Kids Stories

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.

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.
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!

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.

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.

9. The Tale of the Pencil

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

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

10. The Crystal Ball

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

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

Moral of the Story

Money and wealth do not always bring happiness.

11. A Bundle of Sticks

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

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

Moral of the Story

There is strength in unity.

12. The Ant and the Dove

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

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

Moral of the Story

A good deed never goes unrewarded.

13. The Fox and the Grapes

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

Moral of the Story

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

14. The Ant and the Grasshopper

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

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

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

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

15. The Bear and Two Friends

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

Moral of the Story

A friend in need is a friend indeed.

16. Friends Forever

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

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

17. The Elephant and Her Friends

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

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

Moral of the Story

A person’s size does not determine their worth.

18. The Woodcutter and the Golden Axe

There was once a woodcutter, working hard in the forest, getting wood to sell for some food. As
he was cutting a tree, his axe accidentally fell into the river. The river was deep and was flowing
really fast – he lost his axe and could not find it again. He sat at the bank of the river and wept.
While he wept, the God of the river arose and asked him what happened. The woodcutter told
him the story. The God of the river offered to help him by looking for his axe. He disappeared
into the river and retrieved a golden axe, but the woodcutter said it was not his. He disappeared
again and came back with a silver axe, but the woodcutter said that was not his either. The God
disappeared into the water again and came back with an iron axe – the woodcutter smiled and
said it was his. The God was impressed with the woodcutter’s honesty and gifted him both the
golden and silver axes.

Moral of the Story

Honesty is the best policy.

19. The Needle Tree

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

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

Moral of the Story

It is important to be kind and gracious, as it will always be rewarded.
20. The Greedy Lion

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

Moral of the Story

Greed is never a good thing.

21. The Hare and the Tortoise

There was once a hare who was friends with a tortoise. One day, he challenged the tortoise to a
race. Seeing how slow the tortoise was going, the hare thought he’ll win this easily. So he took a
nap while the tortoise kept on going. When the hare woke up, he saw that the tortoise was
already at the finish line. Much to his chagrin, the tortoise won the race while he was busy
sleeping.
Moral of the story:
There are actually a couple of moral lessons we can learn from this story. The hare teaches that
overconfidence can sometimes ruin you. While the tortoise teaches us about the power of
perseverance. Even if all the odds are stacked against you, never give up. Sometimes life is not
about who’s the fastest or the strongest, it’s about who is the most consistent.

22. The Dog and the Bone

Once there was a dog who wandered the streets night and day in search of food. One day, he
found a big juicy bone and he immediately grabbed it between his mouth and took it home. On
his way home, he crossed a river and saw another dog who also had a bone in its mouth. He
wanted that bone for himself too. But as he opened his mouth, the bone he was biting fell into the
river and sank. That night, he went home hungry.
Moral of the story:
If we always envy what others have, we’ll end up losing what we already have, just like the
greedy dog.
23. The Thirsty Crow
After flying a long distance, a thirsty crow was wandering the forest in search of water. Finally,
he saw a pot half-filled with water. He tried to drink from it but his beak wasn’t long enough to
reach the water inside. He then saw pebbles on the ground and one by one, he put them in the pot
until the water rose to the brim. The crow then hastily drank from it and quenched his thirst.
Moral of the story:
If there’s a will, there’s a way. Every problem has a solution if we just look hard enough and
don’t give up.

24. Lazy John

There was a boy named John who was so lazy, he couldn’t even bother to change his clothes.
One day, he saw that the apple tree in their yard was full of fruits. He wanted to eat some apples
but he was too lazy to climb the tree and take the fruits. So he lay down underneath the tree and
waited for the fruits to fall off. John waited and waited until he was very hungry but the apples
never fell.
Moral of the story:
Laziness can get you nowhere. If you want something, you need to work hard for it.

25. The Fox and The Grapes

Once there was a hungry fox who stumbled upon a vineyard. After seeing the round, juicy grapes
hanging in a bunch, the fox drooled. But no matter how high he jumped, he couldn’t reach for it.
So he told himself that it was probably sour and left. That night, he had to sleep on an empty
stomach.
Moral of the Story:
Most of us have the tendency to act like the fox. When we want something but think it’s too hard
to attain, we make up excuses. We tell ourselves that it’s probably not that great instead of
working hard for it.
26. The Ant and The Grasshopper
The ant and the grasshopper were good friends. In the summer, the ant works hard to fill his
storage with food. While the grasshopper was enjoying the fine weather and playing all day.
When winter came, the ant was lying cozily in his home surrounded by the food he stored during
the summer. While the grasshopper was in his home, hungry and freezing. He asked the ant for
food and the ant gave him some. But it wasn’t enough to last the entire winter. When he tried to
ask the ant again, the latter replied: “I’m sorry my friend but my food is just enough for my
family to last until the end of winter. If I give you more, we too will starve. We had the entire
summer to prepare for the winter but you chose to play instead.”
Moral of the story:
Winter, in this story, represents a time in our life where food and resources are scarce. While
summer is that time where everything is abundant. So if you have a lot right now, save some of it
for the winter.

27. The Boy Who Cried Wolf

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

28. The Ugly Duckling

Most of us have probably heard of this story as this is one of the most popular fairy tales in the
world. The story revolves around a duckling who from the moment of his birth has always felt
different from his siblings. He was always picked on because he didn’t look like the rest of them.
One day, he had enough and ran away from the pond he grew up in. He wandered near and far
looking for a family who would accept him. Months passed and seasons changed but everywhere
he went, nobody wanted him because he was such an ugly duck. Then one day, he came upon a
family of swans. Upon looking at them, he realized that during the months he spent looking for a
family to call his own, he had grown into a beautiful swan. Now he finally understood why he
never looked like the rest of his siblings because he isn’t a duck but a swan.
Moral of the story:
We shouldn’t be too quick to judge others based on their physical appearance. Just because
someone doesn’t fit societal definitions of beauty doesn’t mean they’re ugly. Each of us is
beautiful in our own unique way and it’s time we accept and celebrate that individuality.

29. The Lion and the Poor Slave

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

30. The Elephant and the Ants

There was once a proud elephant who always bullied smaller animals. He would go to the anthill
near his home and spray water at the ants. The ants, with their size, could do nothing but cry. The
elephant just laughed and threatened the ants that he would crush them to death. One day, the
ants had enough and decided to teach the elephant a lesson. They went straight into the
elephant’s trunk and started biting him. The elephant could only howl in pain. He realized his
mistake and apologized to the ants and all the animals he bullied.
Moral of the story:
Be humble and treat everyone with kindness. If you think you’re stronger than others, then use
your strength to protect them instead of harming them.
31. The Potato, The Egg, And The Coffee Beans
A boy named John was upset. His father found him crying.
When his father asked John why he was crying, he said that he had a lot of problems in his life.
His father simply smiled and asked him to get a potato, an egg, and some coffee beans. He
placed them in three bowls.
He then asked John to feel their texture and then fill each bowl with water.
John did as he had been told. His father then boiled all three bowls.
Once the bowls had cooled down, John’s father asked him to feel the texture of the different food
items again.
John noticed that the potato had become soft and its skin was peeling off easily; the egg had
become harder; the coffee beans had completely changed and filled the bowl of water with
aroma and flavour.
Moral of the story
Life will always have problems and pressures, like the boiling water in the story. It’s how you
respond and react to these problems that counts the most!

32) The Lion And The Mouse

One day in the jungle, the lion lay asleep. A little mouse playing about runs up and down on the
sleeping lion.
Aaargh!” roared the lion and held up the squeaking little mouse.
“Please let me go! Let me go! I will help you one day for your kindness today!” squealed the
little mouse.
“You’re too tiny to help me! Off you go,” said the lion amused as the little mouse ran away.
A few days go by when the little mouse heard a roar: “Help me!”
The little mouse was scared but it walked on and on until it came across the lion caught in the
net!
“I see you need my help now!” it said.
“Please help me!” groaned the lion in pain.
The little one immediately chewed across the net until the lion was free.
From that day on the lion and the mouse remained friends!

Moral of the story

No one is too small to help! When you show kindness to others, you can reap the rewards.

33) The Milkmaid And Her Pail

There was once a milkmaid named Patty.
She milked her cow and carried the two pails of milk she fetched on a stick and set out to sell the
milk at the market.
As she was walking to the market, she began to daydream about what she would do with the
money she got for the milk.
She thought of buying a hen and selling its eggs and she planned on becoming wealthy.
She dreamt of buying a cake, a basket of strawberries, a fancy dress, and even a new house with
the money she would make selling the eggs and the milk!
In her excitement, she forgot about the pails she was carrying and began to skip.
Suddenly, she realised that the milk was spilling down and when she checked her pails, they
were empty.

Moral of the story

Don’t count your chickens before they hatch! It is important to focus on the process of achieving
success and not just success alone.

34) The Tortoise And The Hare

The story began when the hare who has won many races proposed a race with the tortoise. The
hare simply wanted to prove that he was the best and have the satisfaction of beating him.
The tortoise agreed and the race began.
The hare got a head start but became overconfident towards the end of the race. His ego made
him believe that he could win the race even if he rested for a while.
And so, he took a nap right near the finish line.
Meanwhile, the tortoise walked slowly but extremely determined and dedicated. He did not give
up for a second and kept persevering despite the odds not being in his favour.
While the hare was asleep, the tortoise crossed the finish line and won the race!
The best part was that the tortoise did not gloat or put the hare down!

Moral of the story

Slow and steady wins the race. When you work hard, stay focused, you can achieve anything,
even when it seems impossible.

35) The Thirsty Crow

During the summer season, many ponds and lake beds lay dry. Birds flew far and wide in search
of water.
One such bird was this crow who saw a pot filled with water at the bottom.
It try to reach for the water with its beak, but the neck of the pot was narrow.
The crow tried to jostle the pot again and again but to no avail.
Soon, as the crow was too tired to try. It was too thirsty to fly.
Suddenly, the thirsty crow had an idea!
Plop! Plip! Plop! It began to drop pebbles into the pot.
Slowly, the water rose up and up.
The crow continued to drop the pebbles until its beak could reach the water.
At last, the thirsty crow was able to quench its thirst!
Moral of the story

No matter what you face, patience and intelligence can always help you find your solution!
Never give up easily!

36) Tenali Rama And The Thieves

In Vijayanagara, there were many incidents of thefts lately. King Krishnadevaraya was worried
about the thieves.
Everyone in the court, including Tenali Rama, seemed worried!
That evening as he walked back from the court to his home, he noticed two figures hidden
behind the big mango tree near the well in his garden.
Hmmm! I must teach them a lesson, he thought as he reached home.
Once home, he spoke so loudly that the thieves were startled, but could hear what he was telling
his wife:
“… it’s not safe to keep our jewellery at home. Please fill our iron trunk with your jewellery and
we dropped it into the well for safekeeping!”
As the robbers sniggered at the idea of an idiot’s plan, Tenali Rama whispered to his wife that
thieves were hiding in the garden. He asks to fill the trunk with stones and pots.
Once the trunk was filled, Tenali Rama and his wife drag the trunk and drop it in the well.
“It will be safe here!” he told his wife loudly.
The two thieves waited for the people at home to sleep. They had a plan!
Each robber took turns to draw water from the well.
Their excitement soon turned into tiredness and they decided to take a break.
Just then, someone said:
“That’s all! The garden is watered, you have done the good deed for the day!”
The robbers looked around to see Tenali Rama holding a shovel and stick.
Shocked, they rose and ran away!
Not long after, the people of Vijayanagara didn’t complain of any robbery.
Moral of the story

It is better to stay calm and find a solution to a problem.

37) Two Frogs With The Same Problem

Once, a group of frogs was roaming around the forest in search of water. Suddenly, two frogs in
the group accidentally fell into a deep pit.
The other frogs worried about their friends in the pit.
Seeing how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that there was no way they could escape the
deep pit and that there was no point in trying.
They continued to constantly discourage them as the two frogs tried to jump out of the pit. But
keep falling back.
Soon, one of the two frogs started to believe the other frogs — that they’ll never be able to
escape the pit and eventually died after giving up.
The other frog keeps trying and eventually jumps so high that he escapes the pit. The other frogs
were shocked at this and wondered how he did it.
The difference was that the second frog was deaf and couldn’t hear the discouragement of the
group. He simply thought they were cheering him on!

Moral of the story

People’s opinion of you will affect you, only if you believe it to be so. It’s better to believe in
yourself.

38) The Golden Goose

There lived a goose, special one as that, in a lake. It had beautiful golden feathers.
Near the lake lived an old woman with her daughters. Even though they worked hard, they
remained poor.
One day, the goose thought: Maybe I can give one golden feather every day so that these women
can sell it and have enough money to live.
The next day, the goose went to the old woman.
“I have nothing to give you!” said the old woman.
“But, I have something for you!” said the goose and explained what she can do!
The old woman and her daughters went to the market to sell the golden feather. That day, they
came back happy with enough money on hand.
Day after day, the goose continued to help the old woman and her daughters. The daughters
loved to play with the bird and would take care of it on rainy and cold days!
As time went by, the old woman became more greedy! How can one feather help her?
“When the goose comes by tomorrow, we should pluck all of its feathers!” she told her
daughters.
Aghast, they refused to help her with this.
The next day, the old woman waited for the goose to arrive. As soon as the bird arrived, it held
by its next and began to pluck at its feathers.
As soon as she plucked them, the feathers turned white. The old woman wailed and let go of the
goose.
“You have been greedy! When you plucked my golden feathers without my wish, they turned
white!”
The angry goose flew away never to be seen again!

Moral of the story

Too much greed leads to a lot of loss. It is good to not steal from others or wish for others out of
selfishness.

39) The Elephant Circus

Once upon a time in a circus, five elephants performed circus tricks. They were kept tied up with
weak rope that they could’ve easily escaped, but did not.
One day, a man visiting the circus asked the ringmaster: “Why haven’t these elephants broken
the rope and run away?”
The ringmaster replied: “From when they were young, the elephants were made to believe that
they were not strong enough to break the ropes and escape.”
It was because of this belief that they did not even try to break the ropes now.

Moral of the story

Don’t give in to the limitations of society. Believe that you can achieve everything you want to!

40) The Cat And The Mice

A long time ago, the mice had all gathered together to discuss their biggest issue!
A cat who was chasing and catching the mice!
“It is chaos!” said a mouse angrily.
“We need to find a solution that us warns of the cat!” said the other.
“Can we decide soon before the cat spots us,” said another worried mouse.
An old mouse raised its paw and said: “Let’s find a quick solution!”
The mice soon started to discuss and shout out ideas.
“We will have a watchtower to warn us!” said one
“We should all go in groups to avoid being eaten by the cat!” said another.
“I have an idea,” said another. “Let’s tie a bell around the cat’s neck! So when the cat strolls
around the sound of the bell will warn us!”
All the mice agreed. This was the best idea!
“All right! So, who will bell the cat?” asked the old mouse.
There was silence! Soon, one by one all the mice ran away quietly until only the old mouse
remained.
Moral of the story

Giving solutions or having ideas is fine but it action which defines the solution or idea.

41) The Fox And The Grapes

A fox passing through the jungle smells something sweet.
It follows the scent to find rows of grapes high above in the vines.
“Oh, wouldn’t it be nice to each a bunch of these delicious grapes?” the fox said.
It jumped this way and that way trying to catch a bunch of grapes.
It jumped as high as it could. But, the fox couldn’t reach any bunch of grapes.
Tired from all the jumping, the fox decided to rest for a bit.
“Oh these grapes, wish I could reach them. I will try one more time!” whined the fox aloud.
It tried again to jump as high as it could muster.
But, the grapes remained unreachable.
“Maybe the grapes are not sweet but they are sour!” said the fox.
It turned around and walked away in a sour mood!

Moral of the story

It is easy to give up on doing something but it takes hard work and determination to reach goals.
When one cannot attain it, one becomes bitter about it.

42) The Golden Touch Of Midas

A long time ago, there lived a king in Greece named Midas.
He was extremely wealthy and had all the gold he could ever need. He also had a daughter whom
he loved very much.
One day, Midas saw a Satyr (an angel) who was stuck and was in trouble. Midas helped the Satyr
and asked for his wish to be granted in return.
The Satyr agreed and Midas wished for everything he touched to be turned to gold. His wish was
granted.
Extremely excited, Midas went home to his wife and daughter touching pebbles, rocks, and
plants on the way, which turned into gold.
As his daughter hugged him, she turned into a golden statue.
Having learnt his lesson, Midas begged the Satyr to reverse the spell who granted that everything
would go back to their original state.

Moral of the story

Stay content and grateful for what you have. Greed will not get you anywhere.

13) The Tale Of Three Fishes

In a small stream lived three fishes. Each fish was of a different colour — red, blue, and yellow.
Yet, nothing could separate them.
One day, the blue fish was swimming close to the bank and overheard fishermen talk.
“Oh, it is time to fish in the stream, the fishes from the river would have swum here for plenty of
food! Let’s go fishing tomorrow!”
The worried blue fish swam as quickly as it could to its other two friends.
“Listen, listen! I just overheard fishermen talk. They are planning to catch fish in this stream
tomorrow. We must swim to the safety of the river for tomorrow!”
“Oh, that’s all right! They wouldn’t catch me as am too quick for them. Also, we have all the
food we need here!” said the red fish.
“But, we should just go for a day!” said the blue fish.
“I agree with the blue fish. This is home but we need to stay safe!” said the yellow fish.
They tried to convince their friend but there was no turning
The next morning, the fishermen cast their net and caught as many fishes as they could. Some
were green, some were orange, some were white, some were multicoloured and among them was
a red fish!
“What a catch!” called out the fishermen after the long day.
Sadness overtook the yellow fish and the blue fish as they returned to see that their friend had
been caught!

Moral of the story

It is important to listen and act wisely when someone warns you about a problem. Prevention is
better than cure!

44) Crows In The Kingdom

One day on a stroll with his courtiers, Akbar sees crows flying in the sky and asks: “Can
someone tell me how many crows are there in the kingdom?”
All the courtiers are baffled!
“Jahapana! How is it possible to count the crows in the kingdom?” wondered a courtier.
“It is impossible,” said another.
They murmured and shook their heads.
“Birbal, what do you think?” asked Akbar.
“Even Birbal cannot respond to this question, my lord,” said a courtier with a smirk!
“Yes, that’s why he is quiet!” said one of them.
“Hmm… hmm… There must be ninety-five thousand, four hundred and sixty-three crows in our
kingdom, Jahapana,” said Birbal quietly.
“How is that even possible?” asked all the courtiers.
Even Akbar was surprised. “How sure are you, Birbal?” he asked.
“I’m very sure! Let’s send someone to count the number of crows in the kingdom, your
majesty!” he said.
“Hmm.. what if there are less number of crows?” asked a courtier.
“Then, it means the crows have gone to visit their relatives in the neighbouring kingdoms!”
quipped Birbal.
“But, what if there are more crows than your count?” asked another courtier.
“Oh, it means that the crows from the neighbouring kingdoms have come to visit their relatives,”
said Birbal, just as Akbar burst into a bout of laughter.

Moral of the story

Where there is a will, there is a way. We can always find a solution to any problem.

45) The Elephant And The Dog

One day, the king’s royal elephant was grazing about the mound of hay and food, when it heard a
hungry bark.
It was a dog who was eating the leftover food from the mahout’s plate. The elephant keeper was
nowhere to be seen.
As the royal elephant was by itself in the shed every day, he didn’t mind the dog coming by to
eat or have a nap.
Soon, they became good friends and would play about. Even the mahout didn’t mind.
One day, a farmer passing by saw the dog and asked the mahout if he could take the dog.
The mahout readily agreed and gave the dog away.
Soon, the royal elephant stopped eating, drinking water, or even moving. It didn’t move out of its
shed.
On one such day, the king came to meet his elephant and called upon the royal doctor to check
his elephant.
The royal doctor examined the elephant and said:” Your majesty, the royal elephant is physically
fine, but looks sad as if it has lost a friend!”
The king immediately asked the mahout if anything had happened previously.
“Oh, there was a dog who used to be here. I gave it away to the farmer!” replied the mahout.
The king immediately sent one of his guards with the mahout to bring back the dog.
As soon as the dog was brought to the shed, the elephant sat up to see his little friend and
trumped happily.
Since that day the elephant and the dog remained inseparable!

Moral of the story

Friends come in all sizes. When you form an unconditional friendship, it lasts forever.

46) The Boy Who Cried, Wolf

There was a young boy whose father, a farmer, had asked him to take their herd of sheep grazing
every day.
One day, the boy was extremely bored as he watched over the sheep and so he cried: “Wolf!
Wolf!”
On hearing his cries, the villagers rushed to help him chase the wolf away and save the sheep.
When they saw the grinning boy and realised he had cried wolf for his amusement, they scolded
him and told him to not cry wolf!
The next day, the boy cried out that the wolf was there. The villagers came, scolded him again,
and left.
Later that same day, a wolf came and terrorized the sheep.
The boy cried, “Wolf! Wolf! Please help me.”
But, the villagers assumed that he was pulling a silly prank again and did not come to his rescue.
The sheep ran away and the boy cried.

Moral of the story

Don’t lie or engage in foolish pranks, for no one will believe a liar even when he is telling the
truth!
47) Sparrows, Mice, And A Hunter
One day, a flutter of sparrows were flying in search of food when they came across the patch
filled with grains.
Soon, they flew down to peck and eat their fill.
Just as they landed, they realised it was a trap. Their legs were caught in the net laid by a hunter.
As they struggled to free themselves, they saw the hunter walking towards them slowly.
The leader of the sparrows said: “Wait, don’t struggle! Just listen to me. Let’s fly together and I
will take us to my friend, the mouse.”
As the hunter screamed, the sparrows flew to the sky together.
They flew towards the forest where lived a small mouse.
“Fly to that tree and we will call out for my friend,” the leader said.
“Little mouse, little mouse, please help us!” they called out as they flew to the tree.
The little mouse immediately set to chew through the net and freed one bird at a time.
“Thank you, dear friend! You saved us,” said the leader.
“And also to you, you saved us from being caught!” said the other sparrows.

Moral of the story

Never lose hope when you face hardship. Unity is strength!

48) The Musical Donkey

A hungry donkey was braying sadly in the nearby forest. After a long day’s work, its owner
hadn’t fed it properly.
Soon, a jackal passed by and saw the hungry donkey.
“What happened, donkey?” he asked.
“I’m hungry and I grazed all of here. I’m still hungry!” the donkey cried.
“Oh, you know what there is a big vegetable garden nearby. You can go there!” said the jackal.
“Please take me there!” the donkey said.
Once in the vegetable garden, they quietly chomped fresh vegetables and ran away when they
heard a noise close by.
The two animals went to the vegetable garden each day until one day when a farmer spotted
them and shooed them away.
That day, both animals were hungry.
As the night set, the jackal suggested that they go back to the vegetable garden.
The donkey and the jackal quietly snuck into the garden and chomped on and on till they were
full.
“Oh, such delicious cucumbers and look at the Moon! It is so beautiful that I would like to sing a
song,” said the donkey.
“Not now! You cannot sing from here!” said the jackal.
“But, I want to,” said the donkey angrily.
“The farmer will hear you. I’m not going to be here for that,” the jackal said and ran away.
The donkey sighed and began to sing.
Not so far away, the farmer and his family heard a donkey braying. They ran towards the donkey
with sticks.
The donkey was soon chased out of the garden.
“Ow-ow-ow!” brayed the donkey as it walked back.
“You should have waited till we were out of the garden to sing! Come on, you need to rest!” said
the jackal.

Moral of the story

Be mindful of where you are. There is always time and space for things to do!

49) The Cap Seller And The Monkeys

After spending a couple of days selling in the nearby village, the cap seller was on his way back
to his village. He was carrying the caps.
He was tired from all the standing and less sleep.
“Oh, I just will sleep for a bit and walk faster to reach the village!”
He found a big tree to sleep under.
Soon, the cap seller was fast asleep. After what seemed like hours, he woke up with a start.
He woke up to see all the caps gone, except for one.
“My caps! My caps! Who could have taken them?” he yelled aloud.
Just then, he heard chatterings from up the tree!
“Ah, those monkeys!” he cried.
As he thought about what he could do, he had an idea!
He picked the cap from the ground and wore it.
The monkeys observing him put on the caps too!
He removed his cap and threw it to the ground.
All the monkeys removed and threw the caps too!
The cap seller quickly picked up all the caps and walked as fast as he could towards his village.

Moral of the story

Thinking on your feet can always solve help you! Always choose your actions wisely.

50) The Ants and The Grasshopper

As the autumn season was ending soon, a family of ants was busy collecting food, sticks, and dry
leaves.
One day, a grasshopper walked and asked the ants: “What are you doing on such a beautiful day
as this!”
“We are getting ready for the cold. You should store some food too!” said an ant.
The grasshopper laughed and walked away. He hopped about chasing after the sun and
butterflies.
Days went by as the ants continued to forage about while the grasshopper spent days idling!
One morning, the grasshopper woke up to a cold morning and the land was covered in snow.
The insect hopped looking for food and couldn’t find anything. The ants were right!
Moral of the story

Make hay while the sun shines. There is no time as the present to prepare for your future!