The foolish donkey

Once upon a time, in the distant past, there was a

merchant who used to sell salt from his village to the
neighboring village. He would transport the salt on his donkey’s
back and they would cross a stream of water. One day, the
donkey stumbled while crossing the stream, causing the bag of
salt to fall into the water! As the salt dissolved, the load became
very light. The donkey thought to himself, "I will do this every
day to lighten the load on my back."

He repeated this trick every day, causing losses for the

merchant. However, the merchant was smarter than the donkey
and realized it was deliberate. He decided to punish the donkey
and devised a clever plan. He decided to load cotton instead of
salt. When the donkey dropped the bag into the water, the
cotton absorbed the water and became much heavier. The
donkey regretted his actions, received his punishment, and
learned a lesson he would never forget for the rest of his life.

The story's moral: we learn the importance of honesty and the value of
working diligently and sincerely.

The Lion and The Mouse

 Once upon a time, in a vast forest filled with tall trees and
various animals, the lion, the king of the jungle, was sleeping
under a tree. A small mouse came and started jumping over the
lion. The lion woke up angry and wanted to kill the mouse with
his claws. The little mouse pleaded, saying, "Please let me go,
and I will never forget your kindness. I will help you when you
need it." The lion mocked him, laughing, "I am the king of the
jungle; how could I ever need help from a tiny mouse like you
who can't do anything?"

Days later, the lion got caught in a hunter's net. By chance, the
little mouse passed by. When he saw the lion trapped in the
net, he quickly gnawed through the net with his teeth and freed
the lion. The lion then thanked the mouse and apologized to
him.

The Story's moral: True friends offer help regardless of their circumstances
and capabilities.

The Lazy Boy

 There was a very lazy boy who, every day, took a long time
to get out of bed after waking up. His mother would stand over
him, shouting, "You need to wake up! Come on, get up!"
Eventually, he would get up only to lie down somewhere else!
This was his daily routine; he was lazy in every aspect of his life
and didn't care about his appearance, not even bothering to
change his clothes. Because of his extreme laziness, he had no
friends to play with.

One day, his family went out and left him alone at home
because he had overslept, and they couldn't wait for him any
longer. His mother decided to punish him so he would face the
consequences of his actions. While he was sitting in the living
room watching TV by himself, he looked out the window into the
garden and saw the apple tree full of red and yellow apples. The
sight was truly tempting. He gathered the courage to go out
into the garden and wanted to eat an apple because it looked
so delicious. However, due to his laziness, he couldn't climb the
tree to pick one. So, he decided to lie down under the tree and
wait for an apple to fall by itself! He waited and waited, but no
apple fell, and he remained hungry all day.

The story’s moral: we learn that laziness only brings more laziness. You need
to get up and strive in life to get what you want.

The Fox in the Vineyard

Once upon a time, a hungry fox was wandering through

fields and orchards looking for something to eat. He found a
vineyard full of dangling clusters of grapes that looked
extremely appetizing and shone with a brilliant color. He tried
to jump up and grab a bunch, but despite his many attempts,
he couldn't reach them. Eventually, he gave up and told
himself, "They must be sour and not tasty anyway. I don't want
them," and returned home hungry.

In the evening, he told his father what had happened and

described the beauty and allure of the grape clusters. He
continued to reassure himself, saying he was sure they weren't
ripe. His father got angry and said, "You shouldn't have given
up so easily. Tomorrow, you will go back and try to think of a
way to pick them and see for yourself if they are sweet or sour."

The next morning, the fox heeded his father's advice and
returned to the vineyard. He jumped again but still couldn't
reach the grapes. He paused to think and looked around,
finding a table on the other side. He jumped onto the table and
from there managed to leap higher, finally grabbing a bunch of
grapes. He was overjoyed when he tasted them and found them
to be incredibly delicious. He said, "I wish I hadn't been so hasty
yesterday. Thank you, Father. I will pick a large bunch of grapes
for you to taste and enjoy with me."

The story’s moral: we learn the virtues of patience and not making judgments
before trying something.

The Seven Chicks

 Once upon a time, there were seven chicks and their
mother hen. One day, the mother decided to go to the market
to get food for her little chicks. She told them, "Do not open the
door for anyone," and emphasized that they should stay inside
and keep the door closed until she returned because a wolf was
roaming around.

The mother left, and the chicks stayed home playing. However,
the wolf had seen the hen leave alone without her chicks and
thought, "Great! Now it's time to fill my big belly with those
little chicks." He went and knocked on the door, saying, "I am
your mother. I have returned, open the door." The frightened
chicks huddled together and said, "This is not our mother's
voice; it's the deceitful wolf." They told him, "Go away, you are
not our mother. Our mother's voice is soft, but yours is harsh."

The wolf thought, "I shouldn't have spoken in my own voice; I

need to mimic the hen's voice." He returned to the door and
knocked, saying in a soft voice, "I am your mother, open the
door." The chicks wanted to open the door, but one chick,
smarter than the others, said, "Wait, let's make sure. I will look
through the keyhole." He looked and saw something black. He
told the wolf, "Go away, you are not our mother. Our mother's
hand is white, but your hand is black."

The wolf, frustrated, thought, "What clever chicks! I need to

deceive them. I will cover myself in flour to turn white." Indeed,
he covered his body with flour and returned to the chicks'
house. He knocked on the door again and said in a soft voice,
"Open the door, I am your mother. I have returned with
delicious food." The chicks gathered around the door and
looked through the keyhole. Seeing a white body, they thought
it must be their mother and decided to open the door.

This time, the wolf had succeeded in deceiving them. But the
clever chick was even smarter than the deceitful wolf. He stood
in front of the door, preventing his siblings from opening it,
shouting, "Don't open it, don't open it! If it were our mother, she
would open the door herself because she has the key." At that
moment, the mother returned and saw the wolf standing at the
door. She called for help from the villagers and screamed at the
top of her lungs, "Help me, help me!" The wolf fled quickly. The
mother opened the door, hugged her children, and they told her
what had happened. She was delighted with the clever chick's
actions and thanked him for protecting his siblings. She told
them, "Never act hastily; always think carefully before doing
anything."

The story’s moral: this story teaches us the importance of acting wisely and
following our parents' instructions.

The Lying Shepherd

Once upon a time, in a beautiful, green village known for

its honest and helpful residents with high morals, there was a
shepherd who was quite different from them. He loved
deception and jokes, believing that tricks and pranks were
entertaining. One night, while guarding his sheep, he felt bored
sitting alone in the long night. An idea for a prank came to his
mind to entertain himself; he started shouting, "Villagers, help
me! Help! The wolf is eating the sheep! The wolf is eating the
sheep!"

All the villagers woke up in a panic, grabbing sticks to rescue

the sheep. When they reached the shepherd and the flock, they
found him laughing and saying, "I fooled you, there is no wolf."
They told him, "What’s funny about this? You woke us up from
our sleep in terror. Lying is not entertaining. How can you laugh
and enjoy scaring people?"

However, he didn’t listen to them and repeated the prank for

three consecutive nights. Each time, the villagers rushed to
rescue him, fearing for him and the sheep. Eventually, they
decided that they would no longer respond to his cries, no
matter how loud.

The following night, the shepherd was deep in sleep when he

suddenly woke up to the sound of a wolf attacking the sheep.
He started shouting and screaming as before, but no one
responded to his calls. The villagers thought, "He’s lying again;
we won’t be fooled this time. Let him tire himself out and stop."

The shepherd tried to fend off the wolf alone but couldn’t. The
wolf ate all the sheep, and the deceitful shepherd sat crying
alone, filled with regret for his lies and the loss of his sheep,
which he couldn’t protect. The next morning, the villagers found
him drowning in tears with no sheep around. Surprised, they
asked him what had happened. He told them, filled with regret
and sorrow, what had transpired. They felt sad for the lost
sheep and told him, "You should have listened to us and
stopped lying. We hope this loss teaches you a lesson." He
replied, "I have learned my lesson and lost a lot. I will never lie
again."

The story’s moral: this story teaches us about the consequences of lying; no
matter the intention, lying is never acceptable. No one will trust you as long
as you are a liar.

The Thirsty Crow

Once upon a time, there was a crow flying high in the sky.
He flew great distances over vast, green forests, soaring and
gliding while admiring the beautiful landscapes below. After a
long journey under the scorching sun, the crow became
extremely thirsty. He started scanning the forests below,
searching for water to quench his intense thirst.

He descended among the trees, looking and searching until he

saw something shiny in the distance. He flew closer and finally
discovered a pot full of water! However, when he tried to drink
from it, his short beak couldn’t reach the water. The crow began
thinking of a solution, looking around in desperation. He felt too
thirsty to fly and search for another source of water.

Then, he noticed small pebbles on the ground. The crow picked

up the pebbles one by one with his beak and dropped them into
the pot. Gradually, the water level rose to the top of the pot,
allowing the crow to drink easily. He drank and drank until his
thirst was fully quenched.

The story’s moral: we learn that with determination and perseverance, we

can achieve what we want and succeed.

The Greedy Dog

In a beautiful green village, there was a small dog that

wandered every day around the village looking for food. He
climbed hills, crossed rivers, walked through the streets
between houses until he found food to eat, then happily
returned home. One day, he found a large bone with some
tender meat on it, which he picked up between his teeth to take
home. On his way back, as he crossed the river, he saw another
dog carrying food in its mouth. The greedy dog decided to take
the food from the other dog to get more for himself. As soon as
he opened his mouth to attack the other dog, the large bone fell
from his mouth and sank into the river. The other dog quickly
ran away and disappeared from sight. The greedy dog returned
home hungry, regretting his greed. He learned a lesson he
would never forget in his life: not to be greedy and not to try to
steal what does not belong to him from others.

This story teaches us to be content with what God has allotted for us, to avoid
greed, and not to attempt to steal from others.

Hodge the Hedgehog

Once upon a moonlit night, in a cozy corner of a sprawling

forest, there lived a little hedgehog named Hodge. Hodge was
no ordinary hedgehog; he had the softest, fluffiest spines and
the brightest, twinkliest eyes you ever did see.
Now, Hodge was quite the adventurous little fellow. He loved
exploring every nook and cranny of the forest during the day,
but come nighttime, he always found his way back to his snug
burrow under the old oak tree.

One chilly evening, as the stars began to twinkle in the sky,

Hodge curled up in his burrow, ready for a good night's sleep.
But just as he was about to drift off into dreamland, he heard a
faint rustling outside.

Curious, Hodge poked his head out of his burrow and saw a
family of rabbits huddled together under a nearby bush, looking
lost and afraid.

"What's the matter?" asked Hodge, his kind eyes sparkling in

the moonlight.

The rabbits explained that they had lost their way home and
didn't know how to find their burrow in the dark. They were
cold, tired, and scared.

Hodge's heart swelled with compassion. "Don't worry," he said

with a warm smile, "I'll help you find your way home." And so,
with Hodge leading the way, the little group set off through the
forest. Hodge guided them with his keen sense of smell and his
sharp memory of the forest's winding paths.

Along the way, they encountered all sorts of creatures – from

wise old owls to playful squirrels – but Hodge fearlessly led the
way, his spines puffing up with pride.
Finally, after what seemed like hours of walking, they arrived at
the rabbits' burrow. The rabbits hopped with joy and gratitude,
thanking Hodge for his kindness.

As Hodge watched the rabbits disappear into their burrow, he

felt a warm glow of happiness in his heart. He may have been a
small hedgehog, but he had made a big difference in the lives
of his forest friends.

With a contented sigh, Hodge returned to his own burrow,

feeling grateful for the adventures of the night. As he curled up
in his cozy bed, he knew that no matter where his adventures
took him, there was always kindness and friendship to be found
in the heart of the forest.

And so, with a smile on his face and dreams of new adventures
dancing in his head, Hodge drifted off to sleep, knowing that
tomorrow would bring new wonders and new friends to meet.

Gerald's Nighttime Adventure

Once upon a time, in the heart of the vast African

savannah, there lived a gentle giant named Gerald the Giraffe.
Gerald had a long neck that reached high into the sky, and his
coat was adorned with patches of golden brown and creamy
white.

Every evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a

warm glow over the land, Gerald would amble through the tall
grass, his hooves padding softly against the earth. He loved to
gaze at the twinkling stars that dotted the night sky, feeling a
sense of wonder and magic wash over him.

One particularly starry night, as Gerald roamed the savannah,

he noticed something different in the sky. Among the millions of
stars, there was one that shone brighter than the rest. It
twinkled and danced, almost as if it were trying to catch
Gerald's attention.

Intrigued, Gerald stretched his neck as far as it could go,

reaching toward the mysterious star. To his surprise, the star
began to descend from the heavens, slowly floating down until
it landed right in front of him. It transformed into a radiant
firefly, its wings shimmering with hues of blue and green.

"Hello, Gerald!" chirped the firefly, its voice soft and melodious.

Gerald blinked in astonishment. "Hello there," he replied, his

voice rumbling like distant thunder. "What brings you down
from the sky?"

The firefly fluttered around Gerald, casting a warm glow around

them. "I've come to tell you a story," it said. "A story about the
magic of the night and the wonders it holds." With that, the
firefly began to weave a tale of adventure and discovery, of
lions prowling through the grasslands, elephants trumpeting in
the distance, and rivers teeming with life. As the story unfolded,
Gerald listened with rapt attention, his imagination soaring to
new heights.

Before he knew it, Gerald felt his eyelids growing heavy. The
gentle hum of the firefly's wings lulled him into a peaceful
slumber, and he drifted off to sleep beneath the starry sky.

The next morning, as the sun painted the horizon with hues of
pink and gold, Gerald awoke feeling refreshed and renewed. He
gazed up at the sky, but the firefly was nowhere to be seen.

Though the magical visitor had vanished, Gerald carried the

memory of their encounter in his heart. From that day on,
whenever he looked up at the night sky, he remembered the
wonders that awaited him in the darkness, and he fell asleep
with a sense of joy and anticipation in his heart. And so,
beneath the watchful gaze of the stars, Gerald the Giraffe
embarked on many more adventures, knowing that the night
held endless possibilities for those who dared to dream.