Five Short Moral Stories For Kids
1. Gift From A Great Soul
Kevin was a well to do farmer, but in his own locality, he was better known as Kevin the Miser!
The harvest season was over. It was time for the farmers to bring home the stacks of paddy. Children of poor people loitered around the fields with the hope of getting as alms the scattered grain loosened from the stacks. The farmers did not disappoint them. They thought it is a pious deed to give them small quantities of grain.
Kevin too was in his field and he was ready to leave for home. There were porters to carry his paddy. But while the poor boys went to all the other farmers, none came to him as they knew Kevin's nature. Kevin desired that he too should be looked upon as a man of charity He decided to show that he could be more generous than the others. He set apart some paddy and mixed an equal quantity of husk with it to make the quantity look bigger. Then he called some boys and filled their bags with the stuff.
One of Kevin's neighbors who knew very well about him became curious. He called the boys and looked into their bags and smiled as he understood the case. He then gave the boys some advice. When Kevin was back home, his wife told him, "Look at the heap of grain, A certain great soul gave it free to some village boys and I bought it off them at half the market price." Kevin had no words when he recognized that it was his gift!
Moral of the Story: Everything you do comes back to you. Be Good and Do good.
2.The Ascetic And The Traveller
A traveler saw a man reading near a lake. When near him, he asked, "Gentleman, will you kindly tell me which is the way to the village?" The reader, far from replying, did not even look at the traveler. "Gentleman, did you hear me? Which is the way to the village? I am a stranger to this land," the traveler said once again, after waiting for a while. Even then the reader made no reply. Disgusted, the traveler moved away, cursing the man. But tired as he was, he sat down a slab of stone a few yards away.
After five minutes he saw a young ascetic approaching the man and asking the same question. The traveler pricked his ears to hear what the man would say so that he could benefit from the answer but the man paid no heed to the ascetic either. The ascetic repeated question, but no avail. The traveler expected the ascetic to be angry but to his surprise, the ascetic prostrated himself before the man and resumed his journey.
The traveler approached the ascetic and asked how he could respect such a discourteous man. The ascetic replied, "Don't speak ill of the man. He taught me concentration. Did you not see how he remained totally undisturbed by my question and continued his reading. Not only his look but also his mind was concentrated on his goal alone. I wish I could concentrate on God in the same manner!" explained the ascetic.
Moral of the Story: Concentrate and Focus all your thoughts upon the work at hand.
3. Many Faces Of Truth
A youth once had a grown-up man as his companion. Both were on their way to the same destination. The youth was humble and he let the older man talk and act like a guardian. The older man lost no opportunity to impart advice to him. They spent a night in a roadside inn. While relaxing they heard the inn-keeper tell his servant: "Kill that fowl. It does not lay eggs anymore."
"Did you hear that, my boy? One must be useful in order to survive in this world," the older man told the young man. The young man nodded but made no comment. The next day, the two were passing through a forest. A timber merchant's workers were felling the trees. When one of the laborers raised his axe to cut down a particular tree, the merchant stopped him. "Don't waste your energy on it. The tree is absolutely useless."
The young man looked at his older companion, smiled, and said, "Sir, I thank you for all the advice you have given men. I'll say only one thing. We can never be rigid about anything. Am I right?" The older man nodded in agreement and soon they reached their destination.
Moral Of the Story: Be flexible in thoughts. A tree that is unbending is easily broken in a powerful storm. But not grass.
4. The Time For Giving
A man had accumulated much wealth. He did not give a pie to anybody, but he told everybody that at this death all his property will be spent in charity. In spite of his declaration, nobody quite praised him. He was surprised why!
One day he was passing through a field. It was raining. He took shelter under a tree. A cow and a pig also had taken shelter under it. Suddenly the man began to understand their conversation.
The Pig: You give milk, but don't I give much more? I give bacon, ham, and bristles. Yet they never speak kindly of me, while they speak always good of you! Why?
The Cow: Well, I think it is because I give while I am still alive.
The man now understood why nobody spoke kindly of him despite his pious declaration.
Moral Of the Story: Don't wait to do good deeds and they should be done with an intention, not for attention.
5. Midnight Madness
In the holy city of Varanasi lived a washerman He had a dog and a donkey to serve him. The washerman took good care of both of his servants, but as he grew prosperous he neglected the dog. So far as the donkey was concerned, he had of course to bestow good care on him, because on the service of the donkey depended the smooth running of his business. One night while the washerman was asleep a petty burglar tried to enter his house. The dog saw him but did not bark. "Hello, dog, why don't you bark? Don't you see the thief?" the donkey reminded the dog. The dog yawned, and instead of barking, he said, "Tonight the house is almost empty. The master has delivered the clothes at the houses of his patrons. He has brought nothing home because he plans to go on a pilgrimage." "Who are you to think of such things? Is it not your duty to bark when you see a thief entering the master's house?" demanded the donkey. "Who are you to order me? I am old and sick. My master who once took good care of me, now rarely gives me enough to eat. Once he loses something to a thief, he will remember me and again feed me well," said the dog.
"How mischievous you are! Anyway, if you don't act, I deem it my duty to awaken the master," said the donkey. "Don't be stupid. If you go to do what is not your business. I warn you, you'd land yourself in difficulty!" said the dog. But the donkey paid no heed to the dog's warning. He started braying at the peak of his voice and jumped and rolled on the ground to wake up his master. The donkey's behavior scared the thief. He ran away. But the washerman picked up a stick and gave a good thrashing to the donkey. "This will cure you of your midnight madness," he said while retiring to bed again. Silently the donkey told himself, "I should have thought twice before going to perform someone else's role!"
Moral of The Story: While it is good to help, you should think twice before performing someone else's role.
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