9 best short stories in English | inspirational stories with moral lessons

Short story is a work of fiction that centers on a single idea and can be read in one sitting. Generally a short story has one main conflict that invokes the characters, keep story moving and stimulates reader interest.

Top 9 best short stories in English :

Here is a list of short moral stories in English.

The Hare and Tortoise
The Fox and the Crow
The Wolf And The Lamb
A Strange Hen
A Fox and the Grapes
A Greedy Dogs
A Foolish Stage
A Thirsty Crow
A Farmer And His Sons

The Hare and Tortoise

The Hare and Tortoise short stories in English

The Hare and Tortoise

There lived a hare and a tortoise in a jungle. They were friends. The hare was very proud of his fast speed. He often laughed at the tortoise for his slow speed. The tortoise was much disturbed . One day the tortoise asked the hare to run a race with him. The hare agreed at once. The race started.

A top of hill was fixed as a winning post. The hare ran very fast and was out of sight. Soon he got tired. He sat down under a tree and went to sleep. The tortoise did not stop and went on moving. At last he reached the winning post. The hare agreed at once.

The race started. A top of hill was fixed as a winning post. The hare ran very fast and was out of sight. Soon he got tired. He sat down under a tree and went to sleep. The tortoise did not stop and went on moving. At last he reached the winning post. When the hare woke up, he ran as fast as he could. But he was surprised to see the tortoise at the winning post. He was much ashamed as the tortoise had won the race.

Moral of the story :

Slow and steady wins the race.

The Fox and the Crow :

The Fox and the Crow

Once there was a hungry fox. He moved here and there to find some food but in vain. At last he saw a crow sitting on the top of a tree. It had a piece of meat in its beak.

He wanted to get that piece of meat. He hit upon an idea. He sat down under the tree and said to the crows, " You are very beautiful . Your voice is so nice.

Kindly sing me a song." The crow liked flattery . He was much glad to hear all this. He began to caw. No sooner did he open his beak, than the piece of meat fell down . The fox picked it up and ran away

Moral of the story:

Beware of flatters.

Flattery is a curse.

The Wolf And The Lamb :

The Wolf And The Lamb

Once a wolf was drinking water at the upper side of a stream. Suddenly he saw a lamb drinking water at the lower side of the stream. He intended to eat it up. He shouted to the lamb, " Why are you making water muddy?"

The lamb surprised and said to him, " Sir, how can I make water muddy? It is flowing from you to me." The wolf shouted again, " Why did you abuse me last year? "

The poor lamb replied, " Sir, I am only six months old now. I was not even born last year !" " Then it must have been your mother." Saying this, he jumped at the lamb and tore it into pieces.

Moral of the story:

Any excuse is good enough for an evil doer.

A Strange Hen :

A Strange Hen

Once a farmer lived in a village . He had a strange hen. It laid a golden egg daily. He sold the golden egg in bazaar and got high price. Soon he became a very rich.

He was much greedy. He wanted to earn more and more money at once. He decided to kill the hen and get all the eggs at once. So he killed the hen but found nothing except one egg. He felt sorry but it was in vain.

Moral of the story:

It is no use to cry over spilt milk.

A Fox and the Grapes :

A Fox and the Grapes

Once there was a hungry fox. He went out to search for food. He entered into a garden. He saw a bunch of ripe grapes there. His mouth watered.

He wanted to eat them. He jumped again again to get them but could not succeed. He was much tired and helpless . At lass he went away saying, " The grapes are sour."

Moral of the story:

The grapes are sour.

A Greedy Dog :

A Greedy Dog

Once upon a time there was a dog he was very hungry . He went to a butcher's shop. He got a piece of meat from there and ran away. There was a stream on his way.

When he was over the bridge of the stream, he saw his own reflection in clear water of the stream. He thought it another dog with a piece of meat in his mouth.

He opened his mouth to get that piece of meat. As he opened his mouth, his own piece of meat fell into the water. In this way, he lost his own piece of meat.

Moral of the story:

Greed is a curse .

A Foolish Stage :

A Foolish Stage

Once a stage was drinking water at a pool. He saw his reflection in the water. When he looked at his beautiful horns, he felt very proud of them.

When he saw his thin and ugly legs, he did not like the and felt sad. All of a sudden, he saw a pack of hounds running towards him. He ran for his life. His ugly legs helped him to run away. In a very short time, he left the hounds far behind.

Unfortunately, his beautiful horns were caught up in a bush. He tried hard to pull his horns out of it but he failed to do so. In the meantime the hounds came up. They fell on him and tore him into pieces.

Moral of the story:

Pride hath a fall.

A Thirsty Crow :

A Thirsty Crow

Once there was a thirsty crow. He flew here and there in search of water but could not find it anywhere. At last he reached a garden. There was a pitcher in the garden with very little water in it. He tried to drink the water but did not succeed.

He thought how he could solve that problem. He saw some pebbles lying nearby. Just then, an idea struck to his mind. He threw some pebbles into the pitcher one by one. The water rose up. He drank it and flew away.

Moral of the story:

God helps those who help themselves.

Necessity is the mother of invention.

A Farmer and His Sons :

A Farmer and His Sons

Once a farmer lived in a village . He had three sons. They always quarreled with one another. The farmer was much worried. He wanted to see them united. He decided to teach them a lesson. One day he brought a bundle of sticks and asked them to break it.

They tried their best but could not succeed. Then the farmer untied the bundle. He told them to break the sticks one by one. They succeeded in breaking the sticks easily. The farmer said to them, " Union is strength." When the sticks were united in the form of a bundle, you could not break them.

When they were separated , you broke them easily. " The farmer's sons understand the importance of union. They began to live in peace.

Moral of the story:

Union Is Strength.

United we stand and divided we fall.