MORAL STORIES

IT IS NO USE CRYING OVER SPILT MILK

(A hunter and his hound)

This is the story of a crazy hunter who could not distinguish between a friend and an enemy.
Such people act foolishly and later on repent. There was a rich man who enjoyed all the luxuries
of life. He had a big house in a jungle. He was very fond of hunting. He had a watch-dog. This
dog was very faithful to its master. The dog stayed at home to look after the house and also to
take care of the little son of his master.

One day the man went out for hunting, leaving the dog behind at his house. After a couple of
hours, a wolf jumped into the house. The wolf leapt towards the child. The dog came in the
middle and started fighting with the wolf. The dog was badly wounded. His whole body was
bleeding, but he never gave up.

Luckily, the dog grasped the wolf's neck. He pierced his sharp teeth into it. The wolf suffered a
fatal injury. The dog finally killed the wolf. There was a spark of victory in the dog's eyes. The
child remained safe and sound. The dog then stood at the gate to make sure that no beast
entered the house. The rich man returned home in the evening. As he entered the house, he saw
his dog bleeding. The dog came forward to receive his master, but his master paid no attention.
The blood on the dog's body had disturbed him. He had fears about the safety of his child. He
rushed towards the rooms. He saw blood stains in the lobby.

The man thought that the dog must have killed his son. Maddened with anger, he fired at the dog
and killed him. As the man entered a room, he found a dead wolf. He rushed into another room
and found his child safe and sound there. Now he came to know what had really happened. His
faithful dog had saved the child by killing the wolf. The rich man started crying over his act. But
alas! it was too late.

Moral:
Haste makes waste
It is no use crying over spilt milk

TIT FOR TAT

(A fox and and crane)

The story of a fox and a crane is a friendly caution for those who pose to be over-clever. Such
people generally overestimate their intelligence and feel pleased in making fun of others. They do
not realize that they can be befooled the same way.

There lived a fox and a crane in a jungle. They were good friends. They used to meet each other
very often. They invited each other to different functions. Once the clever fox decided to befool
the crane. He invited the crane to dinner. The crane arrived at her place well in time. The fox
offered the crane delicious curry in a plate. The crane could not eat it because the plate was too
flat. His long beak prevented him from eating the curry. He felt insulted. The fox was much
amused to see his friend tricked.
On his way back, the crane kept on thinking about the incident. He was much disturbed. He made
a plan to pay the fox back in the same coin. After a few weeks, the crane invited the fox to dinner.
The fox reached there happily. But alas, he could not eat anything, because the crane offered him
food in a jar having a narrow neck. The fox tried several times but could not reach the food. Now
he realized that he was tricked back by the crane.

Moral:
Never make fun of others
Tit for tat

A STITCH IN TIME SAVES NINE

(A merchant and his horse)

Sometimes we find it difficult to mend things well in time because we think that it will waste time.
But the fact is that it saves time. The story of a merchant and his horse is a solid proof of this fact.
Had he set the shoe of his horse right in time, he would not have met such a sad end.

Once upon a time there was a merchant. He often went to a nearby town to sell his goods. One
day he went to that town as usual. He visited the market and spent his whole day in selling his
articles. He earned a lot of money, but at the same time he became late as well. He was a bit
worried, because he had to go through a thick forest. He wanted to cross it before it was dark. He
carried the bag of gold coins on his back and rode his horse.

He felt that the horse had some problem with one of its legs. He got down to inspect it. He found
that a nail in the shoe was missing. It needed to be repaired. But he also wanted to save time.
So, he mounted the horse again and rushed towards his home. He could not stop as the sun was
going down and the night was approaching.

He had hardly covered a short distance when another nail came off. The merchant took no
serious notice of it. The speed of the horse started to slow down. Meanwhile the third nail also
came off. Now the horse started limping. But still the merchant continued. The sun had set and it
had started getting dark. The merchant had reached the forest. This was the most dangerous part
of his journey. The shoe was finally detached from the hoof of the horse.

Suddenly, the merchant heard some unusual sounds. His Blood froze in his veins when he saw a
group of robbers around him. The leader of the gang shouted: "Surrender everything, or be
prepared for your death." The merchant unwillingly gave them his bag. The robbers were pleased
to get a lot of wealth. After a great difficulty, the merchant reached his home quite penniless.
From this experience he learnt a lesson.

Moral:
A stitch in time saves nine

TRY, TRY AGAIN

(The king and the spider)

The golden principle of life is that the people who keep their hopes alive are able to show
determination. They keep on trying even in difficult circumstances. A man without hope is like a
blind person who is trying to find his way in darkness. Men who have hope can see the light and
ultimately reach their destination. The story of the king and the spider shows such a conflict
between hope and fear.

Robert Bruce was a brave king. He ruled Scotland for many years. During his rule, many battles
were fought between Scotland and England. In every battle, he was defeated. Once he had to
run away from the battle-field to save his life. He was chased by the English soldiers. Fortunately,
he found a cave where he hid himself. He started to think about his bad luck. The more he
thought about his misfortunes, the more he got worried. He had lost all hopes. By chance he saw
a spider. It had fallen from its web.

The spider tried several times to reach the web, but each time it fell down. In spite of this, the
spider did not lose heart. These repeated failures could not discourage it. It kept on trying. Finally,
in its tenth attempt, the spider was able to reach its destination. This incident gave Robert Bruce
a new hope and courage. He said to himself, "Look! How brave this tiny creature is, and how
coward you are! Can't you be as firm as this tiny spider is?"

Soon he realized that he had got rig of despair. He became stronger and stronger. He came out
of the cave and gathered his forces. He encouraged them. He asked them to put faith in their
bravery. He decided to regain his lost honour and dignity. With a new zeal he attacked the English
army. This time he crushed the enemy and won the freedom for his countrymen.

Moral:
Try, try again

NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION

(A thirsty crow)

It is a fact that most of the inventions are the result of necessity. In the hour of need, human
beings and animals use different techniques to win their aim. The story of the thirsty crow
describes such an incident. He thought of a plan and it proved fruitful to him.

Once upon a time, there was a crow. He felt extremely thirsty because the day was extremely
hot. The crow flew here and there in search of water, but could not find even a single drop of
water. He was very upset. He searched everywhere and at last he found a pitcher on the roof of a
building. He quickly rushed towards it, but he was disappointed when saw that the water was too
low. He tried to drink water, but could not succeed in this attempt.

In his distress, an idea occurred to him. He thought of raising the water level in the pitcher. He
said to himself, "If I drop some solid things in the pitcher, they may raise the level of the water. He
caught sight of a heap of pebbles near the building. He flew towards the heap and picked up a
pebble in his beak. He quickly came to the pitcher and dropped it in.

He repeated this action several times until the water level raised. It was definitely a tiring
exercise, but it proved fruitful. Now his beak reached the water very easily. He drank the water
and felt relieved. He thanked God for this blessing and flew away.

Moral:
Where there is a will, there is a way
God helps those who help themselves
Necessity is the mother of invention
No pains, no gains
 LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP
(A fox and a lion)

The story of a fox and a goat reminds us that we should be very careful in dealing with people.
Some people want to profit at the expense of others. We do not try to know how cunning they are.
As a result we may suffer a great deal.

A fox felt very thirsty. He ran towards a well to drink water. As he reached the well, his joy knew
no bounds. In his excitement he started jumping up and down and at last he fell down into the
well. Then he started cursing himself. He knew that he would die if he stayed in the well for a long
time. The fox expected something strange to occur.

Meanwhile a goat came there to drink water. Having seen the goat, the fox thought of a plan. He
greeted the goat and expressed a great pleasure to see her. Then he invited the goat to jump
down into the well. The goat refused to come down. She told the fox that she was in hurry and
she might come next time. The fox repeated his invitation. He told the goat that it was cool and
comfortable in the well. It was like a dream land.

The goat swallowed the bait and jumped into the well. it was a life time chance for the fox. He
quickly climbed over the back of the goat and jumped out of the well. The goat requested the fox
to come down and give her company. The fox told her that he was in hurry and would see her
next time. The goat said, " But why don't you stay with me in such a cool and comfortable place?"
The fox said to the goat that he was not foolish like her. The fox went away leaving the goat in the
well.

Moral:
Look before you leap
Think before you act

A FRIEND IN NEED IS A FRIEND INDEED

(Two friends and a bear)

Friendship is tested only in hard times. Unfortunately, many people betray their friends in difficult
situations. Real friendship demands sincerity and sacrifice. Once there were two friends. They
loved each other's company. One of them was very clever and sharp. The other was innocent
and simple. Once they went on a long journey. They promised to help each other through thick
and thin. They were passing through a thick forest.

All of a sudden, they saw a bear. It was coming towards them. They ran to save their lives. The
bear first chased the clever boy. Luckily, he gripped a branch of a tree and climbed up. The bear
jumped as high as he could, but could not catch him. He looked at him angrily and then turned to
the other boy. He was lying still and flat on the ground. The bear sniffed him several times, but he
was neither moving nor breathing. Thinking that the boy must be dead, the bear went away. Thus
the boy's trick worked. He knew that the bear would not harm him if he held his breath. So he
pretended to be dead and saved his life.

When the bear had gone, the clever friend climbed down the tree and came to him. By way of
joke, the selfish boy asked his friend, "What did the bear say in your ear?" The other boy told him
that the bear gave him a golden principle of life. When the selfish friend asked him what was that
principal, the other friend said, "The bear advised me not to trust selfish friends." Saying this, he
said goodbye to him and went away.
Moral:
A friend in need is a friend indeed
Beware of selfish friends

A ROLLING STONE GATHERS NO MOSS

It is said that in the days of yore , animals and birds gathered to elect the king of the jungle. The
lion, proud of his might, fierceness and boldness claimed to be the king. Nevertheless, the eagle
challenged his supremacy and asserted itself to be superior to the lion. It claimed to be swifter in
fight and sharper in sight. The negotiation for reconciliation between the two groups continued for
several days, but the matter remained unresolved.

The dispute resulted in an open war between the animals and the birds. The bat behaved very
strangely during the war. If the animals seemed to be winning, the bat went to them and claimed
itself to be one of them as it milks its young ones. On the other hand if the birds seemed to be
victorious, it went to them and proclaimed itself a bird as it lays eggs. It continued oscillating
between animals and birds keeping in view the expected victory of either. at last, the animals won
the war and the lion was declared to be an absolute king of jungle.

The bat went to the animals to congratulate them on their victory, but they turned it out saying,
"You are a bird, because you lay eggs." Then it visited the birds to console them, but they also
banished it saying, "You are an animal, because you milk your young ones." Being condemned
by both the parties for its double dealing, it was driven away from the day-light. Since then, it
hides itself in the dark hiding-places and flies always alone at night.

Moral:
A rolling stone gathers no moss

ALL COVET ALL LOSE

(A dog and his reflection)

Once a dog lived near a butcher's shop. He always got his food from here and there. He did not
believe in hard labour for earning his livelihood. One day he saw a lot of meat on the butcher's
shop and his mouth began to water. He kept on sitting near the shop in the hope of getting some
meat. When the butcher was busy in talking to a customer, he stole a big piece of meat from the
shop and ran away. He wanted to eat it in a garden across a stream.

While the dog was crossing the bridge over the stream, he saw his own reflection in the water. He
took it for another dog with a big piece of meat. He was overpowered by his greed. He wanted to
snatch the piece of meat from other dog's mouth. He was overjoyed that he would eat two big
pieces of meat. He jumped into the stream and started barking at the reflection. In this process,
his own piece of meat fell into the water. In this way he lost his own piece of meat. He became
very sad on his loss.

Moral:
All covet, all lose
Greed is a curse

HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY

(An honest woodcutter)
This is the world of snobbery and false show off. people may become dishonest to gain
temporary gains. But they do not understand that only honest work can give them comfort and
satisfaction. The story of an honest woodcutter shows that honesty is rewarded not only in this
world, but also in the world after death.

Once, a woodcutter lived in a village. Although he was very poor, he was an honest fellow. He
believed in hard labour. He earned his living by selling wood in the town. One day he was cutting
a tree near the bank of a river. Suddenly his axe slipped from his hand and fell into the river. He
became very sad. He did not know what to do in such a situation. He looked up and prayed to
God for help. Just then an angel appeared there. He asked the woodcutter what had happened.
The woodcutter told him about his problem.

The angel felt sorry for him. He dived into the river and brought out an axe. The axe was made of
pure gold. He gave this gold axe to the woodcutter. The woodcutter refused to take the axe
saying that it was not his axe. The angel once again dived into the river and brought out a silver
axe. But the woodcutter again refused to accept it. The angel dived into the river for the third time
and brought out an iron axe. The woodcutter felt very happy to see his own axe. He thanked the
angel for this help. The angel was much impressed by the honesty of the woodcutter. He gave
him all the axes and disappeared.

Moral:

Honesty is the best policy

Truth always triumphs
Virtue gets its reward

UNION IS STRENGTH
(A farmer and his sons)

Unity is the source of strength. There is a famous saying: "United we stand, divided we fall." The
story of a farmer and his sons teaches us the moral that unity makes the people strong.

Once there was an old farmer. He lived a very hard life. He had three sons. They always
quarreled with one another. The old man was much worried due to the disunity of his sons. He
tried his level best to unite them, but all his efforts proved futile. One day, the old man fell
seriously ill. His death seemed to be sure. He asked his sons to bring some sticks. When they
brought the sticks, he asked his sons to tie them in form of a bundle.

When they had tied the sticks, he asked his sons to break the bundle. All of them tried their best
to break the bundle of sticks, but could not do so. Then the old man asked his eldest son to untie
the bundle. When the bundle was untied, he asked his sons to break the sticks one by one. Soon
they broke all the sticks into pieces easily.

The old man explained to his sons that the sticks were strong when they were united. They
became weak when they were separated. Then he advised them to remain united like sticks. The
sons sat there together. They started thinking over the last message of their father. They decided
to follow their father's advice in future. From that day onward, they started leading a happy life.

Moral:
United we stand, divided we fall
Union is strength

KINDNESS NEVER GOES UNREWARDED

(The slave and the lion)

The story of a slave and a lion shows that love begets love and one good turn deserves another.
The strong and the weak, the rich and the poor need each-other's help. Therefore, co-operation is
of great importance.

Once upon a time there was a slave. The slave was very hardworking. Unfortunately, his master
was very cruel. The slave worked day and night, but his master was never pleased with his work.
he did not give the slave enough food. His master often punished him. He was much disturbed
due to this kind of treatment. He could not bear it any more. One day he ran away from there.
While he was passing through a jungle, he heard a noise. He saw a lion lying on the ground. The
lion was moaning with extreme pain. His paw was badly swollen, because a thorn had run into it.
The slave took pity on the lion and plucked out the thorn from his paw. The lion felt a great relief.
Thanking the slave, the lion went away.

After a few months the slave was caught. The master decided to punish him severely. It was
decided that the slave should be thrown before a hungry lion. The slave was thrown in an arena.
A hungry lion was led by some hunters. The lion rushed towards the slave. But as soon as he
came near the slave, he stopped and bowed down. The lion stood still and kept on looking at the
slave. Surprisingly, the lion started licking the feet of the slave. The lion had recognized him that
he was the same fellow who had plucked the thorn out of his paw. The slave's master was much
impressed by this incident. He set the slave free.

Moral:
Kindness never goes unrewarded
One good turn deserves another
Do good, have good

DO GOOD, HAVE GOOD

(A lion and a mouse)

The story o a lion and a mouse shows that all the creatures of Allah Almighty have a role to play.
Sometimes the role played by a small creature is more significant than the role played by the
bigger ones. If we treat a small one nicely, may be he will be able to pay back in his own time. the
present story is a good reminder to the universal truth: "Do good, have good."

Once there lived a lion in a jungle. He was very proud of his strength. By chance, a mouse also
lived in a hole nearby. One day the mouse came out of its hole. He saw the lion sleeping. The
mouse climbed up the lion and started dancing. The lion woke up and saw the little mouse
dancing on his body. This act of the mouse made the lion angry. He decided to kill the mouse
there and then. But the mouse requested him not to kill him.

The lion took pity on him and let him go. One day the lion was caught in the net of a hunter. His
strength could not help him that day. He started crying. The mouse happened to come there. He
saw the lion caught in the net. He decided to help him. He started biting the net with his sharp
teeth. At last, he was able to tear away the net. The lion was free once again. He thanked the
mouse and went away.
Moral:
Do good, have good
One good turn deserves another
kindness never goes unrewarded

ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT GOLD

(A foolish stag)

Sometimes superficial things look beautiful, but they are often deceptive. Ultimately the real
things come to our help and save us from misfortunes. The story of a foolish stag is a good
reminder to the universal truth, "All that glitters is not gold." This story shows the difference
between appearance and reality.

Once upon a time a stag lived in a jungle. He was very proud of his beautiful horns. once he went
to stream to drink water and saw his reflection in the water. He was delighted to see his beautiful
horns. He started praising his horns and became proud of his horns. however, when he looked at
his legs, his happiness was gone. He felt that his legs were thin and ugly. He started cursing his
thin and ugly legs. Just then he saw a pack of hounds coming towards him.

He started running to save his life. His thin and ugly legs helped him greatly and took him away
from the hunters and the hounds. But unfortunately his beautiful horns were caught in thick
bushes. He tried his level best to get rid of them, but could not. Now he came to know that his
thin and ugly legs were a blessing for him and his beautiful horns were a curse for him. The dogs
came nearer and nearer, but he could not get free. His beautiful horns could not help him at all.
Soon the hounds reached there and tore him into pieces.

Moral:
All that glitters is not gold
pride hath a fall

SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE

(A hare and a tortoise)

If someone works slowly, but regularly, he can definitely achieve his goal. On the other hand, if a
person works by fits and starts, his success is not certain. The story of a hare and a tortoise
teaches us the same lesson. At the same time it also teaches that we should not laugh at others.

Once upon a time, a hare lived in a jungle. He was very quick and smart. All the time he
wandered here and there and enjoyed the green grass of the jungle. A tortoise lived near the pool
of the jungle. They became friends. They spend good time in the company of each other. But the
problem was that the tortoise was very proud of his fast speed. He often teased the tortoise for
his slow speed.

One day the tortoise lost his patience. He asked the hare to run a race. The hare laughed at the
tortoise. They fixed a day for the race. The owl became the judge. All the animals and birds came
out to watch this contest. The race started. The race ran very fast and soon was out of sight. On
the other hand the tortoise kept on creeping slowly.

After some time the hare waw a cool shady tree. He lay down ans soon was asleep. The passed
by the sleeping hare. He never thought of having any rest. He kept on moving slowly and steadily.
The result was that he reached his destination after a long and hard struggle. When the hare
woke up, the sun was setting. He got up and started running towards the final point. But he was
ashamed to see that the tortoise was already present there.

Moral:
Slow and steady wins the race
pride hath a fall

HE WHO DIGS A PIT FOR OTHERS FALLS HIMSELF INTO IT

(Three friends and a bag of gold)

There were three friends. They lived in a village. They promised to remain true to one another
through thick and thin. They set out on a journey to a town. This town was famous for trade. They
had a successful business and earned a lot of money. After a few years they returned with a bag
full of gold coins.

On their way they had to pass through a jungle. They felt very hungry and tired. They sent one of
they to a nearby village to bring food for them. When he had gone away, the other two made a
plan to kill him and divide all the gold between themselves. On his way, the third man also
planned to get all the gold himself.

He mixed poison in the food to fulfill his hideous plan. As soon as he reached there, the other two
attacked him and killed him instantly. After killing him the other two ate the meal. Because of
eating the poisoned food, they also died immediately. As a result, all of them died leaving behind
the whole wealth.

Moral:
He who digs a pit for others, himself falls into it
Greed is a curse
All covet, all lose
As you sow, so shall you reap

THE ANT AND THE CRICKET

It is said that one should save something for a rainy day. Those who do not struggle to make their
future safe and bright are destroyed. Time is merciless. It does not take pity on anyone. God
helps only those who help themselves. The joys of present should not make us negligent of the
hard days of future. The present story describes this harsh reality.

The winter was in full swing. It had snowed very heavily. The intolerably intense cold had
prevailed everywhere. A hungry cricket went out in search of food but found nothing to eat. He
was shivering with cold and hunger. He was about to die when he came across an ant. He
requested her to give him some food to eat. The ant took pity on him. She decided to help him
but suddenly stopped. She asked the cricket why she had not treasured up food during the
summer. Was he not aware of the hard days of winter? Did he not know that it would be difficult to
have food in winter?

The cricket replied that he was not aware of the intensity of winter. He remained busy with the
joys of summer. He did nothing but sang sweet songs throughout summer. When the ant heard
this, she got infuriated. She said to him if he spent summer in singing, he must dance hungry in
winter. Saying this, she went her own way. The cricket was left in his plight to die.
Moral:
Those who live without work, must learn to live without food
No pains, no gains
Save something for the rainy days