13 Year Olds

Read Stories For 13 Year Olds Online

This collection offers a variety of fables, tales, and moral stories designed to engage 13-year-old readers with lessons about behavior, consequences, and critical thinking. The stories cover themes such as the dangers of greed, the importance of wisdom, and the consequences of bad decisions.

Moral Lessons on Greed and Self-Interest:

• The Huntsman and the Fisherman: Two men agree to exchange their catches—fish and game—only to find that the excessive trading makes them miss the enjoyment of their original work.
• The Woman and Her Hen: A woman overfeeds her hen in an attempt to make it lay more eggs, only to cause it to stop laying altogether.
• The Miser: A Miser hides his gold, visiting it regularly but never using it. When the gold is stolen, a neighbor suggests that he could have used a stone in place of the gold, as he never benefited from it.
• The Seaside Travelers: Travelers wait for what they believe to be a large ship, only to discover it is a bundle of sticks, showing how expectations of gain can lead to disappointment.

Consequences of Deception and Trickery:

• The Thief and His Mother: A boy steals a book and is encouraged by his mother rather than punished. This encouragement leads to more serious thefts, culminating in his tragic end.
• The Fox and the Goat: A Fox tricks a Goat into jumping into a well to drink water and uses the Goat to escape, teaching a lesson about the danger of not thinking critically before acting.
• The Fox Who Had Lost His Tail: A Fox loses his tail after escaping a trap and tries to convince other foxes to follow his example, only for one fox to point out the hypocrisy in his advice.
• The Cat and the Cock: A Cat captures a Cock, claiming that the Cock’s crowing disturbs people’s sleep. Despite the Cock’s defense, the Cat ignores his reasoning and eats him anyway, showing how deception can lead to one’s downfall.

The Dangers of Foolishness and Excess:

• The Rose and the Amaranth: A Rose is admired for its beauty, but the Amaranth points out that its beauty is fleeting while the Amaranth remains forever, teaching that what is fleeting can still be valuable.
• The Piglet, the Sheep, and the Goat: A Pig protests being led to slaughter, explaining that it faces a greater danger than the Sheep and Goat who are kept for wool or milk, emphasizing the importance of understanding one’s true circumstances.
• The Astronomer: An astronomer becomes so focused on the stars that he falls into a well, illustrating how excessive focus on one thing can lead to a lack of awareness of one’s immediate surroundings.
• The Sick Stag: A sick stag is ignored by the other stags who consume all the food meant for him, leading to his death from starvation. This teaches that in times of need, selfishness can be harmful to all involved.

Wisdom and Knowledge:

• The Thrush and the Fowler: A Thrush is caught by a Fowler while eating berries in a tree. She realizes too late that her desire for a quick meal led to her capture, emphasizing the importance of thinking about long-term consequences.
• The Lioness: The animals argue about which can produce the most offspring. The Lioness, with her single cub, teaches that quality can be more valuable than quantity.
• The Dolphins, the Whales, and the Sprat: Dolphins and Whales fight a war, refusing to reconcile, while a Sprat offers to mediate, teaching that pride and stubbornness can prevent progress and peace.
• The King’s Son and the Painted Lion: A King builds a palace to protect his son from a lion, but the son dies in an accident inside the palace. This highlights how attempts to prevent fate can sometimes lead to worse outcomes.

The Costs of Selfishness and Misuse of Power:

• The Wolves and the Sheep: Wolves convince the Sheep to dismiss their guard dogs, only to attack and destroy them afterward. This shows the danger of trusting those who may have ulterior motives.
• The Old Woman and the Physician: A physician steals from an old woman while pretending to cure her blindness, leading to a legal dispute. This teaches about the dangers of trusting those in positions of power without question.
• The Thief and the Housedog: A Thief attempts to break into a house while using meat to distract the Housedog, but the dog remains alert. This story emphasizes the importance of vigilance, even in the face of temptation.

The Importance of Reflection and Personal Growth:

• The Thousand-and-Second Tale of Scheherazade: Scheherazade cleverly postpones her execution by telling the King stories every night, leading him to abandon his cruel vow. This story highlights the power of intelligence and patience in overcoming adversity.
• The Jogi’s Punishment: A holy man deceives a king, only for his treachery to be uncovered by his own pupils. This story shows that dishonesty and cruelty can ultimately lead to one’s downfall, even if they initially seem successful.

These stories present opportunities for 13-year-olds to consider how their actions and decisions might affect themselves and others, and provide valuable insights into human nature and society. Each story’s theme presents different aspects of life, from the consequences of greed to the wisdom found in reflection and awareness.