In this collection of short stories, young readers will discover fun and engaging tales that impart important life lessons. Each story teaches valuable morals about friendship, honesty, and hard work, helping children understand how to make good choices every day. Hope you will like it. You can download this storybook (PDF) using the link at the story’s end.
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Moral Stories for Grade 1 Students
Read More: Reading Short Moral Stories For Children
The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf
A bored shepherd boy tricks the villagers by shouting that a wolf is attacking his sheep. The villagers rush to help but find no wolf. Amused, the boy repeats the trick. When a real wolf appears, he cries for help, but the villagers ignore him and think he’s joking again. The wolf attacks the flock, and the boy learns that lying destroys trust.
Moral: Lying breaks trust.
The Elephant and Friends
A lonely elephant seeks friends in the forest but is rejected by others for being too big. When danger comes, the elephant helps the animals by scaring away a lion. The animals then realize that true friendship comes in all shapes and sizes.
Moral: Friends can be any shape or size.
The Ants and the Grasshopper
During summer, a family of ants works hard to store food, while a carefree grasshopper plays music. When winter arrives, the grasshopper finds itself hungry and begs the ants for food. They remind him of his laziness and refuse to help. The grasshopper learns the importance of hard work.
Moral: There’s a time to work and a time to play.
King Midas and The Golden Touch
King Midas, after offering kindness to a Satyr, wishes for everything he touches to turn to gold. Despite warnings, he eagerly begins turning objects into gold. Soon, he realizes he can’t eat or drink, as even food turns to gold. His daughter, trying to comfort him, also turns to gold. Midas learns that greed can turn blessings into curses.
Moral: Greed leads to downfall.
The Fox and the Grapes
A hungry fox sees a bunch of juicy grapes hanging high on a vine. After several failed attempts to reach them, he gives up and walks away. To convince himself he didn’t want them, he mutters that the grapes must be sour. This story teaches children that it’s easy to despise what we cannot have.
Moral: Greed leads to downfall.
The Proud Rose
In a desert, a beautiful rose mocks a cactus for its appearance. During a drought, the rose begins to wilt and desperately asks the cactus for water. The cactus, having stored water, helps the rose. The rose learns that true beauty lies in kindness and not mere appearance.
Moral: Never judge by looks.
The Milkmaid and Her Pail
Molly, the milkmaid, dreams of wealth while carrying her milk to the market. She imagines buying a chicken with her profits and becoming the envy of others. While daydreaming, she spills the milk and returns home empty-handed. Her mother reminds her not to count her chickens before they hatch.
Moral: Don’t count on uncertain things.
A Wise Old Owl
An old owl watches the world from its tree, absorbing wisdom without speaking much. As it observes the actions and words of others, it learns important life lessons. This owl teaches us that listening and observing can lead to greater knowledge than merely speaking.
Moral: Talk less, observe more.
The Golden Egg
A farmer owns a goose that lays one golden egg daily, making him prosperous. Greedy for more, he decides to cut open the goose to get all the eggs at once. Instead, he finds nothing but blood and guts, losing his source of wealth. He learns to appreciate what he has.
Moral: Think before you act.
The Farmer and the Well
A farmer buys a well but is denied the right to draw water from it. He seeks the emperor’s justice. The court rules that he must either pay rent for the water or let him draw it. The neighbor realizes his deceit and apologizes.
Moral: Cheating will get you nowhere.
In conclusion, these short stories teach us valuable lessons about kindness, hard work, and the importance of listening. By learning from the characters’ experiences, we can grow wiser and make better choices in our own lives. Follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube & Telegram! Join our Telegram group to request free printables at any time.
MCQ’s Questions
1. What does the wise old owl primarily teach us?
A) Speak frequently
B) Observe and listen
C) Share wisdom openly
D) Live in solitude
2. What is King Midas’s tragic realization?
A) Gold is the most valuable thing
B) Greed can lead to misfortune
C) Kindness is overrated
D) Wishes should be avoided
3. What lesson does the grasshopper learn in story?
A) Play is more important than work
B) There is always enough food
C) Hard work is necessary for survival
D) Ants are not friendly creatures
4. How does the elephant prove its worth to the other animals?
A) By being the largest
B) By helping them in danger
C) By being friendly
D) By finding food
5. What moral lesson does the farmer learn in the st?
A) Always buy what you need
B) Cheating will get you nowhere
C) Seek justice only when needed
D) Water is essential for life
6. What does the fox’s reaction to the grapes symbolize?
A) Perseverance
B) Acceptance of failure
C) Rationalizing failure
D) The importance of effort
7. What mistake does the farmer make with the goose in “The Golden Egg”?
A) He neglects the goose
B) He is too greedy
C) He sells the goose
D) He doesn’t feed the goose
8. What does Molly learn in “The Milkmaid and Her Pail”?
A) Dreams can come true
B) Planning is unnecessary
C) Don’t count on uncertain things
D) Milk is valuable
9. What does the cactus teach the rose in “The Proud Rose”?
A) Looks are everything
B) Kindness is more valuable than appearance
C) Survival is easy in the desert
D) Beauty is a burden
10. What is the shepherd boy’s main lesson in “The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf”?
A) Always be honest
B) Trickery is fun
C) Villagers are gullible
D) Wolves are dangerous
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