**1.

Two Friends and the Bear**

One sunny afternoon, two friends, Rohan and Sameer, decided to take a shortcut through a
dense forest to reach their village. The forest was dark and quiet, with tall trees blocking the
sunlight. As they walked, Rohan boasted about his bravery, while Sameer listened quietly.
Suddenly, they heard a loud growl. A massive brown bear emerged from the bushes,
standing on its hind legs and roaring fiercely.

Rohan, who had been bragging earlier, panicked. Without warning his friend, he scrambled
up a nearby tree and hid in the branches. Sameer, left alone, froze in fear. Remembering an
old lesson, he dropped to the ground, held his breath, and pretended to be dead. The bear
lumbered over, sniffed Sameer’s face and hands, then lost interest—bears don’t attack
lifeless creatures.

Once the bear left, Rohan climbed down and asked nervously, “What did the bear whisper
to you?” Sameer stood up, dusted his clothes, and replied coldly, “It told me to avoid
selfish friends who abandon others in danger.” Rohan hung his head in shame, realizing his
mistake.

**Moral of the Story:** True friendship means standing by each other in times of trouble.
Selfishness can destroy trust forever.

**2. The Thirsty Crow**

On a scorching summer day, a crow flew over a dry, dusty village, searching for water. His
wings felt heavy, and his throat was parched. After hours of flying, he spotted a clay pot
under a tree. Hopeful, he flew down—but the pot had only a little water at the bottom. The
crow tried to dip his beak, but the water level was too low.

He looked around for help and noticed a pile of small pebbles nearby. An idea struck him!
He picked up a pebble in his beak and dropped it into the pot. *Plink!* The water rose
slightly. The crow repeated this tirelessly, dropping pebble after pebble. Gradually, the
water level rose to the top. Exhausted but thrilled, the crow drank the water and quenched
his thirst.

**Moral of the Story:** Stay calm and use your intelligence to solve problems. Hard work
and patience always pay off.

**3. The Liar Cowboy (The Boy Who Cried Wolf)**

In a peaceful village surrounded by green hills, a young shepherd boy named Arjun grazed
his sheep every day. To escape boredom, he often played tricks. One afternoon, he
shouted, “Wolf! Wolf! Help!” The villagers dropped their work, grabbed sticks, and ran to
save him only to find Arjun laughing at their panic.

The next day, Arjun repeated the prank. The villagers rushed again, but there was no wolf.
They scolded him angrily. A week later, a real wolf crept into the field, its eyes glowing.
Terrified, Arjun screamed, “Wolf! Please help!” But this time, no one came. The villagers
ignored him, thinking it was another lie. The wolf attacked the sheep, killing many before
fleeing.

Arjun wept bitterly, realizing his lies had cost him the villagers’ trust and his sheep.

**Moral of the Story:** Lying destroys trust. No one believes a liar, even when they tell the
truth.

**4. The Greedy Farmer**

In a small village, there lived a poor farmer named Harish. One day, his hen laid a shiny
golden egg. Harish sold it and became rich overnight. Every morning, the hen laid one
golden egg, making Harish wealthy. But greed soon clouded his mind.

“Why wait for one egg a day?” he thought. “If I cut open the hen, I’ll get all the eggs at
once!” Ignoring his wife’s warnings, Harish killed the hen;only to find nothing inside. The
hen was just an ordinary bird, and now it was dead. Harish cried in regret, realizing his
greed had cost him his fortune.

**Moral of the Story:** Greed leads to loss. Always value what you have instead of chasing
more.

**5. The Honest Woodcutter**

Deep in a forest, a humble woodcutter named Ravi chopped wood daily to sell in the
market. One day, while working near a river, his axe slipped and sank into the deep water.
Ravi sat by the bank, weeping;he couldn’t afford a new axe.

Suddenly, the river goddess emerged, holding a golden axe. “Is this yours?” she asked.
“No,” Ravi replied honestly. She then showed a silver axe, but Ravi shook his head. Finally,
she pulled out his old iron axe. “Yes, that’s mine!” Ravi exclaimed. Impressed by his
honesty, the goddess gifted him all three axes.

Ravi sold the gold and silver axes and lived comfortably, but he never forgot the value of
truth.

**Moral of the Story:** Honesty is rewarded in unexpected ways. Always choose integrity
over greed.
**6. Bayazid and His Mother**

Bayazid was a 12-year-old boy who loved his mother dearly. One stormy night, his mother
fell ill with a high fever. “Water, please…” she whispered weakly. Bayazid rushed to the
kitchen, but the water pot was empty. The nearest stream was miles away, and it was
raining heavily.

Without hesitation, Bayazid grabbed a lantern and a pot. He trudged through the dark,
muddy path, shivering in the cold. After an hour, he reached the stream, filled the pot, and
hurried back. His mother drank the water and hugged him tearfully. “God will bless you, my
son,” she said.

Years later, Bayazid became a famous scholar, and he always credited his success to his
mother’s prayers and his love for her.

**Moral of the Story:** Serving parents with devotion brings blessings and paves the way
for success.