No one can deny the reality of life that the only constant in life is change.
On some days, we eat the bear. And on others, the bear eats us.
What does life want to tell us from these fluctuations?
Is it focused on crushing us? Or does it only want to build us up and strengthen us?
The answer to this question lies in our attitudes. If we take life’s challenges as disasters, we are bound to be a failure.
And if we take life, or fate, as an ally, our positive attitude will help us circumvent our problems.
15 Best Short Moral Stories
Here are 15 best short moral stories which will help you question your beliefs about life and its challenges.
These stories encompass different areas of life: from social interactions, to emotions, to right and wrong and our commitments.
Let’s dive straight in!
1. Rope of Elephant
We would like to start our collection of best short moral stories with a story on attitude towards difficulties in our lives.
When zookeepers brought little Suzi to the zoo, they tied a tiny cotton rope to prevent her from running away. Suzi tried her best to break free and go back to her home but her little body was weaker than the rope she was trying to break.
So she had to stay.
Soon she learned that the rope was too strong for her to break. And she stopped struggling against it.
Years passed and she grew up. The zookeeper still tied her to the same tiny rope which was now weaker than her body and was easily breakable.
Now the problem lied in Suzi’s mental limitations which kept her convinced that the rope was impossible to break. Suzi kept believing in the lie she learned in her childhood and remain in captivity.
Story Moral:
Much to our disappointment, we give more credit to the lessons we learned in our childhood than we give to our changing circumstances.
2. Honesty Brings Peace
This one of all included best short moral stories revolves around honesty.
One day, a boy and a girl were playing. The boy had colorful pebbles and the girl had brought candies.
The boy wanted to have candies and the girl was eyeing his pebbles. So they agreed to exchange their treasures. The boy committed to giving every pebble he owned to the girl and girl agreed on the same for her candies.
But when the actual exchange happened, the boy hid a few pebbles in his pocket while the girl remained honest in her transaction.
That night, the girl slept peacefully believing that every soul in this world is honest and dependable like her.
At the same time, the boy remained alert thinking if the girl had also hidden candies from him.
Story Moral:
Honesty is the shortcut to peace of mind.
3. Transformation Requires Efforts
A little boy found a caterpillar on a leaf. The boy, fascinated by the little creature, brought it to his home together with its leaf and waited to witness a miraculous transformation.
The caterpillar transformed into the cocoon and soon entered the transition phase where it would transform into a mature butterfly inside a pupa.
The boy grew keener but there were no signs of anticipated transformation. It appeared that the caterpillar is failing to grow out of its pupa phase.
Eventually, the kid decided to help and broke the cocoon with a pair of scissors to free the butterfly.
The butterfly that came out was small and plump. Its wings were are also weak and wrinkled. The boy assumed that the caterpillar was going through yet another stage of metamorphism and waited for it to grow up and fly.
But it never did because it couldn’t. The boy, in his efforts to save the caterpillar from trouble, had prevented it from going through an essential step of maturing. It prevented it from going through all the hard work which was designed to strengthen it and train it.
The caterpillar never exerted enough force to pump its blood into its wings.
Story Moral:
The hardships in our lives are meant to give us wings and strength to fly.
4. Time is the Best Gift
One day, when a tired father got home after long hours of work, he found his son awake. The father grew angry at his son for being out of bed past his bedtime. Upon inquiry, the son told him he wanted something from the father.
Still angry, the father asked, ‘And what is it do you want from me at this hour of the night?
‘Please lend me fifty bucks’, was son’s reply.
Father’s frustration was only rising with every part of the conversation. At his son’s request for the money, he looked at the ungrateful soul who was unsatisfied with all the facilities he was receiving at home and wanted more.
He told him to forget about money and go to bed straight away.
The boy, disappointed, went to sleep.
The father thought about the materialistic approach of the son who had no idea how difficult it was for the father to earn money. Then he thought about the allowance his son receives every week and wondered where the hell this money is going.
Intrigued, he went to his son, who was still awake because of disappointment, and questioned about his expenses which need such a significant amount.
The boy pulled out a few noted from under the pillow and told his father that he has saved a hundred bucks from his allowance and only needs another hundred dollar bill so he can pay for one hour of his father’s time as father’s hourly salary is $150.
Indeed, time is the best gift we can give to our relations. Don’t miss another story explaining financial abundance through the viewpoint of a family oriented man in this collection of best short moral stories.
Story Moral:
Relationships depend on the time and attention of the involved parties not on monetary aspects.
5. Emotions are Short-Lived
One day a monk was traveling with his disciples.
One disciple asked about the method to control anger. The monk’s only reply was silence.
After some travel, they faced a river. A young man dumped trash in that river in front of them.
The monk asked the disciple to fetch him some water. The pupil went to get it but came back empty-handed. He reported that the water was dirty.
The monk told him to wait for some time and then try again. After a few minutes, the disciple again went to fetch the water but was disappointed.
At the third attempt, he was able to fetch some clean water for the monk.
Upon monk’s inquiry about the state of water, the disciple told him that after some time, the dirt got settled at the river bed. He further told that the water was again clean and drinkable.
Monk told him that emotions are exactly like that flowing water. The flowing nature of human thoughts and moods means that only those emotions stick with them which they extract and store. All other emotions will treat themselves to extinction in the absence of human attention.
Within this pool of best short moral stories this is only one that shows you how to deal with emotional fluctuations.
Story Moral:
Emotions appear so we take notice of their presence and let them go. We are in no way obligated to store them in our vessel of mind.
6. Tolerance is Key to Great Unions
This is one of the two best short moral stories which emphasize on looking at the positive aspect of relationships to create lasting bonds.
Once upon a time, there lived a community of porcupines living in a desert. The harsh weather conditions of the desert combined with the remarkably cold winter season and the animals were faced with the fear of death.
When this cold became unbearable, they came together to stay near each other. This way, their bodies worked as insulators and trapped heat among themselves.
But soon they started feeling the harm of others’ quills on their bodies. This caused them to distance themselves from each other.
This distance, however, didn’t last long because of harsh weather. Now, they had two choices; bear the injuries from quills of fellow porcupines or face death from freezing.
Being the intelligent creatures they were, they chose the injuries and came and stayed together for the rest of the season.
Story Moral:
We can only build great unions if we tolerate small stress we feel while meeting people of differing viewpoints.
7. Perceptions can be False
One day, to avoid cold weather on the street, a stray dog sneaked into a nearby museum. That unique museum showcased mirrors on its walls, door, and ceiling.
When it entered, the dog was surprised to see hundreds of dogs staring at him. This surprise soon turned into terror and he entered into fight mode.
He barked and barked only to get magnified voices in echo.
The next morning, the museum guard opened the museum door to find a dead dog at the entrance.
Story Moral:
Our perceptions have the power to make or break our destiny.
8. Knowledge Base or Stored Trauma
In a psychology (sociology?) experiment, the experimenter put five monkeys in a cage. Above that cage, he hung a bunch of bananas that are easily accessible by the monkeys.
One of the monkeys was quickest to reach for bananas but as it did, the experimenter sprayed chilled water on it and its peers thus linking the pursuit with negative consequences.
After some time, another monkey dared the reach for bananas. Experimented punished all monkeys as before.
The third time, the experimenter didn’t have to spray cold water on these monkeys, the counterparts of the pursuer who refrained the poor guy by beating him.
The experimenter, then, replaced one monkey with a new one. This new monkey, who didn’t know the rules of the game, tried to take bananas and was beaten up by the monkeys who didn’t was to get sprayed by cold water.
The experimenter made another change in the team. This time, a new monkey was beaten by all other monkeys for its pursuit including the new monkey who didn’t know the actual consequence of pursuing the bananas.
Story Moral:
We keep believing outdated practices and hacks only because they worked for previous generations and current generations ran out of courage to question these practices.
9. Financial Freedom
One day, a successful businessman visited a beach for a picnic. Once he settled, a fisherman sat near him.
After a few hours, the fisherman was done with his work packed his belongings to leave for home. The businessman was astonished that this fisherman is not gathering more fish and is about to waste the rest of the day even when he wasn’t rich.
He advised him to work a little more so he could save money. The fisherman questioned the rationale behind this advice.
So, the businessman told him that by saving for the future, he can invest in new fishing tools, employ more people, build an empire around fishing, and get rich.
Then the fisherman asked what he will do after becoming rich.
The businessman replied that being rich will allow the fisherman more time to relax and spend with family.
‘That’s what I currently have- more time to relax and be with my family,’ was fisherman’s reply.
Story Moral:
We often forget in life that time is more valuable than money so we keep wasting former for the pursuit of the latter.
10. Gift Represent the Worth of Giver
Once upon a time, a rich man lived near a poor family. The residents of poor households were jealous of the rich man’s success.
One day, the poor neighbor put garbage on the lawn of the rich neighbor. Soon, the rich neighbor found out the garbage and the name of the person who threw it.
In the evening, the rich man took a few baskets with fruits from his garden and sent it to his poor neighbor.
His neighbors were astonished but he told them that he could only present others with the gift he possessed.
Story Moral:
What you give others is a representation of who you are at your core.
11. Cleanliness Starts at Home
A couple moved to an apartment after marriage. From their living room, they had a clear view of the neighbor’s wash-line.
Every day, the wife would complain about how dirty neighbors’ clothes were even after washing. The husband always listened nut ignored these complaints until one he had enough of this talk.
The next day, the wife saw that the clothes were clean. Astonished, she discussed this difference with her husband.
In turn, her husband told her that he cleaned their living room windows so now she can see the actual tidiness of washed clothes.
Story Moral:
We can only see clear pictures if we enjoy unbiased vision.
12. Change Your Attitude
A monk once advised a rich man to only focus on green color for some months to cure a disease.
After a few weeks, the monk visited that man in his mansion. He saw that the patient had got everything in his home painted in green. Even the monk had to dress in green to meet that guy.
Once in the meeting, the monk asked about this change at home. The rich man exclaimed that he did all this to follow the instruction from the monk.
The monk asked why he couldn’t buy green glasses to change his view instead of influencing the entire world around him!
This was the last of our best short moral stories on attitude towards life and its challenges. Legend says, your attitude can either be your best friend or your worst enemy.
Story Moral:
It’s easier to change our attitude towards life than to change our life.
13. Dare to Ask
In a popular cartoon series, a protagonist was captured by the ruling authority and kept in an isolated cell.
Once there, the protagonist saw an old man placed there. The hero of the series asks the old man about his term of capture. To which the elderly replied that he has spent almost all his youth captured in the cell. Anyone who entered in this cell could never go out.
But the young protagonist didn’t want to quit without trying. He, after failing to find a practical exit, shouted for freedom.
Get me out of here!
As soon as he uttered these words, the room’s door swung open granting freedom to the protagonist.
Story Moral:
This apparently funny story tells us the importance of giving voice to our wishes.
14. Love Dies While Trying to Rescue Ego
Once upon a time, all emotions got stuck on an island. Love was most abundant in them and could think of a rescue scheme using a boat.
Once all emotions had built the boat, they got on board to reach the land. But Ego didn’t budge.
Love tried to persuade Ego to travel with them but Ego had many grudges against other emotions.
Finally, Love decided to say farewell to other emotions and stay with Ego to accompany him which was a surefire way of self-destruction.
Story Moral:
Ego often leads to a lonely death of love.
15. Foundation of Friendship
Two friends were traveling together. One day, they had an argument and an elder friend slapped the younger one.
The friend who was slapped wrote of sand:
Today, my friend slapped me.
After some time, they reconciled and got back on their track.
One day, they came across a river which they had to navigate to reach the other side.
Although both of them knew swimming, the younger friend was only a learner in this skill.
In the midst of the river, the younger friend lost control and had to be rescued by the elder friend.
Once settled at the bank, the younger friend wrote at a stone:
Today my friend saved my life.
His friend asked why he chose different mediums to write down his messages.
The younger friend replied, ‘I wrote the message of hurt on sand so the blowing wind could erase it from my memory. The message of care and help demanded ever-lasting memory. So, I wrote it on stone.’
Another one among best short moral stories about friendship and relationships, this moral story allows us to recode our brain and cognition to be more receptive of love and kindness.
Story Moral:
Receive messages of love with full attention and due respect while giving less credit to messages of hate and violence.
Take Away
Here is a recap of 15 best short moral stories:
- The strength of rope of elephant isn’t physical rather it is mental.
- Honesty brings peace.
- Transformation requires efforts.
- Time is the best gift .
- Emotions are short-lived.
- Tolerance is the key to great unions.
- Perception can be false.
- Let go of stored trauma to move ahead.
- The truth about financial freedom.
- Gift represents the worth of giver.
- Cleanliness starts at home.
- Change your attitude.
- Dare to ask.
- Love Dies While Trying to Rescue Ego
- Foundation of friendship
