Mel and His One Thousand Shoes
Mel the millipede is proud of his thousand shoes until a flood washes them away and a kind moth saves him, in a short audiobook for young children.
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What is Mel and His One Thousand Shoes about?
Mel and His One Thousand Shoes is an audiobook for young children about a proud millipede who learns that friends matter more than the things we own.
Mel lives on a farm near a well and loves collecting shoes. He has 950, and every day he searches for more, until at last he has a thousand. He cleans each one with care and tells everyone he is the richest bug around. A friendly snail reminds him that Allah has said it is not good to be too proud, but Mel will not listen: he is better than everyone, he says. Yet he is not happy. His shoes are too fancy for play and too heavy for fun, and he sits alone watching the other bugs fly their kites.
One stormy night a moth knocks on his door to warn him of a flood. Mel thinks it is a trick to steal his shoes and goes back to sleep. He wakes to water everywhere and almost drowns trying to save his shoes. The moth comes back to help him, and at last Mel lets go of every one. Safe on dry ground, he hugs the moth and says sorry to the other bugs for thinking he was better than them. Now he has no shoes, they tell him, he can play with them. He lost his shoes, but he found friends.
Written by Somaya Zamoradi and read by Sarah Aga, the story takes about four minutes and is music-free.
What your child will learn
- Being proud and thinking we are better than others does not make us happy.
- Friends are worth more than the things we own.
- We should listen when someone warns us of danger.
- Saying sorry when we have been unkind helps us make friends again.
- Allah does not like us to be proud and boastful.
Where this audiobook comes from
- Surah Luqman 31:18: Do not turn your cheek away from people in pride, nor walk proudly on the earth. Allah does not like anyone who is arrogant and boastful.
Talk about it afterwards
- Why was Mel not happy, even when he had a thousand shoes?
- What did the snail tell Mel about being proud?
- Why did Mel not believe the moth?
- How do you think Mel felt when he let go of his shoes?
- What would you like to share with a friend?
Frequently asked questions
What does Mel and His One Thousand Shoes teach children?
That being proud of what we own does not make us happy, and that friendship and kindness matter more than things.
How long is Mel and His One Thousand Shoes?
About 4 minutes.
Does Mel and His One Thousand Shoes have music?
No. It is music-free.
