Moral-Lesson

Once upon a time, in a vast and beautiful forest where tall trees brushed the clouds and rivers laughed through the valleys, there lived many creatures: those who walked on the land, and those who soared through the sky. One sunny afternoon, a terrible argument broke out between a grumpy old bear named Borin and a proud woodpecker named Wicket. No one remembers exactly what started it. Some say it was about a tree the woodpecker claimed for himself, while others say the bear wanted to nap and the woodpecker wouldn’t stop pecking. Whatever the reason, things got so heated that Wicket squawked, “Then let there be war between the skies and the soil!” ...

Once upon a time, in a quiet forest, there lived a small tortoise named Toby. Toby loved his calm life, walking slowly through the tall grass and eating yummy leaves. One sunny afternoon, as Toby was walking by a small pond, a big eagle flew high above. The eagle, carrying a shiny stone in its claws, accidentally dropped it from the sky. The stone spun and fell through the air until, thud, it hit Toby’s shell. “Ouch!” cried Toby, pulling himself into his shell. After a moment, he peeked out and saw the stone had made a little hole in his shell. ...

The sky was dark and the waves crashed angrily. Poseidon, the mighty sea god, was furious. His face looked like a storm, and he led an army of sea creatures toward a giant ship. Suddenly, SPLASH! A huge kraken burst out of the water! The kraken looked like a giant octopus with thick, strong arms. It wrapped its long, squishy tentacles around the ship and SQUEEEEEZED! The ship creaked and groaned. The engines went CLUNK! and stopped. ...

Poseidon, the mighty king of the sea, was swimming through his vast, blue kingdom. He liked to check on everything, making sure all the sea creatures were happy and safe. But today, something felt different. A worried frown creased his brow. Suddenly, a group of sharks, sleek and powerful, swam towards him. “Lord Poseidon,” the biggest shark, a great white named Chomper, said, “we are having trouble finding food. The fish are scarce, and we are hungry.” ...

In the highlands of Tonkin in Vietnam there lived two brothers whose mother and father died in quick succession. A funeral was held, and while the younger brother was away burying his parents, the elder stayed at home to settle the inheritance. And he, being very greedy, concealed all that was valuable. When the younger brother returned, he looked at him in surprise. “Tell me, honoured brother,” he asked, “where is our parents’ fortune? I see nothing of it here.” ...

Once upon a time, in a quiet village, there lived a man named Thomas. He wasn’t always poor, but he wasn’t honest either. Thomas was a greedy man who always wanted more than he had. He didn’t like to work hard on his farm. Instead, he spent his nights sneaking into rich men’s houses, stealing gold and treasures. One night, Thomas crept into the grand house of a wealthy merchant who was away on a long trip. Inside the house, Thomas found piles of gold, sparkling jewels, and fine silverware. He stuffed his bag full, but just as he was leaving, something caught his eye: a goose, sitting calmly in a golden cage. ...

Once upon a time, in a bright and busy city of the future, there lived three robots named R1, R2, and R3. They were known all over the city for their cleverness, their strength, and their kindness. They had been built to help the people who lived there, and they were always ready to lend a hand — or a claw, or a wheel, or whatever happened to be needed that day. R1 was a builder. R2 was a healer. R3 was a thinker. ...

Once upon a time, three naughty little rabbits lived with their mama in a cosy hillside burrow. One day, Mama said, “You’re getting so big! Come and help me make your sleeping corners bigger.” The naughty little rabbits didn’t want to help Mama. “We want to play outside!” they cried. “First, there is work to do,” their mama said. But the naughty little rabbits ignored her and scampered off to the meadow, leaving their poor mama behind. ...

In the long-ago time, when the world was brand new, the Great Magician was busy getting everything ready. First, he made the Earth. Then, he made the Sea. Finally, he called all the animals together and said, “It’s time to play!” The animals asked, “Great Magician, what should we play?” “I’ll show you,” he said. He took the Elephant and said, “Play at being an Elephant.” He took the Turtle and said, “Play at being a Turtle.” One by one, he gave every beast, bird, and fish a special job to do. ...

Once upon a time in a quiet mountain village in old Japan, there lived a kind-hearted ragman named Kenji. He wandered from town to town with a large sack on his back, collecting old clothes, broken toys, and worn-out pots and pans that people no longer wanted. Though he didn’t have much, Kenji was always smiling and willing to help anyone in need. One crisp autumn morning, while walking through a forest trail, Kenji heard a faint rustling sound near the base of a tree. Curious, he went to look, and there, caught in a rusty old trap, was a small badger. Its leg was bleeding, and its eyes were full of pain. ...