35 Best Short Stories With Moral: Top Picks for All Ages

There are several long and short stories, both for kids and adults, with amazing moral lessons. No matter how ancient these stories are, they carry timeless lessons. Moral stories or tales make the greatest and most serious lessons of life simple and interesting for kids.

These are transferred from one generation to the next. They taught the important lessons of life, such as honesty, truthfulness, hard work, and the value of good deeds, to the children easily and simply.

Here are some of the most famous and classic short stories with significant life lessons:

Boy Crying Wolf, Wolf

Once upon a time, there was a shepherd who took his sheep on the hilltop daily. This was his routine. Out of boredom, he thought of a prank. He started to cry wolf and wolf. People who heard him shouting wolf, wolf, considered that there was a real wolf. They carried sticks and daggers and ran towards the hill to frighten the wolf.

But when they reached the top of the mountain, there was nothing other than sheep and shepherds. The shepherd started to laugh at them. The villagers got angry and went back to their duties. After some days, the shepherd repeated this prank and villagers again rushed towards the top of the hill to help him. But there was no wolf again.

After some days, the shepherd noticed a real wolf. He climbed over the tree and started shouting wolf, wolf. The wolf started to kill his sheep one by one. He asked for help many times, but no one cared. The villagers consider it a lie again. In this way, he lost all his sheep.

The Tortoise and the Rabbit

There were three friends in a jungle who enjoyed everything together. One of them was a rabbit, one was a tortoise, and one was a fox. At every spot, the rabbit was amused by the slow speed of the tortoise. One day, the tortoise was fed up with rabbit jokes about his slow speed. He challenged his fast fellow for a race. 

The fox was made their judge. They spotted the distance they had to cover. When the race started, the rabbit covered half of the distance in a few seconds. Making it more ridiculous for his slow fellow, he thought to sleep for a while. On the other hand, the tortoise continued his progress toward destiny. He silently crossed the place where the rabbit was sleeping. 

After some time, when the rabbit opened his eyes, he started to run towards the goal. But when he reached there, he found the tortoise already there. In this way, through the consistent efforts of the tortoise, he won the race. 

The Fox and the Grapes 

Once, there was a hungry fox in a jungle. She went here and there in search of food but found nothing to eat. However, she continued his search. At the end, she saw a vineyard full of vines of grapes. She ran fast towards the vineyard. On the way, a bear asked her where she was running. She didn’t reply and saw him rudely. 

When she reached there, her mouth was full of water to see the heavy bunches of grapes. She started to jump to pluck any of the bunch, but she couldn’t jump high enough. She tried different bunches at various heights, but all in vain. Finally, she stopped trying and went back. 

On the way, she again encountered the same bear. He asked, “Have you eaten any grapes?” She replied that all the grapes were sour. 

The King’s Wish For Gold 

Once, there was a king who was very greedy for gold. He wanted to have the gold of the whole world. In his search for gold, he encountered a genie. The genie offered him a wish. The king asked him to give him the magical powers to turn everything he touched into gold. The genie granted him this power. 

When he reached back to his palace, he touched his bed, it turned into a golden bed. When the king was given the food, he carried it and it became gold. When the king touched her queen, it also became gold. Even his daughter became gold. In this way, everything around him became gold. He was feeling hungry and thirsty but he couldn’t eat the food as it became gold when he touched it. 

Now, he went back to his path but in search of the genie who had given him these powers. He wanted to get rid of these powers. 

The Lion and the Mouse

There was a fierce lion in a jungle. One day he was sleeping and his head was on his paws. His long beautiful hair was spread over the grass. A small mouse was enjoying the cool morning air. In his enjoyment, he started to play with the hair of a lion. 

Due to jumping in the lion’s hair, he woke up. He caught the mouse under his paws and was going to kill the mouse. The mouse started to beg for mercy. The lion asked him, why should I spare you? The mouse replied that maybe I would prove helpful to you in the future. This answer made the lion laugh. As the lion was laughing, he left the mouse.  

After some days, a lion hunter made a trap in the jungle. The same lion was caught in that trap. He put all his power to break the net but couldn’t. At the same time, a mouse was passing from there. He heard the lion roaring. When he saw it, he was the same lion who spared the mouse a few days ago. The mouse immediately went towards the trapped lion and started to gnaw the net. One by one, the small mouse cut several ropes of the net and made a big hole. 

Now, the lion was able to release himself from the net. In this way, the small mouse proved life-saving for the big lion. 

The Ant and GrassHopper

There was once an ant and a grasshopper as many of us are aware of just like in the movie and picture. The ant was very busy during the summer where it had to collect as much food as it could and store it for the winter period. The grasshopper, on the other hand, enjoyed the heat by singing and having fun and laughing at the hardworking ant. When the winter came, and the fields were all frosty, the grasshopper had no food to eat again.

Noticing this, he rushed to the ant and started bending down, pleading for food. The ant felt for the grasshopper but reiterated that he could have saved, but sadly squandered all the time he had. Most importantly, the grasshopper learned an important lesson about the value of a little foresight. 

Farmer and his Sons

At one time there was a farmer who was on his deathbed, and while calling his sons to him, he explained to them about a great treasure buried in the fields. A while after his death his sons rushed to the catalyst and started searching until their souls were tired but never found the gold. Hence they stopped looking for it with disappointment. But the ground that they had cultivated yielded an abundant crop. 

The sons realized their father’s true message: The real treasure was in the sweat, which had been toiled, and the fertile ground which they had made.” Because each of them worked hard, they received much out of the ground.

Hen That Lay Golden Eggs

A poor farmer once collected a goose that was able to lay a golden egg daily. Later on, it gets to a point when the farmer becomes envious and impatient. He desired money immediately and not in the form of one gold piece per day which one would get with the eggs. Thus, he(empire) proceeded to slaughter the goose because he thought it contained all the golden eggs. But when he got the goose open, no trace other than that of an ordinary goose could be seen.

The farmer not only lost his goose but also the regular flow of golden eggs that he was getting. They both had done so many things wrong, but his greed had led to the loss of all that he had. 

The Dog and its Reflection

Once, there was a dog that was strolling on the bridge, holding a tasty bone in its mouth. Despite having crossed the river and swimming at a distance, he stopped seeing a thought cross his mind. He looked down and down and saw his reflection in the river. He thought it was yet another dog, this time holding an even bigger bone, and so he fiercely barked to chase the other dog away.

But when he tried to bark, he vomited and dropped his bone into the river, a bone which had been given to him by his master. All because of greed the dog was left with nothing after he changed sides after he realized his mistake. 

The Crow and the Pitcher

Once upon a time, in one hot summer, a crow was searching for a drink and discovered a pitcher that contained very little water in the bottom. No matter how much he strived and stretched his wings as far as possible, he could not bring his beak close to the water. Getting angry but not defeated, the crow continued her attempts. He saw a few small rocks on the side, and that was when he got an idea.

He began to pour each of the pebbles into the pitcher. Little by little the water level went up until it reached the top of the crow’s beak and the crow could drink the water. This strategy was a long shot but because of his patience and clever thinking, he was able to get water.

The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

The titular trickster wolf wished to meet a group of sheep to capture one of them to eat at last. Outwitting shepherd Guds Lamarcon had the unique ability to disguise himself as a sheep, therefore mingling with the flock unnoticed. This is what the shepherd did not know was dangerous and allowed the wolf to remain among the sheep. However, one day, when the shepherd was coming to take one of his sheep for cooking, the poor animal was a disguised wolf. 

Wolf was tricked into losing face, and he received the consequences of his own accord and ended his life. 

The Two Frogs

Once upon a time, two frogs resided in different ponds. One pond was getting shallow, and the frog inhabiting it was forced to find another place to live. He went and talked to the second frog and informed him of the problem. The second frog asked him to join his pond, which is a big one, and free from the threat posed by the snake. But the first frog, self-willed and complacent, won’t change his way of thinking, and he never left the pond even though it was so small. 

Finally, his pond became empty and disappeared, and he died due to his rigidity. 

The Elephant and the Friends

There once was an elephant that went out into the forest, specifically looking for friends. He started going to various animals, and unfortunately, all the animals were afraid of his huge size and never accepted him as a friend. Sorrow and loneliness filled the elephant which went through the thickets of the jungle. There was one day in the forest the hunters arrived and all the animals had to hide. 

The elephant by employing his muscles and size managed to drive the hunters away and save the animals. Being able to wake up from a dream and be aware that elephants are kind aggressive animals. 

Cat & Bell

Once, the nest of mice resided in the grocery shop. They snack on every product that the shopkeeper buys. The owner of the shop faced losses due to the damage to the products. He brought a cat to his shop to get rid of mice. The cat preyed on every mouse, and soon, their population was reduced. To get rid of the cat, the nest of the mice made a plan to bell the cat. 

A small brave mouse risks his life by volunteering to bell the cat. He approached the cat with a ribbon necklace of bells. As the cat was about to attack him, he started to praise the cat’s beauty and requested that she wear his handmade necklace. The cat accepted the request and went to look in the mirror. After that, whenever a cat tries to prey on mice, they run away because of the bell on her neck. 

Fox and Crane

In the forest near a large pond, a carne and fox lived. They both were best friends and helped each other in catching fish. One day, Fox invited Crane to dinner. The Crane went to his house. After some time, Fox brings a flat plate filled with soup from the kitchen. The Crane tried hard to eat the soup but could not due to his large beak. After some days, the Crane invented fox for dinner.

The fox accepted the invitation and went for dinner. The Crane soon came out from the kitchen to bring two nickel bottles filled with minced meat. The fox tried hard to eat as the crane enjoyed the food. Fox went home hungry and humiliated. 

Honest Woodcutter

Once, there was a woodcutter who lived in a village. He cut the trees and sold them to bring food for his family. One day, he was cutting a tree near the river. His axe slipped from his hand and fell into the water. The river was too deep, and the only axe he had was gone. He started crying and worried about how he would earn money for his family now. The spirit of the forest felt pity and appeared before for help. The woodcutter told him the whole situation. 

The spirit went into the deep river, brought out a silver axe, and asked, “Is this your axe ?” The woodcutter replied and said NO. The spirit went back into the river and brought out a golden axe and asked, “Is this your axe ?” The woodcutter said NO. The spirit then again went into the river and brought out an iron axe, and asked, “Is this your axe ?” The woodcutter happily said YES. The forest spirit was impressed by his honesty and gave him all three axes as a gift. 

Farmer & Stork

A stork used to bring food for his old parents. One day, he met a group of cranes. They go to the land of followers to bring seeds, and they offer him to join them. The stork accepts the invitation without thinking. The day they went to the farmer’s land. The farmer places a net on his newly sown flower land to catch the thieves.

He caught many cranes, who were eating his seeds along with the stork. The stork begged him and said, “I’m a good bird. I did not know they were thieves.” The farmer was angry as he faced loss due to cranes. He said out loud, “Maybe you are telling the truth, but I have caught you with the thieves, and you have to share the same fate as them.” 

Lion and the Boar

Once, there was a lion and boar who lived in a jungle along with other animals. On a hot summer day, they went to the pond to drink water. The lion roared and said I’m the king of the jungle. I will drink the water first. The boar said I came first, so I will drink the water first. Soon, the argument turned into a massive fight. 

A group of vultures assesses the situation and sits near them, waiting for one of them to die so they can have their feast. The lion and boar soon notice the vultures and decide to stop fighting. They said it’s better to end the fight in peace rather than to be eaten by vultures and crows. They drank the water from the pond peacefully and went their ways. 

Wolf & Lamb

Once upon a time, a lamb was living with a group of flocks. He was grazing in the meadow and managed to come far from the flock. He saw a river stream and went there to drink water. A wolf saw the lamb and went to the same stream of river. The wolf decided to eat the lamb by fooling him. The wolf said how dare you make the water dirty. The lamb said, “Sir, the water is coming from you to me. How can I make it dirty?” 

Then the wolf again said, “Remember a year ago, you said some abusive words to me. “The lamb said, “Sir, there is no way I could have said that because a year ago I was not even born. “The wild said, “Then it must be someone from your family. “By saying this, the wolf jumped on the lamb and ate him.

Bear and Two Friends

Once, two friends were passing by a forest. They knew anything could happen, as there were so many wild animals in the jungle. They promised each other that they would help in case anything happened. All of a sudden, a huge bear appeared. He started approaching them. One of them quickly climbed to the tree without helping his friend. The other one did not know how to climb a tree. 

He followed his common sense and lay on the ground, pretending to be dead. The bear came close to him, sniffed him, and left as the bear did not touch dead beings. The other friend came down and asked his friend what the bear said in his ears. His friends replied, “He said never trust fake friends”. 

Peacock and the Crane

Once, a peacock was living in the forest; he was very proud of his beauty. One day, near the pond, a crane came. The peacock looked at the Crane and said, “I’m the most beautiful bird. My feathers have the colors of a rainbow”. The Crane did not say anything. Then the peacock said, “Look at your feathers’ color. It looks gray and dusty; you must be jealous of my beauty”. 

The Crane said, “Yes, you are beautiful, but only feathers do not make you a complete bird.” The Crane opened his long wings and flew away. The peacock, who could not fly, stood there and felt ashamed. 

Donkey and the Salt

Once, there was a merchant living in the village with a donkey. He carried salt on his donkey to sell. Every day, they had to cross the river. One day, the donkey fell into the river. The merchant picked up the donkey and realized the salt was dissolved in the water. However, the donkey also realized that and planned to do this every day. Soon, the merchant realized that the donkey was doing it intentionally, not to perform his duty fully. 

He decided to teach him a lesson. The next day, the merchant filled the sack with cotton instead of salt. The donkey fell into the river and hoped that its weight would be less than usual. But the cotton filled up with water and became heavier. The donkey realized that his master had taught him a lesson. 

Gold and Goose

Once, there was a farmer who used to sell vegetables to earn some money. He saved some money to buy a goose. He wanted to use goose eggs for breakfast and to sell them in the market. He brought the goose home and set his nest up. In the morning, he was shocked to see that the goose gave a golden egg. 

The goose started to give a golden egg daily. He sells the egg and starts becoming rich slowly. The former want to be rich quickly. He thought he should collect all the eggs at once by cutting the goose open. He cut the goose and did not find any egg. The former regretted his decision and started to become poor again. 

Turtle and the Eagle

Once, a turtle was living near a pond.  He was not satisfied with his life. He was tired of swimming and crawling on the land. He looks at the birds and wishes to fly freely like them. He was wishing out loud. An eagle nearby was listening to him. He asked, “Why do you want to fly ?” the turtle said, “I want to look at the view from above.” If you take me high, I will bring you precious pearls from the river,” the eagle agreed and carried him in his claws. After the ride, the eagle reminded the turtle of his earlier promise to bring precious pearls from the river. The turtles denied by laughing and saying he was just joking. 

Egal felt his insult and decided to teach the turtle a lesson. The next day, egal came and asked the turtle if he wanted to fly again. The turtle agreed immediately. The eagle carried him his claws while the turtle asked him why he offered him a ride when he dishonored his promise. The eagle said because you wanted to enjoy the view at my cost, now I will set you free to fall. Then he dropped the turtle down, and the turtle smashed into the land. 

Fisherman & the Golden Fish

Once upon a time, there was a poor fisherman who used to live near the sea. He spent all his day catching the fish to sell them to the market so he could buy food. One day, on the shore, the poor fisherman caught a golden fish. The fish was majestic and begged him for her life. The fisherman was a good person, and he let her go freely. When he told the story to his wife, her wife asked him to go back to the sea to make a wish. 

The man went and asked the fish to fulfill his wife’s wish for a new home and a better life. The fisherman’s wife was greedy; she started to send him to the shore every other day with a new wish. Soon his wife wants to be emperors of land and sea. The fisherman went to the sea and told the fish the last wish of his wife. The fish left without saying anything. The fisherman went back to his house and found his old muddy house and wife. 

Hare & TortoiseThe Midas Touch

Once, a hare was living in the forest. He was so proud of his speed that he mocked other animals. He often makes fun of a tortoise for his slow pace. One day, he challenged the tortoise to race so that he could show his skill in front of the other animals. The tortoise accepted the challenge. On the day of the race, all the animals of the forest gathered to watch their competition. As soon as the race started, the hare ran off at full speed, and the tortoise was at its usual pace. 

After crossing some yards, the rabbit decided to rest as the tortoise was nowhere to be seen. Soon, the hare fell asleep. He opened his eyes near the sunset. He immediately looks for the tortoise. The tortoise was about to cross the finish line. The hare ran at his full pace, but it was too late. Tortoise wins the race, and Hare learns a lesson. 

The Wise Man’s Garden

Once, a wealthy man requested a scholar to drive his son away from the bad habit. The wise man accepted his request. The wise man took his son to the garden. He asked him to pull out the tiniest plant. The boy pulled that out easily. Then, the wise man pointed towards a bigger plant and asked him to pull out its branches. The young boy does that easily. Then, the wise man asked him to pull out a bush. The boy used all his power and pulled out of the bush. 

Then the wise man pointed towards a tall tree and asked the young boy to pull it out. The boy used all his strength but he could not pull out the tree. The wise man said bad habits are like trees. They are easy to let go of when young, but it gets hard when they get old. 

The Lonely Dragon

Once there was a dragon on the island who lived up high in the cave. His cave was in the mountains and covered with water on all sides. The dragon chased all the people away from the place. Now he starts feeling lonely. One day he went for a walk. He explored all sides of the island but could not find a single person. 

He flapped his wings but wasn’t able to fly as he had not used them for quite a long time. He tried until he started to fly. He flew into the sky and found an island. He landed, and people hid behind the rocks. They were sacred to the dragon. The dragon said do not be afraid. I’m a good dragon. Now, let’s be friends. Soon, the people came out and hugged the dragon. 

The Lost Watch

Once, there was a farmer who lost his watch. He realized that he lost his watch in the barn while working. The watch has great value to him as he has a sentimental attachment to it. He looked high and low but couldn’t find it. Then, he decided to get some help. He asks children to help him in exchange for a reward. The children rushed into the barn and started looking for a watch. 

They searched for the watch everywhere, but no one found it. When the old man was about to give up his search, a little boy came and asked for another chance. The old man gave him the change and sent him to the barn. Soon, the boy came up with the watch. The old man was so happy to see his watch. He asked the boy how he found the watch. The boy said I did not do anything. I just sit quietly and listen to the ticking voice of the watch. I looked for a watch in that direction and found it. 

The Lighthouse Keeper

Once, there was a man who worked as keeper of the lighthouse. He worked on the rocky coastline. Every month, he got a supply of oil, so the light kept burning, and ships could pass without any accidents. One day, a woman asked for some oil to keep her house warm. A man needed the oil to use in his lamp. Another needed to lubricate his wheel. The lighthouse keeper considered all the requests to be important.

He pleased everyone by giving them oil. At the end of the month, he noticed that he had left a meager quantity of oil. Soon, the oil finished, and the light of the lighthouse went off. That night, many ships passed and were wrecked. So many people died. Later, when they investigated, they found out the reason. The lighthouse keeper said he was just trying to help others. 

The Monkey and the Peanuts

Once, there was a monkey who lived in a jungle. He came out in search of food. Soon, he smelled the peanuts in the air. He followed the scent and found the place. He saw a coconut with a hole in it. He investigated and found out the coconut was full of peanuts. The hole was big enough to fit his hand through. He grabbed the peanuts fitfully. As he was trying to pull his hand out, he realized the hole had gone smaller. He noticed a rope with the coconut and got scared. 

He tried to free himself but could not. He struggled to remove his hand until he was dragged into captivity. It was a trap by a hunter who was waiting in the bushes patiently. The only way to escape was to let go of peanuts. As the monkey’s hand was full of peanuts, the size of the hand got bigger and could not come out from the coconut.

The Farmer’s Lost Horse

Once, there was a farmer who was living with his son and was waiting for summer with his last remaining horse. One day, his son forgot to lock the stable door. In the morning, they found out their horse was missing. When neighbors found out, they came to visit the farmer and said what a pity. Without a horse, how will you manage the farm?  The farmer said, “Maybe yes, maybe no”. The next, the horse came back and brought 6 wild horses with him. When neighbors learned, they came to visit the farmer. The neighbors said how lucky you are. You can manage the farm with four horses and sell the three at a good price. 

The farmer said, “Maybe yes, maybe no.” After some days, while taming those wild horses, his son fell and broke his leg. The neighbor heard the news and came to visit. They said what a great sadness. Now, you cannot rely on your son to manage the farm. The farmer said, “Maybe yes, maybe no.” The next day, the army arrived in the village and selected young boys to fight against a deadly enemy. The farmer’s son was not chosen due to his broken leg. The neighbors got the news once and came to visit and said, what a joy your son is saved from going to a battle. The farmer said, “Maybe yes, maybe no”. 

The Monkey and the Dolphin

A long time ago, some sailors launched ships into the ocean to travel. One day, a sailor brought his pet monkey to the trip. While traveling, a huge storm came that destroyed their ship. Everyone on the ship, including the monkey, has to jump to the sea to save their lives. The monkey knew he could not swim that far, and he would drown. As he was trying hard to save his life, a dolphin noticed him and came to his rescue. 

The dolphin grabbed him and took him to an island. The dolphin asked the monkey do you know this place? ” The monkey said, “Yes, the king of this island is my closest friend, as I belong to royalty, knowing that no one lived on that island.” The dolphin said then you can reign as a king. The monkey said, “How can I become a king?” The dolphin said, “As you are the only species on this island, you can become a king and swim away.”  

The Starfish Thrower

Once upon a time, there was an old man who went to the beach for a daily walk before starting his day. One day in the morning, he went to the beach and saw starfish that had been washed ashore. The starfish were all over the beach as far as the eye could see. He noticed someone moving like dancing. He went close to investigate. It was a young boy who was gently throwing starfish back into the sea. The old man asked the boy, “What are you doing ?”. 

The boy looked at him and said, “I’m throwing starfish back to the sea.” The old man said,” I should have asked why you are throwing starfish back to the sea. The boy replied, “They will die when the sun comes up until I throw them back to the sea.” The old man said, “There are starfish everywhere. You cannot possibly make a difference. The boy picked a starfish, threw him back to the sea, and said, “I made a difference to that one.”

The Wise Dove

Once upon a time, on a beautiful sunny day, a bevy of doves was flying over the clear sky. They flew for quite a long time, and they were all tired and hungry. The leader of the dove encouraged them to fly a little more as their destination was near. A dove, one of them, saw rice grains on the land near a tall tree. Everyone was happy to see the food. They landed and started eating the grains. Soon, a big net came off the tree, and the doves were trapped. 

Then they saw a hunter coming towards them. The hunter was happy that he had caught so many doves. The leader of the dove was quiet and calm. He was trying to think how to get all of them out. He said to all other doves hold the net on your beaks and try to fly together as unity has a great power. They do as the leader said. All doves were able to fly with the net and were happy that they left hunters behind. 

Conclusion 

Every short story comes with a life lesson. These lessons are the result of the experiences of thousands of wise men. They reported their lifelong experiences in the form of short stories. The best thing about short stories is that they are a source of entertainment and learning at the same time. 

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