Completing Stories for Class – VIII
1. The Selfish Giant
Once upon a time, there lived a giant in a beautiful castle. Around the castle there was a large and lovely garden filled with green grass, colorful flowers, and sweet fruit trees. Every afternoon, children from the nearby village came there to play after school. They ran across the grass, climbed the trees, and laughed happily together. Birds sang sweetly in the branches, and the garden looked cheerful and lively all the time.
One day the giant returned home after staying away for many years. As soon as he entered his garden, he saw the children playing there. The giant became very angry and shouted loudly, “What are you doing in my garden? This garden belongs only to me. Leave this place at once!” The frightened children ran away immediately. Then the selfish giant built a high wall around the garden and put up a notice which read, “TRESPASSERS WILL BE PUNISHED.”
After that, a strange thing happened. Spring came to every corner of the country, but it did not come to the giant’s garden. The trees did not blossom, birds did not sing there anymore, and snow covered the grass all year round. Cold winds blew through the garden day and night. The giant became lonely and unhappy. Sitting beside the window, he often said to himself, “Why does spring never visit my garden?”
One morning, the giant heard beautiful birds singing outside his window. He looked out and was surprised to see that the children had entered the garden through a small hole in the wall. The trees had become green again, flowers were blooming, and the birds were singing joyfully. But in one corner of the garden there was still winter. A little boy was standing there, crying because he was too small to climb up a tree.
The giant’s heart melted with pity. He quietly went outside and gently lifted the little boy onto the tree. Immediately the tree became covered with blossoms, and birds began singing around it. The little boy happily kissed the giant on the cheek. The giant suddenly realized his mistake and said sadly, “I have been very selfish. That is why spring stayed away from my garden.” Then he broke down the wall and invited all the children to play there freely.
From that day, the children came every afternoon and filled the garden with laughter and happiness. The giant became kind and loving, and his garden remained beautiful throughout the year. He finally understood that true happiness comes from sharing joy with others rather than keeping everything only for oneself.
2. King Midas and His Golden Touch
Once there lived a king named Midas who loved gold more than anything else in the world. He had a huge palace, many servants, and countless treasures, yet he was never satisfied. Every day he spent hours counting his gold coins and admiring his golden ornaments. His little daughter loved him very much, but King Midas cared more about his wealth than anything else.
One day, a magical being appeared before the king and said, “King Midas, you are already very rich. What more do you desire?” The king replied eagerly, “I want everything I touch to turn into gold.” The magical being warned him, “Think carefully before making such a wish. Too much greed may bring sorrow.” But Midas laughed proudly and said, “Gold can never bring sorrow. It will make me the happiest man alive.”
The next morning, King Midas woke up excitedly. He touched his bed, and instantly it turned into gold. He touched chairs, tables, flowers, and curtains, and everything became golden. The king danced around the room happily and cried, “Now I am the richest king in the world!” He walked through the palace touching everything he saw and turning it into gold.
After some time, the king felt hungry and sat down to eat. But as soon as he touched the bread, it became gold. The fruits also turned into gold before he could eat them. Even water became solid gold when it touched his lips. King Midas suddenly became frightened. “What kind of blessing is this?” he cried sadly. “I cannot eat or drink anything!”
Just then, his little daughter came running into the room. Seeing her father upset, she asked, “Father, why are you crying?” The king forgot about his magical power and hugged her lovingly. Instantly, the little girl turned into a golden statue. King Midas became heartbroken and burst into tears. “Oh no! What have I done?” he cried. “My greed has destroyed my happiness.”
The magical being appeared again. The king fell at his feet and begged, “Please forgive me. I do not want gold anymore. I only want my daughter back.” The magical being felt pity for him and removed the curse. The princess became alive again, and King Midas learned a valuable lesson. He realized that love, family, and happiness are far more precious than gold and wealth.
3. Who Will Bell the Cat?
Once upon a time, many mice lived happily in a rich man’s house. There was plenty of food in the kitchen, and the mice moved freely from room to room without any fear. They ate rice, bread, cheese, and fruits whenever they wanted. One mouse would often say proudly, “This house is like heaven for us.” All the mice enjoyed a peaceful and comfortable life.
But one day the owner of the house became very annoyed because the mice were damaging everything. So he brought a large and clever cat to catch them. As soon as the cat arrived, the mice fell into great danger. Every day one or two mice disappeared. The frightened mice could no longer move around safely. They spent most of their time hiding inside their holes.
At last, all the mice decided to hold a meeting to solve the problem. The leader of the mice said seriously, “Friends, we are living in fear because of the cat. We must find a way to save ourselves.” Different mice gave different suggestions. One mouse said, “Let us attack the cat together.” Another said, “We should leave this house forever.” But none of the plans seemed practical.
Finally, a young mouse stood up proudly and said, “I have a wonderful idea. If we tie a bell around the cat’s neck, we will hear it whenever the cat comes near us. Then we can quickly run away and hide safely.” Hearing this, all the mice became very excited. “Excellent!” shouted one mouse. “What a clever idea!” cried another. Soon the whole room was filled with praise for the young mouse.
Just then, an old wise mouse slowly stood up. He looked around calmly and asked, “The plan is certainly very clever, but who will bell the cat?” Suddenly the room became completely silent. The mice looked at one another nervously, but no one had the courage to volunteer. Every mouse realized how dangerous the task would be.
After a while, the mice quietly left the meeting feeling disappointed and helpless. They understood that making a plan is easy, but carrying it out is very difficult. From that day, the mice became more careful and learned that wise ideas are useless unless someone is brave enough to put them into action.
4. A Son’s Devotion to His Mother
Once there lived a boy named Bayazid who loved his mother very deeply. He was very obedient and always tried to serve her with care and respect. His mother was old and often fell ill. Bayazid spent most of his time beside her bed, helping her in every possible way. Though they were poor, the boy never complained because he believed that serving his mother was his greatest duty.
One cold night, Bayazid was studying beside his mother’s bed. Suddenly, his mother woke up and said weakly, “My son, I am feeling very thirsty. Please bring me a glass of water.” Bayazid immediately stood up and replied gently, “Yes, mother, I will bring it right away.” He took a glass and went to the water jar kept in the corner of the house. But sadly, he found that the jar was empty.
The boy searched everywhere in the house for water but could not find any. For a moment he became worried. Then he thought to himself, “I must bring water for my mother somehow.” So, without wasting any time, he picked up a jar and went out into the dark night. The fountain from which he could collect water was quite far away. Although the road was lonely and dangerous, the brave boy walked fearlessly through the darkness.
After some time, Bayazid returned home safely with fresh water. But when he entered the room, he saw that his mother had already fallen asleep. He stood quietly beside her bed and thought, “If I wake her now, her sleep will be disturbed. I should wait patiently until she wakes up herself.” So he remained standing there silently throughout the entire night, holding the glass of water in his hand.
Early in the morning, his mother woke up and was surprised to see her son still standing beside her bed. She asked emotionally, “My son, have you been standing here all night?” Bayazid smiled softly and replied, “Yes, mother. I brought water for you, but you were sleeping peacefully. I did not want to disturb your rest.” Hearing this, tears filled his mother’s eyes.
She raised her hands and prayed to Allah from the bottom of her heart, saying, “May Allah bless you and make you a great man.” Her sincere prayer was accepted. In later life, Bayazid became a famous saint known for his wisdom and kindness. From this story, it becomes clear that sincere devotion and respect toward one’s mother bring blessings and success in life.
5. Unity Is Strength
Once there lived an old farmer in a village. He had four sons who were all grown up. Unfortunately, the brothers were always quarreling among themselves over small matters. They argued from morning till night and never tried to live peacefully together. The old farmer became very sad and worried whenever he saw their behavior.
One evening, the farmer sat alone and thought sadly, “I am growing old and may die at any time. If my sons continue fighting like this, they will destroy themselves and lose all my property.” He tried many times to advise them, but they never listened to him. At last, he came up with a clever plan to teach them an important lesson.
The next morning, the farmer called his sons and said, “My dear sons, please bring me a bundle of sticks.” The sons brought a tightly tied bundle of sticks and placed it before him. The farmer handed the bundle to his eldest son and said, “Try to break this bundle.” The son tried with all his strength but failed. Then the second, third, and fourth sons tried one by one, but none of them could break it.
The farmer then untied the bundle and gave each son a single stick. “Now break them,” he said. This time, the sons easily snapped the sticks in two. They looked surprised and asked, “Father, what does this mean?” The old farmer smiled gently and replied, “When the sticks were tied together, they were strong and unbreakable. But when separated, they became weak and easy to break.”
He continued, “In the same way, if you remain united and support one another, nobody will be able to harm you. But if you quarrel and stay divided, people will easily defeat you.” The sons finally understood the wisdom of their father’s words and felt ashamed of their foolish behavior.
They promised their father, saying, “We will never quarrel again. We shall live together in peace and unity.” The old farmer felt relieved and happy. From that day onward, the brothers lived together harmoniously and helped one another in every situation. Through this incident, they learned that unity gives strength, while division brings weakness and destruction.
6. A Friend in Need Is a Friend Indeed
Once there were two close friends who lived in the same village. They loved each other dearly and always spent time together. One day they decided to travel to another village on foot. While walking through a deep forest, one of them said, “We are true friends, and we must help each other in danger.” The other replied confidently, “Of course, I will never leave you alone.”
As they were talking and walking through the forest, they suddenly saw a huge bear coming toward them. The bear looked fierce and dangerous. One of the friends became terrified and quickly climbed up a nearby tree to save himself. But the other friend did not know how to climb trees.
The helpless friend became very frightened. He thought for a moment and remembered hearing that bears do not attack dead bodies. So he quickly lay down on the ground and held his breath, pretending to be dead. The bear slowly came near him and smelled his face carefully. After observing him for a while, the bear finally walked away into the forest.
When the danger had passed, the selfish friend climbed down from the tree. Trying to hide his shame, he laughed and asked jokingly, “What did the bear whisper into your ear?” The other friend stood up slowly and replied seriously, “The bear advised me never to trust a friend who leaves his companion in danger.”
Hearing these words, the selfish friend became deeply ashamed. He lowered his head and could not say anything in reply. He realized that he had behaved like a coward and failed to keep his promise of friendship. The true friend, however, remained calm and honest.
After that incident, both of them continued their journey quietly. The selfish friend learned a valuable lesson from his mistake. From this story, it becomes clear that a real friend always stands beside his companion in times of danger and difficulty, while a selfish friend thinks only about saving himself.
7. Two Rats and a Monkey
Once there lived two rats in a house. They were good friends, but they often quarreled over small matters. One day, while searching for food, they entered a nearby house and found a large piece of bread. One rat shouted happily, “Look! We are lucky today. This bread will make a wonderful meal.” The other rat also became excited, and together they carried the bread back to their home.
After returning home, a problem arose. One rat said, “I found the bread first, so I deserve the bigger share.” The other replied angrily, “No, I helped carry it here, so I should get more.” Soon they began quarreling loudly. Neither of them was willing to divide the bread equally. Their argument continued for a long time, but they could not reach any decision.
At last, one of the rats suggested, “Let us go to the monkey. He is known to be wise and fair. He will surely divide the bread equally.” The other rat agreed. So they carried the bread to a monkey who was sitting under a tree. “Dear monkey,” they said politely, “please divide this bread equally between us.” The monkey pretended to be very serious and replied, “Do not worry. I shall do justice.”
The monkey broke the bread into two pieces and placed them on a scale. After looking carefully, he said, “One piece is slightly bigger than the other.” Then he took a bite from the larger piece. But this made the other piece larger, so he again took a bite from that one. The monkey continued doing this again and again while the rats watched helplessly.
Gradually, the bread became smaller and smaller. At last, only a tiny piece remained. The rats cried sadly, “Please give us what is left.” But the monkey quickly ate the last piece too and said, “I have worked hard to divide your bread. This is my fee.” Then he walked away happily, leaving the rats with nothing.
The two rats looked at each other in regret and said sadly, “We were foolish to quarrel. If we had shared the bread peacefully, we could have enjoyed it ourselves.” From this incident, they realized that when people quarrel among themselves, a third person often takes advantage of their conflict.
8. Robert Bruce
Robert Bruce was the king of Scotland. He was a brave ruler who loved his country very much. At that time, Scotland was under attack from the English. Robert Bruce fought many battles against them, but unfortunately he was defeated again and again. His soldiers lost courage, and the king became very disappointed.
At last, after another defeat, Robert Bruce fled from the battlefield and hid himself in a lonely cave. Sitting there sadly, he thought, “Perhaps I shall never be able to free my country.” He lost all hope and became deeply depressed. Day after day, he stayed inside the cave, thinking only about his failures.
One rainy afternoon, while lying inside the cave, Robert Bruce noticed a spider trying to climb up to the roof. The spider climbed a little way but suddenly fell down. The king watched silently. Again the spider tried to climb, but again it failed. Still, the tiny creature did not give up.
The spider continued trying again and again. Six times it failed, but each time it started again with new determination. Robert Bruce became surprised and said to himself, “What courage this little creature has!” Finally, after many attempts, the spider succeeded in reaching the roof of the cave.
Seeing this, Robert Bruce became inspired. He stood up excitedly and cried, “If such a tiny spider can continue trying without losing hope, why should I give up?” His courage returned immediately. He left the cave, gathered his soldiers once again, and prepared for another battle against the English.
This time Robert Bruce and his soldiers fought bravely with great confidence and determination. At last, they defeated the English and won freedom for Scotland. The king never forgot the lesson he learned from the spider. From that day onward, he believed firmly that perseverance and determination can lead anyone to success.
9. The Goose and the Golden Eggs
Once there lived a poor farmer with his wife in a village. They worked very hard every day but still could not earn enough money to live comfortably. One day, the farmer bought a goose from the market and brought it home. The next morning, he was surprised to find a golden egg near the goose.
The farmer could hardly believe his eyes. He took the egg to a goldsmith who examined it carefully and said, “This is pure gold.” The farmer became overjoyed. Every morning, the goose laid one golden egg. Slowly the farmer and his wife became rich by selling the eggs. Their poverty disappeared, and they began to live happily.
However, after some time, the farmer became greedy. One evening he said to himself, “If the goose lays one golden egg every day, there must be many eggs inside its stomach. Why should I wait for only one egg daily? If I get all the eggs at once, I shall become rich overnight.” His wife warned him, saying, “Do not be foolish. We already have enough. Greed will bring disaster.” But the farmer did not listen to her advice.
One day, while his wife was away from home, the greedy farmer brought a sharp knife. Looking at the goose, he said eagerly, “Today I shall become the richest man in the village.” Then he killed the goose and cut open its belly. But to his great disappointment, there were no golden eggs inside.
The goose died instantly, and the farmer lost the wonderful bird forever. Realizing his terrible mistake, he burst into tears and cried, “What a fool I have been! My greed has ruined everything.” When his wife returned and saw the dead goose, she became deeply saddened.
The farmer regretted his foolish action for the rest of his life. He understood too late that greed often destroys happiness and fortune. Through this painful incident, he learned that one should always be satisfied with honest earnings instead of becoming blinded by greed.
10. A Fox and a Crow
Once a crow stole a piece of meat from a farmer’s house and flew away happily. Carrying the meat in its beak, the crow sat on the branch of a tall tree to enjoy its meal peacefully. Just then, a hungry fox was passing under the tree. Looking up, he saw the delicious piece of meat and his mouth began to water.
The fox thought for a while and said to himself, “I must get that piece of meat somehow.” But the crow was sitting too high for him to reach. Suddenly, a clever idea came into the fox’s mind. He decided to flatter the crow in order to trick it.
Standing under the tree, the fox said sweetly, “Dear crow, you are the most beautiful bird in the whole forest. Your black feathers shine wonderfully in the sunlight.” Hearing this praise, the crow became pleased but remained silent because the meat was still in its beak.
The cunning fox continued, “I have also heard that your voice is extremely sweet. If you sing a song for me, all the animals of the forest will come to admire your talent.” The foolish crow became very proud after hearing these flattering words. It thought, “Perhaps I truly am the best singer in the forest.”
At last, unable to control its pride, the crow opened its mouth to sing. Instantly, the piece of meat fell to the ground. The clever fox quickly grabbed it and ran away laughing. Before leaving, he said mockingly, “Thank you for the delicious meal, dear crow!”
The crow realized its mistake and felt terribly ashamed. Sitting silently on the branch, it understood how foolishly it had trusted the fox’s sweet words. Through this incident, it becomes clear that one should never trust the flattering words of cunning and dishonest people.