Greed & Consequences
Read 140 moral stories about greed and its consequences — cautionary tales from India, Europe, Africa, Asia, and beyond. These fables show what happens when characters let desire, avarice, and selfishness guide their actions. From golden geese to magic lamps, these folk tales about greed carry powerful lessons about contentment, generosity, and knowing when enough is enough.
Aesop's Fables
Ages 3-5
The Three Deaf Men
The Three Deaf Men: When any awkward blunder occurs from a person acting under a mistaken notion, there is a common proverb in Tamil to the effect that the
Indian Folk Tales
Ages 3-5
The Lambikin 2
The Lambikin 2: Once upon a time there was a wee wee Lambikin, who frolicked about on his little tottery legs, and enjoyed himself amazingly. Now one day he
Indian Folk Tales
Ages 3-5
The Lambikin
The Lambikin: Once upon a time, there was a wee wee Lambikin, who frolicked about on his little tottery legs, and enjoyed himself amazingly. Now one day he set
Indian Folk Tales
Ages 3-5
The Prince And The Fakir
The Prince And The Fakir: There was once upon a time a King who had no children. Now this King went and laid him down to rest at a place where four roads met
Aesop's Fables
Ages 3-5
The Kettle Who Gave Birth – Nasreddin Hodja
A clever trickster plays a funny joke on his greedy neighbor to get a beautiful kettle. A hilarious Turkish folk tale.
Aesop's Fables
Ages 3-5
The Gold-Giving Serpent
The Gold-Giving Serpent: A poor Brahmin farmer named Haridatta once rested in the shade after working in his field and saw a hooded serpent emerge from a
Aesop's Fables
Ages 9-12
The Goldsmiths Fortune
The Goldsmiths Fortune: Once upon a time there was a goldsmith who lived in a certain village where the people were as bad and greedy, and covetous, as they
Aesop's Fables
Ages 3-5
Sun Moon And Wind Go Out To Dinner
An Indian folk tale where Sun and Wind's selfishness brings curses while Moon's kindness earns eternal blessings.
Indian Folk Tales
Ages 3-5
Prince Half A Son
Prince Half A Son: Once upon a time there was a King who had no children, and this disappointment preyed so dreadfully upon his mind that he chose the dirtiest
Panchatantra Stories
Ages 3-5
The Young Greedy Bird – A Panchatantra Tale from India
The Young Greedy Bird – A Panchatantra Tale from India: Long ago, a flock of birds stayed on the trees near a lake. The flock was ruled by an old queen bird.
Indian Folk Tales
Ages 3-5
Kupti And Imani
A Punjabi folktale from Andrew Lang's Olive Fairy Book (1907): the younger princess Imani, sent away to live with a poor fakir, builds her own fortune at the loom — and saves the king who would marry her.
Indian Folk Tales
Ages 3-5
Little Anklebone
Little Anklebone: Once upon a time there was a little boy who lost his parents; so he went to live with his Auntie, and she set him to herd sheep. All day long