The Legend of Makahiya
Philippines
Long time ago, there was a couple in Barangay Masagana (Pampanga today) who
wanted a daughter. Their wish was granted and the wife gave birth to a baby girl.
They called her Maria. Maria was very beautiful but very shy that she wouldn't go out
from their house.
Weeks later, Spaniards came to their town. The Spaniards were very cruel that they
get everything they wanted. They rob houses and kill everyone who gets in their way
and who refuses to give what they wanted.
The couple was very frightened to lose their daughter so, they hid Maria in the bushes
so the Spaniards couldn't find her.
After the Spaniards left their town, the couple tried to look for Maria but they
couldn't find her even in the bushes where they hid her, instead they found a little
plant that is very sensitive that when you touch it, it would immediately close.
So they thought it was their daughter, Maria. They called the plant "Makahiya" that
means "touch me not," like their daughter who was very shy.
THE LEGAND OF GUAVA
A long time ago, there's a king who ruled a rich, prosperous island. He had all the things a king could
ever ask for: the power, the wealth, and all the delicious foods one could only imagine.The king's
name was King Barabas.
King Barabas is a rude king and overweight, indulging himself to all the foods available, hesitant to
share. And his castle is starting to become filthy. He would spend most of his time sitting and eating
with his bare hands. As he eats, he drips food on the floor and smile mockingly at the people around
him, specially his servants.
People in the kingdom would approach with requests for his help, but he would always refuse. As he
neglected his kingdom, people started to complain and starve.
After some time, an old hunched-back woman showed up at the castle begging for food while the
king was eating. The old lady asked for food as she was starving.
"Go away! I don't have anything to give. Can't you see I'm eating?" said the king.
"Please, my king," begged the old woman. "I'm asking for anything, anything you could give me as I
am so hungry. Even a little piece of bread or fruit would do."
"Get out at once! You disgust me," the king belittled the old beggar.
The old woman stood up straight, casting aside her stooped posture. "I've heard much about you
and how your kingdom is suffering." The tone of her voice had changed. It was no longer the voice of
a weak, old woman. "I asked for help, and you shoved me away. You have a lot for yourself, but
when I only asked for a little food, you belittled me. You are selfish. No one loves you and no one will
remember you when you are gone!"
And the beggar disappeared.
After a few more days, the king slowly weakened and became sick. No one knows what's wrong with
him. He got weaker and weaker and lost much weight. He looked older than his age. Soon after that,
the king died. As unfortunate and unexpected as it was, no one cried and nobody showed up at the
king's burial. He died alone.
And where the king was buried, his people noticed a strange plant growing, a plant they had never
seen before. The plant soon grew into a tree, which bore rounded fruits that turned yellowish when
ripe.
People also noticed that the fruit seemed to have a crown as it develops, which reminded them of
their selfish, arrogant king. The flesh of the fruit tasted a bit sour, just like the sour personality of the
king towards them.
The people learned to eat the fruit, which helped them with starvation. And because the tree was
from the grave of their King Barabas and it has crown just like their king, they named the tree after
him: barabas, which in time they called bayabas.
The fruit is still called, as to this day, bayabas.
And although the guava may have came from the rude, selfish King Barabas, guava fruit is one of
the fruits that offers many health benefits when consumed, the fruit is a good source of vitamin C.
The leaves are made into tea and treats many diseases as well from a simple toothache, to treating
diarrhea, lowering blood sugar, and many more. And it is used amongst young boys after their
circumcision in the Philippines.
Or maybe it's the way of the late king to make up for the wrongdoings?
A nipa hut on the foot of the hills. | Source
The legend of the first butterfly goes like this
There was a couple who used to live in a nipa hut in a rural area which is on the foot of the hills in
the province of Albay. The wife was currently pregnant at that time. It was a peaceful place. The nipa
hut was made of bamboo and of cogon grass. The couple planted vegetables and flowers and that's
how they earn their living.
Soon, the wife gave birth to two beautiful girls. They named them Amparo and Rosalina. The birth
of the twins was such a joy but the mother died from giving birth. However, the three, the father and
the two twins continued their lives.
The two young kids was playful and energetic. They are also very helpful as they help their father on
tending the crops and harvesting those that are ready to be sold on the market. Amparo was known
as Paro and the younger one, Rosalina, was nicknamed Rosa.
But tragedy doesn't end on their mother's death. Soon, their father died too from an illness when the
twins were already 12 year olds, leaving the twins to live on their own in their hut on the foot of the
hill. Paro and Rosa learned to cope on their own continuing what their father had started doing as
source of living. Their father had planted fruit bearing trees, vegetables and flowers. So Rosa and
Paro started doing the same, they planted all kinds of vegetables and flowers on the land and
tending on the fruit bearing trees their father had left. After picking up fruits, vegetables and flowers,
the twins would sell all these together on the market. They could even reach every homes on their
area and in the neighboring island just to sell.
The Legend of the Bamboo Tree
A very long time ago on a certain island there lived a family who was well-known
and highly respected by the people. They ruled the entire village and whatever law they
made were followed by the people. In fact, the villagers readily obeyed the laws that
were just and fair which made them very powerful. This power was enjoyed and passed
on to all their descendants.
After a long period of time, there arose a new heir to the throne whose style of
government was a complete reversal of his predecessors. He was very cruel. His
punishment was harsh and he showed no respect for anyone.
One day, there came an old man into the palace. The old man came to beg and ask
the king to pity him and spare him any food to eat.
Rajah kawayan, which was the name of the king, got angry. He even shoved him
away and ordered him out of the palace.
“You’re lazy, shame on you for not wanting to work. All you ever did was beg and
beg,” shouted Rajah Kawayan who at the same time pushed away the pitiful old man
from out of his way.
At the king saying, “I pray you would change your mannerisms and learn to respect
others, especially to the old and weak.”
Upon hearing these words, the old man disappeared. Rajah Kawayan himself became
weak and sickly from then on. Not long afterwards, the king died. Nobody went to
lament his death because he treated everyone badly when he was still alive.
It did not take too long there grew a strange plant on the site of his grave. The plant
became big. It grew tall, but one thing noticeable about it was that it had a bending
posture. It was always bowing to the wind and everything around it which on lookers say
reminded them of Rajah Kawayan whom they say has finally learned his lesson of
humility and respect for others.
The plant further grew into tree and was named “KAWAYAN” (=bamboo, in
English) after the cruel king’s name as we still refer it today.
=The lesson that I learned was, be humble, learn to share the blessings
that we have and respect others, because everything you have, you cannot
bring it to your tomb. As the saying goes; “Do unto others, what you want
others do unto you”, if you want to gain some respect, you should respect
others, if you want others give you, you must give them yours too.
PARABLE
The Boy Who Cried Wolf
A shepherd-boy, who watched a flock of sheep
near a village, brought out the villagers three or
four times by crying out, "Wolf! Wolf!" and when
his neighbors came to help him, laughed at
them for their pains.
The Wolf, however, did truly come at last.
The Shepherd-boy, now really alarmed, shouted
in an agony of terror: "Pray, do come and help
me; the Wolf is killing the sheep"; but no one
paid any heed to his cries, nor rendered any
assistance. The Wolf, having no cause of fear, at
his leisure lacerated or destroyed the whole
flock.
There is no believing a liar, even when he
speaks the truth.
THE FOX AND THE CROW
One bright morning as the Fox was following his sharp nose through the wood in
search of a bite to eat, he saw a Crow on the limb of a tree overhead. This was by no
means the first Crow the Fox had ever seen. What caught his attention this time and
made him stop for a second look, was that the lucky Crow held a bit of cheese in her
beak.
“No need to search any farther,” thought sly Master Fox. “Here is a dainty bite for my
breakfast.”
Up he trotted to the foot of the tree in which the Crow was sitting, and looking up
admiringly, he cried, “Good-morning, beautiful creature!”
The Crow, her head cocked on one side, watched the Fox suspiciously. But she kept her
beak tightly closed on the cheese and did not return his greeting.
“What a charming creature she is!” said the Fox. “How her feathers shine! What a
beautiful form and what splendid wings! Such a wonderful Bird should have a very
lovely voice, since everything else about her is so perfect. Could she sing just one song, I
know I should hail her Queen of Birds.”
Listening to these flattering words, the Crow forgot all her suspicion, and also her
breakfast. She wanted very much to be called Queen of Birds.
So she opened her beak wide to utter her loudest caw, and down fell the cheese straight
into the Fox’s open mouth.
“Thank you,” said Master Fox sweetly, as he walked off. “Though it is cracked, you
have a voice sure enough. But where are your wits?”
Moral
The flatterer lives at the expense of those who will listen to him.
SHORT STORY
The boy who cried wolf
Image: Shutterstock
Once upon a time, there lived a shepherd boy who was bored watching his flock of sheep on the
hill. To amuse himself, he shouted, “Wolf! Wolf! The sheep are being chased by the wolf!” The
villagers came running to help the boy and save the sheep. They found nothing and the boy just
laughed looking at their angry faces.
“Don’t cry ‘wolf’ when there’s no wolf boy!”, they said angrily and left. The boy just laughed at
them.
After a while, he got bored and cried ‘wolf!’ again, fooling the villagers a second time. The
angry villagers warned the boy a second time and left. The boy continued watching the flock.
After a while, he saw a real wolf and cried loudly, “Wolf! Please help! The wolf is chasing the
sheep. Help!”
But this time, no one turned up to help. By evening, when the boy didn’t return home, the
villagers wondered what happened to him and went up the hill. The boy sat on the hill weeping.
“Why didn’t you come when I called out that there was a wolf?” he asked angrily. “The flock is
scattered now”, he said.
An old villager approached him and said, “People won’t believe liars even when they tell the
truth. We’ll look for your sheep tomorrow morning. Let’s go home now”.
Moral: Lying breaks trust. Nobody trusts a liar, even when he is telling the truth.
2. The Midas touch
Image: Shutterstock
In ancient Greek, there was a king named Midas. He had a lot of gold and everything he needed.
He also had a beautiful daughter. Midas loved his gold very much, but he loved his daughter
more than his riches.
One day, a satyr named Silenus got drunk and passed out in Midas’ rose garden. Believing that
Satyrs always bring good luck, Midas lets Silenus rest in his palace until he is sober, against the
wishes of his wife and daughter. Silenus is a friend of Dionysus, the god of wine and celebration.
Upon learning Midas’ kindness towards his friend, Dionysus decides to reward the keg.
When asked to wish for something, Midas says “I wish everything I touch turns to gold”.
Although Dionysus knew it was not a great idea, he granted Midas his wish.
Happy that his wish was granted, Midas went around touching random things in the garden and
his palace and turned them all into gold. He touched an apple, and it turned into a shiny gold
apple. His subjects were astonished but happy to see so much gold in the palace.
In his happiness, Midas went and hugged his daughter, and before he realized, he turned her into
a lifeless, golden statue! Aghast, Midas ran back to the garden and called for Dionysus. He
begged the god to take away his power and save his daughter. Dionysus gives Midas a solution
to change everything back to how it was before the wish. Midas learned his lesson and lived the
rest of his life contended with what he had.
Moral: Do not get greedy. Be happy and content with what you have.
[ Read: Inspirational Stories For Kids ]
3. The golden egg
Once upon a time, a farmer had a goose that laid a golden egg every day. The egg provided
enough money for the farmer and his wife for their day-to-day needs. The farmer and his wife
were happy for a long time. But one day, the farmer got an idea and thought, “Why should I take
just one egg a day? Why can’t I take all of them at once and make a lot of money?”
The foolish farmer’s wife also agreed and decided to cut the goose’s stomach for the eggs. As
soon as they killed the bird and opened the goose’s stomach, to find nothing but guts and blood.
The farmer, realizing his foolish mistake, cries over the lost resource!
Moral: Think before you act.
The English idiom “kill not the goose that lays the golden egg” was also derived from this classic
story.
4. The miser and his gold
Image: iStock
An old miser lived in a house with a garden. The miser hid his gold coins in a pit under some
stones in the garden. Every day, before going to bed, the miser went to the stones where he hid
the gold and counted the coins. He continued this routine every day, but not once did he spend
the gold he saved.
One day, a thief who knew the old miser’s routine, waited for the old man to go back into his
house. After it was dark, the thief went to the hiding place and took the gold. The next day, the
old miser found that his treasure was missing and started crying loudly.
His neighbor heard the miser’s cries and inquired about what happened. On learning what
happened, the neighbor asked, “Why didn’t you save the money inside the house? It would’ve
been easier to access the money when you had to buy something!”
“Buy?”, said the miser. “I never used the gold to buy anything. I was never going to spend it.”
On hearing this, the neighbor threw a stone into the pit and said, “If that is the case, save the
stone. It is as worthless as the gold you have lost”.
Moral: A possession is just as worthy of what it is used for.
[ Read: Panchatantra Stories For Kids ]
5. The tortoise and the bird
Image: Shutterstock
A tortoise was resting under a tree, on which a bird had built its nest. The tortoise spoke to the
bird mockingly, “What a shabby home you have! It is made of broken twigs, it has no roof, and
looks crude. What’s worse is that you had to build it yourself. I think my house, which is my
shell, is much better than your pathetic nest”.
“Yes, it is made of broken sticks, looks shabby and is open to the elements of nature. It is crude,
but I built it, and I like it.”
“I guess it’s just like any other nest, but not better than mine”, said the tortoise. “You must be
jealous of my shell, though.”
“On the contrary”, the bird replied. “My home has space for my family and friends; your shell
cannot accommodate anyone other than you. Maybe you have a better house. But I have a better
home”, said the bird happily.
Moral: Better a crowded hut than a lonely mansion.
6. The cows and the tiger
Four cows lived in a forest near a meadow. They were good friends and did everything together.
They grazed together and stayed together, because of which no tigers or lions were able to kill
them for food.
But one day, the friends fought and each cow went to graze in a different direction. A tiger and a
lion saw this and decided that it was the perfect opportunity to kill the cows. They hid in the
bushes and surprised the cows and killed them all, one by one.
Moral: Unity is strength.
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Witty Moral Stories
Who says moral stories for children need to be all serious or morose? Here are a few that have a
touch of humor.
7. The four students
Image: iStock
There were four friends who hated studying. They partied all night before their exams and
planned to skip the test by lying to the professor. So they went to the dean and told him that they
had been to a wedding the previous night and on their way back, they had a flat tire. They
continued to say that they had to push the car all the way back, as they didn’t have a spare tire
and hence, were not in a position to write the exam.
The dean listened and agreed to let them take the test on a later date. Happy that they got a
second chance, the four friends studied hard and were ready for the exam. On exam day, the dean
asked the students to sit in separate classrooms, which the students agreed to.
The examination paper had only two questions, for a total of 100 marks. The questions were
thus:
1. Your name:
2. Which tire of the car burst: a) Front left b) Front right c) Rear left d) Rear right
Moral: You may be smart, but there are people smarter than you in the world.
[ Read: Mythological Stories For Kids ]
8. The boasting traveler (Aesop’s fables)
A man came back from a tour and boasted about his adventurous journeys. He talked at length
about the different people he met and his amazing feats that got him fame and praise from people
everywhere. He went on to say that he went to the Rhodes where he had leaped to such distances
that no man could ever match his feat.
He even went on to say that there were witnesses who would vouch for his words. Hearing the
man boast so much, a smart bystander said, “Oh good man, we do not need any witnesses to
believe your words. Imagine this place to be Rhodes and leap for us”.
The lying traveler didn’t know what to do and went away quietly.
Moral: He who does a thing well does not need to boast.
9. The camel and the baby
Image: iStock
One day, a camel and her baby were chatting. The baby asked, “Mother, why do we have
humps?” The mother replied, “Our humps are for storing water so that we can survive in the
desert”.
“Oh”, said the child, “and why do we have rounded feet mother?” “Because they are meant to
help us walk comfortably in the desert. These legs help us move around in the sand.”
“Alright. But why are our eyelashes so long?” “To protect our eyes from the desert dust and
sand. They are the protective covers for the eyes”, replied the mother camel.
The baby camel thought for a while and said, “So we have humps to store water for desert
journeys, rounded hooves to keep us comfortable when we walk in the desert sand, and long
eyelashes to protect us from sand and dust during a desert storm. Then what are we doing in a
zoo?”
The mother was dumbfounded.
Moral: Your strengths, skills, and knowledge are useless if you are not in the right place.
10. The farmer and the well
Image: Shutterstock
A farmer looking for a source of water for his farm bought a well from his neighbor. The
neighbor was cunning, though, and refused to let the farmer take water from the well. On asking
why, he replied, “I sold the well to you, not the water”, and walked away. The distraught farmer
didn’t know what to do. So he went to Birbal, a clever man and one of the nine courtiers of
Emperor Akbar, for a solution.
The emperor called the farmer and his neighbor and asked why the man was not letting the
farmer draw water from the well. The cunning man said the same thing again, “I sold the well,
not the water. So he cannot take my water”.
To this, Birbal replied, “All that sounds fine to me. But if you have sold the water and the water
is yours, then you have no business keeping your water in his well. Remove the water or use it
all up immediately. If not the water will belong to the owner of the well”.
Realizing that he’s been tricked and taught his lesson, the man apologized and left.
Moral: Cheating will not get you anything. If you do cheat, you’ll pay for it soon enough.
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Fables From Everywhere
. True friends love you anyway
Lord Krishna and Sudama were childhood friends. While Krishna thrived and prospered,
Sudama didn’t. He lead the life of a poor Brahmin man, living in a small hut with his wife and
kids. Most days, the kids wouldn’t even get enough to eat from what Sudama got as alms. One
day, his wife suggested that he go and ask his friend Krishna for help.
Sudama was reluctant to seek favors, but he also didn’t want his kids to suffer. So his wife
borrows some rice from the neighbors to make some rice snacks that Krishna liked, and gave it
to Sudama to take it to his friend. Sudama took it and set out to Dwaraka. He was amazed at the
gold that was used to build the city. He reached the palace gates and was obstructed by the
guards, who judged him by his torn dhoti and poor appearance.
Sudama requested the guards to at least inform Krishna that his friend Sudama has come to meet
him. The guard, although reluctant, goes and informs the lord. On hearing that Sudama was here,
Krishna stops doing whatever he was doing and runs barefoot to meet his childhood friend.
Krishna hugs Sudama welcomes him to his abode and treats him with utmost love and respect.
Sudama, ashamed of the poor man’s rice snacks he got for Krishna, tries to hide it. But the all-
knowing Krishna asks Sudama for his gift and eats his favorite rice snacks that his friend brought
for him.
Krishna and his friend spend time laughing and talking about their childhood but Sudama,
overwhelmed by the kindness and compassion showed by his friend, is unable to ask Krishna for
help. When he returns home, Sudama finds that his hut has been replaced by a huge mansion and
his wife and kids are dressed in fine clothes.
Sudama realized how lucky he was to have a true friend like Krishna. He didn’t even ask, but
Krishna knew what Sudama wanted and gave it to him.
Moral: True friends do not distinguish between rich and poor. They are always there for you
when you need them.
[ Read: Princess Stories For Kids ]
12. Elephant and friends
Image: Shutterstock
A lone elephant wandered the forest looking for friends. She came across a monkey and asked,
“Will you be my friend, monkey?” “You are too big and cannot swing on trees as I do. So I
cannot be your friend”, said the monkey.
The elephant them came across a rabbit and asked him if she could be his friend. “You are too
big to fit inside my burrow. You cannot be my friend”, replied the rabbit.
Then the elephant met a frog and asked if she could be her friend. The frog said “You are too big
and heavy. You cannot jump like me. I am sorry, but you cannot be my friend”.
The elephant asked a fox, and he got the same reply, that he was too big. The next day, all the
animals in the forest were running in fear. The elephant stopped a bear and asked what was
happening and was told that a tiger has been attacking all the animals.
The elephant wanted to save the other weak animals and went to the tiger and said “Please sir,
leave my friends alone. Do not eat them”. The tiger didn’t listen and asked the elephant to mind
her own business. Seeing no other way to solve the problem, the elephant kicked the tiger and
scared it away.
She then went back to the others and told them what happened. On hearing how the elephant
saved their lives, the animals agreed in unison, “You are just the right size to be our friend”.
Moral: Friends come in all shapes and sizes!
[ Read: Animal Stories For Kids ]
13. The wolf and the shepherds
This is one of the many Aesop’s fables that one can relate to in any day and age.
One day a wolf was chased away from a farm for trying to steal some of the sheep for food.
Later that week, the wolf came back to the farm hoping to find some food. He peeped inside the
house and found the farmer and his family feasting on lamb roast.
“Aha!”, he thought. “If I were to do the same thing that the farmer and his family are doing now,
I would be shunted and chased, or even killed for killing a weak, innocent lamb.”
Moral: We are quick to judge and condemn others for what they do, but see nothing wrong in
doing so ourselves.
14. The young crab and his mother
Image: Shutterstock
One day, a young crab and his mother were on the beach, spending some time together. The
young crab gets up to move, but it can only walk sideways. His mother scolds him for walking
sideways and asks him to walk forward by pointing his toes out front. The young crab responds,
“I would like to walk forward mom, but I do not know how to”.
Hearing this, his mom gets up to show him how, but even she is unable to bend her knees
forward. She realizes that she was being unfair, apologizes sheepishly, and sits back in the sand.
Moral: Don’t condemn someone for not doing something that you yourself are unable to do.
15. The other side of the wall
Image: iStock
A young woman inherited a beautiful garden from her grandmother. She loved gardening too and
was very proud of her garden. One day, she saw a very beautiful plant in a catalog and wanted
that for her garden. She ordered it and planted it at the base of the stonewall in her backyard. She
took great care of the plant, which grew quickly and had beautiful green leaves on it.
Months passed, but not a single flower bloomed on the tree. Vexed, she almost wanted to cut the
tree down. At such a time, her invalid called and said, “Thank you so much for the beautiful
flowers. You have no idea how much I enjoy looking at the blooms of the vine you have
planted”.
Hearing this, the young girl rushes to the neighbor’s side of the wall and sees the most beautiful
flower in bloom. All the care she took had paid off. Only the vine crept through the crevices
because of which it did not flower on her side of the wall but did generously on the other side.
Moral: Just because you cannot see the good results of your efforts does not mean that it bore no
fruit.
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Modern Moral Stories
Morals that most fables come with are timeless, although the stories may be ancient. So, here are
a few modern stories with the same morals for kids that the age-old fables came with.
16. The dog at the well
Image: Shutterstock
A dog and her pups lived on a farm, where there was a well. The mother dog told the pups, do
not go near the well or play around it. One of the pups wondered why they shouldn’t go to the
well and decided to explore it. He went to the well. Climbed up the wall and peeked inside.
In there, he saw his reflection and thought it was another dog. The pup saw that the other dog in
the well (his reflection) was doing whatever he was doing, and got angry for imitating him. He
decided to fight with the dog and jumped into the well, only to find no dog there. He barked and
barked and swam until the farmer came and rescued him. The pup had learned his lesson.
Moral: Always listen to what the elders say. Question them, but do not defy them.
[ Read: Mahabharata Story For Kids ]
17. Controlling anger
Image: Shutterstock
There was once a young boy who had problem controlling his temper. When he became angry,
he would just say anything that came to his mind and hurt people. So his father gave him a bag
of nails and a hammer and said, “Every time you get angry, hammer one nail into the fence in
our backyard”.
The first few days the boy hammered so many nails that he emptied half the bag. Over the
weeks, the number of nails he hammered to the fence reduced and gradually, his temper was
much in control. Then came a day when he didn’t lose his temper at all. His father asked him to
remove one nail each day that he manages not to lose his temper.
Finally, on the day the child was removing the last nail, his father says, “You have done well,
boy. But do you see the holes in the wall? The fence is never going to be the same, even after
repainting. Likewise, when you say mean things in anger, you will leave a scar in the person’s
mind, as the nails did to the fence”.
Moral: Anger is a dangerous weapon like a knife. When you put a knife in a man and draw it
out, the wound heals but the scar remains.
18. The wet pants
A nine-year-old boy was sitting at his desk in class, when suddenly, his pants felt wet, and there
was a puddle at his feet. His heart almost skipped a beat, as he got worried that his classmates
would see that and make fun of him.
He quickly wanted to do something, and saw the teacher and his classmate Susie walking
towards him. Susie was carrying a bowl of goldfish. As they came closer, the boy thought that
the teacher noticed his wet pants, and suddenly Susie trips and drops the fishbowl in his lap.
While thanking God for helping him, he pretends to get angry with Susie and yells at her.
Everyone in the class thinks it is Susie’s fault that the boy’s pants got wet. The teacher helps the
boy change into dry clothes, and the class continues. Later that evening, the boy asks Susie,
“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” “I wet my pants once too”, whispers Susie.
Moral: Each one of us goes through good days and bad days. Only those who help you out on
your bad days are your true friends.
[ Read: Magic Pot Story For Kids ]
19. Bad habits
A wealthy businessman was worried about his son’s bad habits. He sought counsel from a wise,
old man. The old man met the man’s son and took him out for a stroll. They walked into the
woods, and the old man showed the boy a small sapling and asked him to pull it out. The boy did
so with ease, and they walked on.
The old man then asked the boy to pull out a small plant. The boy did that too, with a little effort.
As they walked, the old man asked the boy to pull out the bush, which he did. The next was a
small tree, which the child had to struggle a lot to pull out. Finally, the old man showed him a
bigger tree and asked the child to pull it out.
The child failed to pull it out even after trying several times, in different ways. The old man
looks at the boy, smiles and says, “So is the case with habits, good or bad”.
Moral: Bad habits are hard to get rid of once they have settled in our system. It is best to get rid
of them early on.
20. Good company, bad company
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Two parrots built a nest in a banyan tree. They lived with their two young ones, which they took
good care of. The mother and the father parrot went out to gather food in the morning and came
back home by evening. One day, when their parents were away, the young parrots were taken by
a cruel hunter.
One of the birds managed to escape and flew away from the hunter. He ended up at a hermitage
and grew up listening to kind words and compassion. The hunter put the other parrot in a cage,
and soon it learned a few words and phrases. The hunter and his family were crude and didn’t
care much about kind words.
One day, a passerby was resting outside the hunter’s hut. Sensing someone outside, the parrot
said, “Fool, why are you here? Fool! Leave! I’ll cut your throat”. Scared, the traveler went away,
and on his journey, he reached the hermitage where the other parrot was. The parrot at the
hermitage spoke, “Welcome traveler. You are free to stay here as long as you want”.
Surprised, the traveler told the parrot that he encountered a similar parrot elsewhere and it was
very cruel. How is that you are so kind?” The parrot replied, “That must be my brother. I live
with the sages, and my brother lives with hunters. I learned the sage’s language, and my brother
learned the hunter’s language. The company we keep decides who we will be”.
Moral: Keep good company if you want to be a good person.
21. The man and the cat
One day, a man was walking by a road when he heard a cat meowing from the bushes nearby.
The cat was stuck and needed help getting out. When the man reached out, the cat got scared and
scratched the man. The man screamed in pain but didn’t back down. He tried again and again,
even as the cat continued to scratch his hands.
Another passerby saw this and said, “Just let it be! The cat will find a way to come out later”.
The man didn’t pay heed but tried until he helped the cat. Once he let the cat free, he told the
other man, “The cat is an animal, and its instincts make him scratch and attack. I am a human
and my instincts make me compassionate and kind”.
Moral: Treat everyone around you like you want to be treated. Adhere to your own rules or
ethics, not theirs.
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Morals are nothing but lessons that we learn from a story. If you pay attention, every story has
some moral in it. Teach your kids to draw lessons from their experiences, and the experiences of
their friends or family. When they do, they will have so many more moral stories to share with
the world.
