The Talkative Tortoise

Once, a tortoise named Kambugriva lived in a beautiful lake. He had two friends, a pair of geese named Sankat and Vikat. The three of them spent all their time together, sharing stories and watching the sunset. However, a great drought hit the land. The lake began to dry up, and the animals were in danger. The geese decided to fly to a distant, blue lake that was still full of water. "But what about our friend?" they cried. They didn't want to leave the tortoise behind. The clever geese found a long, sturdy stick. "Kambugriva," they said, "we will each hold one end of this stick in our beaks. You must hold onto the middle with your mouth. We will fly you to the new lake! But remember—you must not open your mouth for any reason, or you will fall." The tortoise agreed and bit down hard on the stick. As they flew over a small village, the people below looked up in wonder. "Look! Geese carrying a tortoise! How strange!" they shouted and laughed. Kambugriva grew angry. He wanted to tell them how smart he and his friends were. He forgot the warning and opened his mouth to shout, "Why are you laughing?" The moment he let go of the stick, he fell through the air and landed with a thud on the ground below. His talkative nature had cost him his safety.