Topic Research

The Turtles and the Geese

Turtle flying
Turtle and Geese

Long ago lived two turtle brothers who inhabited a pond with their animal friends. The two turtles noticed the freedom of the fishes to swim, the insects to jump, and the birds to fly. They felt confined and burdened by their shelled homes and dreamed of seeing the world from another perspective

The friendly turtles had befriended a flock of geese who were preparing to return to their home for summer. The geese invited the turtle siblings to go with them. The turtles were overjoyed, but concerned because they hadn’t wings. The geese told the turtles they would handle everything.

The next day the geese returned with two sticks. A pair of geese held each end of the stick and instructed the turtle to bite onto the stick. The leader of the flock sternly warned the turtles that the journey would be long and they must not say a word.

The two turtles readily accepted the challenge. And were soon aloft seeing the beautiful world from another perspective. One of the turtle siblings was so overcome with awe that he opened his mouth to express the wonder of that his eyes saw and promptly began falling.

Unable to help, the flock and the remaining sibling could only watch as the turtle feel to his death. Sadly, the group, in silence, continued flying to their destination.

Heed a warning, especially when the warning tells you to keep your mouth shut!

Biography: http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/myth-folklore-unit-jataka-tales-babbitt.html