I leave you a listing with 30 Short fables for primary school children With their morals. With these examples you will be able to entertain and transmit moral concepts through your charismatic animals. Some are Mexican, others Spanish, others from Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador...
Children's fables seem like a lyrical composition that will never go out of style. From Esopo's"Cicada y la antiga", through"hen of golden eggs"by María Samaniego to the most modern Colombian writer Rafael Pombo, all highlight their ability to educate and to reflect through morals to children.
Everyone from the smallest of the house to the adults, we have gone through readings of fables from the hands of our parents or grandparents, many of them being impregnated in our memory and which we have transmitted to our little ones.
20 Short Children's Fables
1- The child and the candy
It was September 21, and all the children happy after a long summer, returned to the schools. As it was the first day, the teacher took a boat filled with trinkets to welcome the new school year. One of the students ran the first one running toward the candy.
Once he grabbed all the cudgels he could, trying to get his hand out, the neck of the vessel did not allow him to do so. The boy cried and wept bitterly, but a friend standing nearby said, -Confórmate take only half and so you can get your hand with the candy.
Moral : Do not be selfish, greedy and choose only what you need. As the saying goes"who much embraces, little tightens."
This fable teaches children not to be so selfish, a very important quality when developing their personality. In a world where individuality prevails, it is good for children to learn to share and to be generous with their peers.
2- The hare and the turtle
Once a hare mocked the legs so short and slow to walk a turtle, however, she did not remain silent and defended herself by throwing a laugh and saying to the hare, "You may be a very fast friend, hare, but I'm more than sure that I can win a race."
The hare, surprised by what the turtle told her, accepted the challenge without thinking twice, since she was very sure she would win the turtle with her eyes closed. Then, both proposed to the fox, that it was she who pointed the way and the goal.
Days later, the expected moment of the race arrived, and at the sound of the count of three, began the race of these two contenders. The turtle did not stop walking and walking, but at its slow pace, moved calmly towards the goal.
The hare, on the other hand, ran so fast that he left the turtle far behind. Turning around and no longer seeing her, the hare certainly saw his success over the race and decided to take a nap.
Shortly afterwards, the hare woke up and saw if the tortoise was still missing from the rear, but looking towards the goal, he saw the tortoise very close to the end, and in a desperate attempt to run as fast as he could, and won.
Moral : The teaching is that the goals are achieved little by little, with work and effort. Although we sometimes seem slow, success will always come.
It also shows that we do not have to mock people for their physical defects, as they may be better in other respects.
This fable has great educational value, since doing things well is important in education and for this it is necessary to be patient.
3- The Flea and the Man
A man enjoys a good sleep when he suddenly began to feel itch all over the body.
Annoyed by the situation, he searched all over his bed to see what was causing them so much trouble. After his search found a tiny flea and said the following words:
- Who do you think you are insignificant bug, to be stinging all over my body and not let me enjoy my well-deserved rest?
The flea replied: Excuse me sir, I did not mean to disturb you in any way; I ask you please let me go on living, since for my small size I do not think I can bother you much. The man, laughing at the flea's occurrences, said:
- I'm sorry little flea, but I can not do anything else to end your life forever, since I have no reason to continue holding your bites, no matter if it is big or small that may be the prejudice you cause me.
Moral : Teaches us that anyone who hurts another person must be willing to face the consequences. Since when you bother, attack or offend others, you must know that your actions will be followed by consequences.
4- The rabbit and the pig
Once upon a time there was a very presumptuous rabbit in a school who wore his shoes very clean, shiny, shiny every day.
In his class was also the little pig Penny, who was very jealous of the rabbit for his shoes.
But the pig, living in a muddy pond, knew he would never get shoes like his rabbit friend.
Every day cleaned and cleaned, but nothing was as dirty.
One day playing at recess had to make a race to see who was the fastest. The frightened little piggy did not know what to do, since his sneakers were not like his friend's.
On the day of the race, the little penny Penny did not think of it, and ran out along with the rabbit.
As he ran, he only thought of being the winner and never surrendering, as his mother told him.
When they reached the finish, everyone was amazed by the speed of the little pig Peny, they did not understand how he could have won the rabbit and his super-shoes.
Moral : No matter what shoe you wear, the effort to achieve a goal that you propose is not in shoes but in you. You must be happy with what you have, feel comfortable with yourself and trust in yourself.
5- Family of ants
Once upon a time there was an ant family made up of the mother, the father, and her two little daughters.
Soon the winter was approaching, so the whole family went out looking for food since they would not die.
Walking along the meadow, they met another ant, but this one was not of the same species, since it was red and it lacked two paws.
Annoyed, the red ant asked for help to be taken to her home, as she might die buried in the snow.
The ant mother flatly said no, since it did not belong to her species and if she found out the rest of the black ants could be thrown out of the meadow.
So the family went on their way, but one of the daughters could not stand it and turned around to help the red ant, even knowing they could be thrown out of the meadow forever.
Once they arrived at the house of the red ants, they were surprised by the solidarity of the black ant, they gave him all the food they had.
Thanks to this reward, the black ant family was able to survive all winter thanks to the red ant family.
Moral : We must help others when they need it, because someday we may need that help too.
It also teaches us that we should not prejudge or discriminate against others because of their race or physical condition, which is very important in life, since we have to educate our children in tolerance and respect for diversity.
6- The Nightingale Bird
It was a very cheerful and fun nightingale bird. He was always singing but he was very very clueless.
One night at dinner with his mother, he told him that he should not sing until later because the hunters would pass at that time and if they heard they could kill him.
The next morning as every day, the bird began to sing to attract its prey. Forgetting what his mother told him, the hunters heard him and started firing.
Fortunately the bird gave him time to hide, since he heard his mother's song warning that there were hunters in the area
Moral : You have to be very attentive and listen to our parents when they speak to us, since an oversight can be expensive.
7- The cat and the mouse
Cat Garage Drawing Comic Image Mouse
Once, a very hungry cat saw a little mouse enter his house. The cat, intent on grabbing and then eating it, approached the mousetrap to say,
- How cute and cute you are! Come with me, little one, come..."the cat said sweetly.
The mouse mom heard the intentions of the clever cat and warned his son saying:
- Do not go, little boy, you do not know the tricks of that rascal.
The insistent cat said to the mouse again:
- Come, little one come. Look at this cheese and these nuts! All that will be for you!
The innocent little mouse asked his mother again:
- I'm going, Mom?... I'm going?
"No child, do not even think of going, be obedient,"his mother told him again.
The cat again deceived him by saying:
- Come, I'll give you this tasty cake and many more things...
"I can go mama, please, I beg you,"said the little mouse.
- No, you fool! Do not go. Insisted the mouse mother.
"Mom will not do anything to me." I just want to taste a bit... - said the little mouse for the last time, and without his mother could stop it, it quickly left its hole.
In a few moments, there were shouts that said:
- Help, Mom, help! I eat the cat!
The mouse mother could not do anything to save her little mouse that died devoured by the cat.
Moral : This fable teaches us that we must obey our parents and respect their decisions, since they will always want the best for us and not to ignore them can take a toll as the little mouse of history.
8- The deer and the fawn
This fable is about two deer, one young and one older.
Both wanted to stay to live in the mountain since it had food for the whole year, but this could only be possible if both fought, since there were only provisions for one.
The young fawn was very clear that he would win, since he was faster and faster than the old deer.
The next morning when they met to fight, the old deer proposed that he leave, since he knew perfectly well that he was going to be the winner.
The stubborn and angry fawn prepared to fight until it gradually lost its horns.
Surprised that the old deer won him, he asked:
"How did you do it? It can not be, if I am more." Young and faster than you.
To which the old man replied:
"Look at my horns and you'll have the answer."
The surprised fawn realized that the horns were intact, were much stronger and stronger than his own.
Moral : We must respect the elderly, since being an older person does not mean that they are slow or slow, but quite the opposite, since they can teach us many things that we do not yet know.
9- The Monkey and the Dolphin
There was once a sailor who promised to make a long trip. To make the crossing more entertaining, he took with him a monkey to have fun during the long journey.
When they were near the coast of Greece, a very noisy and violent storm arose and wrecked the weak ship. His crew, the sailor and his monkey had to swim in order to save their lives.
Meanwhile, the monkey who fought against the waves, was seen by a dolphin; Who, believing himself to be a man, went to save him by slipping under him and transporting him to the shore.
When they were arriving at the port, the dolphin asked the monkey:
- Mono, are you Athenian (born in Athens), and the monkey to be very presumed and a liar, he replied:
- Yes, and I also have very important relatives living there -
The dolphin asked him again if he knew Piraeus (the famous port of Athens). The monkey, believing that he was a man, told him that he not only knew him, but that he was one of his best friends.
The dolphin outraged by so many lies that the monkey said, turned and returned it to the high seas.
Moral : The lies of the liar are the ones who are responsible for revealing the truth in a small carelessness. Lies have very short legs, so the truth will always come to light.
10- The Astronomer
11- The Fable of the Ass, the Dog and the Wolf
They walked very slowly and exhausted by the sun an ass, with his load of bread, and his master followed by his dog. This is how they came to a green meadow where the master tired and exhausted by the walk made, he fell asleep under the shade of a tree.
The donkey went to eat some grass that was in the meadow when suddenly the dog, who was also very tired and hungry, said:
- Dear ass, I'm hungry too. Would you give me some bread in the basket you carry on please?
To which the ass replied:
- Better. Why do not you wait a little longer until the Master wakes up and gives you the same food?
The dog, listening to the donkey's response, went to the other side of the meadow. It was then that, while the ass was still eating its grass, a hungry wolf appeared and immediately rushed on the donkey to devour it. Surprised, he yelled help the dog:
- Help! Save me, dog friend!
The dog replied:
"Better, why do not you wait a little longer until the master wakes up and saves you?"
Moral : We must offer our help to others as long as they need it if we do not want the same thing happens to us as the donkey. We must educate our children to be supportive people and share with the rest of their peers.
12- The Crow and the Birds
One day the god Jupiter quoted all the birds to a meeting to choose as King the most beautiful of all. The birds, very flattered by this great opportunity, immediately went to the waters of the great river to wash and groom themselves to be presentable.
The raven, realizing its ugliness, came up with a plan that consisted of picking up the feathers that the birds dropped when they groomed, and then glued them to their bodies. So the crow spent several hours placing the feathers to be the most beautiful of the birds.
Then came the expected day and all the birds came to the rendezvous, among them the raven, who instantly stood out by their multicolored feathers. Jupiter, seeing him, decided to crown the raven by its great beauty, but the birds were very indignant to have chosen the raven.
However, the crow soon lost its feathers, feeling ashamed since it was once again the same as it really was.
Moral : We do not have to pretend what we are not and we should not because we feel inferior by our physical or aptitudes, since each person is unique and different, with its virtues and its defects.
We must love ourselves as we are, because only this way will others love us.
13- The old hunter dog
Many years ago, there lived an old hunting dog, whose advanced age had made him lose much of the faculties, like being stronger or faster.
One day, while he was on a hunting expedition with his master, he encountered a beautiful wild boar, whom he wanted to catch for his owner. Putting all his effort into it, he managed to bite one ear, but since his mouth was not the same as usual, the animal managed to escape.
Hearing the scandal, his master ran to the place, finding only the old dog. Annoyed that he had let the piece escape, he began to scold him very hard.
The poor dog, who did not deserve such a scolding, said to him:
"My dear master, do not think that I have let that beautiful animal out for the pleasure." I have tried to keep him, as I did when I was young, but however much we both wish, my faculties will never be the same again. So, instead of being angry with me because I've grown old, rejoice over all those years in which I helped you restlessly.
Moral : It comes to us to say that we must be respectful with our majors, since they did the possible thing because our family had a happy life.
14- The young shepherd and the sheep
This was a warm winter evening, when a young shepherd who was tending his cattle, shouted from the top of the mountain:"Come the wolf, farmers! These, abandoning their labors, come promptly, and find that it is a joke only. Again cry out, and the farmers fear the misfortune. Second time I mock them. Nice grace!
But what happened the third time? Actually came hungry beast. Then the young shepherd began to cry and shout, but the farmers did not believe him this time and the wolf devoured the herd.
Moral : We must be honest with ourselves and others. It is not worth lying and deceiving people, because one day they will not believe you for lying to them. We must be sincere with others and with ourselves, in order to avoid misunderstandings.
15- The Dog and the Reflex
There was once a dog, which was crossing a lake. In doing so, he had a fairly large prey in his mouth. As he crossed it, he saw himself reflecting the water. Believing himself to be another dog and seeing the huge piece of flesh he wore, he darted away.
Disappointed was when, to seek to take the prey to the reflection, lost the one he already had. Worse still, he could not get the one he wanted.
Moral : Do not envy others and we must be happy with what we are and what we have, since as the saying goes"greed breaks the sack." We have to settle for what we have, and not ask or demand more of our parents, but we want what happens to the dog.
16- The frogs and the dry swamp
Two frogs lived in a beautiful swamp, but summer came and dried, so they left to find another one with water. They found on their way a deep well full of water, and upon seeing it, one frog said to the other:
- Friend, let's get down to this well.
"But if the water of this well were also dried up,"replied the companion,"how do you suppose we shall rise then?"
Moral : Before taking any action, first analyze the consequences of it. Faced with a problem, we must look for other alternatives and reflect on what is the good option before making a decision impulsively that is not appropriate.
17- The Labrador and the Snake
Beside the home of a modest labrador, a snake had decided to install its nest. One afternoon the little farmer's son, thinking that he was one of his toys, grabbed the animal so badly that it bit him in self-defense. A bite of which he could not recover and that his father wanted to avenge cutting the tail to the snake.
Knowing how the events had happened, the farmer felt such guilt that he went in search of the snake to ask for forgiveness and offer him honey, water, flour and salt, as a sign of his sincere regret. In spite of the nobility of his intentions, the snake not only did not forgive him, but also allowed himself the luxury of saying:
- I appreciate you wanting to come and try to remedy the mistake you made with me, but there is no possibility that you and I can be friends. As long as I lack the tail that you took from me and the son that my poison has snatched from you, we will be unable to be in peace.
Moral : It is impossible to reconcile with a friend if one of the two has not forgiven the other. With this fable we learn to know how to ask for forgiveness and to forgive when we have some discussion or discussion with a partner. In this way any problem will be solved peacefully and peacefully.
18- The Wolf and the Sleeping Dog
He enjoyed a dog of a well-deserved rest at the door of his house, when suddenly a swift wolf threw himself at him with clear intentions to devour him. To try to get rid of such a fate, the dog begged him with all his might to listen to him, if only for one time, before the wolf fulfilled his wishes.
I understand that you wish to quench your hunger,"the dog began,"but from a bag of bones like me, your stomach will soon feel empty again; If you really want to give yourself a good feast, wait for my owners to celebrate their wedding and I'm sure you find me much more palatable.
So convincing was his argument that the wolf went away so happy. Months later, the dog was peeking out of the window of his owner's house, when the wolf returned to claim what he had been waiting for so long. Annoyed at the insistence, the dog answered:
"Silly wolf, the next time you show up and I'm sleeping in my owner's door, do not wait for the wedding of my owners!
Moral : He comes to tell us that if we have been able to get away with some sort of danger and if we remember how we did it, we can do it on other occasions.
19- The fox the bear and the lion
Having found a lion and a bear at the same time to a fawn, they challenged each other in combat to see which of the two remained with the prey.
A fox that passed by, seeing them exhausted by the struggle and with the fawn in the middle, seized this and ran calmly passing between them.
And both the bear and the lion, exhausted and unable to rise, murmured:
"Wretched us!" So much effort and so much struggle we made so that everything was for the bitch!
Moral : For being selfish and not wanting to share, we can lose everything.
20- The two little friends
Once upon a time there were 2 ostriches friends who became so much friends that they could not spend one day without the company of the other, until one day a little slip between them tested their beautiful friendship:
And so with such postures, they both indulged in their whims for many hours and without reaching an agreement. After discussing for a long time, the two friendly ostriches finally came to reason and one of them said:
"Let's leave the games for today and find another way to reach an agreement."
And saying these words they both agreed to alternate daily and that each would decide for a whole day which games to play.
In this way there were no more problems and conflicts and retained a beautiful friendship until death.
21- The olive and the fig tree
The olive ridiculed the fig tree because, while it was green all year round, the fig tree changed its leaves with the seasons.
One day a snowfall fell on them, and, being the olive full of foliage, the snow fell on its leaves and with its weight they broke their branches, immediately stripping of its beauty and killing the tree.
But when the fig tree was bare of leaves, the snow fell directly to the earth, and it did not hurt at all.
Moral : We must not make fun of the qualities of others, for ours may be inferior. We must be respectful and tolerant with other people.
22- The fox and the goat
Once a fox was wandering through the darkness, when misfortune fell into a pit. He tried to get out but could not. He had no choice but to stay there until the next morning. The next day a goat came by, looked at the well, and saw the fox. The goat asked"what are you doing there, Mr. Fox?"
The astute fox replied:
"I came here to drink water. It's the best I've ever had in my life. Come and try it for yourself. Without even thinking for a while, the goat jumped into the well, quenched its thirst, and sought a way out. But like the fox, he was also unable to get out.
Then the fox said,
"I have an idea. Stand on your hind legs. I will climb on your head and go out. Then I'll help you out too."
The goat was innocent and did what the fox told him.
As he walked, the fox said,
"If you had been smart enough, you would never have entered without seeing how to get out."
Moral : Look before you jump. Do not do something blindly without first thinking about it.
23- The golden egg
There was once a wealthy cloth merchant who lived in a village with his wife and two children. They had a beautiful hen laying an egg every day. It was not a normal egg, but a golden egg. However, the young trader was not satisfied with what he used to get every day.
He wanted to get all the golden eggs of his hen in a very short time. Therefore, one day he thought and at last he concluded in a plan. He decided to kill the hen and gather all the eggs.
The next day, when the hen laid a golden egg, the man took it, took a sharp knife, cut off its neck and cut open its body. There was nothing but blood everywhere and no trace of any egg at all. I was very sad because now I would not get even a single egg.
Because of his greed, he became poorer and eventually became a beggar.
Moral : If you want more, you can lose everything. It is necessary to be satisfied with what one has and to act without greed.
24- The coyote and the grapes
One sunny afternoon, a coyote was walking, and his stomach roared with hunger. Suddenly, he noticed on the top of a tree a cluster of beautiful purple grapes and tried to reach them by leaning on his hind legs, but he did not arrive.
He tried to reach them by jumping, but he did not come either; Again and again he failed until his legs could not go any further and then he fell to the floor exhausted.
Being lying on the ground, he could see that two little birds were watching her; Getting up, shook off the dust and left saying.
-Best step of those grapes, sure they are green-
He resumed his way, and as soon as he had gained a distance, the little birds pecked the grapes and they fell to the ground, where they gave a banquet.
Looking from afar, the coyote thought:
"Maybe if I'd asked for help, we'd be eating all three."
Moral: Sometimes our pride can outweigh our judgment, to the point where we are able to despise things, just because they seem unreachable.
25- The ant and the butterfly
A working ant was gathering provisions under the strong summer sun on the banks of the river. Suddenly, the ground beneath her gave way, and the ant fell into the water where it was being violently dragged.
Desperate, the ant screamed
"Help, help, help, I'm choking!"
In that, a butterfly realizes the situation of the ant and quickly sought a twig, grabbed it with its legs and threw itself towards where the ant was; Tending the branch and saving it.
The very happy ant thanked him and they both went on their way.
Soon, a poacher approaches behind the butterfly with a net; In silence he was about to capture her, but just as she had the net over the head of the butterfly, she felt a very painful pick on her leg! Screaming, he let go of the net and the butterfly realized it, and flew away.
As he flew, the puzzled butterfly turned its head to see what had hit the hunter, and realized that it was the ant that had saved that day.
Moral: Do good without looking at who. Life is a chain of favors.
26- The wind and the sun
Once, the wind and the sun had an argument
-I am the strongest, when I pass, the trees move; I can even knock them down if I want- Said the wind.
"The strongest here is me, I do not knock down trees, but I can make them grow- The sun answered him.
"I'm going to show you that I'm the strongest, you see that man with a jacket?" I'll take it off with my blow- Said the wind.
So the wind blew with all its might, but the louder it was, the stronger the man clung to his jacket, and the wind grew tired of blowing.
Then it was the turn of the sun, and this, throwing all its rays towards the man, made that the jacket was removed of so much heat.
-Well, you win, but you must admit that I made a lot more noise- Said the wind at the end.
Moral: Each person has their own abilities and is often worth more than feurza.
27- The cicada and the ants
A cicada sang and enjoyed during the summer. Day by day he woke up late and only dedicated to singing, until one day something caught his attention.
A group of ants passed beneath its branch carrying heavy portions of food on its back, then the cicada came down from its branch and asked one.
- Ant friend why do you work so hard?
-The winter is approaching, we must keep provisions to be able to pass the frost- Replied the ant, to which the cicada then said.
-Bah! Working so much is for boobies, do as I do, sing and enjoy the summer-
The little ant said nothing further. Over the next few days, the cicada continued to sing and often composed songs that made fun of her little friend the ant.
But one day, the cicada woke up and it was no longer summer, the winter had arrived.
Frost was the worst of all in many years, he tried to shelter himself with leaves from his branch, but he could not. Hungry looked for food, but could not find it.
Then he remembered that his little ant had been storing provisions over the summer and headed for his anthill, knocked on the door, and the little ant came out, then said.
"Ant, help me; I'm hungry and I'm cold, give me shelter and food!
-But what were you doing all summer cicada? Asked the ant.
-sing and dance- Answered the cicada.
"Well, if you did that in the summer, now dance in the winter!"
Said the ant and closed the door. Meanwhile, the repentant cicada moved away reflecting on the lesson he had learned.
Moral: If you want to enjoy life, you must first work hard.
28- The Falcon, the Raven and the Shepherd
Casting himself from the skies, a hawk caught a lamb. A crow watched her and tried to imitate him, he threw himself on a ram.
However, the same thing did not happen before, and when ignoring the arts, the crow became entangled in the wool, where no matter how strong his wings beat, he did not escape.
When the shepherd saw what was happening, he took the crow in his hands, with his machete cut off his wings, and carried him to his house.
Fascinated his children saw him, and curious of the matter to his father they asked:
"Papa, what bird is this?"
"He's just a raven to me, but he thinks he's a hawk."
Moral: It is good and necessary to learn to know our own limits, even to overcome them; The first step is to meet them.
29- The son and the father
One day, a young man was going down the street at night after leaving his job; Hurried through the solitary corners of the city because that night his mother had told him that he was waiting for him at home with a delicious dinner.
With only a few blocks to go, the young man sees in the distance the age-worn figure of someone waiting at the corner of a sidewalk to cross the street while a traffic light was green.
- Old fool, why do not you cross if cars do not come? I will cross, I have an important commitment! Thought the young man, quickening his pace.
But when he reached the corner of that sidewalk he realized that man was his father!
-dad?-
-Hello son-
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm going home, we're going late, your mom is sure to be upset-
"Dad, no cars come-
Yes, I see.
"There's no cops here,
"But it's a safe neighborhood, not even at this time of night-
-There are no cameras-
"I did not notice, is that good or bad?"
"No one is watching us!" Let's cross that we're late!
-WHAT?! I'M LOOKING!
Moral: We can always fool others, but we can never fool ourselves. A quiet conscience is the key to living in peace with oneself.
30- The Fox and the Roosters
Two roosters struggled to take control of the chicken coop.
After an intense fight, one of them was defeated, and he had no alternative but to hide among the bushes.
The victor proudly displayed himself, mounted on one of the posts of the fence and began to sing to the four winds his victory.
It was then, when behind her back, a patient waiting fox jumped to the gate and with a fierce bite she hunted the winning cock.
Since then, the other rooster is the only male in the chicken coop.
Moral: Humility is a virtue that very few practice, but that everyone should master. To whom he flaunts his own successes, soon appears someone who takes them away.
What are the fables?
Fables are short literary compositions, written in prose or verse, ending always with a teaching or moral message of ethical and moral character.
Usually, the characters are animals or inanimate things that represent human characteristics, and usually deal with issues such as customs of society, human vices such as arrogance, lies, ie universal characteristics of human nature.
The use of fables given its instructive character has crossed borders, and has been used in almost all cultures, as it is a means of didactic and moral teaching. Therefore, it is good to read and teach children to differentiate between the bad and the good that life has, through these animals.
It is attributed to Aesop, Greek writer of the s. VI, the invention of this wonderful literary genre, considered as one of the oldest of humanity.