Children Without Shame story
"Children Without Shame" is a well-known fable from African folklore. The story goes like this:
Once upon a time, there was a small village in Africa where all the children were taught to be respectful and modest. They were trained to never speak out of turn or behave in a way that would bring shame to their families.
One day, a group of travelers came to the village. Among them was a mischievous boy who had never been taught how to be respectful. He ran around the village, shouting and causing chaos wherever he went.
The other children in the village were amazed by his behavior. They had never seen anyone act so shamelessly before. They began to imitate him, running around and shouting just like he did.
The adults in the village were appalled. They scolded the children and tried to teach them the error of their ways. But the children just laughed and continued to behave as they pleased.
Finally, one of the elders of the village came up with a plan. He called all the children together and asked them to gather sticks and stones from the surrounding fields.
The children eagerly did as they were told, thinking it was a game. But when they returned to the village, the elder began to stack the sticks and stones into a pile.
He explained to the children that each time they behaved shamefully, they would have to add a stick or stone to the pile. And every time they did something good, they could take a stick or stone away.
The children were skeptical at first, but they soon realized that the elder was serious. They began to watch their behavior more carefully, trying to avoid doing anything that would add to the pile.
Slowly but surely, the pile of sticks and stones began to shrink. The children learned to be respectful and modest once again, and the mischievous boy who had started it all learned to behave himself as well.
From that day on, the village was known for its well-behaved children. And whenever anyone misbehaved, they were reminded of the pile of sticks and stones and the lesson it had taught.
