Short stories for little children


Short Stories for Children

Please enjoy these great stories, fairy-tales, fables, and nursery rhymes for children. They help kids learn to read and make excellent bedtime stories! We have hundreds of great children's stories for you to share.

You may also enjoy Favorite Fairy Tales, Books for Young Readers, Children's Poems, Lullabies and Short Stories for Students


The Three Little PigsWinnie The PoohThe Velveteen RabbitJack and the BeanstalkThe Tale of Peter RabbitThe Elves and the ShoemakerThe Bogey-BeastLittle Red Riding HoodMy Father's DragonSt. George and the DragonSnow WhiteCinderellaRikki Tikki TaviThe Tortoise and the HareThe Gingerbread ManThe Little Thief in the PantryThe Ugly DucklingThumbelinaThe Bremen Town MusiciansAlice's Adventures Under Ground - A shortened version of the original storyThe Ant and the GrasshopperAesop's FablesThe Reluctant DragonThe Emperor's New ClothesThe Princess and the PeaHans Christian AndersenRapunzelThe Little Old Woman Who Lived in a ShoeFive Little PigsOld Mother Goose and Her Son JackMother Goose Nursery RhymesGrimm's Fairy TalesHansel and GretelThe Little MermaidThe Snow Image: A Childish MiracleFather FrostThe Snow QueenHow the Moon Became BeautifulNathaniel Hawthorne: The Paradise of ChildrenThe Little Match GirlCousin Tribulation's StoryThe Pied Piper of HamelinHuckleberryCarl Sandburg, Rootabaga StoriesThe Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras CountyHindu Tale: The Magic PitcherJust So StoriesThis Land Is Your LandThe Tale of Johnny Town MouseGoldilocks and the Three BearsLittle-Girl-Afraid-of-a-DogThe Little Red HenLittle Bo-PeepThe Wolf and the Seven Little KidsThe Three Billy-Goats GruffThis Old ManThe Two SistersA Little Tiny ThingThe Cunning Little TailorThe Owl and the Pussy-CatAndroclus and the LionThe Night Moth With a Crooked FeelerAli Baba and the Forty ThievesEast of the Sun and West of the MoonBruce and the SpiderHow Jack Went Out to Seek His FortuneThe Adventures of AladdinHenny-Penny: The Sky is Falling!The Fisherman and his WifeBriar-Rose, or Sleeping BeautyMatsuo Basho HaikusThe Forest Bride: The Story of a Little Mouse Who Was a PrincessThe Selfish GiantThe Happy PrinceThe Blind Men and the ElephantThe Sagacious Monkey and the BoarThe Farmer and the BadgerHinky Pinkie RiddlesChildren's Stories: Mother Bear's CallThe Wind in the WillowsThe Last Dream of Old OakSoup on a Sausage Peg, Andersen's story akin to 'Stone Soup'The Rover Boys: Fun on the IceHow They Ran AwayThe Golden TouchPegasus, The Winged HorseHow Theseus Slays the MinotaurThe Great Stone FaceThe Golden WindowsThe Dragon's TeethThe Coming of the KingThe Great FeastThe Marsh King's DaughterThe Sea-MaidenThe Story of Little Boy BlueMother Earth's Children, Fruit and Vegetable RhymesLittle BenjaminPuss in BootsGoody Two ShoesFolk Hero Paul BunyanHalloween Stories for Children: A Tale for HalloweenThe Pumpkin GloryMary E. Wilkins Freeman, Thankful, a great story for Thanksgiving!Christmas Stories for ChildrenTwas The Night Before Christmas

Looking for chapter books like The Wizard of Oz and Treasure Island? Enjoy our collection of chapter Books for Young Readers

You might also like our whimsical Children's Poems, Yummy Stories and for learn-to-read fun, Pre-K Wordplay!

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The Three Little Pigs


The story of The Three Little Pigs featured here has been adapted from different sources and from childhood memory. The primary sources are English Fairy Tales, retold by Flora Annie Steel (1922) with illustrations by L. Leslie Brooke from the 1904 version. This story is featured in our Favorite Fairy Tales and Children's Stories.


Once upon a time there was an old mother pig who had three little pigs and not enough food to feed them. So when they were old enough, she sent them out into the world to seek their fortunes.

The first little pig was very lazy. He didn't want to work at all and he built his house out of straw. The second little pig worked a little bit harder but he was somewhat lazy too and he built his house out of sticks. Then, they sang and danced and played together the rest of the day.

The third little pig worked hard all day and built his house with bricks. It was a sturdy house complete with a fine fireplace and chimney. It looked like it could withstand the strongest winds.

The next day, a wolf happened to pass by the lane where the three little pigs lived; and he saw the straw house, and he smelled the pig inside. He thought the pig would make a mighty fine meal and his mouth began to water.

So he knocked on the door and said:

 Little pig! Little pig! Let me in! Let me in! 

But the little pig saw the wolf's big paws through the keyhole, so he answered back:

 No! No! No! Not by the hairs on my chinny chin chin! 

Then the wolf showed his teeth and said:

 Then I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house down. 

So he huffed and he puffed and he blew the house down! The wolf opened his jaws very wide and bit down as hard as he could, but the first little pig escaped and ran away to hide with the second little pig.

The wolf continued down the lane and he passed by the second house made of sticks; and he saw the house, and he smelled the pigs inside, and his mouth began to water as he thought about the fine dinner they would make.

So he knocked on the door and said:

 Little pigs! Little pigs! Let me in! Let me in! 

But the little pigs saw the wolf's pointy ears through the keyhole, so they answered back:

 No! No! No! Not by the hairs on our chinny chin chin! 

So the wolf showed his teeth and said:

 Then I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house down! 

So he huffed and he puffed and he blew the house down! The wolf was greedy and he tried to catch both pigs at once, but he was too greedy and got neither! His big jaws clamped down on nothing but air and the two little pigs scrambled away as fast as their little hooves would carry them.

The wolf chased them down the lane and he almost caught them. But they made it to the brick house and slammed the door closed before the wolf could catch them. The three little pigs they were very frightened, they knew the wolf wanted to eat them. And that was very, very true. The wolf hadn't eaten all day and he had worked up a large appetite chasing the pigs around and now he could smell all three of them inside and he knew that the three little pigs would make a lovely feast.

So the wolf knocked on the door and said:

 Little pigs! Little pigs! Let me in! Let me in! 

But the little pigs saw the wolf's narrow eyes through the keyhole, so they answered back:

 No! No! No! Not by the hairs on our chinny chin chin! 

So the wolf showed his teeth and said:

 Then I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house down. 

Well! he huffed and he puffed. He puffed and he huffed. And he huffed, huffed, and he puffed, puffed; but he could not blow the house down. At last, he was so out of breath that he couldn't huff and he couldn't puff anymore. So he stopped to rest and thought a bit.

But this was too much. The wolf danced about with rage and swore he would come down the chimney and eat up the little pig for his supper. But while he was climbing on to the roof the little pig made up a blazing fire and put on a big pot full of water to boil. Then, just as the wolf was coming down the chimney, the little piggy pulled off the lid, and plop! in fell the wolf into the scalding water.

So the little piggy put on the cover again, boiled the wolf up, and the three little pigs ate him for supper.


If you enjoyed this story, you may be interested in our collection of Children's Stories or other titles from our library of Pre-K Read-Aloud Stories.



Short stories for children. Read online with pictures.

This section of our site contains short stories Russian writers for children of all ages.
Small works are more easily perceived by young readers. The child can listen to short stories to the end with pleasure. A little later, he himself will begin to read these small masterpieces of literature.
Parents often do not have enough time to read long books. For example, before going to bed or on the road. In these cases, our selection of short stories will be very useful to you.
In addition, short stories will help the child learn to retell texts :
— Before reading the story, explain to the child the meaning of all incomprehensible words and situations;
- After reading a short story, ask questions to find out the degree of understanding of the text. If the child is not ready to retell the text in full, then you can start with a partial retelling. For example, you tell the text, and the child completes individual words or sentences.
- Then ask them to retell the text on their own. If difficulties arise, then your tips and leading questions will help to master the retelling!
- You can tell the text in turn. So you teach your child not only to talk, but also to listen carefully.

Grade 1-2

A well-known story about two friends and a kitten whose hat fell off a chest of drawers. The boys at first thought that the hat had come to life and were very frightened. But soon the secret of the hat was discovered... The story The living hat read The hat was lying on...

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

Grade 2

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…

Grade 1

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…

1-2 grade

A story about a boy and a girl who read the fairy tale Three Little Pigs and decided to build a house out of blankets and chairs. And suddenly it seemed to the boy that a gray wolf grabbed his leg ... The story of the Entertainer read We and ...

Grade 4

An instructive story about shame, about not taking other people's things, about the fact that a misdemeanor will be punished. Read the story about Lyola and Minka, who ate candy from the New Year tree and opened presents… Christmas tree read…

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…

Grade 2

A story about a boy named Bobka, who had wonderful khaki pants. Climbing over the fence, the boy tore his pants, and his mother got angry and did not sew them up. Bobka decided to put the patch himself... The story Patch to read U...

One day 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 outbuilding or a feat in the ice read We…

Pyotr Terentyev, going 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…

This story is about a four-year-old boy, Petya. Mom took great care of him, fed him with a spoon and dressed him. One morning, mother put Petya on his feet from the bed, and he fell. Mom was terribly scared and even called ...

A funny story about how two friends dreamed of driving a car. Once a car drove into the yard and the boys began to find out what brand it was. And then Mishka sat on the bumper and offered to ride it... Story.. .

Dragunsky's humorous story about two friends, Denisk and Pavel, who met on the last day of summer. The boys ate watermelon and talked about how they spent their holidays. And then Pavel began to brag that he had been studying English all summer. Deniske…

4 class

A story about two brothers who came with their mother to Moscow to visit their aunt. When the adults left home, the boys also decided to see the city and ride the subway. Yes, but the brothers are underground...

A story about Mishenka, to whom his mother promised a lollipop for his good behavior. While mom was not at home, the boy climbed into the sideboard, found a lollipop in the sugar bowl and began to suck it. Having eaten all the candy, he decided to put the sugar bowl on…

A story about Lyola and Minka, who were visited by their grandmother. Grandma brought cakes. But Lele wanted something else and she asked her grandmother about it. The grandmother was angry with the girl, depriving her of a gift - new coins. They are all…

“Four Wishes” tells about the delights of all seasons. The boy Mitya did not want winter to end, then he really liked spring, then summer ... And all because every season is beautiful in its own way! Four wishes to read Mitya...

Grade 1

A short story about how dad taught Mitya to be neat. The boy quickly planed the stick and it turned out not very smoothly. Papa said that the knife was in a hurry and he had to be taught patience. A hasty knife to read Mitya planed a stick, planed ...

A story about a boy, Alik, who was very afraid of policemen. Once Alik got lost, a policeman approached him, but the boy started to run. Then he was caught, but he still did not want to talk to the law enforcement officer... The story of the policeman read More...

Grade 2

The story is about a girl Tanya, who herself grew currants from cuttings. To do this, she had to work hard: pull out the mugs, dig up the sod, plant cuttings and take care of them. But the work was not in vain. Already next year…

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  • Lucky wolf

    Spanish fairy tale

    One morning in the forest the wolf woke up, sneezed three times and decided that he was lucky three times today. He saw two rams and realized that this was his first success ... "Lucky Wolf" read There lived a wolf in the forest ....

  • Wolf and fox

    Spanish fairy tale

    A fairy tale about how a smart fox got rid of a stupid and insatiable wolf. “The Wolf and the Fox” read The fox lived with the wolf - she served him. Whatever the wolf says, the fox does. And the fox wanted to...

  • Shepherd-small sprout

    Spanish fairy tale

    Once upon a time there lived a shepherd boy of very small stature with a harmful character. Once he met a bird-girl carrying a basket of eggs on her head. The shepherd took the stone and threw it into the basket. All eggs are broken. The bird girl got angry and shouted: “Don’t ...

  • Who is there?

    Spanish fairy tale

    In the forest, in a small house, lived an old woman who was very afraid of thieves. One night there was a strong thunderstorm and rain. It was cold and the old woman warmed herself by the fire. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door ... "Who's there?" read In…

  • Geese in the polynya

    Astafiev V.P.

    A story about how a goose and her goslings got into a polynya on the Yenisei. The hero of the story and his friends saved the geese from death, they risked themselves. "Geese in the polynya" read Freezing on the Yenisei comes gradually. First…

  • Smell of hay

    Astafiev V.P.

    Two boys, cousins, are eager to help their grandfather and uncle bring hay from distant mowing. However, they are not taken with them, the road is hard, the work is difficult. But in the evening, when the hay is already in the yard, the guys are eager and ...

  • Autumn sorrows and joys

    Autumn is a hot time. It is necessary to collect and prepare the entire crop. A story about how a large amount of cabbage is salted for the winter in one of the Siberian villages. It is in some way a mystical and interesting ritual and process….

  • Photo where I am not present

    Astafiev V.P.

    A story about true friendship, sincere love for the native land and shows what a real teacher should be like. It is important to remember those who were with you as a child. These people can be an important part of your life. And together…

  • Russian women

    Nekrasov N.A.

    Contents: ♦ I. Princess Trubetskaya ♦ Part one ♦ Part two ♦ Princess M.N. Volkonskaya ♦ Chapter I ♦ Chapter II ♦ Chapter III ♦ Chapter IV…

  • Tam Glen

    Burns R.

    Oh, aunt, I ask for advice! With such a young man, I don’t need to be afraid of the fate of change. I’ll be glad of poverty, — If only I would be with me…

  • Lines about war and love

    Burns R. I give my blood In that life-creating battle, What we call love. I glorify the triumph of the world, Contentment and prosperity. It is more pleasant to create one Than to destroy a dozen!

  • What's a girl to do

    Burns R.

    What's a girl to do? What shall I do, little girl? How shall I, little girl, live with my hubby? He is grouchy and sick, always dissatisfied. There is coldness in his chest, ice in his hands. He groans, ...

  • has analogues in the tales of many other peoples. Our site presents a version of a folk tale in the processing of A.N. Tolstoy. "Kolobok" read Once upon a time there was an old man with an old woman. Here ...

  • 2 - 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…

  • 3 - Little Red Riding Hood

    Charles Perrault

    A short story about a trusting 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 ...

  • 4 - Turnip

    Russian folk tale

    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 - 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 princess came out onto the balcony of the palace, the townspeople ran to the square and it began ...

  • 6 - Wolf and seven kids

    Russian folk tale

    The tale tells about an evil wolf who changed his voice, made his way into the goat's house and ate the 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 - Flower of seven flowers

    Kataev V.P.

    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 ...

  • 8 - The Snow Queen

    Hans Christian Andersen

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

  • 9 - 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, ...

  • 10 - Three Bears

    Russian folk tale

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

  • 11 - Geese-Swans

    the swan geese carried the boy away and the little 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…

  • 12 - 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 by the American writer Frank Baum "The Wise Man of Oz" with some changes. In 1959, a new edition of the book was published, significantly revised ...

  • 13 - 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 skin and had to ...

  • 14 - 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 put down…

  • 15 - Winnie the Pooh and everything

    Alan Milne

    A cheerful and beloved fairy tale about 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 ...

  • 16 - 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…

  • 17 - 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 wish. The old man didn’t ask for anything, but when he returned home, he told about…

  • 18 - 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 hen laid an egg, yes…

  • 19 - The Little Mermaid

    Hans Christian Andersen

    A touching tale about the Little Mermaid's strong 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…

  • 20 - 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, which she saved earlier, endures…

  • 21 - Puss in Boots

    Charles Perrault

    The tale of an unusual cat, which was inherited by the younger brother from the miller's father. The young man was not very happy at first 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 ...

  • 22 - 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…

  • 23 - 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 in…

  • 24 - 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…

  • 25 - 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……

  • 26 - Sister Alyonushka and brother Ivanushka

    a Russian folk tale -there was an old man and an old woman, they had ...

  • 27 - Bean seed

    Russian folk tale

    Cockerel and bean seed - Russian folk tale about a rooster who was always in a hurry when he pecked the grains. 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 ...

  • 28 - Fear has big eyes

    Russian folk tale

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

  • 29 - 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 ...

  • 30 - 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 a kind cat ... Baba Yaga read Once upon a time there was a husband and wife, and they had a daughter. The wife fell ill and died. Grieved, grieved…

  • 31 - Crocodile Gena and his friends

    Uspensky E.N.

    The tale of the 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 ad that he was looking for friends, hung them around the city and ...

  • 32 - Teremok

    Russian folk audio tale

    Listen to the Russian folk tale "Teremok" online on the Mishkina Books website!

  • 33 - 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…

  • 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.

    An old man lived in a village and 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. Starting…

  • 36 - Alice in Wonderland

    Carroll L.

    A captivating story about a girl Alice, who met a talking White Rabbit and ended up in amazing worlds where she met very unusual characters ... Chapter 1. Down the rabbit hole Alice got bored of sitting with his sister 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. Dedication I ask the children to forgive me for dedicating this book to an adult. I’ll justify it: this one…

The best short stories for children

Children only need to read the best stories! We have selected some instructive stories from children's writers for you.

A short story with a lot of meaning is much easier for a child to master than a long story with several themes. Start reading with simple sketches and move on to more serious books. (Vasily Sukhomlinsky)

Contents

  • Ingratitude
  • Why say "thank you"?
  • Lastochka
  • Evgeny Permyak
    • How Misha wanted to outwit his mother
    • A short story "Ah!"
  • Nikolay Nosov
    • steps
    • slide
  • Nina Pavlova
    • Mouse lost
  • Oseeva
    • Bubble
    • Comrades 9 comrades

Ingratitude

Grandfather Andrey invited his grandson Matvey to visit. The grandfather put a large bowl of honey in front of his grandson, put white rolls, invites:
- Eat, Matveyka, honey. If you want, eat honey with rolls with a spoon, if you want - rolls with honey.
Matvey ate honey with rolls, then rolls with honey. I ate so much that it became difficult to breathe. He wiped his sweat, sighed and asked:
- Please tell me, grandfather, what kind of honey is it - linden or buckwheat?
– And what? - Grandfather Andrei was surprised. - I treated you with buckwheat honey, granddaughters.
- Linden honey is still tastier, - said Matvey and yawned: after a plentiful meal, he felt sleepy.
Pain squeezed grandfather Andrey's heart. He was silent. And the grandson continued to ask:
- And the flour for rolls - from spring or winter wheat? Grandfather Andrei turned pale. His heart clenched with unbearable pain.
It became hard to breathe. He closed his eyes and groaned.

Why say "thank you"?

Two people were walking along the forest road - a grandfather and a boy. It was hot, they wanted to drink.
Travelers approached the stream. Cool water gurgled softly. They leaned over and got drunk.
- Thank you, stream, - said the grandfather. The boy laughed.
- Why did you say "thank you" to the stream? he asked his grandfather. - After all, the stream is not alive, will not hear your words, will not understand your gratitude.
- That's right. If the wolf got drunk, he would not say “thank you”. And we are not wolves, we are people. Do you know why a person says "thank you"?
Think, who needs this word?
The boy thought. He had plenty of time. The way was long…

Swallow

The mother swallow taught her chick to fly. The chick was very small. He clumsily and helplessly waved his weak wings. Unable to stay in the air, the chick fell to the ground and was badly hurt. He lay motionless and squealed plaintively. The mother swallow was very alarmed. She circled over the chick, screaming loudly and did not know how to help him.
The little girl picked up the chick and put it in a wooden box. And she put the box with the chick on the tree.
The swallow took care of her chick. She brought him food daily, fed him.
The chick began to recover quickly and was already chirping merrily and cheerfully waving his strengthened wings.
An old red cat wanted to eat a baby bird. He quietly crept up, climbed a tree and was already at the very box. But at this time the swallow flew off the branch and began to fly boldly in front of the very nose of the cat. The cat rushed after her, but the swallow deftly dodged, and the cat missed and slammed to the ground with all his might.
Soon the chick completely recovered and the swallow with joyful chirping took him to his native nest under the neighboring roof.


Evgeny Permyak

How Misha wanted to outsmart his mother

Misha's mother came home after work and threw up her hands:
— How did you, Mishenka, manage to break off the wheel of a bicycle?
- Mom, it broke off by itself.
— And why is your shirt torn, Mishenka?
- She, Mommy, burst herself.
- Where did your other shoe go? Where did you lose it?
- He, mother, got lost somewhere.
Then Misha's mother said:
— How bad they all are! They, the scoundrels, need to teach a lesson!
— And how? Misha asked.
"Very simple," Mom replied. - If they have learned to break themselves, tear themselves apart and get lost on their own, let them learn to repair themselves, to sew themselves up, to be themselves. And you and I, Misha, will sit at home and wait until they do all this.
Misha sat down by a broken bicycle, in a torn shirt, without a shoe, and thought hard. Apparently, this boy had something to think about.

Short story "Ah!"

Nadia couldn't do anything. Grandmother Nadya dressed, put on shoes, washed, combed her hair.
Mom gave Nadya water from a cup, fed her from a spoon, put her to bed, lulled her to sleep.
Nadia heard about kindergarten. It's fun for friends to play there. They dance. They sing. They listen to stories. Good for kids in kindergarten. And Nadenka would have been fine there, but they didn't take her there. Not accepted!
Ah!
Nadia cried. Mom cried. Grandma cried.
- Why didn't you accept Nadya in kindergarten?
And in kindergarten they say:
- How can we accept her when she can't do anything.
Ah!
Grandmother realized it, mother realized it. And Nadia caught on. Nadia began to dress herself, put on her own shoes, wash herself, eat, drink, comb her hair, and go to bed.
When they found out about this in kindergarten, they came for Nadia themselves. They came and took her to the kindergarten, dressed, shod, washed, combed.
Ah!


Nikolai Nosov

Steps

Once Petya was returning from kindergarten. That day he learned to count to ten. He reached his house, and his younger sister Valya was already waiting at the gate.
- I already know how to count! Petya boasted. - I learned in kindergarten. Look how I now count all the steps on the stairs.
They began to climb the stairs, and Petya counted the steps loudly:
- One, two, three, four, five ...
- Well, why did you stop? Valya asks.
- Wait, I forgot which step is next. I will remember now.
- Well, remember, - says Valya.
They stood on the stairs, they stood. Petya says:
- No, I can't remember that. Well, let's start over.
They went down the stairs. They started going up again.
- One, - says Petya, - two, three, four, five... And he stopped again.
- Forgot again? Valya asks.
- I forgot! How is it! I just remembered and suddenly forgot! Well, let's try again.
They went down the stairs again, and Petya started over:
- One, two, three, four, five...
- Maybe twenty-five? Valya asks.
- No! You just stop thinking! You see, I forgot because of you! Will have to start over again.
- I don't want to at first! Valya says. - What it is? Up, then down, then up, then down! My legs already hurt.
- If you don't want to, don't, - answered Petya. “I won’t go any further until I remember.”
Valya went home and said to her mother:
- Mom, there is Petya counting steps on the stairs: one, two, three, four, five, but then he doesn’t remember.
- And then six, - said my mother.
Valya ran back to the stairs, and Petya kept counting the steps:
- One, two, three, four, five...
- Six! Valya whispers. - Six! Six!
- Six! Petya was delighted and went on. - Seven eight nine ten.
It's good that the stairs ended, otherwise he would never have reached the house, because he only learned to count to ten.

Hill

The guys built a snow hill in the yard. They poured water on her and went home. The cat didn't work. He was sitting at home, looking out the window. When the guys left, Kotka put on his skates and went up the hill. Teal skates in the snow, but can't get up. What to do? Kotka took the box of sand and sprinkled it on the hill. The guys came running. How to ride now? The guys were offended by Kotka and forced him to cover the sand with snow. Kotka untied his skates and began to cover the hill with snow, and the guys poured water over it again. Kotka also made steps.


Nina Pavlova

The little mouse got lost

The mother gave the forest mouse a wheel made of a dandelion stem and said:
— Come on, play, ride near the house.
- Beep-beep-beep! the mouse shouted. - I will play, I will ride!
And rolled the wheel down the path downhill. I rolled it, rolled it, and played so much that I did not notice how I found myself in a strange place. Last year's linden nuts were lying on the ground, and above, behind the carved leaves, a completely foreign place! The mouse is quiet. Then, so that it would not be so scary, he put his wheel on the ground, and he sat in the middle. Sitting and thinking:
"Mom said: "Ride near the house." And where is now near the house?
But then he saw that the grass trembled in one place and a frog jumped out.
- Beep-beep-beep! the mouse shouted. - Tell me, frog, where is near the house, where is my mother?
Luckily, the frog knew just that and answered:
— Run all straight and straight under these flowers. Meet the newt. He has just crawled out from under the stone, lies and breathes, is about to crawl into the pond. From the newt, turn left and run along the path all straight and straight. You will meet a white butterfly. She sits on a blade of grass and waits for someone. From the white butterfly, turn left again and then shout to your mother, she will hear.
- Thank you! - said the mouse.
Picked up his wheel and rolled it between the stems, under the bowls of white and yellow anemone flowers. But the wheel soon became stubborn: it would hit one stalk, then another, then it would get stuck, then it would fall. And the mouse did not back down, pushed him, pulled him, and finally rolled out onto the path.
Then he remembered the newt. After all, the newt never met! And he did not meet because he had already managed to crawl into the pond while the little mouse was fiddling with his wheel. So the mouse did not know where he needed to turn left.
And again he rolled his wheel at random. Rolled up to the tall grass. And again, grief: the wheel got tangled in it - and neither back nor forward!
Barely managed to get him out. And then only the mouse remembered the white butterfly. After all, she never met.
And the white butterfly sat, sat on a blade of grass and flew away. So the little mouse did not know where he needed to turn left again.
Luckily, the mouse met a bee. She flew to the flowers of red currant.
- Beep-beep-beep! the mouse shouted. - Tell me, bee, where is near the house, where is my mother?
And the bee just knew this and answered:
— Run downhill now. You will see - in the lowland something turns yellow. It's as if the tables are covered with patterned tablecloths, and on them are yellow cups. This is a spleen, such a flower. From the spleen go uphill. You will see flowers radiant like the sun and next to them - on long legs - fluffy white balls. This is a coltsfoot flower. Turn right from him and then shout to your mother, she will hear.
- Thank you! - said the little mouse...
Where to run now? And it was already getting dark, and no one could be seen around! The mouse sat down under a leaf and cried. And he cried so loudly that his mother heard him and came running. How happy he was for her! And she even more: she didn’t even hope that her son was alive. And they merrily ran side by side home.


Valentina Oseeva

Button

Tanya's button came off. Tanya sewed it to her blouse for a long time.
“Well, grandmother,” she asked, “do all boys and girls know how to sew on their buttons?”
- I really don't know, Tanyusha; both boys and girls know how to tear off buttons, but grandmothers get more and more to sew on.
- That's it! Tanya said offended. - And you made me, as if you yourself were not a grandmother!

Three comrades

Vitya lost his breakfast. At the big break, all the guys had breakfast, and Vitya stood on the sidelines.


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