The Turtle and The Swans: A turtle and two swans lived by a peaceful lake just outside a quiet village. The three of them were the best of friends. They spent long, lazy afternoons hanging out. They swapped stories by the water.
The Turtle and The Swans
But one particularly hot year, the rain never came. Their beautiful lake slowly began to dry up, turning into a shallow, muddy puddle.
“We can’t stay here,” the turtle said anxiously, looking at the disappearing water. “We need to find a new home.”
“Don’t worry,” the swans reassured him. “We’ll fly around and scout out a good spot.” They took off in different directions. Before long, one of the swans returned with great news. He had found a massive, deep lake teeming with fish just a few miles away.
The friends were thrilled, but reality quickly set in. “There’s just one issue,” one of the swans pointed out gently. “We can fly there in a matter of minutes. But you walk so slowly… it would take you forever, and you might not survive the journey.”
The turtle sat in silence, racking his brain. Suddenly, his face lit up. “I’ve got it! Go find a strong stick. I’ll bite down hard right in the middle, and the two of you can grab the ends with your beaks. You can just carry me through the air to our new home!”
The swans were impressed. “That’s actually a brilliant idea,” one of them said. “But you have to promise us one thing. Under absolutely no circumstances can you open your mouth while we are in the air. If you try to talk, you’ll fall.”
The turtle eagerly nodded, promising to keep his jaws clamped shut.
Soon, they were up in the air, soaring high above the trees. Their flight path took them right over the local village. The people below had never seen anything like it. They rushed out into the streets. They pointed up at the sky in pure amazement.
“Look at those brilliant birds!” a man shouted. “What incredibly clever swans, figuring out how to carry a turtle on a stick!”
Hearing this, the turtle’s pride swelled. Clever birds? It was my idea! I’m the genius here! he thought indignantly. Desperate to set the record straight and claim his credit, he opened his mouth to shout down at the crowd.
But the moment he parted his jaws, he lost his grip on the stick. Before he could even utter a word, he plummeted to the ground, meeting a tragic and sudden end.
High above, the swans looked down at their friend with heavy hearts. “If only he had put his ego aside and kept his mouth shut,” one sighed to the other. They shook their heads bitterly. They continued their flight to the big lake. They felt sad that they would have to enjoy their new home without him.
The Turtle and The Swans: The Takeaway
- Hold your tongue: Sometimes, the smartest thing you can do is stay quiet. Letting your ego take control and needing to prove you are right can completely ruin a perfect plan.
Read More Panchtantra Stories:
Discover more from StoryDunia
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
