Do you ever wonder why stories about friendship are now seldomly told? Well, I do. Friendship is one of the most preached topics while being among the most dumped subjects. It entails several values that are often sacrificed for selfish reasons. This makes it necessary to keep propagating the idea of friendship with every message we pass to the world.
One of the benefits of Friendship is the joy that comes with having a companion, someone to trust, and someone to share things with. Below are some short stories about friendship.
15 Short Stories About Friendship And Moral Lessons
- After The Race by James Joyce (1914)
This short story centers on the aftermath of a car race. Jimmy Doyle and his friends have fun to the fullest in Dublin. The story refers to the actions of friends trying to fit into a lifestyle of affluence but it doesn’t give much lessons central to friendship.
Moral Lessons:
- Excessive desire to fit in can be destructive.
- Jasmine Girl by Jey Manokaran (2017)
This tells the story of a young girl who desires a big doll and works hard to make enough money for it. When she eventually gets more than enough money, she realizes what was more important than getting herself a doll. She selflessly uses the money to get an expensive medicine for her ill brother. Eventually, her best friend buys her the doll.
Moral Lessons:
- Making others happy can make you happy.
- Friends look out for one another.
- Telemachus, Friend by O. Henry (1907)
This is a funny story that also talks about true friendship. Two friends are attracted to the same woman so they decide that the one who is able to attract her will get to marry her. They also agree to only make advances at her in the presence of one another. At the end of it all, both friends stay true to it. The story starts with a man named Telemachus and his mutilated ear telling a story of how his ear got to be. It ends with an unexpected twist but more joyful than expected.
Moral Lessons:
- Friendship comes with mutual trust.
- The Beast in the Jungle by Henry James (1903)
This is a novella about the friendship between a man and a woman, Marcher and Bartram. For several years, the two enjoyed each other’s company. Bartram suggested that they get married but Marcher feared that it would only be a burden on him. They maintain their friendship till Bartram dies. Marcher lives on and comes across a man crying over a grave. He realizes that he has never given himself the chance to love someone so much and he had rejected Bartram.
Moral Lessons:
- Love is capable of lasting a lifetime.
- Love can hardly grow if not allowed.
- Friends by Grace Paley. (1979)
This is another beautiful short story that evokes strong and relatable emotions by centering on how powerless we can be in some situations that affect our loved ones. The story follows three women, including the narrator, visiting their fourth friend on her deathbed. On their way home, they are saddened by their inability to help or save their friend.
Moral Lessons:
- Friends share everything including emotions and pain.
- There is always joy in helping out a friend.
- Pretty mouth and Green eyes by J.D. Salinger. (1951)
This takes Friendship lessons from another angle. It tells the story of three people in a love triangle and how much their relationship is contaminated with virtually every poison; deceit, envy, unfaithfulness, secrecy, and lies.
Moral lessons:
- A relationship can only survive if both parties are invested in it.
- Deceit should have no way in any relationship.
- MVP by Clare Mishica
MVP is a short form for “Most Valuable Player” in this story. This tells the story of Derek who desperately wants to be tagged as the Most Valuable Player on the team. Considering Cole to be a better player, he strives hard to get ahead and starts to make selfish decisions which get in the way of the team. He soon learns to put his selfish aims aside and put the team ahead. By working together with the rest of the team, they are able to win a trophy.
Moral Lessons:
- Friendship matters more than personal glorification
- There is more joy in working as a team than working alone.
- Jack and Jill by Louissa M. Alcott
This is a story inspired by a nursery rhyme of the same title, “Jack and Jill.” It tells the story of two friends who sustained grievous injuries while playing on a hill. Their parents take care of them and, with the help of their other friends, they are able to get through the healing process easier and faster.
Moral Lessons:
- The spirit of friendship can cure all things
- Friendship and love are sources of happiness.
- The Devoted Friend by Oscar Wilde (1888)
This short story refers to the actions of two friends and how the selfishness of one leads to the death of the other. Hugh brags about his friendship with Hans but he only takes from his friend without giving anything in return. One day, Hugh’s son has an accident and Hugh seeks his friend’s help in getting the doctor. Hans asks to borrow Hugh’s lantern to help him see in the dark but Hugh refuses to lend it. Hans wanders into the dark and drowns in a water-filled hole.
Moral Lessons:
- Friendship comes with a natural devotion.
- A true friend will be selfless.
- Friendship in deed is more valued than friendship in words.
- Where I’m Calling From by Raymond Carver (1982)
This tells the story of a man trying to get rid of his alcohol addiction. The plot centers on his attempts to call his girlfriend and his estranged wife from the rehabilitation center he is in.
Moral Lessons: 1. There is a need for friendship and human connection. 2. Value what you have. Don’t wait till it’s gone.
Read Also: Friendship moral stories in English
- Fur by Saki (1914)
This tells the story of two close friends and how an unwillingness to make sacrifices breaks their Friendship apart. Eleanor helps Suzanne in convincing her cousin to get her an expensive gift. However, when she asks for Suzanne’s help, Suzanne refuses. Eleanor feels betrayed and, to exact her revenge, she convinces Suzanne’s cousin to get a less valued gift for Suzanne while taking the expensive one for herself.
Moral Lessons:
- Be ready to make sacrifices for friendship.
- Selfishness can get in the way of friendship.
- Two wrongs don’t make right.
- Standing Out In The Herd by Cecil Dzwowa (2018)
This tells the story of an orphaned giraffe finds a new family among a herd of domesticated cattle. Its difference from the pack was too massive to be unnoticed however the difference didn’t make the herd feel less like home for the giraffe. Rather than being isolated, the giraffe was able to fit in and the herd was able to use their individual differences to grow stronger together.
Moral Lessons:
- Differences do not necessarily have to stand in the way of friendship
- In cooperation and togetherness, groups can help one another and grow stronger.
- Jared to the Rescue by Carole Buckman (2015)
This tells the story of two rival classmates whose relationship with each other changes after one act of kindness. Jared and Jessica detest each other till Jared tends to Jessica’s kittens and Jessica reacts to this by treating Jared better. They soon become friends.
Moral Lessons:
- Never judge a person till you know who they really are
- One act of kindness can change people.
- Enemy Pie by Derek Munson (2000)
A boy’s perfect summer is disrupted when a kid named Jeremy Ross moves into the neighborhood and becomes tagged number one enemy. His father, however, has a recipe that never fails to get rid of enemies. This formula involves the boy spending time with his so-called enemy. Jeremy, the enemy, soon becomes his best friend.
Moral Lessons:
- The best way to get rid of an enemy is through friendship
- You never know people till you get to spend time with them
- Circle Round by Anne Sibley O’Brien (2021)
A kid waves to another and another and another till there are a lot of people to play with it. This is a children story that shows how accommodation is a form of kindness and can be beneficial to both the receiver and the giver. It’s also shown as a way of making new friends.
Moral Lessons:
- The ease of making new friends
- Benefits of accommodating Lessons
- How kindness also soothes its giver.
Conclusion
The above list gives suggestions of stories about friendship you can read to your children at night. However, you shouldn’t fail to point out the morals, no matter how interesting and funny they are.
The list also has short stories and novellas directed at adults. Friendship equally has to be preached to grown-ups so we don’t forget the true values we grew up with and the ones we should pass on to the next generation.
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