Welcome to the Top 53 Stories About Helpfulness for kids to read online! This fantastic collection of bedtime stories has been carefully curated to engage children of all ages and inspire them to always lend a helping hand and be kind to others. These easy-to-read, short stories are available in a free PDF format, making them readily available for anyone to download, print, and enjoy. With beautiful pictures and captivating narratives, our stories are perfect for storytime, bedtime, or any time you want your child to learn something new while having fun.

The importance of Stories About Helpfulness cannot be overstated, as they instill a strong moral foundation that teaches children right from wrong, shaping them into kindhearted individuals. Our collection includes classic fairy tales, famous stories, and lesser-known gems, catering to both boys and girls. From early years (EYFS) to preschool, kindergarten, and elementary students, these stories will captivate the minds of young readers, while providing essential learning and educational experiences. This compilation features tales with audio narration so that children can listen and follow along, making the experience much more immersive. The assortment of longer read-aloud tales and shorter stories makes this perfect for story time, nighttime, and sleep. So, get ready to embark on an amazing adventure with this incredible assortment of good and fun stories, that perfectly complement your child’s bedtime routine! Happy reading!

Top 53 Stories About Helpfulness for kids to read online:

1. The Queen Bee: In this fairy tale, three brothers go on a journey together where they encounter an anthill, a lake full of ducks, a bee’s nest, and a castle. Each brother is tasked with completing a challenge in order to deliver the castle and marry the youngest princess. Simpleton, the youngest brother, finds success in his tasks with the help of the animals he spared along the way. He becomes a king and marries the princess, while his brothers marry the older sisters. An ebook of the story is available for download.
2. Pinocchio: This is a story about a wooden doll named Pinocchio who wants to go to school and earn enough money to buy his father a new coat. However, he gets easily distracted and ends up going on many adventures that teach him important lessons, such as the consequences of lying or skipping school. Pinocchio eventually turns into a donkey and is sold and mistreated, but his father and a fairy come to his rescue. In the end, Pinocchio becomes a real boy and he and his father live happily ever after.
3. The Snow Queen: This is a story about an evil troll who made a mirror that only reflected ugly and bad things. The mirror broke into countless pieces, and anyone who got a shard in their eye saw only bad things, while a shard in their heart turned it to ice. One day, Kay got a shard in his eye and heart and disappeared with the Snow Queen. His friend Gerda went looking for him and finally found him. Gerda’s warm tears thawed Kay’s frozen heart, and they returned home as grownups but still the same children at heart. The story teaches the power of love and the importance of never giving up on someone you care about.
4. The Travelling Companion: The story is about a boy named Johannes who goes on a journey after his father’s death. He meets a strange travelling companion who has magical skills and helps him win the hand of an evil princess by solving three riddles. The companion then reveals that he was the dead man whose debt Johannes paid to two bad men, and he disappears. Johannes and the princess live happily ever after. An ebook version of the story is available for download.
5. Thumbelina: The story is about a woman who wants a child and is given a special barley grain by an old witch to plant. When the barley sprouts, a little girl no bigger than a thumb emerges, and they call her Thumbelina. She is later taken by a toad to be a bride for her son, but she escapes and goes on an adventure, finally finding happiness with a fairy prince who names her Maja. The story is available to download as a PDF to read offline.
6. The Happy Prince: The story is about a statue of a prince who sees the sorrow of the town he overlooks and cries tears of lead. When a little swallow visits him, the prince asks the bird to help the poor by delivering his sapphire eyes and gold leaves to those in need. As the swallow stays with the prince, it grows to love him and eventually dies at his feet. God chooses the swallow and the prince to live happily ever after in his golden town and paradise.
7. Mother Holle: The story is about a widow with two daughters, an ugly and lazy daughter, and a beautiful and diligent one. The mother favored the ugly daughter and made the younger one do all the house chores. While spinning one day, the younger daughter accidentally dropped her coil into a well and jumped in after it, finding herself in a green meadow. She helped an old woman named Mother Holle, who rewarded her when she returned home by showering her with gold. The lazy daughter tried to do the same and was punished with tar instead of gold.
8. The Gnomes: In this story, gnomes come out at night to help the citizens of Cologne in their work. They make bread for the baker, cut wood for the carpenter, make wine for the winemaker, and turn meat into sausages for the butcher. However, when the wife of the tailor tries to see the gnomes by sprinkling peas on the floor, she scares them off, and they are never seen again. The story ends with the citizens having to do all their own work, missing the help of the hardworking and helpful gnomes.
9. The Six Servants: This is a story about a prince who wants to marry a beautiful princess, but must complete three challenges to win her hand. He sets out with six unique servants who each have their own special abilities. Together they overcome the queen’s challenges, but the princess tests the prince one last time by asking him to stand in fire for three days. The servants help him again, and the prince reveals to his wife that he is not actually a prince, but a pig keeper. The princess is shocked but eventually sees the error in her prideful ways, and they live happily ever after.
10. My Lord Bag of Rice: The story is about a brave warrior named Hidesato who helps the Dragon King of the Lake to defeat a monstrous centipede that has been terrorizing the dragon’s family. After successfully accomplishing the task, Hidesato receives four magical gifts from the dragon, including a bag of rice that refills itself, a roll of silk that never shortens, and a pan that cooks delicious meals no matter what is thrown in it. Because of these gifts, he becomes known as My Lord Bag of Rice.
11. The Old Woman and Her Pig: An old woman found a coin while cleaning and decided to buy a pig from the market. On the way home, she encountered obstacles and sought help from a dog, a stick, fire, water, an ox, a butcher, a rope, a rat, and a cat to get the pig over a steep hill. Each one refused until the cat agreed to kill the rat if the woman brought it some milk from a cow. The woman succeeded and the cat killed the rat, which led to a chain reaction of events that enabled the old woman to return home that evening with her pig.
12. A Christmas Carol: This story is about a stingy businessman named Ebenezer Scrooge who hates Christmas and treats everyone poorly. But one night, he is visited by three ghosts who show him his past, present, and future. After seeing the consequences of his actions, Scrooge decides to change his ways and becomes a kind and generous man. He even makes up for his past mistakes by giving his loyal bookkeeper a raise and providing for a sick boy named Tiny Tim. Ultimately, Scrooge learns the true meaning of Christmas and becomes a happier person.
13. The Tortoise and the Ducks: The story is about a lazy tortoise who is unhappy about not being able to see the world due to carrying his house on his back. He meets a pair of ducks who offer to help him see the world by carrying him up in the air with a stick. However, as the tortoise opens his mouth to speak, he falls to the ground and dies. The story highlights the dangers of being foolish and talking too much. The link to download an ebook version of the story is provided.
14. The Elves and the Shoemaker: This story is about a poor shoemaker who, every morning, finds perfect pairs of shoes on his worktable, even though he didn’t make them himself. With the help of his wife, he discovers two little men who were responsible for the shoes. In gratitude, they make clothes and shoes for the little men. The shoemaker and his wife live happily ever after.
15. The Ant And The Dove: In this fable, a kind Dove saves an Ant from drowning by dropping a blade of straw to help it float to safety. Later on, when the same Dove is in danger of being killed by a man, the Ant repays the favor by stinging the man’s heel, causing him to miss his aim and allowing the Dove to fly away to safety. The story teaches the moral lesson that kindness should be repaid with kindness.
16. Snow-white and Rose-red: This story is about two sisters, Snow-white and Rose-red, and their encounters with a friendly bear and an ungrateful dwarf. The bear often visits their home and becomes their friend, but when he must leave, they are unaware of his true identity as a king’s son. Meanwhile, the dwarf causes trouble and ingratitude until he meets an unfortunate end. In the end, the girls marry two brothers and share in a great treasure, while their mother continues to live happily with her beloved rose-trees.
17. Uncle Wiggily makes a cherry pie: In this story, Uncle Wiggily meets Mr. Hedgehog who longs for cherry pie but has never been able to make it. Uncle Wiggily teaches Mr. Hedgehog how to make a cherry pie and they both enjoy it along with Percival the circus dog. Uncle Wiggily believes that it’s better to earn a fortune than to have it given to you. Later in the story, Uncle Wiggily sets off to find his fortune.
18. Zlatovlaska with the golden hair: In this story, a king who can talk to animals orders his cook to prepare a snake that allows whoever eats it to also communicate with animals. The cook tastes and hears the animals’ conversations on his journey to find a princess with beautiful golden hair for his own king. He completes three tasks to earn her hand in marriage, but after the wedding, the first king becomes jealous and kills the cook. The princess revives the cook with Water of Death and grants him eternal youth with Water of Life. The second king then stabs himself to become young again, but it doesn’t work, and the princess and cook live happily ever after as the new rulers.
19. The good sea monster: The story is about a sea monster who, despite being feared by sailors, actually helps them by showing them the way during storms. One night, the sea monster saves a boy named Ko-Ko and brings him to his island. Ko-Ko discovers that the sea monster is actually a kind creature, who has been cursed by an old witch, causing him to take on a monstrous form. With Ko-Ko’s help, the curse is lifted, and the sea monster turns back into an old man who is a sea-god. Ko-Ko and a little girl who was also rescued by the sea monster, live happily ever after on the enchanted island.
20. Puss in Boots junior and the three little kittens: In the story, “Puss in Boots Junior and the Three Little Kittens,” Puss Junior helps three kittens find their lost mittens and they promise to help him find his missing father. They search everywhere, but can’t find the mittens until a little mouse tells them they’re in the tool closet. The story ends happily as the kittens retrieve their mittens and everyone goes inside for pie. The story is available to download as a PDF ebook.
21. What happened Christmas eve: The story begins on Christmas Eve, with the frost fairies spreading snow and ice around for the festivities. Jessie and Fred can’t wait for Santa Claus to arrive, but they find a kitten on the rug instead. The family celebrates Christmas together and everyone wishes each other “Merry Christmas.” The story ends by offering an ebook version of the story for download.
22. Old Mother Bear’s Christmas stocking: In this short story, Old Mother Bear is knitting stockings for Santa Claus to fill on Christmas Eve. When various animal friends visit her and say they have no stockings, she gives them the ones she was making. As a result, on Christmas Eve, she has no stockings for Santa to fill. But her animal friends make her a new stocking and surprise her by hanging it up, filling it with gifts. Old Mother Bear and Santa Claus then dance together, and he wears new red socks knitted by her. The story emphasizes the importance of kindness and generosity.
23. Baba Yaga: A childless couple wishes for a child, and one day the wife manages to turn a stick into a real boy named Peter. When fishing on a river, Peter is called by a Baba Jaga, a terrible witch, but he cleverly avoids her, angers the witch, and ends up captured. The faithful servant of Peter’s mother goes to look for him, finds the house of the witch, and is advised by the witch’s cat to smear pitch on her eyes and help Peter run away. They succeed, but the Baba Jaga is left shouting and stamping for the pitch to come out of her eyes.
24. Was it the field fairy?: The story follows two orphans, Jack and Nina, who are taken in by a greedy man named Simon in exchange for working on his farm. Simon mistreats them and plans to sell their beloved cow to a butcher. However, at a stream, Jack meets a fairy who promises to help the cow. The fairy changes Simon into a kind man, and he becomes a loving guardian to the children. It’s unclear whether the fairy caused the changes, but Jack and Nina believe she did, while Cow only responds with “moo.”
25. The giant Energy and the fairy Skill: The story is about a young giant named Energy who is very willing to work but is considered too clumsy to be trusted with tasks. He tries to find work but always ends up breaking things. He meets a good woman who advises him to learn from Fairy Skill. Fairy Skill teaches him how to sort tangled threads, weave carpets, make cups and saucers, create chains and necklaces, and do other things. When he completes his training, Fairy Skill gives him three tasks to complete before he can leave to help in the world. Energy succeeds in making a beautiful carpet, a cup, and a chain. He returns to the good woman’s house and gives her the beautiful things he has made, and she becomes more beautiful than a queen.
26. The little dog and the big dog: Two dogs, Little Dog and Big Dog, set out to visit the king. Little Dog is scared of everything and barks at everything, whilst Big Dog is calm and only barks when he has something to say. They face different obstacles along the way, such as a river and a bear, but they manage to overcome them with bravery. Eventually, they reach the king’s palace and are rewarded for their bravery with a feast and a ride in the king’s carriage.
27. The Lonely Rose Picker: The story is about a rose picker named Mark who felt lonely after separating from his love. He picked every rose from the field and hid them when Valentine’s Day was around. The town had no roses, but a little girl named Lily comforted him and helped him distribute the roses to the town. Mark feels happy again, knowing that there is still kindness in the world. The story is available for download as an ebook (PDF).
28. The Snowman with a Cold: This is the story of a snowman named Frosty who caught a cold in a land of snow. The people in the land of snow tried to help Frosty by bringing him inside their warm houses, but this caused him to melt. A little girl then had the idea to put a hat and a scarf on Frosty, which kept him warm and prevented him from melting. From then on, the people continued to put hats and scarves on snowmen as a way to remember Frosty and how they helped him when he was sick. There is a downloadable ebook available to read offline or print.
29. A Christmas Tale of Friendship: The story is about a lonely stray cat who longed for warmth and comfort on a cold and dark Christmas Eve. He tried to find shelter in various places but was chased away every time. Finally, he found an older woman who invited him into her home, and they enjoyed a warm meal together. The cat and the woman became the best of friends and no longer felt lonely.
30. The Brave Little Boy and the Big Slide: The story is about a little boy named Huggy who decides to slide down the biggest slide at the playground, but he gets scared when he reaches the top. A friendly squirrel helps him overcome his fear by reminding him to believe in himself, and Huggy successfully slides down. From then on, Huggy feels confident that he can do anything he sets his mind to. A link to download the story as a PDF is provided.
31. The Ice Skating Rescue Squad: In a small town, a boy and his St. Bernard dog named Bernie would patrol the river on skates on the rare occasions when it froze over. They would help keep people and animals safe on the ice by looking out for danger. One day, they rescued a penguin, a cocoa seller, a little girl, and an elderly lady, all who were in danger of falling through the ice. At the end of the day, they were exhausted but fulfilled, happy to have helped keep everyone safe.
32. The Little Skater Who Could: The story follows the journey of a little girl named Lily who dreamed of becoming a figure skater. Despite all her efforts, Lily struggled to stay on her feet and keep her balance while skating. One night, a magical ice fairy visited her and told her the key to gliding over the ice was to let go. The next day, Lily let go of her fears and improved, eventually becoming a champion figure skater and fulfilling her dreams. The story aims to inspire readers to trust in themselves and let go of their fears.
33. The Reindeer Who Couldn’t Fly: The story is about a reindeer named Glow-Nose who lived in the North Pole but was too scared to fly with the other reindeer. They teased him for being afraid, but Santa Claus saw that Glow-Nose had a special gift: his nose could glow brighter than any other reindeer’s, which was important on foggy Christmas Eve nights. Santa encouraged Glow-Nose to believe in himself and practice flying, and eventually, he was able to lead the way with his bright nose and deliver presents to good boys and girls. Glow-Nose overcame his fear and learned that he was special and had an important job to do.
34. The Mistletoe Mystery: In a small town during Christmas season, the mistletoe, known for its beauty, had disappeared from the town square. A group of friends searched for the mistletoe in suspecting that one of the townspeople might have taken it for themselves. They later found the missing mistletoe in the woods where a family of squirrels had been nibbling on the berries. The friends decided to invite the squirrel family to the town’s Christmas feast. Everyone was happy and the Christmas spirit was restored to the town.
35. Uncle Wiggily’s Valentine: In this story, Uncle Wiggily makes a secret valentine for Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy. He hides it from her so he can surprise her with it later. However, on his way to leave the valentine on the steps, he hears a little girl crying because she doesn’t have a valentine to give to her teacher. Uncle Wiggily decides to give her the valentine instead. It’s made from evergreen sprigs with some lovely pink and white blossoms of the trailing arbutus—the earliest flower of Spring—growing under them. The little girl is thrilled and brings the valentine to her teacher, who is also impressed. Uncle Wiggily later leaves a valentine on the doorstep for Nurse Jane, telling her he loves her.
36. The Great Ice Storm: On a cold and icy day in a small village, the villagers were warned to avoid going outside due to a dangerous ice storm. However, some people still had to brave the icy roads to go to work or school. Amid the struggles of slipping and falling, a bright and resourceful girl suggested that they form a human chain and help each other as they made their way to their destinations. The idea worked, and to everyone’s surprise, they were able to make it safely to where they needed to be. The girl wasn’t done yet, and she gathered the school children to spread road salt and clear the icy roads. Through cooperation and hard work, they were able to overcome any obstacle.
37. The Flooded Cave: A caveman family in a cold cave moved to a new cave found by the eldest son. However, the youngest and wisest son was worried that the new cave might flood during heavy rain as it was collecting rainwater. Unfortunately, the family didn’t listen, and when heavy rain hit, the youngest son tried to warn them but failed. He then saved the family by scaring them out of the cave but got trapped inside and drowned. The family moved back to their old cave and disregarded the youngest son’s warning, assuming it was irresponsible of him not to leave in time.
38. The Brave Firefighters and the Stuck Koala Family: A family of koalas gets into trouble when their tree catches fire in the Australian bush. Trapped high up in their tree, the koalas are rescued by a team of brave firefighters who carry them to safety. The koalas express their thanks to the firefighters who worked hard in the face of numerous bushfires that swept across the country, destroying land, homes and properties, and claiming many animal lives. The koalas and their rescuers lived happily ever after, safe in a new beautiful home. An ebook version of the story is available for download.
39. The Little New Year: The story is about a boy named Maurice who hears a knock at his window and finds a little New Year asking for help to distribute blessings of love and kindness. Together, they go around delivering gifts to people in need until Maurice wakes up to find a new baby brother in his house, a gift from the New Year. The New Year tells Maurice that as long as people are kind and loving, his cart of blessings will never run out and invites Maurice to join him in spreading happiness all year long.
40. Ollie the Elephant Firefighter: The story is about an elephant named Ollie who dreams of becoming a firefighter and applies when the local fire department is recruiting. Despite his size and clumsiness, Ollie works hard to learn all the skills he needs and graduates from probationary school with flying colors. When he arrives at his first real fire, he feels hesitant, but when he hears his classmate in danger, he overcomes his fear and successfully saves him, proving his worth as a firefighter. Ollie feels a sense of pride and knows he has found his true calling.
41. The White Hare and the Crocodiles: In ancient Japan, a white hare on Oki Island wanted to cross the sea to Inaba. He tricked the crocodiles into forming a bridge of their bodies to walk across but then taunted and angered them, causing them to pull out all his fur as revenge. A kind fairy named Okuni-nushi-no-Mikoto helps the hare recover and advises him to roll on kaba flowers to make his fur grow again. The fairy and his brothers seek the hand of Princess Yakami but she chooses Okuni-nushi-no-Mikoto due to his kindness. The hare becomes famous as “The White Hare of Inaba.”
42. The Teacher’s Back to School Jitters: A preschool teacher named Jada felt anxious on the first day of school so she stood outside the school. In the classroom, her students noticed her absence and decided to cheer her up by making a large banner that said “Jada, we love you!” and finding her outside. Jada was touched but still hesitant to go inside and told her students that she missed one of her best teacher friends who had moved. The students comforted her and they discussed their back-to-school jitters, realizing that they could overcome them by supporting each other, leading them to have a great day together in the classroom.
43. Kanan, the boy in the jungle: The story is about a boy named Kanan who was adopted and raised by a group of friendly okapis in the jungle. Kanan loved exploring and learning about all the secrets of the jungle. However, there was one animal that did not like Kanan, a fierce tiger named Titan. One day, Titan got stuck in a fire and Kanan, with the help of his friends, rescued the tiger and treated his injuries. Titan realized that Kanan was indeed helpful and useful, and they made peace, ensuring the jungle was a safe place for all creatures.
44. Grandma’s Chicken Soup: A terrible flu outbreak strikes a small town, leaving everyone sick and miserable. A group of grandmothers decides to make a huge pot of chicken soup to help the town heal, but they don’t have a chicken. They ask Farmer Joe, who is also sick, for help, and he kindly provides them with a plump chicken. The grandmothers make the soup and bake fresh buns to accompany it, and the aroma of the soup brings people out of their homes to try it. The town slowly but surely recovers, and they decide to celebrate Chicken Soup Day every year in memory of the time when the grandmothers helped heal the town.
45. Bianca’s fall through the ice: In a winter wonderland, two best friends love ice skating. They know their way around the frozen lake, aware of its treachery. However, when they wander too far, one friend falls through the ice. Her friend springs into action and saves her, aided by their preparedness. Bianca uses her knowledge and stays calm while struggling to get out of the freezing water. They realize how lucky they are but continue ice skating with greater caution.
46. The Thrifty Squirrels: A family of thrifty and orderly squirrels living inside a hollow oak tree share their food with a poor and hungry rabbit who knocks on their door on a cold winter day. The squirrel family had carefully saved up half their food sources and thoughtfully prepared for the winter. They welcomed the rabbit warmly, fed him and kept him warm, but he eventually wanders off again. The rabbit learned a valuable lesson about prudence and thriftiness from the generous and kind squirrels. The story is available for download as an ebook in PDF format.
47. The Dream of Little Christel: The story is about a young girl named Christel who listens to a fairy in her dream and decides to make a difference in the world. She takes action and helps a crying baby and a wilting rose tree, realizing the power of small actions. The story emphasizes that even the youngest and humblest child can do something to make the world a better place.
48. Cleverness of a Sheep Dog: During a snowstorm in Scotland, three hundred sheep went missing and their farmers searched for them in vain. However, their faithful sheep dog, Rough, started to dig with his paws little holes and barking sharply, showing the men where the sheep were buried under the snowdrifts. With Rough’s help, the men were able to save most of the sheep. An ebook version of the story is available for download.
49. The Maker of Rainbows: The story is about a poor village named Twelve-Trees, where even the cats and dogs looked gloomy because of poverty. One November day, an old man with a strange device that looked like a knife sharpener and old umbrellas arrived in the village. As he walked through the streets, he sang a song with strange words and made rainbows from a child’s tears, turned Crazy Sally, a poor old woman, into a beautiful young girl, and turned barren fields into waving wheat fields. The village didn’t believe him until he said he was going to find a pot of gold located at the end of a rainbow, and then the villagers followed him. However, he disappeared mysteriously, and only the children remembered the rainbows.
50. Sunshine and her siblings: The story is about a wise and old spirit named Mother Nature and her many children, who sometimes misbehave and cause chaos. When Mother Nature falls asleep, her daughter Sunshine tries to keep everyone in line. However, when Rain and Eastwind get mad at her and wreak havoc, Sunshine seeks help from her siblings to restore order. When Mother Nature awakens, they all work together to get everything ready for springtime. In the end, they celebrate the spring festival together, and everything in the world is alright.
51. Dr. Dolittle and the Blabbermouths of the Ocean: In this story, Doctor Dolittle and his animal friends rescue a little boy locked up in a pirate ship’s rum room. The boy tells the doctor that his uncle, a fisherman, was taken by the pirates and may have been thrown overboard. Doctor Dolittle sends the porpoises to investigate and learns that the fishing boat had sunk but was empty. However, the uncle did not drown, and the animals give the little boy a ride in celebration. The story ends with links to download an ebook version.
52. Dr. Dolittle and the Leader of the Lions: In this story, John Dolittle is busy caring for sick monkeys, trying to separate the healthy from the sick and giving them shots. He then builds a big house to house the sick monkeys, but struggles to find enough help from other animals to care for them. After the leader of the lions insults him, the lioness queen angrily admonishes him and prompts the leader to return and offer assistance. With the help of the lions, leopards, antelopes, and other animals, Dolittle was able to nurse the monkeys back to health, and at the end of two weeks, they were all well.
53. The History of the Five Little Pigs: The story is about a family of five little pigs and their different behaviors. One little pig goes to the market, faces challenges, and comes back successful, while another wreaks havoc at home and faces consequences. Another little pig is well-behaved and helps his mother, and is rewarded with roast beef. The stubborn little pig, who doesn’t listen to his mother, gets sick after getting into a fight. The final little pig goes fishing and gets in trouble with a farmer, running home crying. Downloads for an ebook version of the story are available.

In conclusion, the Top 53 Stories About Helpfulness showcases the incredible power of kindness, empathy, and lending a helping hand. These stories not only entertain but also inspire children to follow the examples set by the characters and understand the importance of being helpful in their everyday lives. By reading these stories, children can learn the values of generosity, cooperation, and making a difference in the lives of others, which in turn encourages them to develop into socially responsible and compassionate individuals.