Welcome to the Top 82 Stories for 5th Graders, a fantastic collection of stories perfect for children of all ages! Whether you’re looking for bedtime stories to read, fun stories to tell, or printable stories with pictures, this is the place to be. Our extensive online library offers a wide range of stories for kids, including learning and educational tales, short stories, and stories with morals that are available as free pdf downloads. These engaging stories cater to both girls and boys, making story time even more enjoyable and memorable.

The importance of Stories for 5th Graders cannot be overstated, as they play a crucial role in the early years of a child’s educational journey. Suitable for preschool, kindergarten, and elementary students (including toddlers following the EYFS framework), our collection helps kids develop their reading comprehension and vocabulary skills. With easy-to-read, enjoyable stories that are both classic and contemporary, our selections expose children to various cultures, themes, and experiences while keeping them entertained.

These stories will soon become favorites for children and parents alike, perfect for nighttime reading and putting kids to sleep with a mind full of wonder and excitement. Our collection also features a wide range of audible stories, famous fairy tales, and content for early readers, with fun pictures and illustrations to enhance the reading experience. With today’s fast-paced world and short attention spans, our carefully curated selection is ideal for improving children’s concentration and sparking creativity in young minds.

Join us for an unforgettable adventure through the best and most engaging stories for 5th Graders, catered to ignite their passion for knowledge, learning, and imagination! Happy reading!

Top 82 Stories For 5th Graders for kids to read online:

1. Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves: In this story, Ali Baba discovers a secret hideout of robbers and steals gold. His brother becomes jealous and tries to do the same but is killed. When the robbers discover someone else knows about their hideout, they try to kill Ali Baba. However, Ali Baba’s servant, Morgiana, heroically saves him. In the end, Ali Baba is grateful and allows Morgiana to marry his son, and they all live happily ever after. A downloadable ebook is available.
2. Brother and Sister: The story is about Brother and Sister who run away from their wicked stepmother. While wandering through the forest, Brother drinks from a stream that turns him into a deer. Sister cares for him and they eventually find an empty house to live in. The king falls in love with Sister and takes her to live with him in his castle, where Brother is also allowed to come along. Their stepmother tries to kill Sister, but the king saves her and burns the stepmother at the stake, causing Brother to turn back into a human. They all live happily ever after.
3. Bluebeard: A wealthy man with a blue beard has previously married and killed off his wives. He invites his neighbours to a beautiful mansion and the youngest neighbour agrees to marry him. After the wedding he gives her the keys to all the rooms and treasures in the house, except for one room, but she cannot resist and opens it, finding the bodies of his previous wives. He finds out and tries to kill her, but her brothers arrive and kill him. She inherits his wealth, marries a nice man and forgets her past.
4. Little Claus and Big Claus: In a village long ago, Little Claus borrows Big Claus’ horses on Sundays and tricks people into thinking he has five horses. Enraged, Big Claus kills Little Claus’ horse, and in turn, Little Claus sells the horse skin and tricks a rich farmer into thinking he has a magician able to conjure tasty foods. Little Claus becomes rich while Big Claus kills his own horses to no avail. Big Claus tries to drown Little Claus but ends up being tricked and drowned himself.
5. The Loveliest Rose in the World: In this story, a queen who has a garden filled with the most beautiful roses in the world is dying. A wise doctor tells her that she will not die if she is given the loveliest rose in the world from the garden of love. People all over the country offer their roses, but none are the right one until the queen’s son reads her a story about someone who sacrificed themselves out of true love. The queen sees the most beautiful rose rise from the pages of the book, and her cheeks become the color of roses.
6. The Thorny Road of Honour: The story recounts the struggles of famous historical figures who faced opposition, ridicule, and persecution for their beliefs and ideas. They persevered on the thorny path of honour, pursuing their dreams despite adversity, which earned them fame and recognition after their deaths. The story emphasizes the importance of being strong, smart and brave in life, and highlights the great contributions made by influential people such as Socrates, Ferdowsi, Joan of Arc, and Salamon de Caus. The story also offers a downloadable PDF version of the book.
7. The Travelling Companion: The story is about a boy named Johannes who, after his father’s death, decides to travel and ends up meeting a magical companion. Together, they arrive at a city where the king’s daughter is an evil princess who kills any suitor who fails to solve her riddles. Johannes falls in love with her and decides to marry her. With the help of his companion, he solves the riddles and breaks the spell on the princess, making her fall in love with him. The companion reveals that he was the dead man whose debt Johannes paid to two bad men and then disappears. Johannes and the princess live happily ever after.
8. Sinbad the Sailor: In this story, Sinbad the Porter meets Sinbad the Sailor, a wealthy man, and complains about how life seems unfair. Sinbad the Sailor shares his adventurous past, telling Sinbad the Porter about the travels he’s been on. His tales were so remarkable that Sinbad the Porter received a large amount of gold after staying for dinner for seven nights. Sinbad the Porter and Sinbad the Sailor then lived happily ever after. An ebook version of the story is available to download.
9. The Flying Dutchman: The story is about a large, tough captain who defies a storm and Easter to sail his ship, regardless of the risk. When the ship sets sail, it becomes clear that the captain has passed into eternity, and the ship has transformed into a ghost ship. As the ship is occasionally spotted around the Cape of Good Hope, it becomes known as the Flying Dutchman. No one knows if the Dutchman has found peace, but it is hoped for the crew’s sake that it has because there is nothing worse than sailing the seas forever with no hope of mooring.
10. The Old Man Who Made Trees Blossom: In this story, there were two old men named Upstream and Downstream. Upstream was nasty and selfish while Downstream was kind and generous. Downstream’s catch in a fishtrap was full of fish while Upstream’s trap was empty. Downstream found a dog in a willow root, took care of it, and it became strong. It led Downstream to find a pot of gold. Upstream borrowed the dog but was unkind to it and got led to a pot of trash. In anger, he killed the dog. Downstream turned the willow branch into a mortar and when his wife put rice in it, the rice doubled. The wife of Upstream wanted to try it but instead of doubling the rice, the rice got less and less. When Downstream showed the king the ash that came from the mortar, trees where it hit started blooming. The king rewarded Downstream with beautiful clothing. Upstream, jealous, lied to the queen and threw ash into her eye, and was thrown in jail.
11. Genevieve of Brabant: The story is about Genevieve, the daughter of a powerful count who marries Count Siegfried. After Siegfried leaves to fight in a battle, Genevieve is imprisoned by Knight Golo who writes lies about her to Siegfried. Golo plans to kill Genevieve and her newborn child, but Genevieve escapes and lives in the forest with her child. Years later, Siegfried discovers her in the forest and after recognizing her as his wife, they live happily ever after. The story is available to download as an ebook.
12. The Four Skillful Brothers: In this story, a father tells his four sons to go out and learn a trade. The oldest becomes a skilled thief, the second a stargazer, the third a hunter, and the youngest a cutter. After four years, they meet again and show off their respective skills by completing a task set by their father. Later on, they rescue the princess from a dragon with each of their skills and are rewarded with land from the king.
13. The Rose-Tree: The story is about a girl with a stepmother who hates her and a brother who loves her. The stepmother chops her hair off and cooks and eats her heart. The brother buries the heart under a rose tree, which later blooms with a white bird on one of the roses. The bird reveals what happened to the girl in a song to the shoemaker, watchmaker and millers, getting a pair of red shoes, a gold watch and a mill stone in return. The bird drops the shoes and watch to the father and brother, and drops the millstone on the stepmother, killing her.
14. A Christmas Carol: This story is about an unfriendly and stingy businessman named Ebenezer Scrooge who hates Christmas. One night, he is visited by three ghosts who show him his past, present, and future. This changes Scrooge’s heart, and he becomes a generous and kind man, paying his loyal employee more and spending time with his family. He becomes like a second father to Tiny Tim, the sick son of his employee and embraces the spirit of Christmas.
15. The Tortoise and the Ducks: The story starts with Tortoise feeling sad and discontented as he couldn’t leave his house behind and see the world like other animals. A pair of Ducks promised to help and carried him up in the air with a stick in his mouth. The Tortoise felt proud as he heard a Crow exclaim how he must be the King of Tortoises but foolishly opened his mouth to reply, resulting in him falling to the ground and dying. A downloadable eBook (PDF) is provided for offline reading or printing.
16. The Frogs and the Ox: In this fable, an ox accidentally crushes a young frog as it drinks from a pool. The older frogs inquire about the missing family member and the remaining young frogs describe the ox’s size as much bigger than it actually is. The older frog kept puffing herself up, trying to show she could be as big as the creature that killed her young, but ends up bursting.
17. The Dog, the Cock and the Fox: A dog and a cock go on an adventure together and find a tree to sleep in. When the cock crows in the morning, thinking he’s in the farmyard, a hungry fox hears him and tries to catch him for breakfast. The cock tricks the fox into meeting his “porter” at the door, which turns out to be the dog, who catches the fox. An ebook download link is provided.
18. The Nutcracker and the Mouse King: On Christmas Eve, Maria receives a Nutcracker from her godfather. Her brother breaks it, but Maria fixes it and goes to bed. She wakes up to find herself in the middle of a battle between the Nutcracker and an army of mice, led by the Mouse King. The Nutcracker defeats the Mouse King and takes Maria to the Candy Meadow, where she is thanked by the people for her help. Maria wakes up and tells her mother everything, but nobody believes her. Later, Dr. Drosselmeyer’s nephew marries Maria and takes her back to the Candy Kingdom.
19. The Bundle Of Sticks: The story is about a Father who had a problem with his sons who were always quarreling among themselves. He gave them a bundle of sticks and asked each of them to break it, but they couldn’t. Then, he gave them each a stick to break, and they did it effortlessly. The lesson was that if they worked together, they would be much stronger than if they were divided.
20. The Wolf And The Crane: In this story, a greedy Wolf gets a bone stuck in his throat and asks a Crane to help remove it. The Crane is uneasy about putting her head in a Wolf’s throat but agrees to help. However, when the bone is removed, the Wolf refuses to give the Crane any reward, stating that allowing her to take her head out of his mouth without snapping it off was already sufficient. The story is available to download in PDF format.
21. The Farmer And The Stork: In this story, a group of Cranes invite a Stork to join them in a field, but they end up being caught by a farmer’s net. The Stork pleads with the farmer to spare him as he didn’t know the Cranes were stealing. Unfortunately, the farmer doesn’t agree, stating the Stork must share the same punishment with the Cranes. Finally, the story ends with a download link for an ebook version of the story.
22. The Lion, The Bear And The Fox: In this story, a bear and a lion fight over a stray kid. They both get so wounded that they can’t continue fighting, and a fox appears and takes the kid away. The bear and the lion regret not sharing the prize in a friendly spirit.
23. The Wolf And The Lamb: In this story, a wolf spots a lamb and wants to eat it. However, the lamb insists that it hasn’t done anything wrong and the wolf is mistaken. Despite the lamb’s protests, the wolf carries it away to eat it.
24. The Sheep And The Pig: The story is about a shepherd who catches a fat pig in his sheep pasture and takes it to the market to sell. The sheep in the pasture are amused by the pig’s loud squealing and ask why it is making such a big fuss. The pig explains that the shepherd catches the sheep for their wool, but he wants the pig for his bacon. The story ends with a link to download an ebook version.
25. The Lion and the Donkey: In this story, a proud Lion is insulted by an Ass but chooses to walk away instead of attacking. The story teaches us the importance of controlling our emotions and not being influenced by fools. An ebook version of the story is available for download.
26. The Frogs Who Wished For A King: The story is about the Frogs who desired to have a king to rule them and entertain them. Jupiter gave them a log to represent their king, but they soon realized how useless it was. Jupiter then sent a Crane as their king, but the Frogs regretted their request because the Crane was cruel and vicious, and they pleaded with Jupiter to take him away. Jupiter scolded them for their foolishness and reminded them that they only had themselves to blame for their misfortunes.
27. The Wolf And The Sheep: A wolf, injured from a fight with a bear, begs a passing sheep for a drink of water to give him strength to hunt. The sheep refuses, anticipating that the wolf would eat him if he brought him a drink. The story ends with a download link to an ebook PDF version of the story.
28. The Travellers And The Sea: Two travelers were walking by the seashore when they saw something in the distance. One thought it was a ship with treasures, while the other suspected it was a fisherman’s skiff with the day’s catch. As it approached, they believed it was a chest of gold lost from some wreck, but upon reaching the beach, they found it was nothing but a water-soaked log.
29. The Wolf And The Lion: In this story, a wolf steals a lamb and is about to eat it when a lion appears and takes the lamb from the wolf. The wolf protests, but the lion questions how he acquired the lamb in the first place. In the end, the wolf escapes and the lion is left with the lamb. An ebook version of the story is available to download.
30. The Wolf And The Goat: In this story, a hungry wolf tries to deceive a goat by pretending to be concerned about her safety when she is grazing at the top of a steep cliff. He offers her grass to entice her to come down but the goat is wise to his plan and refuses to fall for it, realizing that the wolf’s intentions are selfish and not in her best interest. The story shows the importance of being aware of others’ motives and not being fooled by false appearances.
31. The Stag And His Reflection: In the story, a proud stag admires his majestic antlers but is ashamed of his spindling legs. He comes to realize the importance of practicality over vanity when his antlers get caught in branches while running away from a predator. The story teaches us a lesson about the importance of practicality over superficial beauty.
32. The Ants And The Grasshopper: In this story, a starving Grasshopper begs for food from a family of Ants who have been busy storing their food for winter. When the Ants ask why he did not store food during summer, the Grasshopper replies that he was too busy making music. The Ants, disgusted by his laziness, tell him to dance and continue with their work, leaving the Grasshopper to suffer the consequences of his lack of planning. An ebook download link is provided for the story.
33. The Mice And The Weasels: In the story, the mice and weasels are constantly battling and the mice are always defeated. The mice decide they need leaders, and appoint many generals who wear crests and ornaments to distinguish themselves from the soldiers. They challenge the weasels to battle but are again defeated and their leaders are unable to escape because of their head-dresses. In the end, the weasels eat all of the mouse leaders. The story is available for download as a PDF.
34. The Wolf And The Lean Dog: A wolf encounters a skinny dog and considers eating him, but the dog tells the wolf to wait a few days when the dog will be plump after his master’s upcoming wedding feast. The wolf agrees and leaves. Later, he returns to eat the dog but is tricked by the dog into thinking he will be let out by the porter, who is actually another dog that attacks him. The moral of the story is to not trust flattery and false promises from those who may be looking to harm you.
35. The Fox And The Lion: The story is about a young fox who is afraid of lions, but slowly gains confidence after multiple encounters. Eventually, the fox boldly greets the lion without fear. A downloadable PDF version of the story is available to read offline or print.
36. The Vain Jackdaw And His Borrowed Feathers: A Jackdaw becomes envious of the royal Peacocks and decides to dress like them by sticking some of their feathers onto his own black plumage. However, the Peacocks see through his disguise and remove both the borrowed feathers and some of his own. He returns sadly to his former companions, but they also do not forgive his superior airs and drive him away with pecks and jeers.
37. The Owl And The Grasshopper: The story is about an old owl who is easily disturbed during her daily slumbers and becomes angry when a grasshopper’s singing interrupts her. The wise owl knows she cannot punish the grasshopper during the day, so she invites him up to sample a wonderful wine from Olympus that will make him sing better. The foolish grasshopper accepts the invitation, only to be eaten by the owl. An ebook download link is provided at the end of the story.
38. The Wolf And His Shadow: A boastful wolf is running through the fields when he notices that his shadow made him bigger than his actual size. Feeling invincible, he decides to challenge a lion for the throne, but a sudden realization that his shadow made him look bigger than he was crushed his confidence. Not long after, a massive shadow cloaks him before the lion pounces down on and kills him in one blow.
39. The Oak And The Reeds: In this story, a strong and mighty oak tree boasts to slender reeds about its ability to resist the wind and remain upright. However, when a great hurricane arrives, the reeds bend low and survive while the oak tree falls and is destroyed. The story teaches us the value of flexibility and humility in the face of adversity.
40. The Rat And The Elephant: A proud rat walking along the road encounters a grand procession consisting of the King riding on an elephant, followed by a crowd. The rat was hurt that nobody seemed to notice or admire him. Trying to prove his worth, he boasts about having the same faculties as the elephant, but is caught by the royal cat, which makes him realize his insignificance in comparison to the elephant. An ebook is available for download.
41. The Boys And The Frogs: Some boys were playing at the edge of a pond and throwing stones into the water. The frogs in the pond were frightened and begged the boys to stop, but the boys continued to have fun. Finally, the oldest and bravest frog spoke up and asked the boys to stop because their play was cruel and deadly to the frogs. The story comes with a downloadable PDF ebook.
42. The Donkey Carrying The Image: The story is about a sacred image being carried to a temple on an adorned ass with a grand procession of priests and pages following it through the streets. The ass becomes puffed up with pride and vanity, thinking the honor is being paid to him, and starts to bray loudly. The driver then beats him unmercifully with a stick, reminding him that the honor is not meant for him but for the image he is carrying. An ebook (PDF) is available to download.
43. The Monkey And The Camel: At a celebration, the Monkey impresses the animals with his dancing skills. The Camel becomes envious and tries to dance himself, but he is clumsy and almost hurts King Lion, resulting in him being driven out by the angry animals. Refreshments made from the Camel are served afterwards. The story also provides a downloadable PDF version.
44. The Leap At Rhodes: A man who constantly boasts about his adventures abroad claims that he made a great leap in the city of Rhodes that no one else can match. His listeners ask him to prove it, but he fails to do so. A downloadable ebook of the story is available.
45. The Two Goats: Two goats meet on either side of a deep chasm with a fallen tree trunk as the only way to cross. As both goats refuse to step aside for the other, they end up butting heads and falling into the roaring torrent below. The story includes an image and a link to download an ebook version of the story.
46. The Ass And The Load Of Salt: A merchant carrying a heavy load of salt on his ass, frequently crossed a river at a shallow ford. One day, the ass slipped halfway through and much of the salt got melted. Pleased with a lighter load, the ass repeated the act again on the next trip. The angry merchant replaced the salt with sponges, and on the way, the ass tumbled over again but this time with a tenfold heavier burden than before, leaving the ass disconsolate. A downloadable e-book of the story is available.
47. The Wild Boar And The Fox: The story is about a Wild Boar sharpening his tusks and a Fox who tries to make fun of him. The Boar explains that he prepares his weapons because when danger comes, there will not be time for such work. The paragraph also includes a downloadable ebook version of the story.
48. The Monkey And The Dolphin: A Greek ship gets wrecked off the coast near Athens, but the dolphins are friendly and take the shipwrecked people to shore. An Athenian monkey who was with them mistakes the dolphins for humans and claims to have a close relationship with the port of Piraeus. The dolphin realizes its mistake and leaves the monkey to save itself while it goes to find a human being to save. There is a downloadable PDF version of the story available.
49. The Wolf and the Donkey: The story is about an Ass who outsmarts a Wolf by pretending to be lame and asking for help to remove a thorn from his foot. The Wolf falls for it and as he is searching for the thorn, the Ass kicks him and runs away safely. The moral of the story is that it’s better to be wise and cautious than trust those who might harm us. An ebook download link is also provided.
50. The Dog And The Oyster: The story is about a dog that loves eggs and becomes greedy, swallowing them whole. However, one day he mistakes an oyster for an egg and eats it whole, including the shell. This causes him pain, and he learns that not all round things are eggs.
51. The Monkey And The Cat: In this story, a cat and monkey live together and are constantly getting into mischief, especially when it comes to getting food. One day they find some chestnuts roasting on the fire, and the monkey convinces the cat to pull them out while he eats them. The cat continually burns her paw as the monkey eats all the chestnuts. When the master comes in, the cat is left with a burnt paw and no chestnuts and decides to have little to do with the monkey from then on.
52. The Ass, The Fox, And The Lion: In this fable, an Ass and a Fox who are close friends meet a Lion. The Fox offers to lead the Ass to a pit where the Lion can eat him, but promises the Lion not to hurt the Fox. The Lion agrees, but when he sees the Ass in the pit, he kills the Fox first. The story teaches a lesson about the dangers of deception and betrayal. An ebook version of the story is available for download.
53. The Dogs And The Fox: In this story, a group of dogs find a lion’s skin and start tearing it apart, only to be laughed at by a passing fox. The fox tells them that if the lion were alive, he would have shown them the power of his claws. A downloadable PDF of the story is available.
54. The Dogs And The Hides: A group of dogs discover hides at the bottom of a stream, but cannot reach them from the bank. They decide to drink up the river to reach the hides, but no matter how much they drink, the water level does not go down. The story is available for download as a PDF.
55. The Rabbit, The Weasel, And The Cat: A Rabbit forgets to latch his door, and a Weasel moves in. When the Rabbit returns and orders the Weasel to leave, the Weasel refuses, and a wise old Cat offers to settle the dispute. The Cat tricks both animals by pretending to be deaf, then captures them both with her claws.
56. The Fox And The Leopard: A fox and a leopard are bickering about their looks. The leopard is very proud of his coat and criticizes the fox’s appearance, but the fox responds with sarcastic comments, knowing he cannot rival the leopard’s looks. The fox points out that true beauty comes from being smart, not just having a pretty exterior. The story ends with links to download the ebook in PDF format.
57. The Cock And The Fox: In this story, a wise old rooster is approached by a fox who shares incredibly good news – that all the animals in the forest have agreed to live in peace and friendship forever. However, the rooster’s suspicions are confirmed when he spots the fox’s true intentions. The fox runs away when the rooster tells him that dogs are coming, saying that he has an important errand to do. The rooster outwits the fox and happily goes to sleep.
58. The Dog In The Manger: The story is about a selfish dog who sleeps in a manger filled with hay. When hungry cattle come in, the dog doesn’t let them eat and acts aggressively. The farmer sees this and chides the dog and drives him out with a stick. The story suggests that selfishness and possessiveness don’t go well with others and can make us lose what we have.
59. The Lion And The Gnat: In the story, a gnat buzzes around a lion’s head, causing annoyance and anger. The gnat boasts about not being afraid of the lion and stings him multiple times. Despite the lion’s attempts to attack the gnat, he is unsuccessful and ends up injured with wounds from his own claws. The gnat flies away to boast about his victory but ultimately meets his demise by flying into a spider’s web. A downloadable ebook version of the story is provided.
60. The Fighting Cocks And The Eagle: In this story, two Cocks living in the same farmyard can’t stand each other and decide to fight. The winner boasts about his victory, but an Eagle swoops in and carries him off to his nest. The other Cock becomes the master of the farmyard.
61. The Fisherman And The Little Fish: A poor fisherman catches a small fish that speaks to him, begging to be released. Despite the promise of a future bigger meal, the fisherman decides to keep the small fish, reasoning that it is better than nothing. The story is available as a downloadable ebook.
62. The Donkey In The Lion’s Skin: In this story, an ass finds a lion skin left by a hunter in the forest and decides to put it on. He then scares other animals by suddenly rushing out to them from a thicket, causing them to run away in fear. However, he blows his own cover when he expresses his delight through a loud bray, revealing his true identity. A fox who hears this ridicules him for his foolishness, pointing out that he would have been successful in maintaining his disguise if he had kept his mouth shut. The story is available for download as a PDF.
63. The Hare And His Ears: A lion is injured by the horns of a goat he was trying to eat and orders all animals with horns to leave his territory within 24 hours. Even the hare, who has no horns, is afraid and leaves, feeling that the lion will mistake his ears for horns. The story suggests that fear can make people jump to conclusions and react impulsively. A link for downloading the story as a PDF ebook is provided at the end.
64. The Ant And The Dove: The story is about a Dove and an Ant. The Dove saves the Ant’s life by dropping a blade of straw into a brook, allowing the Ant to cling onto it and reach the shore. Later, the Ant saves the Dove by stinging a man who was about to throw a stone at it, allowing the Dove to fly to safety. An ebook of the story is available for download.
65. The Mole And His Mother: In the story, a little mole insists to his mother that he can see despite being told that he is blind. To help him realize that he has lost his sense of smell as well, she shows him a frankincense and he mistakes it for a pebble. The story teaches an important lesson about the dangers of being conceited. The ebook (PDF) is available for download.
66. Two Travellers And A Bear: Two men are traveling through a forest when they are suddenly confronted by a huge bear. One man decides to climb a tree to save himself, while the other one lies still on the ground, pretending to be dead. The bear sniffs at the motionless man and leaves, believing him to be dead. The man in the tree climbs down and asks his companion what the bear said to him. The man on the ground replies that the bear warned him not to travel with someone who would abandon his friend in a moment of danger.
67. The Wolf And The Shepherd: A Shepherd is anxious that a Wolf might harm his flock of sheep but is surprised by the Wolf’s eagerness to help take care of them. Eventually, the Shepherd trusts the Wolf and leaves the flock under its care, only to return and find many of the sheep gone. He realizes his foolishness in trusting the Wolf and learns not to judge someone’s nature based on their recent actions. A downloadable ebook in PDF format is also available.
68. The Old Lion: A lion, too old and weak to hunt, was attacked by a boar, bull, and an ass. The once proud and powerful animal lay dying, pitiful and helpless on the ground. No other animal in the jungle came to his aid as he lay there.
69. The Farmer And The Cranes: In this story, a farmer plants crops and is observed by a group of cranes who see it as an opportunity to feast. The farmer tries to scare the cranes away, but it doesn’t work. He ends up killing some of the cranes with a sling to protect his crops, and the remaining cranes avoid the field from that point forward.
70. The Wolf, The Kid, And The Goat: A mother goat goes to the market, leaving her kid at home with instructions not to let anyone in except those who know the password. A wolf overhears it and tries to trick the kid into opening the door, but fails as he cannot show a white paw. The story teaches the importance of caution and not trusting strangers. An ebook version of the story is available for download.
71. The Farmer And The Snake: In this Aesop’s fable, a Farmer finds a frozen Snake in his field and takes it home to warm it up. However, when the Snake regains strength, it bites the Farmer and kills him. The moral of the story is to not show kindness to those who have already shown themselves to be harmful or treacherous. The link provided offers a downloadable ebook of the story in PDF format.
72. The Rose And The Butterfly: A butterfly falls in love with a rose, and after professing their love, takes leave of his sweetheart. But upon his return, the rose is upset to find out that he has been flirting with other flowers. The butterfly retorts that the rose was not faithful either. In the end, neither expects constancy from the other. Downloads of the story in PDF format are available.
73. The Milkmaid And Her Pail: A milkmaid had big plans for her future, imagining how she would use the money from selling milk, butter, and eggs. As she daydreamed, she tossed her head disdainfully, causing the milk pail to fall and spill, ruining all of her plans and leaving her with nothing.
74. The swallow and the crow: The Swallow and the Crow argue over their plumage; the Swallow boasts of its bright feathers but the Crow argues that its black quills are better suited for winter. The story is available for download as a PDF.
75. The Flies and the Honey: The story is about a jar of honey that spills on a table, attracting a swarm of flies. The flies get stuck in the honey and die trying to feast on it. The story teaches a lesson about the dangers of greed and rashness. An ebook version of the story is available for download.
76. The horse, hunter and stag: In this fable, a horse asks a hunter to help take revenge on a stag. The hunter agrees, but conditions that the horse must allow a piece of iron to be placed between its jaws and a saddle to be placed on its back. The horse agrees, and with the help of the hunter, they capture the stag. However, when the horse asks the hunter to remove the iron and saddle, the hunter refuses, stating that he prefers to keep the horse under his control.
77. The Animals and the Plague: In a story, a severe plague had affected the animals and they gathered for a council to find a solution. The Lion suggested offering the most guilty one of them for sacrifice to seek forgiveness. The Lion himself confesses to being guilty of being greedy and eating sheep, goats, bulls, stags, and even a shepherd now and then. The Fox downplays the Lion’s crimes and implies that it is not a crime to eat sheep or shepherds. There are links included to download the story as an ebook in PDF format.
78. The farmer and his sons: A father tells his sons about a hidden treasure on their farm and urges them to search for it after his death. The sons diligently search the entire farm but find no gold. However, they realize that the treasure their father spoke of was the wealth of the bountiful harvest they had reaped, which gave them a greater profit than any of their neighbors. The story emphasizes the importance of hard work and the rewards it can bring. The post also includes a link to download the story as an ebook.
79. The Goose and the Golden Egg: The story is about a farmer who owns a magical goose that lays a golden egg every day. The farmer becomes greedy and impatient, wanting all the eggs at once. He decides to kill the goose and take the eggs, but upon doing so, he finds that there are no eggs inside, and the goose is dead. A lesson in not being greedy and appreciating what you already have.
80. Theseus and the Minotaur: A young man named Theseus sets out on a journey to visit his father, the king, defeating monsters and robbers along the way. After arriving and hearing about the monster that lives in the labyrinth of the cruel king Milos, Theseus proposes to be one of the seven young men sent to be devoured by the Minotaur, with the intention of killing it and freeing Athens from the deadly annual sacrifice. With the help of Milos’ daughter, Ariadne, he succeeds, but forgets to exchange his ship’s black sails for white sails as a signal that he’s alive. Thinking his son is dead, the king jumps off a cliff and dies. Despite the tragedy, Theseus becomes a beloved king and leads Athens to prosperity.
81. Sparrow’s search for the rain: In a village near the sea in India, a beautiful and gentle girl was sought after by many suitors, but she rejected them all for their small-mindedness. Eventually, the young men of the village swore to bring her sorrow, and banished Whirlwind, who was guilty of a wicked prank against her. With Whirlwind went his blind best friend, Rain, who couldn’t bear living without him. Their absence caused great hardship in the land, and the people sent out many animals to find them to no avail, until Sparrow succeeded by following a feather held in his beak. Sparrow convinced Whirlwind and Rain to return to the village, where their presence brought life back to the Atlantic Coast. In gratitude, the Chief promised not to hunt or kill Sparrows, as they had been instrumental in finding the Rain.
82. The tears of princess Prunella: In “The Tears of Princess Prunella,” a princess is bored and wants a playmate. She chooses a deaf boy, the son of the court musician, to be her playmate. The boy does not hear any sound that is not beautiful, so when the princess cries, he cannot hear her. He leaves the castle and goes on a journey to learn how to become a “real sweet boy.” He returns to comfort the princess when she pricks her finger and kisses all her fingers until he finds the one that is injured, and he heals it. The princess and the boy have different opinions about the beauty of sounds from the city versus the forest, but it does not affect their happiness.

In conclusion, the Top 82 Stories for 5th Graders is an amazing collection that captivates young readers with a wonderful mix of tales, ranging from adventures, mystery, fantasy, and even real-life stories. These stories not only entertain, but also help in building essential skills like vocabulary, comprehension, and critical thinking. As 5th grade students explore and dive into the diverse experiences of the characters, they learn more about the world around them and experience the joys of reading. So, get ready to embark on a literary journey with these magical stories and spark your curiosity and imagination!