The 10 best short fables for children, with a moral explained

Aesop, Félix María Samaniego or the Indian and Chinese oral tradition have been some of the sources of creation of countless funny fables for children of all ages, all with a moral behind.

We'll see now a selection of fun and educational short fables for children, many of them widely known, that not only serve to pass the time, but to learn life lessons.

• Related article: "The 12 best short legends (for kids and adults)"

10 short fables for children

Along these lines we will see a few of the best known fables.

1. The three blind men and the elephant

Once upon a time, there were three very friendly old men that, in addition to having in common their great intelligence and knowledge, they were all blind.

While they were meeting near the river one day and chatting about their knowledge, suddenly, they heard a roar. One of the three elders yelled, asking 'Who's there?'

Fortunately for them, the one who came was no more than a traveler accompanied by his pet, a peaceful but huge elephant.

'Sorry if I scared you.' - said the traveler. 'My elephant and I have come to the river to drink.'

The three wise men, hearing that they were near an elephant, could not contain their great emotion, one of them asking 'An elephant? Did I hear correctly? '

The traveler noticed that all three were blind and that, therefore, they could not have noticed the animal despite its large size.

"We had heard of them, but we have never had the chance to have an elephant so close to us." Said another old man. 'Can we touch it?'

Seeing the curiosity of the three elders, the traveler accepted that they caress his pet.

The three elders got up and touched the animal.

'An elephant is like a huge column!' Said the first old man as he stroked the quadruped's leg.

'What do you say, my friend? An elephant is like a fan, cooling you with a gentle breeze! ' Said the second, while he felt the ears.

'You are both wrong.' said the third, playing his horn. 'An elephant is like an eel, or a snake, long and thick.'

While the three elders commented on what they were playing, the owner of the animal was wondering how to curious was that three people were touching the same elephant and came to such conclusions different.

Moral: people have opinions based on what we know and experienceThat is why we can reach such different conclusions. You should try to have a more holistic view of things. The absolute truth does not exist.

2. The two hunter's dogs

A man lived in the country with his two dogs. One of them helped the man when he went hunting, while the other was in charge of guarding the house in his absence.

The hunting dog enjoyed hunting, although he always came back exhausted. His mission was to detect prey. He sometimes did it and sometimes, unfortunately, he couldn't find any.

On days when he didn't get any prey he felt very disappointed, thinking about the great effort invested for nothing but, when he was lucky, he felt really fulfilled.

When they returned home, the guard dog would come to greet them in a very happy way, effusively receiving his owner, licking her face and wagging her tail.

With the master and the two dogs at home, it was time for dinner. If they had managed to hunt something, the owner, who was very generous, always gave a piece of the hunt to each of his pets.

So that, both the hunting dog and the guardian were equally rewarded And, of course, the former did not agree with it, since it was he who had worked to obtain food for both of them.

One day, fed up, the hunting dog said to the guard dog:

'What is happening offends me! Every day of hunting I help the master so that, when you return, you, after a day of doing nothing, receive so richly a good plate of what I have obtained! '

Hearing this, the guard dog replied:

'Dude, you're absolutely right in the world, but what do you want me to do? I have been trained to guard the house. If you want to complain, complain to the master, who is ultimately the one who distributes the goods regardless of our work. '

Despite the hunting dog's anger at the situation, the truth was that the guard dog had hit the nail on the head. If he complained, let him go to the master, and he did. He explained to his owner what he thought and the man understood.

Since then, she began training the guard dog to be a great retriever, and then she took him out to train with the other dog to earn his dinner.

Moral: in life, not everything is given away. You have to learn to work hard to receive a good reward in return.

3. The fox and the grapes

There was a very hungry and thirsty fox in the forest. The poor thing, she had been looking for prey for hours, without having any luck.

After spending all day she wandering through the forest she managed to see a cluster of succulent grapes, which hung from a tall vine. The fox, desperate, wanted to reach them. He jumped and jumped, but he couldn't get to them. After many attempts, the fox got tired.

'Bah, I don't care. Total, why do I want to eat those grapes? They sure are green and rock hard! Let someone else eat them... '

And after being convinced of it, she left believing herself very worthy for giving up the long-awaited fruit.

Moral: if something is unattainable or seems impossible, do not blame others or circumstances. Each one has its capabilities and, also, limitations.

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4. Peter and the wolf

Once upon a time there was a young sheepdog named Pedro. Every day he led his sheep to graze in the fields.

A boring day, Pedro decided to play a prank on his neighbors. He climbed up a hill and started shouting:

'The wolf is coming! The wolf is coming! Help, please help me! '

At the boy's screams, the villagers were scared and ran to help him, only to see how the young man laughed out loud.

'Innocents! Look how I have deceived you all! '

The villagers, very angry, turned around and went home.

The next day, Peter, while leading his sheep out again, decided to make the same joke:

'Help! I've seen the wolf! He's coming for my sheep, help me! '

This time, the villagers went again, trusting that the boy was now telling them the truth, but to his surprise they had once again been deceived.

'How I have deceived you again! Hahaha'.

The people, angrier still, returned to their homes.

The summer continued to pass and Pedro kept pulling the animals out of him, bored as always, but one day something different happened: he heard a growl. Suddenly, he spotted the wolf, approaching the sheep for a snack. Pedro yelled, being sincere:

'Help! The wolf has come! The wolf is coming, the wolf is coming! It will eat my sheep! '

The villagers heard the boy scream, as always, but this time they did nothing. They were convinced that it was another lie, that he was kidding them.

The wolf ate all the sheep without Peter being able to prevent it, seeing how he lost his animals as well as understanding the grave error in having deceived all the people.

Moral: no lies should be told, because the day a truth is told it is possible that no one will believe it.

5. The hare and the Tortoise

In the field lived a fast hare and a slow tortoise. The hare ran constantly, while the tortoise moved slowly because of its heavy shell.

The hare taunted the tortoise, bragging about how fast she was while her partner needed great effort to manage to take just one step.

After days of teasing, the tortoise got angry with the hare and proposed to him to compete in a race, to which the hare, with a mocking air, delightedly accepted. The next day, hare and tortoise got together to start the race.

Both animals got ready and, when the starting gun was fired, they began to move. The tortoise was going little by little, soft, soft, while the hare had shot out.

The hare, turning its head, saw the great advantage that it had to the reptile, and decided to stop and wait for her while he made fun of her.

'Run, turtle, what excitement is there if you go so slow? Why compete if the result is sung? Hahaha'.

The tortoise caught up with the hare, but the hare gave another push to get ahead. Every time the tortoise managed to catch up with the hare, the speedy animal would give momentum again.

After doing this several times, the hare was getting closer to the goal. Instead of crossing it, the hare decided to make a stop a few meters from the end of the race, bored, so much so that she fell asleep.

The tortoise, who had not stopped moving, was getting closer, very little by little, to the goal, without the hare waking up when it was so close.

When the tortoise was almost about to cross the finish line, the hare woke up, realizing quickly of what was happening, and running to catch up, but the turtle got it before he she.

For the first time in her life, the hare, who boasted of being fast, she had just been defeated by who she believed she would never win.

Moral: be humble and understand that goals are achieved with patience and dedication. The least skilled person should never be underestimated, because she may be the most constant and determined to achieve her goal.

6. The story of the milkmaid

A young girl lived on a farm with her parents. One day, the girl's mother, who was ill, gave her an errand.

'My daughter' said the woman. 'I have left over milk and it will be wasted, as you are older, could you go to the market to sell it?'

'Sure mom' said the helpful young woman.

Seeing how obedient her daughter was, the woman told him that all the money she made with that milk would be for her.

The girl, on the way to the market, was thinking about how she could invest the money she earned from the milk she sold.

'With the money I will buy twelve eggs, which I will make my hens hatch. When they hatch and grow up, I will sell the chickens and buy a piglet, 'she told herself.

'When it has grown and is a huge pig, I will change it for a calf in the market, which will grow and give me milk, which I will sell every day,' she kept thinking aloud.

The young woman was so absorbed in her thoughts that she, to her bad luck, did not see the stone in the path and she stumbled, falling to the ground. The milk spilled all over the road, erasing the poor girl's dreams.

Moral: sometimes, ambition makes you not think about the present do not monitor what is happening at the present time.

7. The crow and the jug

A black crow was thirsty on a hot summer day, looking for something to drink. The field was parched and there was hardly a shadow in which to take shelter. The bird had to move away from the forest and try its luck elsewhere. He flew and flew, not having much luck, until he managed to spot a clay vase.

'Lucky! A jug in the middle of the grass. Hopefully he'll have some water left. '

He swooped down, getting closer to see the contents of the jar and was able to verify that it did indeed have some water inside.

He inserted his beak through the neck of the object but the poor crow was disappointed. His beak was too short.

'I wish it were a heron with its long beak and not a crow…' he told himself.

Very nervous he began to circle around the jug, charging it to see if he was lucky to get drink, but clashing with reality: he was a raven, he would not break the vase as if he had the strength of a bull.

He stuck his foot inside the vase to see if it at least touched the water, but even that didn't work.

Anguish corroded him, but instead of losing his cool he decided to think for a moment. After meditating, the lightbulb came on.

He began to put stones inside the jar. Little by little, the water was rising, while the stones occupied the base of the object. And in this way, with tenacity and determination, he obtained his long-awaited water and quenched his thirst.

Moral: When faced with a problem, the best thing to do is keep calm and think. In a serene way, a solution will be found.

8. The field mouse and the city mouse

There lived in the field a happy mouse that had everything necessary for a rodent. In nature there was never a lack of seeds, in addition to being able to climb trees, sunbathe and, in its burrow, have a very spacious pantry.

Walking one day he came across a mouse that, from its distinguished look and dress, was clear that it came from the city. They both started talking and hit it off very well, so much so that the field mouse invited the city mouse to his home.

The city mouse was surprised at how simple and poor his host's house was, who offered to eat berries and nuts.

"I appreciate your hospitality," said the urban rodent. 'But it amazes me how happy you are with so little you have. I would like to invite you to my house one day so that you can see what it is like to live comfortably, with greater assets. '

A few days later, the field mouse went to visit his new friend in town. The city mouse lived in a burrow built in a huge human house, where nothing was missing.

At mealtime, both mice approached a table on which all the foods one could wish for had been placed: meat, fish, fruits and succulent potatoes.

But when both rodents approached the food, a cat appeared and went after them. The mice fled to get to safety, with enormous fear in their bodies.

'It is our daily bread, this of the cat'. Don't worry, I'll treat you to a big feast later, 'said the city mouse.

They tried again, but instead of the cat appearing, the housekeeper appeared, with a threatening broom that was going to be used to try to crush them. They fled again.

Once they saw that the lady was gone, they tried one more time, getting a bite this time. His bellies were satisfactorily filled.

'I have never eaten so well, my friend!' Said the field mouse. 'But, although you live with all the luxury that one could wish for, so much stress and anxiety… I could not bear it. I prefer my simple and quiet life, there, in the field. '

They said goodbye and the field mouse returned to its daily routine, with the calm that nature offered it.

Moral: it is better to be happy with little than to have everything and go suffering.

9. The bell to the cat

In a house lived a cat who was very dear to his human family. The cat had not taken long to take over the house and, having fun, he chased the mice that inhabited it. Rodents, who could no longer go out to look for food because of the feline, each time they were becoming more emaciated. Faced with the situation, they decided to do something.

In order to keep the cat under control, they decided to put a bell on it, so that every time it moved, they would hear it and know if it was near.

The question that followed this was... Who was going to be in charge of the fearful feat of placing the rattle on the pussycat?

One mouse said that he couldn't be, that he had osteoarthritis, another, also a coward, said that he was limping, and another said that he had low vision.

All the mice were making excuses and nobody decided to carry out the plan. They understood that the idea of ​​the bell was good, but difficult to carry out. Sadly, they went to sleep, trying to think of another way to get rid of the cat.

Moral: Speaking and giving an opinion is very easy, and so is giving adviceBut, when it comes to being the example, that is another matter.

10. The two snakes

Two snakes lived peacefully in the stagnant waters of a swamp, with everything you could wish for. But unfortunately, a summer so hot arrived that the waters began to dry up. Although they had stayed there, with each passing day they saw their home drying out more and more and more, but it was the only place they knew where they could live.

They waited for the rains to come, but they did not come and, with great regret, they had to abandon what had once been their prized pond.

Both snakes decided to leave. One of them told the other to go north, that she was following her, but the other, that it was very clever, she warned him that if they did that, going single file, the humans would detect them and they would hunt. The wisest snake told her friend that they had to be smarter than humans, and she explained how they would do it.

He told her friend to get on top of her back, but the other way around, while she herself put her tail inside her mouth and, also, her friend's tail inside her. her mouth. Thus, instead of two snakes they would appear to be a strange, paranormal being.

They both did this and began to crawl, forming a kind of figure eight that moved across the grass. On the way they met peasants and travelers who, upon seeing them, fled in terror before so strange to be.

With the passage of time, the rains returned and both snakes were able to move to a new humid place where they could continue with their lives.

Moral: when faced with a problem, what must be evaluated are the advantages and disadvantages of the situation. With calm and wisdom it is possible to find a solution.

Bibliographic references:

• Aesop. (2007). D.L. Ashliman (Ed.), Aesop's Fables. New York: Penguin Group.