Creativity has been known since ancient times, and it has always been used as a powerful means of education. The reason is that the stories underlying each parable for children are as close as possible to real life and therefore understandable to everyone. They also help to identify vices without directly condemning a specific person. Let's remember the most interesting of them and see how you can use them for educational purposes when communicating with children.

About the bad and the good

Once two friends were walking through the desert. Tired from the long journey, they argued and one rashly slapped the other. The comrade endured the pain and did not say anything in response to the offender. I just wrote in the sand: “Today I received a slap in the face from a friend.”

A few more days passed, and they found themselves at an oasis. They began to swim, and the one who received the slap almost drowned. The first comrade came to the rescue in time. Then the second one carved an inscription on the stone that said: best friend saved him from death. Seeing this, his comrade asked him to explain his actions. And the second replied: “I made an inscription in the sand about the offense so that the wind would quickly erase it. And about salvation - he carved it in stone so that he would never forget about what happened.”

This parable about friendship for children will help them understand that bad things cannot be kept in memory for a long time. But the good deeds of other people should never be forgotten. And one more thing - you need to value your friends, since in difficult times it is they who often find themselves next to a person.

About love for mother

Equally important are the relationships between family members. We often explain to children that they should show respect to their parents and take care of them. But parables for children, like the one below, will say everything better than any words.

An old man and three women were sitting by the well, and three boys were playing next to them. The first one says: “My son has such a voice that everyone will be heard.” The second boasts: “And mine can show such figures - you’ll be amazed.” And only the third is silent. The old man turns to her: “Why don’t you tell about your son?” And she replies: “Yes, there is nothing unusual about him.”

So the women fetched buckets full of water, and the old man stood up with them. They hear: the first boy sings and sounds like a nightingale. The second one walks around them like a wheel. And only the third approached the mother, took the heavy buckets and carried them home. The first two women ask the old man: “How do you like our sons?” And he answers: “Where are they? I only see one son.”

It is these short parables for children, close to life and understandable to everyone, that will teach children to truly appreciate their parents and show the true value of family relationships.

Lie or tell the truth?

Continuing the topic, we can recall another wonderful story.

Three boys were playing in the forest and did not notice how evening came. They were afraid that they would be punished at home, and began to think about what to do. Should I tell my parents the truth or lie? And that's how it all turned out. The first one came up with a story about a wolf attacking him. His father would be afraid for him, he decided, and would forgive him. But at that moment the forester came and reported that they did not have any wolves. The second one told his mother that he had come to see his grandfather. Lo and behold, he’s already on the threshold. This revealed the lies of the first and second boys, and as a result they were punished twice. First for being guilty, and then for lying. And only the third came home and told everything how it happened. His mother made a little noise and soon calmed down.

Such parables for children prepare them for the fact that lying only complicates the situation. Therefore, in any case, it is better not to come up with excuses and not to hide your guilt in the hope that everything will work out, but to immediately admit the wrongdoing. This is the only way to maintain the trust of your parents and not feel remorse.

About two wolves

It is equally important to teach a child to see the boundary between good and evil. These are two moral categories that will always accompany a person, and, perhaps, fight in his soul. Among large quantity Among instructive stories on this topic, the parable of two wolves seems to be the most understandable and interesting for children.

One day, an inquisitive grandson asked his grandfather, the leader of the tribe:

Why do bad people appear?

To this the elder gave a wise answer. Here's what he said:

There are no bad people in the world. But every person has two sides: dark and light. The first is the desire for love, kindness, compassion, mutual understanding. The second symbolizes evil, selfishness, hatred, destruction. Like two wolves, they constantly fight each other.

“I see,” the boy answered. - Which one of them wins?

“It all depends on the person,” the grandfather concluded. - The wolf that is fed the most always wins.

This parable about good and evil for children will make it clear: the person himself is responsible for much that happens in life. Therefore, it is necessary to think about all your actions. And wish for others only what you wish for yourself.

Oh hedgehog

Another question that adults often ask: “How to explain to a child that you can’t blindly trust everyone around you?” How to teach him to analyze the situation and only then make a decision? In this case, parables for young children similar to this one will come to the rescue.

Once a fox and a hedgehog met. And the red-haired woman, licking her lips, advised her interlocutor to go to the hairdresser and get a fashionable “tortoiseshell” hairstyle. “Thorns are not in fashion these days,” she added. The hedgehog was delighted with such care and set off. It’s good that he met an owl on the way. Having learned where, why and on whose advice he was going, the bird said: “Don’t forget to ask to be smeared with cucumber lotion and refreshed with carrot water.” “Why is this?” - the hedgehog didn’t understand. “And so that the fox can eat you better.” So, thanks to the owl, the hero realized that not every piece of advice can be trusted. And yet, not every “kind” word is sincere.

Who is stronger?

Often parables resemble folk tales, especially if the heroes are forces of nature endowed with human qualities. Here is one such example.

The wind and the sun argued which of them was stronger. Suddenly they see a passerby walking. The wind says: “Now I’ll tear off his cloak.” He blew with all his might, but the passer-by only wrapped himself tighter in his clothes and continued on his way. Then the sun began to warm up. And the man first lowered his collar, then untied his belt, and finally took off his cloak and threw it over his arm. This is how it happens in our lives: with affection and warmth you can achieve more than with shouts and force.

About the Prodigal Son

Now we quite often turn to the Bible and find in it answers to many moral questions. In this regard, it is necessary to especially note the parables given in it and told by Jesus Christ. They will tell children more about goodness and the need for forgiveness than long instructions from their parents.

Everyone knows the story of the prodigal son, who took his share of the inheritance from his father and left home. At first he led a cheerful, idle life. But the money soon ran out, and the young man was ready to eat even with the pigs. But he was driven out from everywhere, as a terrible famine struck the country. And the sinful son remembered his father. He decided to go home, repent and ask to become a mercenary. But the father, seeing his son returned, was happy. He raised him from his knees and ordered a feast. This offended the older brother, who told his father: “I’ve been next to you all my life, and you even spared a kid for me. He squandered all his wealth, and you ordered a fattened bull to be slaughtered for him.” To which the wise old man replied: “You are always with me, and everything I have will go to you. You need to rejoice in the fact that your brother seemed to have died, but now he has come to life, was lost and has been found.”

Problems? Everything is solvable

Orthodox parables are very instructive for older children. For example, the story of the miraculous rescue of a donkey is popular. Here are its contents.

One peasant's donkey fell into a well. The owner pushed. Then I thought: “The donkey is already old, and the well is dry. I’ll cover them with earth and solve two problems at once.” I called my neighbors and they got to work. After a while, the peasant looked into the well and saw an interesting picture. The donkey threw the earth falling from above off its back and crushed it with its feet. Soon the well was filled, and the animal was at the top.

This is how it happens in life. The Lord often sends us seemingly insurmountable trials. At such a moment, it is important not to despair and not give up. Then it will be possible to find a way out of any situation.

Five important rules

And in general, you don’t need much to become happy. Sometimes it is enough to follow a few simple rules that are understandable to a child. Here they are:

• drive out hatred from your heart and learn to forgive;
• avoid unnecessary worries - more often than not they do not come true;
• live simply and appreciate what you have;
• give more to others;
• For yourself, expect less.

These wise sayings, on which many parables for children and adults are based, will teach you to be more tolerant of others and enjoy everyday life.

a wise man

In conclusion, I would like to turn to the text of another parable for children. It is about a traveler who settled in an unfamiliar village. The man loved children very much and constantly made unusual toys for them. So beautiful that you won’t find them at any fair. But they were all painfully fragile. The kid is playing around, and lo and behold, the toy is already broken. The child is crying, and the master is already giving him a new one, but even more fragile. The villagers asked the man why he was doing this. And the master replied: “Life is fleeting. Soon some person will give your child his heart. And it is very fragile. And I hope that my toys will teach your children to take care of this priceless gift.”

So, any parable prepares a child to face our difficult life. It unobtrusively teaches you to think about each of your actions, to correlate them with the moral norms accepted in society. Makes it clear that spiritual purity, perseverance, and readiness to overcome any adversity will help you navigate the path of life with dignity.

Parables with meaning have always been used to teach and raise children. After all, wise advice presented in an interesting, brief and fabulous form is much better perceived and remembered. Therefore, parables for children are amazing effective remedy training and development. The wisdom contained in parables, presented in a simple and engaging way, teaches children to think for themselves and find solutions to problems. A good parable develops imagination and intuition in children, and also helps them think about their behavior and realize their own mistakes. These short stories They will explain to children that you can always find many ways to solve one problem and that life is not divided only into black and white, bad and good.

How to help people

Teacher, goodbye. “I’m going to wander and help people,” said the young man, entering the teacher’s house.
- How long will you be leaving? - asked the teacher.
- For a long time! Maybe forever. I want to serve people and make them happier! - the student exclaimed proudly.
- You are the only man in the family, the hope of your mother and grandmother. Who will you leave them with? - the teacher was surprised.
“They will live somehow,” answered the student. - You yourself taught us that the main thing in life is to bring happiness to people.
- You are right. But you don't have to go far for this. At first make those who are near you happy, then those who are far away will come to you, - advised the old teacher.

Who has cleaner hands?

Two students came to study in the workshop of the famous sculptor. The teacher told them: “First you need to learn how to work with stone. I have a large block of stone in my yard. Plank it on both sides so that you get even planes. I will come back in the evening and look at your work.” Then the sculptor gave the students the tools and left.
- I won't do boring work. Any mason can do such rough work. “I want to be a sculptor, not a stonemason,” said one student.
“It’s not a shame to sweat at work if you take it on willingly,” said the second student and got to work.
The first student left and rested all day. He returned only in the evening, when all the work was done.
Later the teacher came and, without looking at the work, asked the students to show their hands. The first student's hands were clean and well-groomed. The second one had calluses, abrasions and stone dust all over his hands.
“I’ll wash my hands now, teacher,” he said, blushing.
“There is no need to wash your hands,” the teacher noted.
“Cleanliness is the best beauty,” said the first student and proudly looked at his pink hands.
- The hands of a lazy person are only clean in appearance. These hands are truly clean,” said the sculptor, pointing to the dusty hands of the second student. “They worked all day and did all the work honestly.

Learn to ask

Two young jewelers came to the jewelry workshop.
- You have already received the title of master, but real mastery is achieved through experience. It’s not a shame not to know, it’s a shame not to learn,” the chief jeweler told them.
“It’s never too late to learn,” one young master agreed. He came from a family of builders, and in the school of jewelers he worked only with semi-precious stones.
“You don’t need to teach an eagle to fly,” muttered the second one. He was the son of a jeweler and early childhood I saw how they were processed gems. His father closed his workshop due to illness. The young man dreamed of opening his father’s workshop again as soon as he got back on his feet.
Both young masters worked hard. Gradually they began to be trusted difficult work. Both of them did an excellent job. A young jeweler from a family of builders constantly asked questions. Most often, he asked about the intricacies of making unique jewelry that old masters made. The second young master never asked. He said to his friend in surprise:
- Why do you keep asking? You are a master, not a student.
“Don’t study until you’re old, but study until you die,” the young man answered, laughing.
One day, the chief jeweler commissioned a craftsman from the builder's family to make a diamond necklace.
- Why didn’t you give this order to me? I know better how to work with diamonds! - the second young master exclaimed offendedly.
- If there are difficulties, this young man will definitely consult and will not ruin the work. And you're afraid to ask. Don't be afraid that you don't know, be afraid that you don't learn. Otherwise, you won’t become a real master,” explained the chief jeweler.

A parable for children about respect for mother

The first rich man of the city organized a celebration in honor of the birth of his son. All noble townspeople were invited. Only the rich man’s mother did not come to the holiday. She lived far away in the village and, apparently, was unable to come. On the occasion of this wonderful event, tables were set up in the central square of the city and refreshments were prepared for everyone. At the height of the holiday, an old woman covered with a veil knocked on the rich man’s gate.
- All the beggars are treated to food in the central square. Go there,” the servant ordered the beggar.
“I don’t need a treat, let me just look at the baby for one minute,” the old woman asked, and then added: “I am also a mother, and I also once had a son.” Now I have been living alone for a long time, and have not seen my son for many years.
The servant asked the owner what he should do. The rich man looked out the window and saw bad clothed woman, covered with an old blanket.
- You see, this is a beggar woman. Drive her away,” he angrily ordered the servant. - Every beggar has his own mother, but I cannot allow them all to look at my son.
The old woman began to cry and sadly said to the servant:
- Tell the owner that I wish my son and grandson health and happiness, and also say: “ He who respects his own mother will not curse someone else's".
When the servant conveyed the words of the old woman, the rich man realized that it was his mother who came to him. He rushed out of the house, but his mother was nowhere to be seen.

Leaves and roots

The son has not visited his parents for a long time. He was a rich merchant, the owner of a huge store and lived in big city. Every month the son sent his parents money, and on holidays - gifts. Of course, mother and father missed their son and often invited him to visit. But on weekdays the son was busy in the store, and on holidays he feasted with friends - the same noble merchants.
Everything was fine until thieves set fire to his store. The thieves were caught and put in prison, but this did not make it any easier for the merchant. His store and warehouses with goods burned to the ground.
The merchant went to the banker to borrow money to build a new store, and he said:
- I don't lend money to poor people. I don't want them to go to jail for not paying their debt.
All his friends also refused to help the merchant.
At that moment, the merchant received a letter from his father:
“Son, we heard about your misfortune. Come quickly. And from a tall tree leaves fall to the roots".
The merchant did not understand anything, but still decided to go and visit his parents, whom he had not seen for many years. Sad he entered his parents' house. The mother was busy, she didn’t know how to get her son to sit down or what to feed him, and the father brought a bag full of money. The old man gave the money to the amazed merchant and said:
- Son, here is the money you sent us, and also my savings. Don't worry, we can feed ourselves. The main thing is, don’t forget that we are your roots, and come back to us more often.

Children's parable about the most difficult task

Children are designed in such a way that they strive to learn new things every minute. They are interested in everything mysterious and unknown. But sometimes it can be difficult to understand life’s complex issues. Parables contain the age-old wisdom of generations, philosophical reflections and useful tips. Simple fairy tale language will be understandable to children. Short parables for children help develop thinking, memory and perception, being, in essence, a teacher who cultivates love, decency, peacefulness - spiritual beauty in children. The main thing is that parables tell us that life is multifaceted, spacious, and you can always find many options for getting out of any current situation.

Two ambassadors

The king sent two ambassadors on a friendly visit to the neighboring country.
“See if our neighbors are plotting war against us,” the king ordered the ambassadors.
The ambassadors were received well, accommodated in the best rooms, fed sumptuous dinners, and invited to balls.
The ambassadors returned and began to tell the king about their trip.
- Don't be afraid, king. Our neighbors are kind and hospitable,” the first ambassador said with a smile. - We were received as the most dear guests. I have never tried such dishes as there in my life: roast sea monster, apples of paradise, nightingales’ tongues in wine sauce. We were served a hundred dishes and a hundred wines, just like royalty.
The ambassador spent a long time listing what he ate and drank in the neighboring kingdom. Then the second ambassador took the floor:
- Our neighbors are plotting war. We urgently need to gather an army and strengthen the borders. Firstly, every day we were not fed according to rank. We were served a hundred dishes and a hundred wines each, so that we would eat more and look around less. Secondly, we were accompanied everywhere by a crowd of royal friends, but they were military men, judging by their bearing. Thirdly, we were shown one new weapons factory. I heard in a conversation that this was the fifth plant, and I realized that there were four more. The plant was large, larger than any of our plants.
The ambassador talked for a long time about everything he saw and heard. The king rewarded the second ambassador and ordered him to prepare for war, and the king said to the first ambassador:
- A stupid man talks about what he drank and ate, a smart man talks about what he saw and heard..

A parable for children about the ability to rejoice

Most of all, Maria loved flowers. She had a small garden near her house. What kind of flowers did not grow in this garden! They bloomed from early spring until late autumn and made everyone around happy.
Maria lived with her sick old grandfather. He could barely walk, leaning on a stick. Every morning, grandfather, wincing in pain, barely reached Maria’s kindergarten and sat down on a bench there. The old man looked at the flowers and a smile appeared on his face.
- Thank you, Maria. Looking at your beautiful flowers, I forget about pain,” the old man said to his granddaughter.
Maria laughed in response, and the flowers opened their colorful petals even wider. But one day trouble happened. It was raining with hail and wind. In a few minutes, Maria's kindergarten was destroyed. Some flowers looked as if they had been cut with scissors, others were broken. Maria wept bitterly as she removed the broken flowers. The next day the sun was shining again. The watered soil warmed up, and the flower roots remaining in it sprouted new shoots. A week later, several buds appeared on them. Maria frowned and didn’t even go into her kindergarten. To her surprise, grandfather came every morning and sat on a bench in the garden. He looked at the ruined garden, and a smile appeared on his face.
-What are you happy about, grandfather? - Maria asked him. - There are no more flowers in my garden.
- If there are flowers, rejoice at the flowers, if there are no flowers, rejoice at the buds, - the old man smiled.
Maria looked carefully at the new shoots and also began to smile. Soon Mary’s garden blossomed again to the delight of everyone around.

Who does heaven help?

People were walking through the village. They fled from a neighboring region from a plague epidemic. Many were exhausted and begged, but the villagers fumigated their houses with smoke and tightly closed the gates and shutters. Only one peasant could not stand it. He brought several bags of flour from his barn and ordered his wife: “Bake bread. I can’t calmly look at the mountain, at least I’ll help with something.” The wife began to bake bread, and the peasant came out of the gate with warm loaves of bread and distributed it to the hungry. One old man handed the peasant a bag in return and said:
- Take it, good man. I took this bag from home, but my family died and I don’t need it.
The old man took the bread, cried and moved on. The peasant was afraid of getting infected and threw the bag into the corner of the barn. The flow of refugees was enormous, and soon the peasant ran out of flour. Then he went to the mill and ground the grain stock left for planting.
- Are you crazy. How will you continue to live? - the neighbors told the peasant.
“I have a house and my family, but these unfortunate people have nothing.” Let’s pray to God, maybe he will send us food and support,” the peasant answered.
But in winter he had to bake bread half and half with grass. One day my wife was cleaning out the barn and found some kind of bag in the corner.
- Look, husband, there are some pebbles here! - the wife screamed.
- One old man gave me this for bread. These are precious stones! - exclaimed the peasant.
The peasant bought grain, a new horse and helped all the poor people in the village. When asked where their wealth came from, the peasant’s wife always answered: - Heaven helps a good man.

The best medicine

A misfortune happened in the kingdom - the princess fell ill. After the royal ball, the princess became sad, and a week later she fell ill. The doctors couldn't do anything. A year later, the princess became so weak that doctors feared for her life.
One day a famous doctor arrived in the city from overseas. The king invited him to the palace. The doctor came in and began to talk about his journey. At the same time, he carefully watched the princess. She didn't seem to be listening to him. The moment the doctor said the name of his ship, tears appeared in the princess's eyes. When he called the captain's name, the girl's cheeks turned pink.
- The first treatment session is over. We will continue tomorrow,” the doctor told the queen.
The next day the doctor appeared along with a young officer, in whose hands was a chest.
- This is the captain of the ship. “He helped me bring the medicine,” the doctor introduced him.
When the companions entered the princess, she screamed.
“My love, I brought you overseas gifts,” the captain put the chest at the princess’s feet and threw himself on his knees in front of her.
- Why did you tell me at the ball that you don’t believe in love? - the princess whispered.
“Because I fell madly in love with you, but I didn’t hope that you might like the captain,” the officer answered. IN
The crayfish quietly left.
- How is the princess feeling? - the queen asked with excitement.
“The medicine is working, and the princess began to speak,” the doctor answered.
- What kind of wonderful medicine is this? - exclaimed the queen.
- The best medicine for a person is a person, for a child - a mother, and for a lover - a loved one“, the doctor explained, smiling.

What is the most important thing in work?

The large royal clock stopped. It was the king's favorite watch, and he ordered the king's chief watchmaker to repair it as quickly as possible. The master disassembled the watch and saw that the silver spring of the watch had burst. A new one was carefully made based on the model of the old spring. But she didn’t want to get back into place. We gathered experienced watchmakers from all over the country.
- It's all about the composition of silver. “We all know that the recipe for making ancient silver has been lost,” one fat master said importantly.
“We need to make the spring less elastic,” the little old man advised.
- We need to make not a silver spring, but a steel one. Modern materials are the most reliable,” the most learned master arrogantly noted.
Watchmakers discussed the problem for a long time. Some suggested making a new one for the king instead of the old one; others advised inviting a famous master from another country. Only one young master remained silent. He walked over to the disassembled clock and picked up a new spring.
“Be careful, you are still young and not experienced enough,” exclaimed the chief watchmaker.
- Judge not by appearance, but by deeds. “I’ve had the title of master for three years now,” the young man answered. Then he inserted the spring into the clock and deftly turned it. Click, and the spring fell into place. The young man wound up his watch and they started walking. All their mouths opened in surprise, and someone said: - A hundred tips are no substitute for a pair of experienced hands..

Don't lie

The son was proud that his father sent him alone to the fair to sell straw hats. The young man loaded the hats into the cart and set off. At the fork in two roads, a young peasant stopped to rest. As soon as he boiled the tea, the clatter of hooves was heard, and a carriage, also loaded with straw hats, drove up to the young man.
- Hey, guy, which road will take us faster to the fair? - asked the peasant from the cart.
“Rest a little,” suggested the young man, upset that he had a competitor.
The peasant refused, and then the young man pointed with his hand to the right road that led through the field. He was lying, this road was three times longer than the forest road.
“You won’t be able to get ahead of me anyway,” muttered the young man.
After resting a little, he drove along the forest road. The young man had almost reached the fair when suddenly his horse stopped. The young man couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw that a huge oak tree was lying on the road. It was impossible to go around the tree, we had to turn back and then take the long road to the fair.
Returning home, the son upsetly told his father:
- I sold few hats because I arrived late at the fair. A tree blocked the road. In addition, there was another hat dealer at the fair. I outwitted him and sent him along the long road, but he still arrived before me.
- Remember, son: deceiving people, you deceive yourself, - said the father.
“I didn’t deceive myself,” the son was surprised.
- If you had shown the peasant the right road, he would have warned you about the tree. So it turns out that you deceived yourself,” the father explained.

Parables for children, written wisely and touchingly, serve as an excellent textbook for learning about life. Children from the very early age should know that the world, although there are sorrows and sorrows in it, is beautiful. And when they grow up, they will try to make this world an even better place, because they, raised in love and kindness, will begin to return it all a hundredfold.

Learn to rise

One people had a sign! Whoever picks a white flower on the mountain on New Year's Eve will be happy. The mountain on which the flower of happiness bloomed was enchanted. She was constantly shaking and no one could stay on her. But everyone New Year there were brave souls who tried to climb the mountain.
One day, three friends also decided to try their luck. Before going to the mountain, friends came to the sage to ask for advice.
- If you fall seven times, get up eight, - the sage advised them.
Three friends went up the mountain, all from different directions. An hour later the first young man returned, covered in bruises.
“The sage was wrong,” he said. “I fell seven times, and when I got up the eighth time, I saw that I had only walked a quarter of the mountain. Then I decided to return.
The second young man came two hours later, all beaten up, and said:
- The sage deceived us. I fell seven times, and when I got up on the eighth time, I saw that I had only walked a third of the mountain. Then I decided to return.
The third young man came a day later with a white flower in his hands, and there was not a scratch on it.
-Didn't you fall? - his friends asked.
- I fell, maybe I fell a hundred times, or maybe more. “I didn’t count,” the young man answered.
- Why don’t you have bruises and abrasions? - friends were surprised.
“Before going to the mountain, I learned to fall,” the young man laughed.
- This man has learned not to fall, but to rise, which means he will achieve any goal in life! - said the sage, having learned about the young man.

A parable about how to overcome fear

The winter was harsh and the tribe was starving. The animals seemed to have died out in the forest. The herds of deer went to where it was warmer, and the hares and birds hid. The hunters had difficulty catching any small animal. One day, hunters found a bear's den in the forest. Bear hunting was prohibited in the tribe. The bear was considered the master of all animals. The people of the tribe believed that successful hunting in the forest depended on him. When the old tribal leader learned about the bear, he said:
- We must go and kill the bear, otherwise we will all die. The owner of the forest will forgive us. Many children and women can no longer move.
It was scary to kill the owner of the forest, but several hunters, led by the chief’s son, decided to do it. The hunters added courage to themselves by dancing and wearing war paint. But as soon as the brave souls approached the den, fear shackled their arms and legs, and they ran away. Then the tribal leader ordered his son:
- You must go and kill the bear. The tribe's hunters may be afraid to break the law, but the chief's son is not.
For three days the young hunter saved up his courage and made himself a new heavy spear. Finally he made up his mind. In the evening, the chief's son came running to the camp with tattered clothes and shaking with fear.
- Son! Why didn't you kill the bear? - the leader got angry.
- I killed. But when the owner of the forest fell, the fear returned and I ran away.
- Son, you will become a good leader if you remember my words: " If you're afraid, don't do it; if you do, don't be afraid.", said the leader. Then he took the cart and went after the bear.

First piece of bread

One rich man lost his appetite and announced: “Whoever cooks something tasty for me will receive a hundred gold coins.”
Many chefs prepared various dishes for the rich man. He tried one dish after another, but they all seemed tasteless to him. One day a poor man came to the rich man and said:
- I didn’t bring a dish, but an advice: “The first piece is always delicious.”
“Nonsense, in all dishes both the first and the last piece are equally tasteless,” the rich man shouted angrily and ordered the poor man to be thrown out.
The servant took pity on the poor man and gave him a piece of bread. Then the poor man had an idea. The next morning, he disguised himself as a sorcerer, came to the rich man and reported that in the forest, under the tallest spruce tree, there was a wonderful bread that restored appetite.
“You must find this remedy yourself, otherwise it will not work,” said the poor man in disguise.
The rich man wanted to try this bread so much that he went into the forest with the sorcerer. The whole day they walked through the forest in search of the tallest spruce. When the tree was found, the rich man was staggering from hunger and fatigue, so he immediately bit off a huge piece of bread and swallowed it greedily. Then the poor man took the rest of the edge from him and said:
- You will get the rest when you admit that the first piece is the most delicious.
“This wonderful bread, yes, but people don’t have such delicious food,” said the rich man.
The poor man laughed and said that he received this little piece yesterday from a servant. The rich man had to give one hundred gold coins to the poor man.
- The first bite tastes best when it's truly the first., - the poor man laughed.

Woe is me, woe,” the husband sighed, sitting on the bench, and tears rolled down his face in a stream.
- Why are you whining all the time? - the wife got angry. - If you want to be happy, be it.
- How can I be happy if happiness does not come to me? But misfortunes fall one after another on my poor head. The harvest is not ripe, the roof is leaky, the fence is broken, and my legs hurt. “Oh, woe is me, woe,” the man cried.
Happiness heard these lamentations and took pity on the poor fellow. It decided to look into his house. Happiness knocked on the window and said: " If you want to be happy, be it".
“Wait to cry, look, something is shining in our window,” the wife stopped the man.
- Close the curtains. This light blinds me and prevents me from grieving,” the man told his wife and began to sob again.
The wife closed the curtains, sat down next to him on the bench and also began to cry. They still sit like that and complain about their miserable life. Happiness was surprised and flew away.

Seven doors

The grandson came to visit his grandfather. The old man began to ask him about his affairs, but the grandson was taciturn.
“You look tired, as if you’ve lived a hard life,” the grandfather remarked.
“You’re right, there’s nothing good in my life,” the grandson sighed.
“I have prepared a gift to dispel your sadness,” said the grandfather. - Yes, I put it in the secretary drawer and forgot which one.
My grandfather’s secretary was an old one, with many doors.
“It doesn’t matter, I’ll find him quickly,” the grandson grinned and began to open one door after another.
Soon the gift was found, and under it lay a note: " There are many doors in life, and behind one of them is a gift from fate.. The wise say: " You have to knock on seven doors for one to open."".

Master or servant

One day a rich gentleman came to the teacher and said:
“You probably don’t remember me, but I’ve remembered your lessons all my life.” “Be the masters of your feelings - will, reason, perseverance. Let them obey you,” you told us. These words helped me achieve everything.
“I’m glad,” the teacher smiled. - But why did you come again?
- Help me cope with one feeling. Life is cruel, and I often had to deprive my debtors of shelter and land. Lately, memories of them have been keeping me awake.
- Your heart is not hardened if it hears the voice of conscience. A person must serve this feeling. Be the master of will and reason, but the servant of conscience“, my student,” said the teacher.

A wise Taoist parable about harmony:

One day, several young men were brought to the patriarch of the Immortal clan who wanted to experience the “taste of the fruit from the tree” and asked to give them a test. The wise man ordered to dig several holes near his home and place the subjects there. A snake was thrown into each hole. After some time, the Wise One and his disciples went to look at the young men.
In the first pit sat a young man with a pale face petrified with fear. He pressed his back against the earthen wall, and nothing could make him move. Looking at the subject, the Wise One said to his disciples:
- This person will not be able to comprehend the teachings of the calm, since by nature he is a victim and will always surrender to the mercy of the winner. He will have to spend a lot of effort before he teaches his thoughts to command the body.
The second pit turned out to be empty, since the young man who had been tested jumped out of it in fear and ran away. Looking into the pit, the Wise One said:
- The one who sat here will not be able to comprehend the teaching of the calm, since by nature he is a coward and cowardly thoughts control his body. Such a person cannot even be a warrior.
In the next pit, the Wise One and his disciples saw a triumphant young man sitting proudly over a killed snake. The wise one sadly shook his head and said, turning to his students:
- The one who sits in this pit has committed the act of a warrior, but he is not yet ready to comprehend the wisdom of the calm, since his body is controlled by the thoughts of a predator, and he is not able to see the picture of the world.
In the fourth pit, the subject sat with a detached face, and a snake crawled not far from him.
“This young man,” said the Wise One, “sees a picture of the world, but he has the mind of an ascetic, which means he will not be able to live in harmony with his surroundings.” It is too early for him to comprehend the teaching of tranquility, since he neglects life and does not care about the body.
- Will none of the subjects be able to follow the path of Truth? - asked one of the students.
“You shouldn’t ask,” answered the Wise One, “when you know what to answer, for this leads to laziness of the mind and helplessness in life.” You should not interfere with the natural course of things, because by showing impatience, you lose your picture of the world.
With these words, the Wise One rushed to the last pit, in which he saw a young man without a shadow of confusion on his face and with a slight smile on his lips. The snake also did not show any signs of concern, although it was not far away. Silently, the Wise One walked away from the pit, and only after entering the house, he spoke to the disciples.
- To see the picture of the world and live in harmony with it, not to interfere with the course of things, but to control their flow - isn’t this the origins of peace? Tomorrow morning, the one who passes the test will become your brother.

Parables of the owl Anfisa. Parables for children are short and understandable stories that contain wisdom

“How you stopped a magpie from stealing”

At the edge of the forest, behind the same oak tree that reaches its top into the sky, the owl Anfisa lives in a crevice in the rock. The animals go to her every now and then for advice, since there is probably no one in the world wiser than Anfisa!

Hey, magpie, what is that glittering in your beak? – One day an owl asks its neighbor.

“Ky-kysh, ky-ky, ky-ky,” muttered the magpie.

Then she sat down on a branch and carefully placed a tiny ring next to her:

I say, I stole a trinket from the bunny.

Anfisa looks, and the neighbor beams with pleasure.

When will you stop stealing, shameless one? – she hooted menacingly.

But the magpies are already gone. She flew to hide her treasure... Anfisa thought and thought about how to teach the villain a lesson, and then decided to turn to the bear.

Listen, Prokop Prokopovich, I have something to do with you. Take the chest with the stolen “wealth” from the magpie. I have long noticed in which clearing she hides it. But I would never be able to lift it myself - forty years ago it has filled it to capacity!

What should I do with him? – the clubfoot scratched the back of his head.

It’s okay,” Anfisa grinned, “let it stay in your den for now...

Less than an hour had passed before the magpie alarmed the entire forest.

Guard! Robbed! Villains! – she shouted loudly, circling over the clearing.

Here Anfisa says to her:

Do you see, neighbor, how unpleasant it is to be robbed?

The magpie shyly covered her eyes with her wing and remained silent. And the owl teaches:

Don't do to others what you don't want for yourself.

Since then, forty has not taken anyone else's. The animals, rejoicing at the things they found, threw such a feast in Prokop Prokopovich’s den that the clubfoot still cannot drive them out...

"Terrible punishment"

One day the hedgehog came to the owl Anfisa and began to complain about her beloved son:

My mischievous boy constantly strives to run away alone into the depths of the forest! And, you know, Anfisa, how dangerous this is! I told him a thousand times not to leave the nest without my father and me. It's all to no avail...

So come up with some kind of punishment for him,” the owl advised.

But the hedgehog sighed sadly:

I can not. He told me that week: “Since you scold and punish me constantly, it means you don’t love me!”

Anfisa almost fell off the branch from such stupidity. Then she hooted busily several times and said:

Go home, little hedgehog, and tell your son that now he can do anything, and you will never punish him. And when evening comes, I’ll fly to visit you...

So they did. As soon as the first stars lit up in the sky, the owl spread its wings and hurried to the other end of the forest. I flew up to a familiar bush, under which a family of hedgehogs lived, and there it was! The hedgehog has fluffed up its thorns with happiness and is happily jumping around the nest. The hedgehog wails, shedding burning tears. And only dad the hedgehog, as always, calmly, reads the newspaper. He already knows that if the owl gets down to business, then everything will be fine.

Why are you making such a noise here? – Anfisa hooted, approaching the hedgehog.

My mom allows me everything now! – he exclaimed joyfully, “And he won’t punish you for anything again!” Eh, I’ll go conquer the forest now! I’ll go around all the nooks and crannies, I’ll crawl under every bush! After all, there are so many interesting things around... And I don’t need adults, I’m now my own boss!

The owl tilted its head to the side and said thoughtfully:

A terrible horror, a terrible nightmare... A worse punishment in the whole wide world cannot be found...

“What is this, owl,” the hedgehog was surprised, “didn’t you understand or what?” Now, on the contrary, everything is possible for me!

Anfisa narrowed her huge eyes and said:

How stupid you are! This is the worst punishment - when your parents stop raising you! Have you heard what happened to the hare whose mother did not punish him for lying? The big-eared one lied so much that the whole forest laughed at him, it was a shame to show his nose out of the hole.

The hedgehog became thoughtful, and the owl continued:

Oh, have you heard about our bear? Prokop Prokopovich's whole family lives in the city. Both parents and brothers work in the circus - real stars! He alone was not accepted there. Do you know how offended he is? And, all just because he didn’t like to train since childhood. I even avoided exercising. The bear took pity on him and turned a blind eye to everything. And now our clubfoot dreams of a circus, but no one takes him there - he’s too clumsy.

Here the hedgehog dad decided to intervene in the conversation:

That's okay! But what happened to the raccoon...

The adults looked at each other meaningfully. The hedgehog, who was even scared to imagine what happened to the poor raccoon, plaintively asked:

I don’t need such a terrible punishment! Let it be better as before...

The owl nodded:

A wise decision. And remember, little hedgehog: whoever your parents love, they punish. Because they want to save you from harm!

The hedgehog kissed her subdued son on the nose and sat the owl down at the table. They began to drink tea and chat about all sorts of trifles. They were having so much fun that the hedgehog suddenly thought: “Why did I run away from my parents all the time? It's so good at home..."

"About the Fox and the Squirrel"

Everyone in the forest knew that the squirrel was a real craftsman. If you want, he will make an ikebana from dried flowers, or if you want, he will weave a garland from cones. But one day she decided to make herself beads from acorns. Yes, they turned out so beautiful – you can’t take your eyes off them! The squirrel went to show off in front of all the animals. They are amazed and praise the needlewoman... Only the fox is dissatisfied.

Why are you, redhead, depressed? - Anfisa the owl asks her.

Yes, the squirrel ruined the whole mood! – she answers, “He walks around here, you know, and brags!” We need to be more modest! Now, if I had some new thing, I would sit quietly in my hole and be happy. And, walking through the forest and wondering is the last thing...

Anfisa didn’t say anything to this. She flapped her wings and flew towards the stream. There, behind a rotten stump, lived her friend - a spider.

Help, the owl tells him, to weave a cape for the fox.

The spider grumbled for order and agreed:

Come back in three days, it will be ready. I can even weave a whole forest with cobwebs, for me some kind of cape is nothing!

And, indeed, three days later he showed Anfisa such a marvelous shawl that she took her breath away with delight! The owl gave the fox a gift, but she couldn’t believe her luck:

Is this for me, or what? Yes, now I’ll be the most beautiful in the forest!

Before Anfisa had time to open her beak, the red-haired rogue threw a shawl over her shoulders, jumped out of the hole, and rushed to brag to everyone in the area:

And, dear animals, I have a cape that cannot be found in any forest! Now the squirrel with his beads is no match for me!

So until late at night the fox visited friends and acquaintances until he became hoarse. Then an owl approached her and asked:

Redhead, weren’t you the one who recently taught: “We need to be more modest! Now, if I had some new thing, I would sit quietly in my hole and be happy. And, walking through the forest and wondering is the last thing?

The fox blinked once, blinked again, but didn’t know what to answer:

What is this, Anfisushka?! How can I do this?!

The owl raised its wing and hooted:

This, redhead, is a well-known wisdom: if you condemn someone, you will soon commit the same act!

The fox tucked its tail and whispered:

I understood everything, Anfisushka...

I probably really did understand. Because no one else heard the fox condemning anyone. And, the spider has since become a famous fashion designer.

“Like a firefly wanted to become a beaver”

Anfisa the Owl once noticed that a firefly had gotten into the habit of flying to the river in the evenings. She decided to follow him. One day he watches, then another... Oh, the firefly doesn’t do anything special: it sits under a tree and admires the work of the beaver. “This is all strange,” Anfisa thought, but she decided not to pester the firefly with questions. However, soon a real commotion began in the forest.

Anfisa, what in the world is going on?! – the ladybug was indignant, “Last week the firefly got some paint somewhere and painted the same spots on its back as mine!” Ah, I don’t need such a relative!

Just think, it’s news,” the forest bee interrupted the ladybug, “I’m in trouble, I’m in trouble!” This firefly of yours asked to come to our hive. But he doesn’t know how to do anything, and he does more harm than good!

Just as Anfisa had time to listen to them, the fox came running:

Owl, bring this stupid firefly to some sense! He demands from the beaver that he take him as an apprentice. Oh, the beaver is angry - he doesn’t need helpers. There's no chance they'll fight...

Anfisa flew to the river, looked, and the firefly shed burning tears:

Well, what a stupid creature I am! I am of no use! Now, if I were a ladybug... They are beautiful! Or, for example, a bee... They know how to make delicious honey!

And now what? Have you decided to become a beaver? – the owl laughed.

“Aha,” the firefly sobbed, “did you see how deftly he does carpentry?!” Only, he doesn’t want to teach me anything. He says I won’t be able to lift even one log – I’m too small.

The owl listened to him and said:

Come fly to my clearing when it gets dark, I’ll show you something interesting.

The firefly waited until dusk and set off. He arrived, and the owl was already waiting for him.

Look,” he says to him, “who is that hiding in the bushes?”

The firefly took a closer look - and, indeed, behind the tree a little squirrel rustled the dry leaves, and was shaking all over with fear.

Why are you sitting here? – the firefly was surprised.

It’s so dark,” the little squirrel whispers, “so I’m lost.”

Then the firefly turned on his flashlight and commanded:

Follow me, I will bless your path!

While he was seeing off the little squirrel, he also met a little fox. He also had to be taken home. And when he returned to Anfisa, she said to him:

Well? Do you understand now that everyone has their own purpose? While you were offended that you were born a firefly, there were so many animals around that needed your help!

So the firefly began to patrol the forest at night. And when no one was lost, he flew to the beaver and complained:

If it weren't for my work, I would help you build a dam. Eh, you and I could start a construction project like this! But, I have no time, friend, no time... You somehow manage yourself!

"Malicious Pest"

Some particularly malicious pest has appeared in the forest. Everyone rushed to the owl Anfisa for advice. Please help us catch this scoundrel!

“He pulled out all the carrots from the garden for me,” the hare whines, “Ah, it’s too early to pick them!” I haven't grown up yet...

Here the wolf roars:

Just wait, big-eared one, with your carrot! My case will be more serious. I was picking berries for a squirrel just now. I collected half a basket, lay down on a hillock to rest, and apparently dozed off. I wake up and my basket is filled to the brim! I think these are miracles! I brought the squirrel a treat, and she squealed: “Grey, are you planning to poison me or what?!” I brought “wolf” berries! They're poisonous!"

The animals giggle, and the wolf scratches the back of his head:

I was embarrassed, owl. Squirrel doesn’t want to talk to me now. Help us find the person who put these berries in the basket! I’ll teach him some sense...

Suddenly a cuckoo came out into the middle of the clearing and said offendedly:

This malicious pest is planning to send me into retirement! I woke up yesterday and there was a clock hanging on a nearby tree! Yes, not simple ones, but with a cuckoo!

Here even the beaver clutched his heart with excitement, and the narrator, switching to a conspiratorial whisper, continued:

So now she cuckoos instead of me, not knowing fatigue! Oh, what do you want me to do? It turns out that no one needs me in the forest anymore?!

Anfisa looked around at all the animals and hooted:

Don't worry, I'll find your pest by evening.

And, as soon as everyone had gone about their business, the owl flew straight to the bear. While the clumsy man was pouring tea into cups, Anfisa said to him:

Why are you, Prokop Prokopovich, turning into a villain? You prevent the hare from growing carrots, and you slip poisonous berries to the wolf. I decided to retire the old cuckoo...

The bear froze:

How did you guess it was me?

The owl just waved its wing:

What's there to guess? You weren't the only one at our meeting. So, why are you doing nasty things to everyone?

The clubfoot slammed the table and even the samovar jumped:

They come up with everything! I tried for them... I just felt sorry for the hare, so I decided to help him collect the harvest. How was I supposed to know that the carrot hadn't grown yet? Oh, I was specifically looking for “wolf” berries. I thought that since they were wolves, that means wolves should love them... So, while the gray one was sleeping, I walked around the entire forest with the basket.

Anfisa suddenly became worried:

Oh, why did you hang the clock on the tree? Where did you even get them?

So this... I borrowed it from the village doctor,” the bear became embarrassed, “They were hanging on the wall in his bedroom.” You must understand, Anfisa, I wanted the cuckoo to rest. Otherwise she’s all “peek-a-boo” and “peek-a-boo”! Who knew that cuckooing was a joy for her?!

The owl drank her tea and advised:

You, Prokop Prokopovich, always think. Even if you are going to help someone. After all, there is no virtue without reasoning!

The animals, of course, forgave the bear. But they forced me to return the watch. Clubfoot, remembering Anfisa's advice, tried to walk around the village on tiptoe so that no one would notice him. Well, last time both the doctor and his wife had to be treated with valerian. We caught some shy ones...

"Medal for the Woodpecker"

On a fine spring day, a woodpecker flew to the owl Anfisa. He was beaming with joy:

Give me a medal, friend!

For what merit? – the owl calmly clarified.

The woodpecker pulled out from behind his back some huge scroll, covered with writing from top to bottom, and said busily:

For good deeds! Look at the list I made.

You can bake a blueberry pie and treat it to your friends. You can wake up early and help the bees collect nectar. You can go to the river, find a sad frog, and cheer him up.

Then the owl faltered and said uncertainly:

You can take the old lady across the road...Listen, but we don’t have any roads in the forest! Yes, and there are no old ladies either!

Then the woodpecker began to explain that he had read about the old woman in a book. However, it doesn’t even matter whether they are found in the forest or not. The main thing is to figure out how to do good. For this, he actually expected to receive a medal.

Okay,” the owl agreed, “Let’s ask the animals what they think about this.”

The woodpecker was pleased. He was sure that more than him about good deeds no one can know. After all, he’s been making his list all his life. Meanwhile, the owl flew to the fox.

Listen, redhead,” she says to her, “why is your shed askew?”

“He’s getting old, so he’s looking askance,” the fox sighed.

So call the woodpecker. Let him fix it! – Anfisa advised.

Then she visited the hare, the squirrel and her bosom friend the hedgehog. The owl advised everyone to turn to the woodpecker for help. And, three days later, Anfisa called a meeting in the clearing.

“On the agenda,” she hooted solemnly, “is the question of awarding the woodpecker a medal for good deeds!”

Then the animals screamed:

What more! You can’t ask him for snow in winter!

“He didn’t want to fix my shed,” the fox was indignant.

And he didn’t help us with the squirrel,” the hare confirmed.

“Oh, he didn’t even talk to me,” the hedgehog admitted with offense.

The woodpecker was confused and began to make excuses:

But, I have a list... I know about all, all, all the good deeds in the world... I even learned them by heart!

The owl explains to him:

It’s not enough to just know something good. This definitely needs to be done!

The woodpecker was grieving that he was not given a medal. And then I thought: “The owl said it right. We need to help others." And, he set out on his exploits - he decided to do everything exactly according to the list. Was he wrong to compose it? True, grandmothers are not found in the forest. But, if even one comes across, he will certainly put her through something!

Website http://elefteria.ru/dosug-pritchi-pritchi-dlya-detey/

Here is an amazing book: “Little parables for children and adults. Volume 1", written by the Russian writer, poet and playwright - monk Barnabas (Sanin).

Parables are a special genre that is very rare not only in Russian, but throughout world literature. Short allegorical and cautionary tales They enable a person to look at his shortcomings from the outside, think about eternal values, and help find answers to various questions of our existence.

Monk Barnabas (Evgeniy Sanin), having created in his parables an amazing fusion of high spirituality and morality with folk wisdom, at the same time managed to write them in a very capacious, fascinating, intelligible language, which allows these instructive stories to be read not only by adults, but also by children.

REAL LOVE

U I saw a beautiful lily on the shore of a pool. And he decided, at any cost, to take possession of her.

What he didn’t offer the beauty: a ride on his fast waves, the gentle coolness of the water in the unbearable heat and a whole whirlpool of all kinds of entertainment and pleasure.

The beauty hesitated.

The bug that hopelessly loved her noticed this and began to dissuade her:

- He will destroy you! You'll be lost!

Just where there!

“He’s so strong, beautiful and all sorts of mysterious...” Lily objected. - No, I guess I’ll still accept his offer!

- Ah well? - the bug cried. “Well then, look what awaits you if you do this!”

And he, folding his wings, rushed to the surface of the whirlpool, which immediately mercilessly swirled, spun him, and soon disappeared forever from the eyes of the lily, who only now understood what true love is...

ENVY

P Envy went to the store with some money to buy some bread.

He looks and there is a guy buying a pie for a ruble...

And so the envy jumped out of the store!

She then decided to at least drink water from the well. She took the biggest tub so that everyone would envy her!

And at the well, the man’s wife – light buckets, painted rockers...

She threw away her envy and completely ran away from the village - without food, without drink...

She lay down on a higher hill and began to envy herself that there was a time when she did not envy anyone...

PROUD WIND

Z The wind blew out the candle and became proud:

- Now I can pay off everything! Even the sun!

A wise man heard him, made a windmill and said:

- What a miracle - the sun! Even the night can extinguish it. Try to stop this wheel!

And, with all his strength, he spun the large, heavy wheel.

The wind blew once, blew again - but the wheel did not stop. On the contrary, the more he blew, the more it spun.

Flour flowed into the smart man's bags, and he began to live: he himself was in abundance, and do not forget the poor!

And the wind, they say, still blows on this wheel. Where exactly? Yes, wherever there is room for pride!

REPENTANCE

U a man fell into a deep abyss.

He lies wounded and dies...

Friends came running. They tried, holding each other, to go down to his aid, but they almost fell into it themselves.

Mercy has arrived. He lowered the ladder into the abyss, but - oh!.. - it doesn’t reach all the way!

The good deeds once done by man arrived and threw down a long rope. But the rope is also short...

They also tried in vain to save a person: his great fame, big money, power...

Finally, repentance arrived. It extended its hand. The man grabbed it and... climbed out of the abyss!

- How did you do it? - Everyone was surprised.

But there was no time to respond to repentance.

It was rushing to other people whom only it could save...

CONSCIENCE

R I told a person’s conscience that he was wrong, another, a third...

On the fourth he decided to get rid of her. Not for a day or two - forever!

I thought and thought about how to do this, and came up with an idea...

“Come on,” he says, “conscience, play hide and seek!”

“No,” she says. – You’ll deceive me anyway – you’ll peep!

Then the man pretended to be completely ill and said:

“I’m sick for some reason... Bring me some milk from the cellar!”

My conscience could not refuse him this. I went down to the cellar. And the man jumped out of bed - and closed it!

He called his friends in joy and with a light heart: he deceived one, offended another, and when they began to be offended, he completely kicked them all out. And no remorse for you, no reproaches - your soul is good, calm.

Good, good, but only a day passed, then another, and something began to be missing for the person. And a month later he realized what - conscience! And then such melancholy fell upon him that he could not stand it and opened the lid of the cellar.

“Okay,” he says, “come out!” Just don't give orders now!

And in response - silence.

He went down to the cellar: here, here - there is no conscience anywhere!

Apparently, he really got rid of her forever...

The man began to sob: “How can I live without a conscience now?”

- Here am I…

To rejoice, the man called his friends, apologized and gave them such a feast!

Everyone thought it was his birthday and congratulated him on it. But he did not refuse, and his conscience did not object. And not at all because I was afraid of ending up in the basement again.

After all, if you look at it, that’s how it all happened!

WHO IS STRONGER?

Sh whether there is good and evil along the way. Two men met them.

“Let’s test,” says evil, “which of us is stronger?”

- Let's! – agreed goodness, who does not know how to object. - But as?

“Let these two men fight for us,” says evil, “I will make one of them strong, rich, but evil!”

- Fine! - says good. - And I am different - weak and poor, but kind!

No sooner said than done.

Instantly one man found himself on a horse, wearing rich clothes. And the other one is in rags, and even with a stick...

- Get out of my way! - the man turned into a rich man shouted at him, hit him with a whip and quickly galloped home to count the money.

The one made poor sighed and silently trudged behind.

- Yeah! - Evil rejoiced. – Is it clear now which of us is stronger?

“Wait,” says kindly. – Everything is easy and fast for you, but not for long. And if I do something, it’s forever!

And this is what happened. For a long time, no, the poor man walked, but suddenly he saw that the rich man was lying under the horse that had fallen on him and could not get up. He's already wheezing, choking...

A poor man approached him. And he felt so sorry for the man who was dying that where did the strength come from! He threw away the stick, strained himself and helped the unfortunate man free himself.

The rich man shed tears. He doesn’t know how to thank the poor.

“I,” he says, “I whipped you, and you saved my life!” Let's go live with me. Now you will be my brother instead of me!

Two men left. And evil says:

- What are you doing, good? She promised to make her little man weak, but what a heavy horse he was able to lift! If so, then I won!

But the good didn’t even argue. After all, it did not know how to object - even to evil.

But since then, good and evil do not go together. And if they walk along the same road, then only in different directions!

OLD ROAD

N It was no longer possible to carry the strength of people along the country road.

They've been trampling on it for a hundred years, trampling on it: it's time to retire - she knew about pensions from those who walked along it all their lives. And who needs it: now more and more highways and asphalt are in fashion!

The road curled up and lay down to rest on the sidelines.

People came out the next morning: there was no road!

What should I do? What to do?..

You can’t walk on the asphalt - the asphalt couldn’t withstand the spring streams, it’s all cracked, and now they’ll have to resurface it until the fall.

The highway is also soft, sticky in the heat. This is how the soles stick to it.

The road saw this, sighed and - nothing can be done! – began to serve people again.

WATERCOLOR PAINTS

U The watercolor paints knew that they were going to be diluted with water, and they were indignant:

- Why can’t we handle it ourselves?

“No,” she said, tired of rubbing even the softest brush over dry paints.

- You can’t handle it! – confirmed the paper, which has seen a lot in its time.

But the artist said nothing.

He diluted the paints with water and painted a picture.

Such that everyone was satisfied.

And first of all, the watercolor paints themselves!

TWO BOGATYRS

E the hero roamed across the field.

Helmet, armor, shield, spear, mace and even a sword in a sheath...

An old monk meets you.

A faded scarf on his head, a patched cassock, and a rosary in his hands.

- Be healthy, honest father!

- And you, baby, don’t get sick! Where are you going?

- To the war. And you?

- And I’m already at war. Like you, I don’t even need to look for her!

The two heroes looked at each other with understanding.

And they hurried to save Rus' from visible and invisible enemies!

ICON

TO They were looking at paintings of icons in the museum and didn’t understand anything:

“And why did they hang her among us?” No bright colors, no beauty of movement, no vividness of the image! Right, black square?

But the black square did not answer. Behind silence he hid his complete emptiness and therefore was known as the wisest and even mysterious. Moreover, due to his price, he was very rich, and therefore even more respected.

The icon itself was very upset. And not at all with these gossip addressed to you. And the fact that people walked past and just looked at her.

But she was created not to be looked at, but to be prayed in front of her!

HAMMER-COSMONAUT

R I wanted to fly the hammer into space.

Others fly - and why am I worse? At the same time, I’ll pin the stars to the sky so that they hold on tighter and don’t fall so often!

Maybe I would have flown, but I just didn’t know how to get there and where to find free time.

So he worked tirelessly during the day. And at night I looked out the window at the falling stars and sighed: oh, I’m not there now!..

And I sighed in vain.

He was really needed on earth too...

IMPOSTER CHAIR

P They left a chair on the table when the windows were washed, but forgot to put it away. He became proud.

“I,” he says, “are now the most important in the house!”

And he ordered all things to call themselves the throne.

The fly heard it. She sat down on a chair and said:

“I’m a queen now, since I’m sitting on the throne!”

The fly swatter smacked a fly and announced that there was a coup d'état in the house.

It is not known how all this would have ended, only the hostess came. She put the chair in place, sat down on it to rest and said nothing.

But all things already knew: now the house is in order!

TAP

R the crane boasted:

“If it weren’t for me, everyone in the house would have died of thirst!”

How can you argue with that? Everyone can see that water is actually flowing from it.

Only once did an accident happen somewhere. The repairmen came and turned off the water.

After that we turned and turned the tap: no water!

And then everyone realized that it wasn’t all about the tap.

And the most important thing is that he understood it too. Because he almost died of thirst then!

POOR BABY

P The poor baby went to the mug to ask for alms.

- Give it to me, for Christ's sake! We are almost namesakes, and maybe even relatives!

- Go to the lid! - the mug turned away from the gate. “If you and I are related, we are only second cousins.” And there is only one letter difference between you and her in the name. Maybe my cousin will give it to me!

The baby went to the lid. And she didn’t even get off the pan. This is what she answered from above:

- There are a lot of you walking around here! Either a pot, or a cat... I have nothing! Don't you see what times we live in? The pan itself is not enough for us. Right, friend? – she turned to the pot-bellied pan.

But she was so full that she couldn’t even answer.

The little one went home, slurping unsalted. And towards her is a hammer. He learned about her need and said:

- Don’t worry, I’ll help you in any way I can!

“But I’m not your relative, and we even have different last names!” – the baby whispered in tears.

- So what? – the hammer was surprised. – We need to help each other!

And, although he himself was not rich at all, rather even poor, he gave her so much that it lasted for a long time. How much does a baby need? And when it was over, he told me to come again. Although he was neither a relative nor even a namesake!

LARK

Z A lark was flying over the field.

He praised God, who gave him this beautiful day, this beautiful earth, sky, air and beautiful life itself!

People looked at the tiny ringing dot and were surprised:

- Wow, he’s so small and sings so loudly!

And the lark sometimes looked down at people and was amazed:

- Wow, they are so big and strong - the crowns of God’s creation, and they sing so quietly...

TWO ROADS

IN Two roads met at a fork. Narrow and wide.

“You’ve completely neglected yourself: you’re covered in sharp stones, potholes, and overgrown with thorns!” – the wide one began to reproach the narrow one. “Your travelers are about to die from fatigue or hunger!” It’s just me: beautiful, smooth! Alongside me are cafes, restaurants, houses with all amenities. Live - have fun!..

- Why are you suddenly silent? After all, judging by your words, your life is good! – the narrow road was surprised.

“Okay, that’s good...” the broad one sighed in response. “But at the end of me there is an abyss.” Bottomless, black, gloomy. Something that I can’t even describe to you. Many people don't even know about it. And those that know just brush it off. Apparently they don’t know the whole truth. And I’ve seen so much of this abyss that more than anything else I’m afraid of one day sliding into it. After all, I’m afraid this will happen forever! Well, how are you living?

- Difficult! – the narrow road sighed. “And it’s not easy for those who follow me.” But at the end of my path there is a mountain. And those who ascended it were so bright, joyful, happy that I can’t even describe to you! And you know, most of all I want to be there too. I hope this will last forever!

The roads talked and went in different directions.

And at that fork in the road there was a man who heard it all.

And here’s what’s strange: he’s still standing there, still thinking about which road to take!

DANGEROUS FRIENDSHIP

P made friends with a haystack and a match.

- She’s not a match for you! - everyone told him. - Stay away from her, otherwise how far from trouble is it?

But he didn’t want to listen to anyone. I admired my friend all day. And even at night he wanted to see her.

The match could not refuse him and struck itself against the stone...

People came in the morning and looked - only a stack of dark circle in the meadow. And there was nothing left of the match at all!

MAIN CONDITION

R The evil man wanted to become good.

I prayed to God and began to do good to people.

And evil is right here:

- Well, no, I won’t give my spoils to anyone!

It seized the moment and forced the man to do evil.

He sits and rubs his hands contentedly:

- He won’t get away from me!

But it was not there!

The man only became smarter after that. He prayed again to God, asking him to protect him from evil, and with even greater zeal he began to do good. And he no longer paid any attention to all the entreaties of evil.

And evil left, trembling with anger, from its habitual place.

Yes, to the first house where they don’t remember God...

OAK AND WIND

IN the young oak became indignant:

- Why are you, wind, not giving me peace? You keep blowing and blowing! You just stroke and preen the grass, but I’ve already broken off so many branches!

- Silly! This is for your benefit! - the old oak tree groaned.

- For mine?! - the young oak tree was indignant, thinking that the old man had already lost his mind. And he, as if nothing had happened, explained:

- Eh, youth, youth!.. The wind rocks you, and your roots sink deeper and deeper into the ground. Soon he will knock me down too, so that you have more sunshine...

And then the young oak tree thanked the wind. And he regretted that he could not move aside so that he would not have to fell this old and wise oak...

RED HARE

P The hare looked at himself in winter, looked at himself in summer and thought: why do I only have two fur coats: white and gray? Let me sew myself a red one - like a fox! First of all, it's beautiful. And, secondly, the rest of the hares will be afraid of me, and all the carrots in the garden will be mine!

No sooner said than done. The hare sewed a new fur coat and went for a walk in it.

And when I realized that it was a hare, I was even more delighted, because I had not had lunch in the morning.

Only the hare himself was not happy then.

He forcibly took his paws away. After all, you always want to live more than you eat!

All the fox had to do was lick his lips. And from then on the hare did not even dare to think about changing anything of what the Lord Himself had given him!