Stories

 The candles Author: Hans Christian Andersen Values: help, gratitude, austerity The candles Once upon a time there was a great wax candle, conscious of its high rank and very pleased with itself. "I am made of wax, and I was melted and shaped in a mold," she would say. I light better and burn longer than the other lights; my place is in a large silver chandelier or candlestick. "It must be a very pleasant life for you," observed the tallow candle. I not only a simple candle, but I console myself with the thought that this is always worth more than being a penny candle. They give this one only one bath, and they give me eight; hence it is so resistant. I can not complain. It is clear that it is more distinguished to be born of wax than to be born of tallow, but in this world no one disposes of himself. You are in the living room, in a chandelier or in a crystal chandelier; I stay in the kitchen. But it's not a bad place either; from there comes the food for the w...

 The three favorites of fortune Author: Brothers Grimm Ages: From 4 years Values: cunning, positive attitude, austerity The three favorites of fortune  Once upon a time there was a father who called his three children one day and gave them some gifts. To the first he gave a rooster; to the second, he gave him a scythe, and to the third, he presented him with a cat. "I am old now," he told them, "my time is drawing near, and before leaving you I wanted to assure your future." I have no money, and what I am giving you now may seem of little value to you; It all depends on how you know how to use it. Let each of you find a country where these things are unknown, and your fortune will be made. The father died, the eldest son left with his rooster. But everywhere he went, the animal was known. In the cities he already saw it from afar on top of the bell towers, turning at the mercy of the wind. In the villages I heard him sing. His rooster did not cause the slightest sen...

 The three idlers Author: Brothers Grimm Ages: From 4 years Values: sloth The three idlers Once upon a time a king had three sons. The king loved all his children equally, so he did not know which of them to leave as heir and bequeath the throne when his time came. Already old and sick, the king realized that the time of his departure was approaching, so he called his three sons to his bedside and said to them: —My very dear children: I have thought of something and I am going to tell you. The one of the three who is the laziest will inherit the throne. Then the elder said: —Father, in that case, the kingdom belongs to me, because I am so lazy that, when I go to bed, I do not decide to close my eyes to sleep, even if a drop falls on them. Then the second of the king's sons spoke and said: "Father, the kingdom is mine, for my laziness is such that when I sit by the fire to warm myself, I sooner burn my heels than withdraw my legs." And he then said the third: Father, I say...

  The three workers Author: Brothers Grimm Ages: From 8 years Values: commitment, loyalty, justice Once upon a time there were three colleagues who had agreed to travel the world together and always work in the same city. A time came when their employers hardly paid them anything, so they found themselves at the end of their resources and did not know what to live on. Said one: "How will we manage?" It is not possible to continue here any longer. We have to leave, and if we don't find work in the next city, we'll make an agreement with the guildmaster so that everyone writes to him telling him where he's staying; so we can separate with the certainty that we will have news of each other. The others agreed that this was the best solution, and they set off. Shortly afterwards they met a very well dressed man, who asked who they were. We are workers looking for work. Until now we have lived together, but if we cannot find accommodation for the three of us, we will se...

  The old house In one alley there was a very old house that was almost three hundred years old. Each floor protruded far from the one below, and under the roof they had put a dragon-headed gutter; the rainwater came out through its jaws, but also through its belly, because the carcass had a hole. All the other houses on the street were new and nice. It was clear that they wanted nothing in common with the old woman, and surely they thought: “How long will this old hulk continue, to the shame of the street? In addition, the balcony protrudes in such a way that from our windows no one can see what is happening there. The staircase is as wide as that of a palace and high as that of a bell tower. The iron railing looks like a pantheon door, and it also has brass knobs. It will have been seen!” In front there were also new houses that thought like the previous ones; but in one of its windows lived a boy who liked the old house. He entertained himself looking at its decrepit walls, and ...

 The bronze boar Values: gratitude, valuing what we have, austerity In the city of Florence, not far from Piazza del Granduca, runs a cross street, called Porta Rossa. In it, in front of a vegetable market, stands the curious figure of a bronze boar, sculpted with great art. Clear and fresh water flows from the animal's mouth, which over time has taken on a dark green color. Only the snout shines, as if it had been polished - and it is indeed so - by the action of the many hundreds of children and poor people who, holding it in their hands, bring their mouths closer to that of the animal to drink. It is a beautiful painting of the well-drawn beast embraced by a graceful half-naked raptor, who applies his fresh mouth to the bronze snout. It was a winter evening; the mountains were covered with snow, but in the sky the full moon shone. A ragged boy had sat all day in the Grand Duke's garden, under the roof of pines, where even in winter roses bloom by the thousands; a boy who cou...