To Tell the Truth – Moral Story About Honesty

The Story

The teacher was angry, "Who did this??"

The children were sitting in silence in the classroom, wondering what had happened. The teacher showed a broken glass and again asked: “Who broke this window?”

“Oh no!” I thought. It was I who broke the window. I didn't do it on purpose. It was an accident while I was working on my baseball knuckleball.

I started to get on my nerves. Why, why, why was it my responsibility? I'd be in a lot of trouble if I admitted my mistake. How will I afford to cover such a high window price? I didn't even receive pocket money.

I thought my father will be very angry.

My heart said, "You can't raise your hand, but you must do the right thing. After all, I picked up my courage and said, “I did it.”

Saying those three words was a hard thing to do, but I knew I had to tell the truth.

My teacher walked towards the shelves in the library and brought over a book. She then came towards my desk. I had never seen her hit a student before but I knew that if she did it would be with the book.

But instead she gazed at my guilty face and replied,

I know how much you love birds and here is the field guide about birds that you are always looking at, and here is another one for the school, so you can keep this one.

I was surprised!

She went on, “This book is yours, and you will not be punished as long as you remember one thing: I am not rewarding you for breaking the window, I am rewarding you for telling the truth.”

I knew at the time that there was something of significance that I learned. It takes courage to admit a mistake, but it is being honest that makes us a better human being.

Moral of the Story

Tell the truth, even if you're afraid of the consequences! It is humanly possible to make a mistake, but accepting responsibility and being honest is a true sign of character.

Be aware, being honest doesn't always avoid trouble, but it will always gain respect and trust.