The Fate of The Foolish Tortoise

The Fate of The Foolish Tortoise





He did not realize the truth that ‘uncontrolled anger would bring disastrous consequences’.


They are called Sangadan and Vikatan.

As our Kamba was a very talkative fellow, he had befriended the cranes very easily and the three had indeed become very close friends. They used to sit together on the rocks at the banks of the pond to relax, talk, joke and eat together happily.

Once, it so happened that a severe summer scorched the forest. It had not rained for a long time. The summer sun was very hot and rivers, ponds, and wells situated in that area became dry without even a drop of water to drink.




Feeling sorry for the critical position of their friend, the cranes pitied him and wanted to help him and save his life, however. They wanted to take him to some other place where there was plenty of water.


“Oh Kamba, dear friend, we feel very sad and distress to see you in this situation. How long could you live without water? We want to help you and save your life” both cranes told him sadly.

“Yes, my friends. The situation is very bad. When the water in this pond got dried up, all the fish and other creatures died of thirst. I am the only one surviving. I can feel my days are also numbered” the tortoise replied with much despair.



Immediately, he addressed both Kamba and Vikatan and said, ‘Friends, I got a very good idea’… We both will hold each side of a stick in our mouths tightly and fly while you hold the center part of that stick and hang. In a few minutes, we will reach that big lake and get you down in that water’.


It said, ‘Friend Kamba, you must be very careful while traveling in this way. You are a good boy, but there is a bad habit with you. You become angry very often without thinking of the consequences. The effort we are going to make is a very dangerous one. So, while we fly carrying you on the stick, you must not open your mouth for any reason. You must not speak at all. You must always hold the stick with your mouth’, he warned Kamba, the tortoise.

“Yes, I will do as you say, my dear friends” agreed Kamba the tortoise.


While the tortoise was seizing the stick by its mouth,……………..

Both cranes held each end of the stick by their long, but strong beaks…………
and flew away and away.



At last, they flew over a small town.



Some people clapped their hands in encouraging the three. Some others laughed loud; Some more people shouted,”Oho, oho, flying tortoise, flying tortoise” in mockery.


He tried his best but could not control his anger anymore.

He wanted to scold them with harsh words to his satisfaction. So, at one moment he forgot his dangerous position and to enable him to scold them starting with the words ‘Hey, foolish guys…’, he opened his mouth slightly.

The words did not come out of his mouth.

The moment he opened his mouth to speak…………

He missed his hold with the stick, and fell….. down and down and died pathetically.



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