Short stories for kg students
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 TortoiseThere 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.
2. The Dog and the BoneOnce 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.
3. The Thirsty CrowAfter 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.
4. Lazy JohnThere 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.
5. The Fox and The GrapesOnce 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.
6. The Ant and The GrasshopperThe 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.
7. The Boy Who Cried WolfThere 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.
8. The Ugly DucklingMost 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.
9. The Lion and the Poor SlaveThere 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.
10. The Elephant and the AntsThere 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.
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 TreeThe 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.
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12 Contemporary Stories That Don't Get Bored of Teenagers - Orthodox Magazine "Foma"
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At school, children study the literature of past centuries, but they have the most vague ideas about modern Russian (as well as foreign) prose.
Meanwhile, there are many modern stories that are not just accessible, but quite interesting to a teenager. But not only that: if children read them and discuss them with their parents, such reading can greatly bring different generations closer together. Recommendations for such family reading are given by Rimma Isakovna Zandman, Honored Teacher of Russia, teacher of Russian language and literature at Moscow Gymnasium No. 1512.
At my gymnasium, in addition to Russian language and literature lessons, I run a literary studio where teenagers come from the age of 13-14. In these classes, the children and I read and discuss the latest Russian prose. It is a misconception that it is not available to teenagers, that they are only attracted to fantasy and horror films. No, they read with keen interest those stories by contemporary Russian-speaking writers that I recommend to them, and discuss them vigorously. And our studio is open, and parents often come to classes, and participate in the discussion along with the children.
So, I noticed a long time ago that such joint reading and discussion not only develops children, but also improves their relationship with their parents (as well as with grandparents), helps different generations in the family to better understand each other.
And, of course, such joint reading and discussion can take place not only in the format of a school literary studio, but simply at home. The initiative, of course, here should come from the parents.
However, the question immediately arises: what exactly to read with children? In my opinion, it is short stories that are best suited for this, and not novels and novels. This is a reading that does not strain, but is very meaningful, deep, and in the family can be discussed in detail. It is important that these are stories from today, from life that children understand.
But where exactly do you get them, such stories? I have long taught my children to use the largest online resource that publishes high-quality modern prose and poetry - the Magazine Room (magazines.
russ.ru). In addition, a lot of good stories can be found on the long list of the Yuri Kazakov Literary Prize (it is also published in the Journal Hall).
It is clear that the selection of such stories for reading and discussion with teenagers requires a lot of work. I constantly monitor periodicals, go to bookstores and study the contents of the shelves with modern prose. But I am a teacher, this is my job, but for parents, especially those far from philology, it will be more difficult. Therefore, I took the liberty of recommending to the readers of "Thomas" several stories from those that we, together with our children and parents, discussed in the classes of the literary studio. All of these stories are available online for free.
1
Irina Polyanskaya. "Iron and ice cream"
This is a sad story that quite clearly poses the problem of the relationship between the child and the family. A story about how tragically parents can not understand their children and how children lose confidence in their relatives.
Of course, now this topic is being developed very actively in the literature for middle and older adolescents.
Suitable for teenagers from 14 years old.
2
Vyacheslav Komkov. " I am German"
A story on the same topic - the relationship between parents and children, but here the situation is opposite. A very difficult child - and the patience and love of parents ... Such stories must be discussed after reading together, to analyze the situations described there. But to show the artistic features of the text is the job of the teacher.
Suitable for teenagers from 12 years old.
3
Elena Dolgopyat. "Clock"
This story is fantastic, or rather, even fabulous - there the teenage hero has the opportunity to change something in his past, but any such change changes his present. Is it worth it? A question that is very useful to discuss with children.
After all, behind the fantastic entourage here is a very real problem - responsibility for any choice, awareness of its consequences.
Suitable for teenagers from 12 years old.
4
Anna Ignatova. "Djinn Seva"
This is a terribly funny story. We were drinking Jay Seven juice and suddenly an orange subject appeared from the bag. They ask him - who are you? He replies that since it is made of liquid, it means gin. Why not from a bottle? But because, he answers, you can’t get enough bottles for us genies. And this genie Seva, according to all fairy-tale canons, must fulfill the desires of the heroine-girl. The encounter with this new formation genie is very funny, and the girl in it turns out to be kinder and better than the genie. When she has only one wish left, she asks: let there be peace in the whole world for at least five minutes ..
Suitable for children over 10 years old.
By the way, I draw your attention to the magazine "October", which periodically publishes children's issues - entirely consisting of works addressed to the young reader. And there, too, you can look for stories to read together with children.
There are stories that are better given to high school students (although in some cases they are quite accessible to children from 14 years old). For example, these:
5
Nina Litvinets. "Antiquarian"
A sad story about old people, about their perception of life. There is also a sharp social line - the plot is built on how a certain rogue antiquarian deceives an elderly woman. It seems that, from a rational point of view, nothing of the kind happened, but the heroine of the story could not survive what happened. “She was tormented by her conscience, she felt like a traitor - in relation to Alyosha, to the happy years lived together, to jointly acquired things that did not represent antique value, but were so dear to both of them.
” Thanks to such stories, teenagers will be much better able to understand the inner world of their grandparents.
Suitable for teenagers from 14 years old.
6
Oleg Ryabov. "The Death of an Old Man"
This very lyrical, poignant, soul-stirring story has a very important theme - coming to faith. If you read it together with children, it will contribute to the spiritual rapprochement of older and younger.
Suitable for teenagers from 16 years old.
7
Andrey Volos. "Wicket"
A story about how an old man's wife died and he lost the meaning of life — and this is a reason to talk about how love gives meaning to life. Here you can talk about how fragile human life is. The story ends with the fact that the old man, after crying over his wife's grave, steps over the low fence without opening the gate, and suddenly thinks: Lord, what is human life? So you stepped over - and you are in the world of the living, stepped back - and you are already in some other world.
Suitable for teenagers from 16 years old.
8
Leonid Yuzefovich. "Late Call"
This is a story that both 10th and 11th graders and parents will enjoy reading. A story about how a work appeared, in which, by some indirect signs, a person recognizes the fate of his grandfather. And since the grandfather looks very unpresentable in the work, his grandson calls the author, the showdown begins ... And here the correlation of creativity and life is very interesting, the desire to preserve the reputation of the family is important here. This is very important for discussion at home. And in some cases, you can read it with 13-14-year-old teenagers.
Suitable for teenagers from 16 years old.
9
Elena Dolgopyat. "The Miserly Knight"
How wonderfully the literary tradition can be traced here! How interesting it is to show what life is in general! And how unexpectedly it is shown here that any house in which there is love and kindness can become a kind of Noah's ark.
Moreover, all this is not torn off the ground, it is very interesting to see the intersecting spaces of human life - from the market to the monastery. And the hotel - with the meaning that here, on earth, we are only guests. In general, there are a lot of semantic layers in this story.
Suitable for teenagers from 16 years old.
10
Alexander Snegirev. “Photo in a black jacket”
This is about the vicissitudes of human destiny, about responsibility for every step of one's life, about the consequences of lies, about courage, about resisting aggressive fanaticism.
Suitable for teenagers from 15 years old.
11
Mikhail Shishkin. "Coat with a strap"
By and large, this work is about how a work is born, about what underlies creativity. And it turns out that for the writer - the hero of the story, this is a relationship with his mother.
Suitable for teenagers from 14 years old.
12
Igor Levshin. "Flight"
A very subtle, intellectual fantasy story about a man's encounter with a new virtual civilization. Human consciousness and artificial intelligence: how they interact. And it turns out that this computer world gives rise to its own Mephistophiles and Fausts.
Suitable for teenagers from 16 years old.
on the screensaver: photo Johnny McClung on Unsplash
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Yellow and fluffy 
Dyatel 
Cinderella 
Shakespeare's Eighth sonnet 
.. 
After the Rain 
S. Pushkin The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish 
