The Turtle who could not stop talking
The Turtle who could not stop talking :
A turtle lived in a pond at the foot of the hill. Two young wild geese which were looking for food saw the turtle and talked with him. The next day the geese came again to visit the turtle and they become very well acquainted. Soon they were great friends.
“Friend turtle,” the geese said one day, “we have a beautiful home far away. We are going to fly back to it tomorrow. It will be a long and pleasant journey. Will you go with us?”
“How could I? I have no wings”, said the turtle.
“Oh, we will take you, if only you can keep your mouth shut and say not a word to anybody,” they said.
“I can do that” said the turtle, “Do take me with you. I will do exactly as you wish.”
So, the next day the geese brought a stick and they held the ends of it.
They said, “Now take the middle of this in your mouth and don’t say a word until we reach home.
The geese then sprang into the air with the turtle between them, holding fast to the stick.
The village people saw the two geese flying along with the turtle and cried out, “Oh, see the turtle up in the air and look at the geese carrying a turtle by a stick. Did you ever see anything more ridiculous in your life?”
The turtle looked down and began to say, “Well and if my friends carry me, what business is that of yours?” when he let go and fell dead at the feet of the people.
As the two geese flew on, they heard the people say, when they came to see the poor turtle, “That fellow could not keep his mouth shut. He had to talk and so lost his life.”
The Turtle who could not stop talking
Akbar and Birbal Stories
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