5 lines short stories with moral
by Yogi P - November 2, 2023
What is a moral story?
A moral story is a narrative that contains a lesson or a message about what is right, ethical, and good conduct for people to follow. These stories are usually crafted to teach readers or listeners, often children, about virtues such as honesty, bravery, kindness, and integrity through engaging and relatable scenarios.
The characters in these stories face challenges and make decisions that result in consequences, illustrating the importance of making morally sound choices.
Moral stories have been part of human culture for centuries, found in folklore, religious texts, fables, and fairy tales. They serve as a tool for societal and cultural education, helping to pass on communal values and norms to the next generation.
The moral, often explicitly stated at the end, is the takeaway that the storyteller wants to impress upon the audience, prompting them to reflect on their own behavior and choices.
List of 50 five lines short stories with moral
5 Line Short Stories with Moral
The Thirsty Crow
A crow, parched with thirst, found a pitcher with little water in it. He threw pebbles in until the water rose and he could drink.
Moral: Necessity is the mother of invention.
The Boy Who Cried Wolf
A boy repeatedly tricks villagers into thinking a wolf is attacking his flock. When a wolf actually does, nobody believes him, leaving his sheep unprotected.
Moral: Liars are not believed even when they speak the truth.
The Ant and the Grasshopper
A grasshopper wasted the summer singing while the ant stored food. Come winter, the grasshopper was starving, while the ant was prepared.
Moral: Procrastination can lead to hardship.
The Tortoise and the Hare
A hare ridiculed a slow-moving tortoise. In a race, the overconfident hare took a nap, while the tortoise plodded on to win.
Moral: Slow and steady wins the race.
The Fox and the Grapes
A fox tried to reach some grapes high up on a vine, but failed. He stalked away, declaring they were sour anyway.
Moral: It’s easy to despise what you cannot have.
The Farmer and His Sons
A dying farmer told his sons about treasure in the fields. They dug everywhere to find it. No gold was found, but the soil was turned for planting, bringing a bountiful harvest.
Moral: Hard work is a treasure in itself.
The Two Friends and the Bear
Two friends were walking when a bear approached. One climbed a tree, the other played dead. The bear sniffed and left him, thinking he was not alive.
Moral: Misfortune tests the sincerity of friends.
The Lion’s Share
The lion went hunting with other animals, and when it was time to divide the prey, he claimed all shares. The rest went hungry.
Moral: Might often overrules right.
The Fox and the Crow
A crow had a piece of cheese. A fox, wanting the cheese, complimented the crow. Flattered, the crow cawed, dropping the cheese.
Moral: Beware of flatterers.
The Goose That Laid Golden Eggs
A man had a goose that laid a golden egg every day. Impatiently, he killed it to get all the gold at once, finding nothing inside.
Moral: Greed can lead to loss.
The Dog and the Shadow
A dog carrying a bone saw his reflection in the water. Mistaking it for another dog with a bigger bone, he snapped at it, losing his own.
Moral: Don’t let greed make you lose what you have.
The Wind and the Sun
The Wind and the Sun argued who was stronger. They saw a traveler and tried to make him remove his cloak. The Sun’s warmth made the man take it off, not the Wind’s force.
Moral: Gentleness and kind persuasion win where force and bluster fail.
The Oak and the Reeds
A mighty oak that refused to bend in the storm was uprooted. The flexible reeds, which bent with the wind, survived.
Moral: Better to bend than to break.
The Fox and the Stork
A fox invited the stork for soup, which the stork couldn’t eat in a shallow bowl. Later, the stork invited the fox and served soup in a jug that the fox couldn’t reach.
Moral: Treat others as you want to be treated.
The Cat, the Rooster, and the Young Mouse
A young mouse asked his mother why the cat was friendly to the rooster but not to mice. She explained it’s not in a cat’s nature to befriend mice, and to be wary.
Moral: Be cautious of those with a history of being untrustworthy.
The Boy and the Filberts
A boy put his hand in a jar and grabbed as many filberts as he could. His hand got stuck, and only when he took fewer nuts could he pull it out.
Moral: Do not attempt too much at once.
The Milkmaid and Her Pail
A milkmaid dreamt of buying things with the money from the milk she was carrying, but she spilled it. All her plans were dashed.
Moral: Do not count your chickens before they are hatched.
The Hare and the Tortoise (Another Version)
A tortoise, tired of being ridiculed by a hare, challenged him to a race. The hare, overconfident and complacent, rested, while the tortoise, determined and steady, finished the race first.
Moral: Never underestimate your opponent.
The Peacock and the Crane
A peacock bragged about his beauty to a crane. The crane spoke of flying to the heavens and seeing all the beauty of the world.
Moral: True beauty is not just what is seen.
The Old Man and Death
An old man, weary from gathering wood, called for Death. When Death appeared, the man got scared and asked to be helped with his heavy load instead.
Moral: Be careful what you wish for.
The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse
A town mouse visited a country mouse and was unimpressed by the simple fare. In town, the country mouse found the food rich but life too dangerous.
Moral: Safety and peace are more valuable than wealth.
The Bundle of Sticks
An old man taught his quarreling sons unity by showing how a single stick breaks easily, but a bundle is unbreakable.
Moral: There is strength in unity.
The Ass and His Shadow
A traveler hired an ass on a hot day. When he tried to sit in the animal’s shadow, the owner objected, leading to a dispute over who had the right to the shadow.
Moral: Sometimes the most obvious things can become the subject of dispute.
The Crab and His Mother
A crab mother scolded her son for walking crookedly. He replied he would walk straight if she showed him how.
Moral: Lead by example.
The Ants and the Grasshopper (Another Version)
Ants worked hard all summer, while a grasshopper played. When winter came, the ants were warm and had food, but the grasshopper had none.
Moral: Prepare today for the needs of tomorrow.
The Mouse and the Oyster
A mouse, thinking he found a lump of cheese, tried to open an oyster. The oyster snapped shut, trapping the mouse’s nose.
Moral: Look before you leap.
The Frogs and the Well
Two frogs found a well and one suggested they live there. The other advised caution, asking what they would do if the well dried up.
Moral: Always think of the future.
The Farmer and the Stork
A farmer set a trap for cranes destroying his crops and caught a stork. The stork pleaded innocence, but the farmer said he was with the thieves.
Moral: You are judged by the company you keep.
The Ass Wearing the Lion’s Skin
An ass disguised himself with a lion’s skin and frightened many animals, but he brayed, revealing his true identity.
Moral: Fine clothes may disguise, but silly words disclose.
The Lark and Her Young Ones
A lark, with her young in a field of grain, said they must move before the harvest. She knew it was time when she overheard the farmer’s son say they must rely on themselves.
Moral: Self-help is the best help.
The Bat and the Weasels
A bat fell to the ground and was caught by a weasel. To save itself, it claimed to be a mouse. Later, caught by another, it claimed to be a bird.
Moral: It’s wise to turn circumstances to good account.
The Travellers and the Plane Tree
Two travelers rested under a plane tree and complained there was no fruit. The tree responded, “You take benefit from my shade but scorn me.”
Moral: You cannot please everyone.
The Fox Without a Tail
A fox, who had lost his tail, tried to convince others to cut off theirs, claiming it was much better that way. The other foxes saw through his ploy and kept their tails.
Moral: Misery loves company.
The Ass’s Brains
The lion, the fox, and the ass hunted together. The ass divided the spoil into three equal shares. The lion was enraged, killed the ass, and told the fox to divide it. The fox made a large share for the lion, who asked where the fox learned to share so well. “From the ass,” replied the fox.
Moral: Learn from the misfortunes of others.
The Dove and the Ant
An ant, going to a river to drink, was carried away by the flow. A dove saved it by throwing a twig. Later, the ant saw a hunter aiming at the dove and stung him, saving the dove’s life.
Moral: One good turn deserves another.
The Frog and the Ox
A small frog saw an ox and to impress his friends, puffed himself up to match the ox’s size, only to burst himself.
Moral: Self-conceit may lead to self-destruction.
The Boys and the Frogs
Boys threw stones at frogs, killing several. The frogs cried, “What is sport to you, is death to us.”
Moral: What is fun for some may harm others.
The Cock and the Jewel
A cock, searching for food for his hens, found a precious stone and remarked that a jeweler would appreciate it more.
Moral: What is valuable to one may be worthless to another.
The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
A wolf dressed in sheepskin and fooled the shepherd, leading the flock away. At night, the shepherd wanted meat for dinner and killed the wolf.
Moral: Deceit has its dangers.
The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf (Another Version)
A shepherd boy tricked villagers by crying wolf for attention. When a wolf really appeared, no one came to help, and the flock was scattered.
Moral: Truth is always better than deceit.
The Two Pots
Two pots, one of brass and one of clay, floated down a river. The clay pot avoided the brass, fearing a collision would break it.
Moral: Equals make the best friends.
The Fox and the Goat
A fox fell into a well and convinced a goat to jump in for plentiful water. The fox climbed out on the goat’s back, leaving the goat trapped.
Moral: Look before you leap.
The Peasant and the Apple Tree
A peasant shared apples with passersby from a tree on his farm. When a spiteful person damaged the tree, it stopped bearing fruit, teaching the peasant that no good deed goes unpunished.
Moral: Not everyone appreciates good deeds.
The Miser and His Gold
A miser buried his gold, and a thief watched and stole it. When the miser discovered the loss, a neighbor said, “Use a stone; it’s as much use to you as the gold you didn’t spend.”
Moral: Wealth unused might as well not exist.
The Frogs Who Wished for a King
Frogs, tired of chaos, asked Jupiter for a king. He sent a log, which they initially feared, then despised. They asked for another, and Jupiter sent a stork, which began eating them.
Moral: Be careful what you wish for; it might be worse than what you had.
The Vain Jackdaw
A jackdaw adorned himself with peacock feathers. The peacocks stripped him when they found out, and the jackdaws rejected him, leaving him alone.
Moral: Pretense will be discovered, and you will be left with nothing.
The Dog in the Manger
A dog lying in a manger wouldn’t let the ox eat the hay. The dog couldn’t eat it either.
Moral: Don’t prevent others from using what you cannot.
The Fox and the Leopard
A fox and a leopard debated who was more beautiful. The leopard showed his spotted skin, but the fox said that his beauty was in his cunning mind.
Moral: Physical beauty is less valuable than intellectual beauty.
The Jay and the Peacock
A jay put on peacock feathers and tried to join them, but was cast out. The jays, upon return, also cast him out for his foolishness.
Moral: It’s better to be a first-rate version of yourself than a second-rate version of someone else.
The Charcoal-Burner and the Fuller
A charcoal-burner proposed to a fuller to live together so they might save money. The fuller declined, saying, “Your trade would blacken my clean one.”
Moral: Choose your associates wisely.
The Hare With Many Friends
A hare was very popular with the other animals, until he needed help escaping a hunter. Sadly, none of his friends arrived on time.
Moral: Friendship tested is friendship proven.
The Proud Oak
An old oak stood tall and scorned the reeds at his feet for their lack of strength. But when the storm came, the reeds bent and survived, while the oak was torn from the ground.
Moral: Humility and adaptability can be stronger than rigidity and pride.
The Astronomer
An astronomer used to walk every night to gaze at the stars and one evening, so absorbed in the sky, he fell into a well. A neighbor said, “You wish to see what is in the heavens, but fail to see what is on earth.”
Moral: Pay attention to what is around you.
The Fox and the Grapes
A fox tried to reach some grapes high up on a vine, but could not. He finally gave up and muttered, “They are probably sour anyway.”
Moral: It’s easy to despise what you cannot have.
The Sow and the Wolf
A sow had just given birth and a wolf demanded she come out of her sty. She replied she would once she was stronger. The wolf retorted he’d wait. She knew the wolf would not give up easily, so she mustered her strength to protect her piglets.
Moral: Be aware and ready; danger often persists.
Pin It
