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Top 20 Short Moral Stories for Children
By
Aarohi Achwal
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December 21, 2019
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In this Article
Video: Short Moral Stories for Kids – Part 1
Fun and Entertaining Short Moral Stories for Your Children
Tips on Making Storytime Interesting for Your Kids
Last Updated on January 3, 2020
There was a time when storybooks were the only means of entertainment for children. A decade or two ago, kids spent their time reading stories and role playing their favourite characters from the stories. However, times have changed now – in the age of the internet, kids spend most of their time playing games on smartphones or watching cartoons or videos on YouTube.
But if you want your kids to take a break from screens and experience your childhood, you can read short stories to them. By narrating stories to your kids, you will impart wisdom to them and also spend much-needed quality time with them. We have a collection of some popular short stories with moral values that you can read to your kids.
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Also Read: Short Stories of Mahabharata for Kids with Moral Lessons
Video: Short Moral Stories for Kids – Part 1
Fun and Entertaining Short Moral Stories for Your Children
If you want to imbibe good habits in your kids from early on and watch them grow up to become good individuals, read moral stories to them. Here are 20 children's stories with moral values that you can read to your kids!
1. The Lion and the Mouse

A lion was once sleeping in the jungle when a mouse started running up and down his body just for fun. This disturbed the lion's sleep, and he woke up quite angry. He was about to eat the mouse when the mouse desperately requested the lion to set him free. "I promise you, I will be of great help to you someday if you save me." The lion laughed at the mouse's confidence and let him go.
One day, a few hunters came into the forest and took the lion with them. They tied him up against a tree. The lion was struggling to get out and started to whimper. Soon, the mouse walked past and noticed the lion in trouble. Quickly, he ran and gnawed on the ropes to set the lion free. Both of them sped off into the jungle.
Moral of the Story
A small act of kindness can go a long way.
Also Read: Childhood Stories of Lord Krishna for Kids
2. Count Wisely

One day, king Akbar asked a question in his court that left everyone in the courtroom puzzled. As they all tried to figure out the answer, Birbal walked in and asked what the matter was. They repeated the question to him.
The question was, "How many crows are there in the city?"
Birbal immediately smiled and went up to Akbar. He announced the answer; he said there were twenty-one thousand, five hundred and twenty-three crows in the city. When asked how he knew the answer, Birbal replied, "Ask your men to count the number of crows. If there are more, then the relatives of the crows must be visiting them from nearby cities. If there are fewer, then the crows from our city must be visiting their relatives who live outside the city." Pleased with the answer, Akbar presented Birbal with a ruby and pearl chain.
Moral of the Story
Having an explanation for your answer is just as important as having an answer.
Also Read: Fascinating Ramayana Stories for Children
3. The Boy Who Cried Wolf

In a village, lived a carefree boy with his father. The boy's father told him that he was old enough to watch over the sheep while they graze in the fields. Every day, he had to take the sheep to the grassy fields and watch them as they graze. However, the boy was unhappy and didn't want to take the sheep to the fields. He wanted to run and play, not watch the boring sheep graze in the field. So, he decided to have some fun. He cried, "Wolf! Wolf!" until the entire village came running with stones to chase away the wolf before it could eat any of the sheep. When the villagers saw that there was no wolf, they left muttering under their breath about how the boy had wasted their time. The next day, the boy cried once more, "Wolf! Wolf!" and, again, the villagers rushed there to chase the wolf away.
The boy laughed at the fright he had caused. This time, the villagers left angrily. The third day, as the boy went up the small hill, he suddenly saw a wolf attacking his sheep. He cried as hard as he could, "Wolf! Wolf! Wolf!", but not a single villager came to help him. The villagers thought that he was trying to fool them again and did not come to rescue him or his sheep. The little boy lost many sheep that day, all because of his foolishness.
Moral of the Story
It is difficult to trust people who lie, so it's important to always be truthful.
4. The Fox and the Stork

One day, a selfish fox invited a stork for dinner. Stork was very happy with the invitation – she reached the fox's home on time and knocked at the door with her long beak. The fox took her to the dinner table and served some soup in shallow bowls for both of them. As the bowl was too shallow for the stork, she couldn't have soup at all. But, the fox licked up his soup quickly.
The stork was angry and upset, but she didn't show her anger and behaved politely. To teach a lesson to the fox, she then invited him for dinner the next day. She too served soup, but this time the soup was served in two tall narrow vases. The stork devoured the soup from her vase, but the fox couldn't drink any of it because of his narrow neck. The fox realised his mistake and went home famished.
Moral of the Story
A selfish act backfires sooner or later!
Also Read: Indian Mythological Stories for Kids
5. The Golden Touch

Once there lived a greedy man in a small town. He was very rich, and he loved gold and all things fancy. But he loved his daughter more than anything. One day, he chanced upon a fairy. The fairy's hair was caught in a few tree branches. He helped her out, but as his greediness took over, he realised that he had an opportunity to become richer by asking for a wish in return (by helping her out). The fairy granted him a wish. He said, "All that I touch should turn to gold." And his wish was granted by the grateful fairy.
The greedy man rushed home to tell his wife and daughter about his wish, all the while touching stones and pebbles and watching them convert into gold. Once he got home, his daughter rushed to greet him. As soon as he bent down to scoop her up in his arms, she turned into a gold statue. He was devastated and started crying and trying to bring his daughter back to life. He realised his folly and spent the rest of his days searching for the fairy to take away his wish.
Moral of the Story
Greed will always lead to downfall.
6. The Milkmaid and Her Pail

Patty, a milkmaid milked her cow and had two full pails of fresh, creamy milk. She put both pails of milk on a stick and set off to the market to sell the milk. As she took steps towards the market, her thoughts took steps towards wealth. On her way, she kept thinking about the money she would make from selling the milk. Then she thought about what she would do with that money.
She was talking to herself and said, "Once I get the money, I'll buy a chicken. The chicken will lay eggs and I will get more chickens. They'll all lay eggs, and I will sell them for more money. Then, I'll buy the house on the hill and everyone will envy me." She was very happy that soon she would be very rich. With these happy thoughts, she marched ahead. But suddenly, she tripped and fell. Both the pails of the milk fell and all her dreams were shattered. The milk spilt onto the ground, and all Patty could do was cry. "No more dream," she cried foolishly!
Moral of the Story
Do not count your chickens before they are hatched.
Also Read: Popular Fairy Tale Stories for Kids
7. When Adversity Knocks

This is a story that explains how adversity is met differently by different people. There was a girl named Asha who lived with her mother and father in a village. One day, her father assigned her a simple task. He took three vessels filled with boiling water. He placed an egg in one vessel, a potato in the second vessel, and some tea leaves in the third vessel. He asked Asha to keep an eye on the vessels for about ten to fifteen minutes while the three ingredients in three separate vessels boiled. After the said time, he asked Asha to peel the potato and egg, and strain the tea leaves. Asha was left puzzled – she understood her father was trying to explain her something, but she didn't know what it was.
Her father explained, "All three items were put in the same circumstances. See how they've responded differently." He said that the potato turned soft, the egg turned hard, and the tea leaves changed the colour and taste of the water. He further said, "We are all like one of these items. When adversity calls, we respond exactly the way they do. Now, are you a potato, an egg, or tea leaves?"
Moral of the Story
We can choose how to respond to a difficult situation.
8. The Proud Rose

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful rose plant in a garden. One rose flower on the plant was proud of its beauty. However, it was disappointed that it was growing next to an ugly cactus. Every day, the rose would insult the cactus about its looks, but the cactus stayed quiet. All the other plants in the garden tried to stop the rose from bullying the cactus, but the rose was too swayed by its own beauty to listen to anyone.
One summer, a well in the garden dried up and there was no water for the plants. The rose slowly began to wilt. The rose saw a sparrow dip its beak into the cactus for some water. The rose then felt ashamed for having made fun of the cactus all this time. But because it was in need of water, it went to ask the cactus if it could have some water. The kind cactus agreed, and they both got through summer as friends.
Moral of the Story
Never judge someone by the way they look.
Also Read: Bible Stories for Children
9. The Tale of the Pencil

A boy named Raj was upset because he had done poorly in his English test. He was sitting in his room when his grandmother came and comforted him. His grandmother sat beside him and gave him a pencil. Raj looked at his grandma puzzled, and said he didn't deserve a pencil after his performance in the test.
His grandma explained, "You can learn many things from this pencil because it is just like you. It experiences a painful sharpening, just the way you have experienced the pain of not doing well on your test. However, it will help you be a better student. Just as all the good that comes from the pencil is from within itself, you will also find the strength to overcome this hurdle. And finally, just as this pencil will make its mark on any surface, you too shall leave your mark on anything you choose to." Raj was immediately consoled and promised himself that he would do better.
Moral of the Story
We all have the strength to be who we wish to be.
10. The Crystal Ball

Nasir, a small boy, found a crystal ball behind the banyan tree of his garden. The tree told him that it would grant him a wish. He was very happy and he thought hard, but unfortunately, he could not come up with anything he wanted. So, he kept the crystal ball in his bag and waited until he could decide on his wish.
Days went by without him making a wish but his best friend saw him looking at the crystal ball. He stole it from Nasir and showed it to everyone in the village. They all asked for palaces and riches and lots of gold, but could not make more than one wish. In the end, everyone was angry because no one could have everything they wanted. They became very unhappy and decided to ask Nasir for help. Nasir wished that everything would go back to how it was once – before the villagers had tried to satisfy their greed. The palaces and gold vanished and the villagers once again became happy and content.
Moral of the Story
Money and wealth do not always bring happiness.
11. A Bundle of Sticks

Once upon a time, three neighbours living in a village were having trouble with their crops. Each of the neighbours had one field, but the crops on their fields were infested with pests and were wilting. Every day, they would come up with different ideas to help their crops. The first one tried using a scarecrow in his field, the second used pesticides, and the third built a fence on his field, all to no avail.
One day, the village head came by and called the three farmers. He gave them each a stick and asked them to break it. The farmers could break them easily. He then gave them a bundle of three sticks, and again, asked them to break it. This time, the farmers struggled to break the sticks. The village head said, "Together, you are stronger and work better than you do it alone." The farmers understood what the village head was saying. They pooled in their resources and got rid of the pests from their fields.
Moral of the Story
There is strength in unity.
