Story writing with hints is one of the most fun parts of your English exam. You get a few clues, and you join them to make a full story. On this page, you will find 10 short stories with hints, written in easy words for Class 4 students. Read them, enjoy them, and then try writing your own!
How to Write a Short Story from Hints
1. Read all the hints carefully. Find out who is in the story and what happens.
2. Give your story a title. Keep it short, like “The Thirsty Crow”.
3. Start the story well. Begin with “Once upon a time” or “Long ago” and tell where the story happens.
4. Use all the hints in the same order. Add small details and a little talking between the characters.
5. Write in the past tense and end with a moral. The moral is the lesson of the story, in one line.
The Thirsty Crow Story with Hints
Hints: A hot summer day … a crow feels very thirsty … looks for water … finds a pot with a little water … cannot reach it … drops pebbles one by one … water comes up … drinks and flies away happily
The Thirsty Crow
It was a hot summer day. The sun was shining brightly. A crow was flying in the sky. He was very thirsty. He looked here and there for water, but he could not find any.
At last, he saw a pot under a tree. He flew down quickly. But there was only a little water at the bottom of the pot. His beak could not reach it.
The crow did not give up. He saw some pebbles lying nearby. He had an idea! He picked up the pebbles one by one and dropped them into the pot. Slowly, the water came up.
The crow drank the cool water and flew away happily.
Moral: Where there is a will, there is a way.
The Fox and the Grapes Story with Hints
Hints: A hungry fox … sees grapes hanging high on a vine … jumps to get them … cannot reach … tries again and again … gets tired … says the grapes are sour … walks away
The Fox and the Grapes
One day, a fox was walking in a forest. He was very hungry. He had not eaten anything since morning.
Soon, he saw a bunch of juicy grapes hanging from a vine. The grapes were high up. “Yummy! These grapes will fill my tummy,” said the fox.
He jumped high to catch them, but he could not reach. He tried again and again. He jumped from the left. He jumped from the right. But the grapes were too high.
At last, the fox got tired. He looked up at the grapes and said, “These grapes are sour anyway. I do not want them.” Then he walked away.
Moral: It is easy to dislike what we cannot get.
The Lion and the Mouse Story with Hints
Hints: A lion sleeping in the forest … a little mouse runs over him … lion wakes up angry … mouse begs to be let go … lion laughs and lets it go … lion gets caught in a hunter’s net … mouse cuts the net … lion is free … they become friends
The Lion and the Mouse
A big lion was sleeping under a tree. A little mouse came there and started running up and down on his back.
The lion woke up. He was very angry. He caught the mouse in his big paw. “Please let me go,” cried the mouse. “One day, I will help you.” The lion laughed. “How can a tiny mouse help a king like me?” But he let the mouse go.
A few days later, the lion got caught in a hunter’s net. He roared loudly for help. The mouse heard him and came running. It cut the net with its sharp teeth. Soon, the lion was free.
The lion thanked the mouse. From that day, they became good friends.
Moral: No one is too small to help others.
The Ant and the Grasshopper Story with Hints
Hints: Summer season … ant works hard to collect food … grasshopper sings and plays … laughs at the ant … winter comes … grasshopper has no food … goes to the ant … ant gives him food … grasshopper learns a lesson
The Ant and the Grasshopper
It was summer. A little ant was busy all day. She carried grains of food to her home, one by one.
A grasshopper lived nearby. He sang and danced all day long. He laughed at the ant. “Why do you work so hard? Come and play with me!” The ant said, “I am saving food for winter. You should do the same.”
Soon, winter came. It was very cold, and there was no food anywhere. The grasshopper was hungry and weak.
He went to the ant’s house and asked for help. The kind ant gave him some food. The grasshopper said, “I am sorry. From now on, I will also work hard.”
Moral: Work hard today to be ready for tomorrow.
The Hare and the Tortoise Story with Hints
Hints: A proud hare … makes fun of a slow tortoise … tortoise asks for a race … race begins … hare runs fast … sleeps under a tree … tortoise keeps walking … tortoise wins the race
The Hare and the Tortoise
A hare lived in a forest. He could run very fast, and he was very proud of it. One day, he saw a tortoise walking slowly. “You are so slow!” laughed the hare.
The tortoise said calmly, “Let us have a race. We will see who wins.” The hare laughed again, but he agreed.
The race began. The hare ran very fast and was soon far ahead. “I have lots of time. Let me take a little nap,” he thought. He lay down under a tree and fell asleep.
The tortoise did not stop. He kept walking slowly and steadily. He passed the sleeping hare and reached the finish line.
When the hare woke up, he ran fast. But it was too late. The tortoise had won the race!
Moral: Slow and steady wins the race.
The Dog and its Reflection Story with Hints
Hints: A hungry dog … finds a bone … crosses a bridge over a river … sees his reflection in the water … thinks it is another dog with a bigger bone … barks to grab it … his bone falls into the river … goes home hungry
The Dog and its Reflection
Once, there was a hungry dog. He looked for food all day. At last, he found a big bone. He was very happy. He held it in his mouth and walked towards home.
On the way, he had to cross a small bridge over a river. He looked down into the water. There, he saw another dog with a bone in its mouth. It was his own reflection, but he did not know it.
“That bone looks bigger than mine. I want it too,” thought the greedy dog. He opened his mouth to bark at the other dog. Splash! His bone fell into the river and was gone.
The foolish dog went home sad and hungry.
Moral: Greed makes us lose what we have.
The Fox and the Crow Story with Hints
Hints: A crow finds a piece of bread … sits on a tree … a clever fox sees it … praises the crow’s sweet voice … asks her to sing … crow opens her beak to sing … bread falls down … fox eats it and runs away
The Fox and the Crow
One morning, a crow found a piece of bread. She flew up and sat on a tree branch to eat it.
A fox was passing by. He saw the bread and wanted it. He was very clever. He came under the tree and said, “Good morning, dear crow! You look so beautiful today. I am sure your voice is very sweet, too. Will you sing a song for me?”
The crow felt very happy to hear such nice words. She forgot all about the bread. She opened her beak and began to sing, “Caw! Caw!”
At once, the bread fell down. The fox caught it, ate it, and ran away. The crow felt very foolish.
Moral: Do not trust those who praise you too much.
The Ant and the Dove Story with Hints
Hints: A thirsty ant goes to a river … slips and falls into the water … a dove sees her … drops a leaf … ant climbs onto the leaf and is saved … a hunter aims at the dove … ant bites the hunter’s foot … hunter misses … dove flies away safely
The Ant and the Dove
One hot day, a little ant went to a river to drink water. Suddenly, she slipped and fell into the water. “Help! Help!” she cried.
A dove was sitting on a tree near the river. She saw the ant in danger. Quickly, she plucked a leaf and dropped it into the water. The ant climbed onto the leaf. The leaf floated to the bank, and the ant was safe. She thanked the kind dove.
A few days later, a hunter came to the forest. He saw the dove and aimed his arrow at her. The ant saw this. She ran to the hunter and bit his foot hard. “Ouch!” shouted the hunter. His arrow missed, and the dove flew away safely.
Moral: If you help others, they will help you too.
The Boy Who Cried Wolf Story with Hints
Hints: A shepherd boy looks after sheep … feels bored … shouts “Wolf! Wolf!” for fun … villagers come running … no wolf … boy laughs … plays the trick again … a real wolf comes … boy shouts for help … nobody comes … wolf attacks the sheep
The Boy Who Cried Wolf
Raju was a shepherd boy. Every day, he took his sheep to a hill near his village. He sat there all day while the sheep ate grass. He often felt bored.
One day, he thought of a trick. He shouted, “Wolf! Wolf! Please help!” The villagers heard him and came running with sticks. But there was no wolf. Raju laughed loudly. The villagers were angry and went back.
A few days later, Raju played the same trick again. Once more, the villagers came running and found no wolf.
Then one evening, a real wolf came. Raju was scared. He shouted, “Wolf! Wolf! Help me!” But this time, nobody came. They thought he was lying again. The wolf attacked the sheep and carried many of them away. Raju cried and learnt his lesson.
Moral: Nobody believes a liar, even when he tells the truth.
The Cap Seller and the Monkeys Story with Hints
Hints: A cap seller going to a village … feels tired … rests under a tree … falls asleep … monkeys take his caps … he wakes up and sees monkeys wearing caps … gets an idea … throws his own cap on the ground … monkeys copy him … he collects the caps and goes away happily
The Cap Seller and the Monkeys
Once, there was a cap seller. He carried a big basket full of colourful caps. One hot afternoon, he was walking to a village to sell them.
On the way, he felt very tired. He sat down under a big tree to rest and soon fell fast asleep.
Many monkeys lived on that tree. They came down quietly, took all the caps and climbed back up.
When the cap seller woke up, his basket was empty! He looked up and saw the monkeys wearing his caps. He waved his hands at them. The monkeys also waved their hands.
Then he got an idea. He took off his own cap and threw it on the ground. The monkeys also threw their caps down. The cap seller quickly picked them up and went away happily.
Moral: Think calmly to solve a problem.
Practice: Write Your Own Story
Now it is your turn! Use these hints to write your own stories. Give each story a title and a moral.
1. A little bird builds a nest on a tree … a big storm comes … the nest breaks … the bird does not lose hope … builds a new nest … lives happily
2. Two friends, Meena and Sona … find a lost puppy on the road … take care of it … look for its owner … find the owner … the owner thanks them
3. A greedy monkey … puts his hand in a jar of nuts … grabs a big handful … hand gets stuck … drops some nuts … hand comes out easily
4. A lazy boy does not do his homework … teacher asks for it … he feels ashamed … decides to study every day … gets good marks in the exam
5. An old woman plants a mango tree … children laugh at her … she says it is for others … many years later … children eat sweet mangoes … they thank her
FAQs
How long should a story be in Class 4?
A story of about 100 to 150 words is good for Class 4. Always follow the word limit given in your question paper.
Do I need to give my story a title?
Yes. A short title makes your story look complete. You can use the name of the main character, like “The Thirsty Crow”.
Is it necessary to write a moral?
Most teachers like to see a moral at the end. Write it in one short line that matches your story.
How are marks given for story writing?
Marks may differ from school to school. Teachers check if you used all the hints in the right order, wrote correct sentences with good spelling, and added a title and a moral.
