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THE TURTLE WHO COULD NOT STOP TALKING
An East Indian Fable
Once there was a Turtle who lived in a muddy little
pond, and he loved to crawl out in the sun and talk
to everyone who went by. He talked to the beasts,
and he talked to the birds, and he talked to the
fishes. He talked to the wild geese as they flew by
on their way to the south every year, and he talked
to the little brown children who lived in the village
near by. In fact he was always talking. He talked,
and he talked, and he talked; he chattered, and chat-
tered, and chattered.
One fine day there came to his muddy little pond
two young wild Geese who had flown on their strong
wings a long, long way.
“Friend Turtle,” said the Geese, as they rested
beside him on the water, *’we have a beautiful home
far away, — a shining, blue pool as clear as glass, with
nodding green grasses round about. We are on our
way there now. It’s a far pleasanter place than this.
How would you like to come with us?’*
The Turtle looked about at his muddy little pond.
He had always longed to go south; and he wanted
so much to see that shining blue pool, with the nodding
green grasses round about. But he answered, *^How
can I go with you? I have no wings.*’
“Oh, we will take you, if only you can keep your
mouth closed, and say not a word to anyone,” said
the Geese.
“Of course I can keep my mouth closed,” said the
Turtle. “Do take me with you. I will do exactly
as you say.”
So the next day the Geese brought a stick, each
one holding an end of it in his bill.
“Now take hold of the middle of this stick with
your mouth,” said they, ”and so we will lift you up
in the air. But don’t say a word until we reach
home, for, if you do, you will lose your hold and fall
to the ground.”
“Of course ! I will do exactly as you say,” said the Turtle.
So the Turtle took hold of the stick with his mouth,
and the Geese soared up with him between them.
Above the green tops of the tall palm trees, up, up
into the blue sky they flew. But as they passed
over the village, they came down near enough to the
earth, so the little brown children below could just
see their old friend, the Turtle.
“Oh, look at the Turtle!*’ the children cried.
“Yes, Fm going on a long, long journey, farther
than any of you have ever been!” the Turtle wanted
to say, but he remembered just in time and did not
open his mouth.
“Look! those Geese are carrying him on a stick.
Did you ever in all your life see anyone look so silly?”
cried the children.
“Silly yourself! What business is it of yours how
I’m carried?” the Turtle wanted to say, but he re-
membered just in time and did not open his mouth.
“Oh Ho! Hah Hah!” cried
the children. “How does he
ever keep his mouth closed?
Do you suppose he can really
and truly stop talking?”
This was too much for the
Turtle.
“Of course I can stop talk-
ing!” he cried, and at once he
lost his hold on the stick and fell down, crash, at
their feet.
“Poor little Turtle,” said the children, “he fell
because he could not stop talking.”
A Bidpai Fable (adapted from the Sanskrit)
