Short Stories for Children for Spoken English Program
Here are three short stories designed to help children improve their spoken English skills. These stories include simple vocabulary, dialogues, and moral lessons to encourage conversation and comprehension.
1. The Honest Woodcutter
Characters: Woodcutter, River Fairy
Story:
Once, a woodcutter was cutting wood near a river. Suddenly, his axe fell into the water. He was very sad. A fairy appeared and asked, "Why are you crying?"
The woodcutter said, "My axe fell into the river. I cannot work without it."
The fairy smiled and brought a golden axe. "Is this yours?" she asked.
The woodcutter shook his head. "No, that is not mine."
The fairy brought a silver axe. "Is this yours?"
The woodcutter again said, "No, my axe is made of iron."
Finally, the fairy brought an iron axe. The woodcutter smiled and said, "Yes, this is mine!"
The fairy was happy with his honesty and gave him all three axes as a reward.
Moral: Honesty is always rewarded.
2. The Clever Rabbit and the Lion
Characters: Lion, Rabbit
Story:
Once upon a time, a lion lived in a forest. He was very strong and hunted animals every day. The animals were scared and decided to send one animal to the lion daily.
One day, it was a rabbit’s turn. The rabbit was small but very clever. He walked slowly to the lion.
The lion roared, "Why are you late?"
The rabbit replied, "Oh King, another lion stopped me! He said he is the real king."
The lion was very angry. "Where is he?"
The rabbit took the lion to a deep well. The lion looked inside and saw his own reflection in the water. He thought it was another lion and jumped in.
The lion drowned, and the animals were free!
Moral: Intelligence is greater than strength.
3. The Boy Who Cried Wolf
Characters: A shepherd boy, villagers, a wolf
Story:
A shepherd boy was very bored while looking after his sheep. To have some fun, he shouted, "Wolf! Wolf!"
The villagers ran to help, but there was no wolf. The boy laughed.
He did this again the next day. The villagers came, but there was no wolf. They were angry.
One evening, a real wolf came! The boy shouted, "Wolf! Wolf!" But this time, no one came.
The wolf ate many sheep. The boy learned his lesson.
Moral: Do not tell lies. People won’t believe you when you tell the truth.
How to Use These Stories for Spoken English:
✔ Read Aloud – Encourage children to read the story with proper pronunciation.
✔ Role Play – Assign characters and let children act out the dialogues.
✔ Ask Questions – Example: "What would you do if you were the rabbit?"
✔ Discuss the Moral – Talk about why honesty, cleverness, and truthfulness are important.
Would you like more stories or a PDF version of these?