Short Stories on Courage and Obedience

Moral Lessons in Short Stories

Pablito's Bravery: The Short Child Who Saved the Day

There was a child in a village named Pablito who was very short and self-conscious about his small stature. His friends often laughed at him because of his height.

One day, Pablito and several friends went to the field. Suddenly, black clouds appeared, darkening the day. A strong storm approached, and they quickly entered a cave, as they were several miles from town. The cave ceiling was very low, and everyone had to go crouching, except for Pablito, who was short enough to stand comfortably.

Suddenly, they heard a noise in the back of the cave. Everyone was scared, except for Pablito, who, though short, was the bravest of them all. The noise came nearer, and everyone stood trembling near the cave entrance, not knowing what to do.

Pablito took a stick and bravely entered the cave in search of the noise. Minutes later, he returned with a little lamb in his hand. His friends gave him a hug, and since then, they ceased teasing him about his height, respecting his courage instead.

Reported Speech Conversions

When converting direct speech to reported speech, certain verbs and time expressions must change:

• See becomes Saw
• Calling becomes Was Calling
• Come becomes Had Come
• Will becomes Would
• Can becomes Could
• Must becomes Had to
• Now becomes Then
• Today becomes That Day
• Tomorrow becomes The Following Day
• Yesterday becomes The Day Before
• Next Week becomes The Following Week
• A week ago becomes The Week Before

Juanito and the Dangerous River

Juanito played ball with his friend Pepe next to a river. Due to an oversight, they dropped the ball. The river was known to be very dangerous; it was rare for a year to pass without someone drowning in it. Their parents knew how dangerous it was and always advised their children not to bathe in it, even if they were nearby.

The two children watched sadly as the river, splashing, carried their ball away, leaving them without a toy to play with. Although they considered entering the river to retrieve it, they remembered their parents' advice, preferring to lose the ball and nothing else.

Juanito, the owner of the ball, fearfully told his father he had lost it, believing his father would scold him. He was surprised when his father gave him a kiss and bought him the best ball of all, rewarding his honesty and obedience.