SEC-S30W4: Building a Fable | The tortoise, the birds and the sky feast.

Long time ago in the animal kingdom there arose a great dearth and famine period. The sky did not give it rain and the land did not produce its crops. The animals could not plant because of the famine and the little crops they had left they had eaten.

As the days go by, the famine and hunger in the land only increased. Every animal was affected including the tortoise who was notorious for his cunning behavior amongst the animal. The tortoise sat at the door of his house wondering what to do. He had to do something fast or else he would die like some of the animals who are already dying from the famine.

image generated with chat gpt; tortoise talking with the hawk

However he noticed that the birds seem to be doing well and are looking robust than every other animal. They do not seem to be part of this famine. The tortoise decided to meet the hawk who was his friend and ask him the reason he’s not as lean as the other animals.

The hawk was hesitant at first knowing the character of the tortoise but the tortoise pleaded with him that he’s a changed person and would not reveal his secret or do anything to jeopardize his trust. He told the tortoise that all the birds attend a feast in the sky where they are fed daily.

The tortoise begged to be a part of the feast. The hawk told the other birds who were a part of the feat but they didn’t want to bring him on, moreover he can’t fly. After much pleading from the tortoise, they decided to bring him on the feast with them. They all lent him a feather each and the tortoise was happy and able to fly with them to the feast.

image generated with chat gpt; the birds gave feathers to the tortoise

They all had a ritual to pick a name they answer when they got to the sky. The tortoise said he’s chosen name was all of you. When they got to the sky, the sky hosts were happy to see them and served them food as usual and told them that the food was for “all of you”.

The tortoise at this point told the birds that his name is all of you meaning that the food is for him. He ate all the food and didn’t give to the birds. The birds were very angry at the tortoise greediness and each of them took their feathers from him.

image generated with chat gpt; the tortoise and the birds at the sky feast

He didn’t have feathers to fly home. He therefore told the birds to please tell his wife to bring out all the soft things in his house out on the floor so that he can be able to jump down.

The birds told the wife otherwise in other to punish the tortoise. She brought out all the hard things in their house. The tortoise looked from the sky and saw he’s wife bringing out things and assumed it was the soft items.

He jumped down from the sky and his shell broke into pieces. He barely survived with his life. The snail had to help him glue the pieces of his shells together. That is why the tortoise has a broken shell till date.

The morale of this story is to avoid being greedy and outsmarting people. Being kind and considerate is a great virtue.