Friendship stories for kids: four short stories

Four friendship stories

1. Isha and the red crayon

Isha joined our class on Monday. At home she spoke Bengali, and at school most children spoke English and Hindi. When the teacher asked her a question, Isha only smiled and looked at her shoes. Rohan sat next to her. He did not know what to say, so he held up a crayon and pointed at the red one. Isha pointed too. “Lal,” she said. “Lal,” said Rohan. “Red!” Soon they were trading words across the desk. Isha taught him “bondhu,” which means friend. Rohan taught her “dost.” At lunch they sat together, with two words for one idea. Nobody needed a long sentence. By the end of the week, Isha was teaching the whole table to count to five in Bengali, and Rohan wrote “bondhu” on a card for her desk. A friendly face and a crayon were enough to begin.

Moral: Friends can start with a smile, even before they share a language.

Talk about it:

• How did Rohan help Isha feel welcome?
• What words from your home language could you teach a friend?

2. Tara, Kabir and the two games

Tara wanted to play hopscotch. Kabir wanted to play catch. They stood face to face, and neither would give in. “Hopscotch!” “Catch!” Their voices grew louder, and the other children went quiet. Then Tara took a deep breath. “We are both shouting, and nobody is playing,” she said. Kabir nodded slowly. “What if we play one game each?” he said. “Ten turns of hopscotch, then ten throws of catch.” Tara smiled. “That is fair.” They drew the squares in chalk and began. Kabir wobbled on one foot and laughed. Then Tara caught the ball on her very first try. By the bell, nobody had won the argument, but both of them had played their favourite game. On the way home, Kabir said he wanted to learn hopscotch properly, and Tara promised to show him her best jump.

Moral: A fair plan feels better than winning an argument.

Talk about it:

• What changed when Tara stopped shouting?
• Can you think of another fair way to choose a game?

3. Sana and the last lap

Sana loved running, but she was the slowest runner in her whole class. On practice day, the others zoomed round the field and waited at the finish. Sana puffed along at the back, and her cheeks turned red. She wanted to stop. Joel saw her and jogged back. “I will run with you,” he said. “Slow is fine.” Soon other children joined in, and the whole class ran the last lap together, clapping for Sana. She crossed the line with a big grin. Joel was not the fastest that day, and he did not mind at all. Later, Sana showed him how to stretch before running, because she had practised it every day. The next day, a few classmates asked to run slowly with her again, just for fun, and nobody counted who came first or last.

Moral: A good friend stays beside you, not ahead of you.

Talk about it:

• Why did Joel run back to Sana?
• What are you good at that you could share with a friend?

4. Meher, Ravi and the one umbrella

The rain came pouring down just as school ended. Meher had an umbrella, and Ravi did not. He stood under the roof, watching the puddles grow. “Come under mine,” said Meher. The umbrella was small, so they had to walk very close together. Ravi held the handle because he was taller. Meher walked on the side where the wind blew. Their shoes got soggy, and one shoulder each got wet. They did not mind. They splashed through a puddle and laughed so hard that the umbrella shook. At the corner, Ravi said, “Tomorrow, I will bring the umbrella, and you can share mine.” Meher grinned and waved goodbye all the way down the lane. The rain kept falling, but the walk home had turned into the best part of her day.

Moral: Sharing a little makes the rain feel lighter.

Talk about it:

• What did Meher and Ravi each do to share the umbrella?
• When did someone last share something with you?

A note for adults: talking about friendship

Friendships take practice, and children learn a lot from small moments. After a story, ask what the characters might have felt, and let your child answer in their own words. Share a time when a friend helped you, or when you had to say sorry. If your child has a worry, listen first and offer ideas second.

More to explore on Rangooo

Browse moral stories for kids, try class 3 or class 1 stories, see Rangooo for teachers, or explore stories and activities.

Questions

What age are these friendship stories for?

They are written for children aged six to nine, to read aloud or alone.

How do I use the talk-about questions?

Read a story, then ask the two questions one at a time. There are no wrong answers.

Are these stories original?

Yes. The characters and events are made up for this page, and none is a retelling of an older tale.

How long does each story take to read?

About a minute each when read aloud.