Stories About Sharing

This collection features a variety of stories about sharing, kindness, and friendship, celebrating moments where characters learn the value of generosity, community, and mutual support. From tales of animals and their adventures to the lessons learned by children, these stories explore themes that resonate across ages.

Friendship and Generosity

In The Devoted Friend, a gardener named Hans tirelessly helps his wealthy friend, the miller, despite never receiving anything in return. Hans’s selflessness and the miller’s lack of appreciation ultimately lead to a tragic outcome, highlighting the importance of mutual generosity. How Mr. Fox was Saved by his Friends shares a different lesson on friendship, as Mr. Fox, who initially hoards his resources, comes to understand the value of kindness and community after his friends save him during a fire. In The Thankful Mouse and Giddy the Cat, Thankful the Mouse teaches a predatory cat about gratitude and sharing, transforming what could have been a tense Thanksgiving encounter into a warm celebration of understanding and compassion.

Holiday Sharing and Traditions

Uncle Wiggily stories feature prominently in this theme, such as Uncle Wiggily’s Thanksgiving with Gobble Obble, where Uncle Wiggily and Nurse Jane meet a turkey who just wants to escape Thanksgiving dinner. They end up celebrating their friendship instead, showing that thankfulness is about company, not feasting. Similarly, in Millie and the True Spirit of Christmas, Millie, who feels disappointed with her Christmas gifts, learns to appreciate what she has by sharing with children less fortunate, embracing the holiday’s true spirit.

Tales of Kindness Between Animals

Many stories capture the goodwill animals share with one another, such as in Protective Wings, where pigeons risk their own safety to protect sparrows during a harsh winter. In Little Gustava and her Animals, a young girl lovingly shares her food with her pets, and their joy in sharing fills the air with happiness. The Farmer and the Bear also illustrates an animal partnership, with a bear and a farmer agreeing to split their harvest, though the bear finds the arrangement doesn’t always work out in his favor.

Misunderstandings and Forgiveness

Stories of reconciliation include Who Ate All the Blueberries?, where Sonny Squirrel and his friends confront a young boy, Leo, about missing blueberries. Their initial tension gives way to friendship, and they agree to pick berries together in the future. In The White Swan, two sisters argue over a porcelain swan, accidentally breaking it before their mother repairs it as a reminder to share in harmony.

Moral Lessons on Sharing

In The Dog in the Manger, a dog occupies a pile of hay, preventing the cattle from eating it even though he can’t use it himself, illustrating the consequences of unnecessary possessiveness. Meanwhile, The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox shows two powerful animals fighting over a small prey, only for a clever fox to take advantage of their squabble and enjoy the meal alone, underscoring the importance of cooperation.

These stories collectively provide readers with enjoyable and thought-provoking lessons on kindness, sharing, and the warmth of companionship.