HOW THE TORTOISE GOT ITS SHELL
Long, long ago, in the days when animals talked and walked like humans, the tortoise was not slow, nor did it have a hard shell. In fact, he was known for being clever — sometimes too clever for his own good!
One year, a great feast was to be held in the sky by the birds. All the birds were invited, but not the tortoise. After all, he could not fly. But the tortoise, being the trickster he was, wanted to attend.
So, he went to the birds and said, “Dear friends! If you each lend me a feather, I will make wings and join you in the sky for the feast.”
The birds were kind-hearted, and each one plucked a feather and gave it to the tortoise. He stitched them all together and made himself a beautiful pair of wings.
When the day of the feast came, the tortoise flew into the sky with the birds, looking more elegant than any of them. As they reached the feast hall among the clouds, the tortoise bowed and said, “From now on, call me Everyone, for I am the guest of honour!”
The birds were puzzled. But before they could say anything, the host of the feast brought out trays full of food and announced, “This feast is for everyone!”
And so, the greedy tortoise stepped forward, smiled slyly, and said, “Since I am Everyone, I will eat first. And I will eat it all!”
To their shock, he ate every dish, every fruit, every seed — leaving nothing for the birds who had helped him fly.
The birds were furious. They snatched back their feathers and flew away, leaving the tortoise stranded in the sky.
Without his wings, the tortoise began to fall. Down, down he tumbled — like a stone — until he crashed to the earth with a loud CRACK!
His smooth back broke into many pieces. The animals rushed to help and tried to put it back together, but it was never the same again. From that day on, the tortoise had a hard, cracked shell to remind him of his trickery.
And ever since that day, he walks slowly on the ground — never again trying to fly, and always carrying the lesson of honesty on his back.
🐢 Moral of the Story:
Greed and trickery may bring momentary success, but in the end, honesty and kindness are what last.
