Three Amazing Short Stories to Think About

These three stories talk about the importance of looking beyond appearances. If we only look at the surface, we won't realize the hidden forces that move reality. Read them here!
Three Amazing Short Stories to Think About

Last update: 17 June, 2020

Today, we bring you three amazing short stories to think about. They’re all anonymous. However, people have been talking about them for many years, to the point where they’ve become part of their cultures. All of them aim to provide a valuable lesson

These three amazing short stories talk about situations where two different realities face each other. One of them is on the surface, which is why it seems to be real. The other one is hidden. Therefore, no one notices it at first glance.

“All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost.”

-J. R. R. Tolkien-

Now, all these amazing short stories to think about have a goal. They want to make us realize that sometimes things aren’t what they may seem. If we really want to understand the world, we shouldn’t remain only in appearance. Instead, it’s necessary to ask ourselves the reasons behind our surroundings.

1. The frog and the rose – One of the amazing short stories to think about

This story talks about balance. It goes like this. Once upon a time, there was a red rose. Every single person would talk about how it was the most beautiful flower in the entire garden. The rose felt thrilled when they complimented her. However, she wanted to be seen more closely. She didn’t understand why everyone would always look at her from a distance.

Closeup of a red rose.

One day, it noticed a huge dark frog sitting very close. The frog wasn’t handsome at all, with his dull color and ugly spots. Also, his eyes were too big to the point where they’d scare anyone. The rose then realized that no one ever came close to her because of the animal.

Immediately, she ordered the frog to leave. How come the frog never realized how bad he was making the rose look? The frog, very humble and obedient, accepted immediately. He didn’t want to bother the rose, so he left.

Within a few days, the rose began to decay. Her leaves and petals began to fall. Nobody wanted to look at her anymore. All of a sudden, a lizard went by and saw the rose crying. He asked her what was wrong and she told him that the ants were killing her. Then, the lizard said what the rose already knew: “The frog ate the ants and kept you beautiful”.

2. The tale of two frogs

This is the second of the three amazing short stories to think about. It talks about the power other people’s opinions may have on us. Once upon a time, there was a large group of frogs that would always go to the forest to hang out and have fun. They all sang and jumped until nightfall. They’d always laugh very hard and were inseparable.

One day, on their usual departure, they decided to go to a new forest. In the middle of their usual games, three of them fell into a deep pit none of them had noticed before. The rest were shocked. They looked towards the bottom of the pit and saw that it was too deep. “We lost them”, they said.

The three fallen frogs tried to climb the walls of the pit, but it was very difficult. They were barely a foot ahead and fell again. The others began to comment that their efforts were useless. How were they going to manage to climb such a high wall? They thought they should just give up. There was nothing to do.

Two of the frogs heard those comments and began to surrender. They thought that the others were right. The third frog, on the other hand, continued to climb and fall, but after a couple of hours, it managed to get to the surface. The others were amazed. One of them asked, “How did you do it?” but the frog didn’t answer. It was deaf.

A frog sitting on a plant.

3. The fearful lion

This is the last story we have for you today and it talks about fear. It begins in a beautiful African savanna, where a lion had just lost its group. He’d been walking for 20 days straight from one place to another and couldn’t find his herd. He was hungry and thirsty, but also very scared of being alone.

At last, he spotted a freshwater pond. He ran towards it with all his strength. He was dying of thirst and needed to drink some of that vital liquid at all costs. However, when he reached the shore, he saw the image of a thirsty lion over the water. So he decided to run away. “The pond already has an owner,” he thought.

That night he decided to stay close by, but he didn’t dare to go back to the pond. If the lion who owned the place showed up, he would probably attack him for messing with his property. And he wasn’t in a position to face anyone. One more day passed and the sun was intense.

He couldn’t stand the thirst anymore so he decided to take a risk. He couldn’t stand it anymore. So he cautiously approached the pond and, when he reached the shore, he saw the lion once again. However, he was so thirsty that he didn’t care. He stuck his head in to drink from that freshwater. At that exact moment, the lion disappeared: the scary lion he’d been seeing was his own reflection. That’s how fears are: they disappear when we face them.

A lion drinking water from a pond, just as the one from the amazing short stories to think about.

“The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.”

-Aristotle-


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.


  • Cabiya, P. (1999). Historias tremendas. Isla Negra Editores.

This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.