Before Tortoise was generally known as the wisest and the most cunning animal, he was actually known as the silent beauty.
When God created all the animals, Tortoise was the most beautiful. His shell was beautifully designed with colours.The shell looks like the work of art from michelagenlo himself.
All the other animals were covetous of this. But they loved to watch him walk by, it was a beautiful sight,one you couldn't afford to miss whenever you get the chance.
The tortoise knew this and intentionally he sauntered slowly up and down the community, he was never in a haste... while the other animals stared.
Nevertheless, the tortoise gets invitation to every feast hosted by the other animals. He always looked the most beautiful amongst them all.
Because tortoise didn't talk much,they didn't know how cunning he could get.
One day the birds had a feast to attend in heaven.They had a performance, they were going to sing at the feast. So they decided to invite tortoise because of his colourful shell as a dancer to wow the audience.
Tortoise couldn't fly, so the birds donated a feather each, enough for tortoise to fly to heaven with them.
On getting to heaven, tortoise was marvelled by the riches and feast in sight. Things he had never seen, even those he had never tasted. Then his cunning nature got the best of him and he made a plan so he could have it all.
He made a suggestion to the birds that they should all have a name, so they can be addressed by those names, since no one really knew them here.
Everyone agreed and picked a name and tortoise said his would
be everybody.
The feast was for three days.
On the first day, after the performance. They brought gifts to the band and they told them...
The gifts are for everybody
As the birds reached out to start picking the gift, Tortoise reminded them he was everybody and so the gift belongs to him.
He did the same when they brought them food and finished it all.
All the birds could do was to watch.
He continued his tactics for the the whole three days.
The birds, hungry and angry, all decide to get their feathers back from him and flew home.
Tortoise wasn't bothered about being stranded. He was smart, so he's going to find his way home.
He decided to pack all he had gotten and throw it down from heaven, then he would jump too, so he could land on his gift, thereby reducing the effect of the fall.
One thing he didn't think of was how far the fall was.
So he threw the gifts first then followed.
Tortoise landed on his back with his whole shell scattering in places. He cried out for help. And soon the animals gathered to help him.
The destruction of his shell was irredeemable. But with help of the whole kingdom, he was patched up and left to heal.
Tortoise became ugly and for days he couldn't go out.
Eventually he stepped out, but could hear the animals making spiteful comments and laughing at him.
Embarrased by his new look he tried to run away ....Alas! He discovered that not only did he lost his beauty, he had lost something else too; His ability to run. Because for years, he had always walked slowly and that's the only thing his legs were taught to do; walk slowly......
Picture source: pixabay