THE TORTOISE THE KING [The tortiose and the princess] chapter 1

Once upon a time, the jolly friend Tortoise bumped into his friend the rat and the cow enjoying some fresh palm wine. He greeted them happily and joined them to talk. The cow was bothered by how the princess rejected him because of his big size.

What about me? The rat said I went there but the princess said i am too small for her. What about you the clever tortoise the cow asked, he said i have not gone there because i need a big trick to win the princess to marry her. Tortoise boasted his friend really laugh at him.

Let see how the princess would accept you, your small slow and lazy creature, the rat said. both the rat and cow burst into laughter.

The tortoise slowly crept into the inner room where the princess and her guards were. It was his turn to be seen. He boldly walked in but everybody burst into laughter. Even you came for the princess too? The king asked.

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Yes, the tortoise nodded. The princess was angry she could not imagine how small and slow and weak the tortoise can be. You, she pointed at the tortoise, you mean you can marry me? The princess asked.

The princess asked him to present a living hippopotamus as her birthday present, in three days, if not he will die. The tortoise was confused. Why his own was different, he did not know. Others would come and go free but the princess said he will die in three days. How can be get a hippopotamus alive? He started crying and tried to beg the king, but the king said his daughter word is final. Tortoise went home and refused to eat that day.