • 3 - Three little pigs

    Mikhalkov S.

    A fairy tale about three little pigs who built houses for themselves. One brother built a house out of straw, another out of twigs and twigs, and a third out of bricks. "Three Little Pigs" read Once upon a time there were three little pigs in the world. Three brothers. All…

  • 4 - The turnip

    Russian folk tale

    The turnip is a famous fairy tale for the little ones with a lot of repetitions. The child quickly remembers the sequence of presentation and a simple plot. "Turnip" read Grandfather planted a turnip and says: - Grow a turnip, sweet, sweet! Grow big, big! A turnip has grown, sweet and big, big….

  • 5 - Puss in Boots

    Charles Perrault

    The tale of an unusual cat that was inherited by a younger brother from a miller's father. The young man at first was not very happy with his share of the inheritance, but the cunning and intelligent cat made him the richest man and son-in-law of the king ... "The cat in ...

  • 6 - A wolf and seven kids

    Russian folk tale

    The fairy tale tells about an evil wolf who changed his voice, made his way into the goat's house and ate little kids. But the mother goat will be able to save her children and get rid of the wolf. "The Wolf and the Seven Kids" read Once upon a time there was a goat with kids ....

  • 7 - The Tale of Tsar Saltan

    Pushkin A.S.

    The tale of Tsar Saltan, of his son, the glorious and mighty hero Prince Gvidon Saltanovich, and of the beautiful Swan Princess was created on the basis of the folk tale "Wonderful Sons". Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin enriched the folk work with new plot twists, ...

  • 8 - Wizard of the Emerald City

    Volkov A. M.

    "The Wizard of the Emerald City" - a fairy tale story by Alexander Volkov written in 1939 based on the fairy tale "The Wise Man of Oz" by American writer Frank Baum with some changes. In 1959, a new edition of the book was published, significantly revised ...

  • 9 - The Snow Queen

    Hans Christian Andersen

    The Snow Queen is one of Hans Christian Andersen's most famous fairy tales about love, which can overcome any test and melt even an icy heart! "The Snow Queen" read Table of contents: The first story, which tells about the mirror ...0003

  • 10 - Bremen town musicians

    Entin Yu.S. and Livanov V.B.

    The story of the animals and the young Troubadour who went to the city of Bremen to become street musicians. In the city they stopped in front of the royal castle. The king and the princess came out onto the balcony of the palace, the townspeople came running to the square and it began…

    A fairy tale about a girl Zhenya, who was presented with a magic seven-flower flower. It had seven petals and could grant any seven wishes. Zhenya spent the first six wishes, but did not receive any pleasure and only made her last wish ...

  • 12 - Three Bears

    Russian folk tale

    Three Bears - a fairy tale about a girl who got lost in the forest and ended up in the bears' house. There she behaved very rudely: without permission, she ate from every cup, sat on every chair, lay in every bed, ...

  • 13 - Winnie the Pooh and all, all, all

    Winnie the Pooh does not obey the laws of the fairy tale genre. The tale is devoid of negative characters, the struggle between good and evil forces. The main characters of the tale are the toys of the boy Christopher, with whom funny situations happen in a magical ...

  • 14 - Crocodile Gena and his friends

    Uspensky E.N.

    Tale about a lonely crocodile Gena. Coming home from work from the zoo, he was left alone and bored. Crocodile Gena decided to make friends with someone. He wrote an announcement that he was looking for friends, hung them around the city and…

  • 15 - Geese-Swans

    Russian folk tale

    Geese-Swans — a fairy tale about how a boy was carried away by geese-swans and his sister went to look for him. The stove, apple tree and river helped the girl save her brother. Read the fairy tale in the processing of A.N. Tolstoy. "Geese-swans" read There lived a man and a woman. At…

  • 16 - The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish

    Pushkin A.S.

    The tale of a poor fisherman who caught a golden fish in his net. The old man took pity on the fish, released it into the sea. For this, the fish promised to fulfill his every desire. The old man did not ask for anything, but when he returned home, he told about…

  • 17 - Hen Ryaba

    Russian folk tale

    Hen Ryaba is the first fairy tale-parable that mothers read to their babies. Children quickly grasp a simple plot and remember it by heart. Hen Ryaba read Once upon a time there was a grandfather and a woman. And they had a Ryaba Hen. The chicken laid an egg, yes ...

  • 18 - The Frog Princess

    Russian folk tale

    The Frog Princess is a Russian folk tale where the main character, Ivan Tsarevich, married a frog by the will of fate. Ivan had no idea that his wife was Vasilisa the Wise, turned by Koshchei into a frog. Ivan hurried, burned the frog's skin and had to...

  • 19 - Masha and the Bear

    Russian folk tale

    Masha and the Bear is a fairy tale about a girl who got lost in the forest and ended up in a bear's hut. The bear did not let Mashenka go home, however, the girl came up with a way to return to her grandparents. "Masha and ...

  • 20 - The Fox and the Crane

    Russian folk tale

    The Fox and the Crane is a fairy tale about friendship between a cunning fox and a clever crane. The crane could not eat the semolina porridge, which the Fox smeared on a plate. He invited her to his place and treated her to a delicious okroshka, which he served…

  • 21 - Thumbelina

    Hans Christian Andersen

    The fairy tale about Thumbelina is loved by children all over the world. A tiny girl born from a flower goes through many trials on the way to her happiness. Fate rewards Thumbelina for her kind heart. The swallow she rescued earlier endures...

  • 22 - The Little Mermaid

    Hans Christian Andersen

    A touching tale of the Little Mermaid's intense love for the prince. The little mermaid is ready to give up everything that is dear to her for the sake of the human soul and the love of the prince ... The fairy tale formed the basis of the plots of many films, cartoons and musicals. Little Mermaid read In the open…

  • 23 - Sleeping Beauty

    Charles Perrault

    A fairy tale about a beautiful princess who was cursed by an offended fairy at a celebration in honor of her birth. The old fairy predicted the girl's death from a spindle prick, but the good fairy was able to commute the sentence. The girl did not die, but fell asleep on ...

  • 24 - Ax porridge

    Russian folk tale

    Ax porridge is a short fairy tale about a witty soldier. The greedy old woman did not want to feed the soldier, but he outwitted her and got porridge with butter ... Read porridge from an ax The old soldier went on a visit. Tired of…

  • 25 - The Ugly Duckling

    Hans Christian Andersen

    A fairy tale about the miraculous transformation of an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan. The duckling was born unlike his brothers, the inhabitants of the poultry yard disliked him for his dissimilarity to the others. The duckling had to leave the house and go through many trials before he…

  • 26 - Twelve months

    Samuil Marshak

    Do you know how many months there are in a year? - Twelve. And what are their names? — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December. As soon as one month ends, another immediately begins. And…

  • 27 - The Princess and the Pea

    Hans Christian Andersen

    A short story about how the prince wanted to marry a real princess. One day, a girl knocked on the gate, who was soaked to the skin, but assured that she was a real princess. She was allowed to sleep, and the old queen gave her a check……

  • 28 - Sister Alyonushka and brother Ivanushka

    Russian folk tale

    Sister Alyonushka and brother Ivanushka is a fairy tale about how the younger brother disobeyed his sister, got drunk from a hoof and turned into a kid… Sister Alyonushka and brother Ivanushka read Once upon a time an old man and an old woman, they had…

  • 29 - Bean seed

    Russian folk tale

    The cockerel and the bean seed is a Russian folk tale about a rooster who was always in a hurry when he pecked at the seeds. The hen warned him all the time and asked him to peck more slowly. One day he choked on a bean seed and fell down. But the chicken ...

  • 30 - Fear's eyes are big

    Russian folk tale

    Fear's eyes are big - a short fairy tale about the fact that from fear you can see what was not really ... (from M.M. Serova's collection) Fear has big eyes read Once upon a time, there was an old grandmother, a laughing granddaughter, a chicken-klokhtushka and a little mouse. Every…

  • 31 - Teremok

    Russian folk audio fairy tale

    Teremok is a short fairy tale for kids about a house that sheltered many animals. However, the tower could not accommodate a huge bear and broke.

  • 32 - Sivka Burka

    Russian folk tale

    Sivka-Burka is a fairy tale about the adventures of Ivan the Fool and his gallant horse. Sivka Burka read The old man had three sons: two smart ones, and the third Ivanushka the Fool; day and night the fool is lying on the stove. The old man sowed wheat, and it grew ...

  • 33 - Baba Yaga

    Russian folk tale

    A fairy tale about a girl who was able to get out of the clutches of Baba Yaga, thanks to the advice of her own aunt and kind cat … Read Baba Yaga Once upon a time there was a husband and wife, and they had a daughter. The wife fell ill and died. Grieved, grieved ...

  • 34 - The tale of the priest and his worker Balda

    Pushkin A.S.

    The tale of the stingy priest and resourceful worker Balda. Somehow Balda was hired for the service for three clicks on the forehead of the priest. When the time of reckoning was approaching, the priest decided to give Balda an impossible task in order to get rid of him. But Balda…

  • 35 - Little Humpbacked Horse

    Ershov P.

    There was an old man in a village who had three sons. They grew wheat and sold it in the market. But then someone got into the habit of trampling wheat in the field at night ... Table of contents: Part one. The fairy tale begins...

  • 36 - Alice in Wonderland

    Carroll L.

    A captivating story about a girl Alice, who met a talking White Rabbit and got into amazing worlds where she met very unusual characters... Chapter 1. Down the rabbit hole Alice got bored of sitting with her sister idle on the shore…

  • 37 - The Little Prince

    Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

    A fairy tale about how a pilot, who remained a child at heart, met the Little Prince in the desert, who arrived from another planet. Table of contents: Dedication Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter…

    Stories Vitaliy Bianchi

    Sort by: Popularity of reading a viewing screening