Moral Story Fables

This article contains:

1. A liar cowboy 

2. A greedy farmer and his wonderful goose

3. The thirsty crow

4. The hare and the tortoise

5. Two friends and a bear

6. Dividing the bread

7. A fox without a tail

8. Who will bell the cat?

9. The boys and the frogs

10. Haste makes waste

11. Lion and mouse

12. The fox and the grapes

13. The wolf and the crane

14. The pied piper of hamelin

15. The ant and the dove

16. Fox and goat 

17. A cap-seller and some monkeys

18. An honest farmer

19. Necessity of practical knowledge

20. Two beggars

21. Unity is strength 

22. A truthful woodcutter

23. A farmer and his lazy sons

24. King midas

25. Bayazid’s love for his mother

26. King Robert Bruce and the spider



1. A Liar Cowboy 

Once there lived a cowboy in a village. he used to tend cows near a deep forest. the boy had a very bad habit. he used to tell lies to make fun. 

One day the boy cried out, “Tiger! Tiger! Help! Help!”

The villagers rushed to help him. But they found no tiger. The boy was laughing and dancing and making fun with them. The villagers became angry and went away.

Some days later, the boy made the same fun and the villagers became deceived again. 

One day a tiger really came. The boy cried for help but nobody came. They thought the boy was making fun. 

At last, the tiger killed all the cows. The boy saved his life running away from the spot.

MORAL:  Nobody believes a liar.


2. A Greedy Farmer And His Wonderful Goose

Once a farmer had a wonderful goose. She used to lay a golden egg every day. The egg was made of solid and shiny gold. 

Every morning the farmer collected it and rushed to the market. He sold it in the market and got much money. Little by little he grew rich. 

But the farmer was very greedy. He thought there were a lot of eggs in the belly of the goose. 

He wanted to get them all at once. He became impatient. He did not want to wait any more. So, one day he decided to cut the goose. 

His wife forbade him to do it. But he did not listen to her. He grabbed the goose and cut her belly. But alas! There was no egg in the belly. 

He became very worried and sad and began to cry in fear.


3. The Thirsty Crow

Once, a crow was very thirsty. He searched for water everywhere but could not find any river or pond. He thought he would die.

At last, he saw a jar with very little water in it. He put his beak inside. But he could not reach down the water. So, he was flying in despair. 

Suddenly the crow saw some pebbles near the jar. So, he thought of a plan. He picked some pebbles and dropped them into the pot one by one.

The water level rose. The crow drank the water and flew away happily.


4. The Hare And the Tortoise

Once, there lived a hare and a tortoise in a jungle. The hare was very proud of his speed. Whenever he saw the tortoise, he would say, “I pity you. You are so slow. Curse the God.”

One day the tortoise said to the hare, “Let us try a race. We shall start from here. The peacock will be the judge”.

The tortoise agreed. They started the race. The hare ran very fast and went a long way in a moment.  He looked back but could not see the tortoise. So, he sat to take rest under a tree and soon slept off. 

When he woke up, it was evening. So, he felt worried and began to run fast. But when he reached the goal, the tortoise had already crossed the finishing line.

The tortoise walked slowly and steadily. So, he won the race.

Moral-1: Pride goes before a fall.

Moral-2: Slow and steady wins the race.


5. Two Friends And a Bear

Once upon a time there lived two intimate friends. One day they were walking through a forest. 

Suddenly they saw a bear coming towards them. One friend knew how to climb a tree. So, he climbed a nearby tree leaving his friend in danger. 

The other friend did not know how to climb a tree. He thought for a second. He had heard animals do not like dead bodies. So, he lay on the ground like a dead man. The bear came and smelt him and went away. 

The first friend got down from the tree and said, " What did the bear whisper into your ears?” 

The other replied "The bear asked me to keep away from friends like you" and went on his way.

MORAL: A friend in need is a friend indeed. 


6. Dividing the Bread

Once two rats found a piece of bread. They could not agree on how to divide the bread because each rat wanted the larger share than the other. They argued and fought. Yet they could not agree. At last, they went to Mr. Monkey for help. 

Mr. Monkey was wise and just. He said that they should solve their own problem. But the rats persisted him to divide the bread.

Mr. Monkey broke the bread into two halves and put them on his scales. One part became larger. He took a bite from the part. Now the other part became larger. So, he took another bite from that part. He did it again and again. 

At last, there was a little bread left. Then the rats wanted to divide it themselves. But Mr. Monkey said, “No. I’ve worked a lot for you. So, I’ll take it as my fee.”

The rats got nothing and went away. 


7. A Fox without a Tail

Once a fox was crossing a field. Suddenly he got in a trap. He tried hard to come out of the trap. At last, he succeeded. But he lost his tail. He was ashamed of his loss.

When he came back in the Jungle, his friends saw him without his tail and asked, "What happened?”

The fox was very clever and wicked. He said, "The tail is just an extra weight. It looks ugly. So, I cut it off. You should cut it off also."

Some foxes agreed to cut their tails. Then an old and wise fox said, “You didn’t cut your tail off. You lost it in a trap. 

Hearing this, the fox felt ashamed and flew away.

MORAL: Empty words cannot become facts.


8. Who Will Bell the Cat?

Once there lived many mice in a house. They ate and cut the things in the house. The owner became very angry. So, he brought a fat cat to catch the mice. 

The cat started hunting and killing the mice every day. The mice could not move freely now. They were very afraid.

The mice wanted to do something. So, they held a meeting to solve the problem. One mouse said, "Can someone give a suggestion"?

All the mice sat dumb. At last, a smart looking mouse stood up and said, "If we can tie a bell around her neck, then we can know the movements of the cat". All the mice cried out, “Good idea! Good idea!” 

An old mouse slowly stood up and asked, "Can you tell me who will tie the bell?" 

There was no reply from anybody. All stood dumb and silent.

MORAL: Empty solutions are of no worth.


9. The Boys and the Frogs

Once there was an old pond in a village. Some frogs lived there happily. 

One day the frogs were singing in chorus. Some boys were passing by the pond. They heard the frogs and began to throw stones at the frogs. 

All the frogs stopped singing. But the boys continued to throw stones. As a result, many frogs died, and many became severely injured. 

At last, an old frog said, “Oh boys! Please stop. Don’t play with our lives. What is play to you is death to us.” Hearing this, the boys stopped throwing stones.


10. Haste makes Waste

A woman had a pet mongoose. It was very faithful. One day she went to the market, leaving her baby in the care of the mongoose. 

At that time a big cobra entered the house. The mongoose killed it after a long and fierce fight. When the woman came back, she saw the mongoose lying at the entrance. She noticed its blood-covered mouth. In her haste the woman thought that the mongoose had killed her baby. In a moment of sudden fury, the woman threw the water pot on the mongoose and killed it. 

Alas! When she entered the house, she was filled with remorse. Her baby was playing cheerfully. Nearby a big cobra lay dead. 

The woman shed tears of grief fondling the carcass of the mongoose.

MORAL: Do not act in haste.

11. Lion & Mouse

Once, a Lion was sleeping near his cave. A little Mouse was playing nearby. He did not notice the Lion. He thought it was a hill. So, he began running up and down upon the lion. This soon wakened the Lion. He placed his huge paw upon him and opened his big jaws to swallow him.

The mouse began to tremble in fear and cried out, “O King! Please forgive me this time. I shall never repeat it and I shall never forget your kindness. And one day I may also help you?"

The Lion laughed at his words. However, he felt pity and let him go.

Sometime later a few hunters caught the lionin their net. The lion tried and tried but could not go out. He thought he would surely die. 


Just then the little Mouse was passing by and saw the sad plight of the Lion. He hurriedly ran up to him and cut the ropes. The lion became free. 

MORAL: Little friends may prove great friends.



12. The Fox and the Grapes

Once, a fox was very hungry. He searched for food but could not find any. So, he went to the vineyard of a farmer to look for some grapes. But everywhere he became hopeless because it was dull season. 

At last, he saw a bunch of grapes hanging from a grapevine. His mouth started watering. He thought it would be a great feast for him today. 

He wanted to eat the grapes. So, he jumped and jumped, but in vain. He could not reach the grapes. 

He hit upon a plan. He held the tree and began to shake it. But all his efforts went in vain. 

Then he sat to pray to God for some grapes. But God did not hear his prayer. No grape fell from the tree. 

At last, the fox went away saying, “Those grapes are sour!”




13. The Wolf and the Crane

Once a wolf killed a lamb and started eating it.

Suddenly a piece of bone stuck in its throat. It cried out of pain and called for help. There came a crane. The wolf lured the crane that it would give lot of rewards.

The greedy crane immediately agreed and removed the piece of bone with its long beak. The wolf was relieved of its pain. Then the crane asked for the rewards.

The wolf laughed at the crane and said, "I have already rewarded you. You put your head in my mouth, but I did not bite it. Isn’t it enough? Run away from here, else I will kill you". 

The crane was very much disappointed and ran way to save its life.

MORAL: You should help only those who deserve for it.



14. The Pied Piper of Hamelin

A long time ago the town of Hamelin became full of rats. The rats were so big and so fierce that they fought the dogs, killed the cats, and bit the babies in the cradle. The people of Hamelin came to the town hall and told the Mayor to do something about the rats. 

The Mayor and the Councilors talked for hours but could not find a way out. At that time a tall, stranger entered the hall. He wanted to drive the rats away if he got one thousand gilders. The Mayor agreed to pay him the money. 

Coming to the street, the stranger played a flute, and all the rats came out and followed the piper. The man went to the river. The rats followed him and were drowned. 

The man came back and demanded his money. But the Mayor wanted to pay him only fifty guilders. The piper refused the money and came out of the hall. He then played another pipe. 

At the sound, all the children came out running and followed him. He walked towards the hill. As soon as the piper reached the hill, it opened up. The piper walked into it with the children following him. Then the hill closed, and they were never seen again.




15. The Ant and the Dove

One day an ant went to the stream to drink water. Suddenly he felt into the running water. He tried heart and soul to reach the bank but failed. Then he began to shout for help. 

A dove saw the miserable condition of the dove and felt pity for him. He broke a leaf very quickly and dropped the leaf just before the ant. The little ant climbed onto the leaf. Soon the leaf reached the riverbank. Thus, he could save his life.

After a few days, the ant noticed that a man had aimed his gun at the dove. The man was about to shoot the dove. Just at that moment the ant bit the foot of the man. As a result, the man missed his aim. In the meantime, the dove flew away. Thus, he could save his life for the help of the ant. From this story we can learn that co-operation among the members of a society can be useful for everyone.



16. Fox and Goat 

Once, a fox was very thirsty. He saw a big well nearby and peeped into it. The fox slipped and fell into the well. He tried to come out. But he could not do so.

After some time, there came a goat that was also thirsty. He too peeped into the well. The fox saw the goat and said from inside, “The water is very sweet. Come and enjoy.”

The foolish goat also jumped into the well. The clever fox climbed on the back of the goat and jumped out of the well.

Moral: Look before you leap.




17. A Cap-seller and some Monkeys

Once, there was a cap-seller in a town. One day he was going to a distant market. On the way, he became very tired. He decided to sit under a big tree to take rest for a while. Soon, he slept off.

There were many monkeys on the tree. They came down, took the caps from the cap-seller’s basket and wore them. Then they climbed the tree again.

When the cap seller woke up, he was shocked to see his basket empty. He searched for his caps. To his surprise, he saw the monkeys were wearing them. 

He found that monkeys were imitating him. So, he started throwing his cap down and the monkeys also did so. 

The cap-seller collected all the caps, put them back in his basket and went away happily.

Moral: Wisdom is better than weapons of war.


18. An Honest Farmer

Once there lived a farmer in a village. He was poor but honest. He had a few acres of land. The land yielded him some crops. With that he supported his family with difficulty. So, he always thought how he could add to his income. 

One day while he was walking through the fields, he came across a purse of gold. He picked it up and carried it home. He showed it to his wife. She wanted to keep it for their own use. But the farmer said, “Honesty is the best policy.” 

The farmer began to look for the owner of the bag. At last, he found the owner of the purse. The man came and took away the bag. He thanked the farmer for his honesty, but he did not give him any reward. The wife of the farmer became very angry at this. He began to rebuke the farmer for his foolishness. But the farmer went on saying, “Honesty is the best policy.”


19. Necessity of Practical Knowledge

Once there was a scholar. He was very proud of his knowledge. One day he was travelling in a boat. The boatman set sail and the boat was running smoothly. Suddenly the scholar asked the boatman, “Did you read history?” The boatman replied, “No.” Then the scholar said, “One-fourth of your life is spoiled.”

After some time, the scholar again asked, “Did you read geography?” Again, the boatman replied in the negative. Then the scholar said, “Half of your life is spoiled.”

In the afternoon the scholar asked, “Did you read science?” Again, the boatman replied in the negative. Then the scholar said, “Three-fourth of your life is spoiled.” Hearing this, the boatman remained silent.

After some time, a storm began to blow. The boat was about to sink, and the scholar was very much frightened. Then the boatman asked, “Do you know how to swim?” The scholar replied in the negative. Then the boatman said, “The boat is going to sink. So, whole of your life is spoiled.”


20. Two Beggars

Once there lived two beggars in a city. They begged sitting beside a park. One said, “Only Allah can help a man”. The other said, “Only the king can help a man”. 

One day, the king was passing by the road. He heard the beggars saying so and became pleased with the second beggar who said, “Only the king can help a man.” Next day, the king sent a piece of bread to him. 

When the king’s man gave him the bread, he found that it was very heavy. So, he became angry and gave the bread to the other beggar. He took the bread home and opened it to eat. To his utter surprise, he found some diamond in it. Thus, he became rich and stopped begging.

The next day, the king heard the beggar begging again saying, “Only the king can help a man”. He went near him and heard about the bread. Finally, the king also realized that only Allah can help a man.


21. Unity Is Strength 

Once there lived a farmer in a village. He had three sons. They always quarreled with each other. Their parents didn’t like it. They told them to stop but they didn’t listen to their parents’ advice.

One day the farmer told his sons to bring five sticks and a rope. He made a bundle of the sticks and told his sons to break it. They tried and tried but failed.

At last, he untied the sticks and gave one stick each. Now they could easily break the sticks. 

Then the farmer said, “If you remain united like the sticks, you will be very strong. Then none can harm you”.  After that the sons stopped quarrelling.

Moral: United we stand, divided we fall.



22. A Truthful Woodcutter

One day a wood cutter was cutting wood in the jungle. Suddenly his axe fell into a river. The poor wood cutter made a good search in the water. But his efforts were in vain. Finally, he burst into tears.

Hearing his sobs, an Angel appeared before him. She dived into the river and came up with a golden axe. But the wood cutter did not accept it. He said that that was not his axe.

The Angel disappeared and soon returned with a silver axe. The wood cutter again said that it was not his axe. 

The Angel once again dived into the river and came up with the wood-cutter’s axe. The poor man now said that it was his axe and thanked the Angel. 

The Angel was impressed by the man's honesty. She gave him all the axes for his truthful nature.

MORAL: Truthfulness brings its own reward.


23. A Farmer And His Lazy Sons

Once there lived a farmer in a village. He had two sons. They were very strong and healthy but lazy. They didn’t do any work.

One day the farmer became very ill. He called his sons to his bed and said that there were hidden treasures in his fields. Saying this, the farmer died.

The sons were very greedy. So, they quickly ran to their field and dug it again and again. But they found no hidden treasures.

At last, they sowed seeds in the fields. After two months they got golden crops. Now they became very happy and thanked their father.

MORAL: Fruits of hard work are always sweet.



24. King Midas

Once there was a king called Midas. He was very greedy. Although he had a lot of wealth, he wanted more and more. 

One day the king was sitting alone in his garden. He thought if he had a golden touch, he would be the happiest man on earth. 

A wise god was passing by the place. He granted his wish promptly. The king became very happy and ran to the palace. 

His little daughter came up to him. He touched her and she turned to gold.

The king loved his daughter more than anything. So, he began to cry in fear. Then the god took pity on him and took his power away. The king became repented. He was no longer greedy.

Moral: The more a man gets, the more he wants. 



25. Bayazid’s Love for His Mother

Bayazid was a good boy. Once his mother was ill. At mid night she woke up and wanted to drink water. 

Bauazid went to the kitchen to bring some water. But he found the pitcher empty. Then he went to bring water from the fountain which was far away from his house. 

When he came back home with water, he found his mother asleep. He didn’t want to disturb his ailing mother. So, he remained standing before her the whole night. 

In the morning his mother got up and found Bayazid standing beside her. She embraced his son with deep love and prayed to Allah for him.


26. King Robert Bruce & the Spiders

There was a brave king. Once, his enemy drove him from his palace. He tried again and again but could not win. At last, he gave up his hope and took shelter in a cave.

The king was very depressed and hopeless. He was sitting in the cave with a sad mind. Then an interesting thing happened.

A small spider was trying to weave a web across the cave ceiling. But it was falling down again and again. But the spider did not give up hope. It tried to climb again and again. Finally, the spider successfully climbed up and completed the web.

The king began to think, "If a small spider can face failure so bravely, why should I give up? I will try with all my might till I win". This thought gave him courage and strength.

The king got out of the jungle and collected his brave soldiers. He fought bravely against the enemy. Finally, after many attempts, here gained his kingdom. 

MORAL: Perseverance paves way to success.