Do you remember the stories that you read as a child?
There was something about them — many were stories with morals!
Would it not be interesting to narrate short moral stories to your child?
We have just the list for you to start with!
In this blog, we have a list of 25 moral stories for kids in English and we tell you why stories help your child acquire moral values.
Understanding moral story
It is simple — a story that offers some life lesson or a message that requires the reader to learn.
Stories with morals impart all-important life lessons to a child, which in turn forms a strong foundation for them to respond to life situations. Eg: Handling disappointment, being kind, etc.
Research shows that young children learn moral reasoning through what they are told. As they grow, they decide right and wrong.
Thus, narrating or reading moral stories can go a long way to help your child.
And, an add-on:
They aid in their language development.
So, which story would you start with?
Check out our list of short moral stories for kids to get you started!
RELATED: Storytelling: Incredible Ways To Tell Great Stories To Your Child
25 Interesting Short Moral Stories For Kids
There are inspirational moral stories for kids, some serious stories too!
They can be humorous too and help kids learn new lessons.
We have compiled a list of short stories from India and around the world!
1) The Potato, The Egg, And The Coffee Beans
Let’s start with this inspirational moral story that teaches a valuable life lesson!
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!
2) The Lion And The Mouse
This is one of the short moral stories from Aesop’s Fables. It is a story that can be narrated with animal sounds!
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.
RELATED: 40 Fantastic Stories For Kids To Read In 2022
3) The Milkmaid And Her Pail
A short story for kids about daydreaming and hard work!
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.
4) The Tortoise And The Hare
This popular story is about a hare (an animal belonging to the rabbit family), which is known to move quickly and a tortoise, which is known to move slower.
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.
5) The Thirsty Crow
One of the most popular inspirational moral stories for kids is sure to tickle their curiosity and reasoning.
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!
6) Tenali Rama And The Thieves
This popular short story of Tenali Rama (also known as Tenali Raman) is sure to tickle your child. There is also a moral to be learnt!
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.
RELATED: 12 Short & Witty Tenali Rama Stories For Your Child
7) Two Frogs With The Same Problem
This is one of those short moral stories that is sure to build every child’s confidence!
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.
8) The Golden Goose
This is one of the moral stories for kids from Jataka tales, which talks of greed!
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.
9) The Elephant Circus
One of the short moral stories for kids that talks about perception.
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!
10) The Cat And The Mice
Here is a short story from around the world about ideas and actions.
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.
11) The Fox And The Grapes
This is a classic short story with a moral about human nature.
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.
12) The Golden Touch Of Midas
This is one of those moral stories that will inspire your child to be more mindful.
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
This is one of those short moral stories from Panchatantra, which teaches an essential life lesson for kids.
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!
RELATED: 27 Famous Panchatantra Stories Your Child Will Thoroughly Enjoy
14) Crows In The Kingdom
This short story on Birbal’s intelligence, which is sure to tickle your child’s laughter.
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.
15) The Elephant And The Dog
This short moral story is from Jataka Tales and is an endearing one.
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.
16) The Boy Who Cried, Wolf
This moral story in English is from the Aesop Fables your child would like to hear.
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!
17) Sparrows, Mice, And A Hunter
This moral story for kids has a lot of drama and action, which is sure to leave them thinking.
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!
18) The Musical Donkey
This short story in English is about being careful!
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!
19) The Cap Seller And The Monkeys
This simple short moral story is sure to tickle your child’s funny bones.
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.
20) The Ants and The Grasshopper
This moral story from the around world has an important life skill to be learnt for kids!
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!
21) The Elephants And The Mice
Yet another moral story from the Panchatantra.
In an earthquake-hit village abandoned by humans, a colony of mice lived. Near the village was a lake, which was used
by a herd of elephants.
The elephants would have to cross the village to go to the lake. Thus, one day, as they walked through, they trampled a lot of mice.
The leader of the mice met with the elephants and requested them to take a different route to the lake. He promised them that their favour would be returned in the time of their need.
The elephants laughed. How could such small mice help these large elephants in any way? But then, they agreed to take a different route.
Not so long after, the mice heard that hunters had caught the herd of elephants and were tied in nets.
Immediately, they rushed to rescue the elephants. They gnawed through the nets and ropes with their sharp teeth.
The leader of the elephants repeatedly thanked the mice for their help!
Moral of the story
A friend in need is a friend indeed. Make sure you help your friends out whenever they need it. They should always be able to count on you.
22) The Three Little Pigs
A short story for kids that teaches the moral of hard work!
Once, there lived three little pigs who were sent out into the world by their mother.
Each of the three little pigs decided to build a house of their own.
The first pig barely put in any effort and built a house made of straw.
The second pig put in a little effort and built a house made of sticks.
The third pig put in a lot of hard work and effort to build a house made of brick and stone.
One fine day, a big bad wolf came to attack each of the three little pigs.
He huffed and puffed and blew away the houses of the first two little pigs that were made of straw and sticks.
He then huffed and puffed but could not blow away the house of the third little pig, who sat snuggly in his house.
Soon, the big bad wolf was breathing and ran away.
Moral of the story
Hard work always pays off. Always think of the bigger picture and don’t be lazy.
23) The Monkey And The Crocodile
This famous moral story is from the Panchatantra is about friendship and wits!
There was a monkey that lived on a berry tree on the riverbank. He ate the delicious berries every day.
Once, he saw a crocodile rest under the tree who looked tired and hungry. He gave the crocodile some berries.
The crocodile thanked the monkey. Soon, they became best friends. The monkey gave the crocodile berries every day.
One day, the monkey gave the crocodile extra berries to take home to his wife.
His wife, a wicked crocodile, enjoyed the sweet berries, but then told her husband that she wanted to eat the monkey’s heart as that would be sweeter!
The crocodile was upset at first but decided to give in to his wife’s wishes.
The next day, he told the monkey that his wife invited the monkey home for dinner.
As the crocodile carried the monkey on his back across the river, he told him about his wife’s plan to eat his heart.
The monkey, being smart, told the crocodile that he left his heart on the berry tree and needed to get it.
The crocodile foolishly took him back to the berry tree. On reaching, the monkey climbed onto the tree.
“Who will keep the heart on a tree? You have betrayed my trust. We can never be friends again!” the monkey told his friend.
Sad after losing his friend, the crocodile swims back to his wicked wife.
Moral of the story
Choose your friends and the people you trust wisely. Moreover, never betray the trust of someone who trusts you.
24) The Foolish Thief
Yet another story of Birbal for kids, which has a short moral in place!
Once, a wealthy merchant came to King Akbar’s court to seek help from Birbal. He suspected that one of his servants had robbed him.
On hearing this, Birbal thought of a clever plan and summoned the merchant’s servants.
He gave each servant a stick of the same length. He told them that the thief’s stick would grow two inches by the next day.
The next day, Birbal summoned the servants again. He noticed that a servant’s stick was two inches shorter than the others.
He knew who the thief was.
The foolish thief had cut the stick shorter by two inches as he thought it would grow two inches. Thus, proving his guilt.
Moral of the story
Truth and justice will always prevail.
25) The Three Dolls
This Tenali Rama short story is about an essential skill of observation.
One day in the court of King Krishnadevaraya, a merchant from a faraway land had a test for the courtiers of Vijayanagara.
“I have heard about the brilliance of your court, your majesty! I have a test for your court!” he told the king.
Intrigued, the king allowed the merchant to continue. “Here are three dolls that I made. They all seem to look the same, but each is different from the other. I will be back in thirty days for your answer!”
The king called on all his ministers and asked them to find the difference between the dolls. Days went by and no one had an answer.
Krishnadevaraya called upon his trusted vikatakavi to find the difference. Even Tenali Rama was stumped. He took the king’s permission to take the dolls home with him.
He continued to observe and find out what could the differences be. He tried everything he could. But soon, it was the day of the merchant’s arrival.
When everyone had settled down in the king’s court, Tenali Raman spoke: “I have found the difference between the dolls. One of the dolls is good, the other is mediocre, and the third is bad!”
Everyone was surprised. How could that be?
“How do you know this for sure! Show us?” asked the king.
Tenali Rama showed a tiny hole in the ear of each doll and then he inserted a thin wire through each of their ears.
For the first doll, the wire went through the ear and came out of the mouth. For the second doll, the wire went the first ear and came out of the other ear. For the third doll, the wire went through the ear and appear out but it had gone to the heart.
“The first doll is bad because it represents people who cannot keep a secret. The second doll is mediocre as it represents people who are simpletons and cannot understand what is said to them. The third doll is good and it represents people who can keep secrets!” explained Tenali Rama
Everyone was impressed.
“But, there can be another explanation too! The first doll is good because it can represent people who seek knowledge and share it with others. The second doll is mediocre like the people who cannot understand what they are taught. The third doll is bad as it represents those who seek knowledge but do not share with others!”
Moral of the story
Eagerness to explore and learn is the only way to expand our experiences and views!
That’s all folks!
We hope your kid liked these short yet interesting stories with morals that we have read growing up!
There are more and more moral stories for kids.
Drop a comment below with your favourite stories with morals that your child and you enjoy reading. (Psst! It’s not okay if it’s not on our list!)
