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readings for children

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For teachers

Don't miss the Workbook of Values, a great selection of short stories with coloring pictures that you can download for free. The best way to enter the world of educational stories.

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JOIN US TO EDUCATE WITH STORIES!

Stories have an incredible educational value due to the their influence on memory, but also because... children love them!
Our aim is to support and help you with this task. In this site:

  • You will find hundred of stories.
  • We will help you to teach values.
  • You can listen to a thousand audio stories.
  • Enjoy time with your children even more.
  • You will learn to tell stories.
  • We also offer you...
  • And create your own.
  • ... losts of educational resources.

If you are an education pro, you know about the benefits of stories better than anyone,

Browse this site at your leisure. Your children will really enjoy our varied and top quality resources. Thousands of teachers are using them right now!
And if you like our work, spread the word: the more people know about us, the more children will benefit.

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Stories for children

At Bedtime Stories, we have a great collection of short stories to educate children about values, with all sorts of characters and situations.
We offer them as a great educational resource for parents and teachers.

New stories and themes are frequently added: you will never be short of new educational stories!

Works of the Kingdom, a story about Leadership and initiative

Once upon a time a King ordered his two sons to build two large aqueducts to supply water to his country estates, which were in a very poor state due to a great drought. The first son took part of his father's riches and part of the army. With them he travelled north where he ordered the people of those lands to work hard on building the aqueduct. He oversaw the work very carefully, paying the villagers fairly, and finishing the project within the predicted two years. Proud of his work, he returned to the palace, only to find the place in the midst of celebrations for the coming crowning of his brother as King. He was told that his brother had taken only one year to build his aqueduct in the south, and that he had managed to do the job with hardly any soldiers or money.

This seemed so strange to the first brother that he began to investigate the southern aqueduct. What he found amounted to more than a few irregularities. He returned to the palace, telling his father to avoid this madness of making his brother King

"Why do you say that? Is there something I should know?" asked the King. "You know how much I love my brother, but he must have gone crazy. He has dragged our good name through the gutter. He built his aqueduct deviating from the plans. He created so many outlets that barely half the water arrives at the royal estates. He confronted the prime minister in front of the villagers, and he left without paying any of the workers. He even used your soldiers as labourers. And who knows? Maybe that's only the start..."

The King, gazing affectionately at his son, replied.

"My son, what you say is true. Your brother had the initiative to modify the aqueduct to improve it; the wisdom to propose something which would improve the lives of everyone. And so he convinced the villagers to work quickly and without pay. He had the courage to confront the prime minister to defend justice, and the charisma to set his soldiers to work even more hours than the villagers. His commitment was so great that he himself was the one who worked hardest on the project, forgetting his Princely status. You know what, my son? This is why everyone adores your brother, and would do anything he were to ask of them. He is more than their King, he is their leader".

The Prince left, deep in thought. He came to recognise that the words of his father indeed pointed to the greatness of his brother. And without hesitation, he ran to his brother, to congratulate him.