In the midst of a jungle, there was a pond where animals would come to quench their thirst. In that pond lived a turtle. He was known as the Talkative Turtle because he often spoke unnecessarily. Due to his talkative nature, all the animals had given him the name “Talkative Turtle,” but two swans were his very good friends, always wishing well for him.
One day, during the hot season, the water in the pond began to slowly dry up, and the animals started feeling thirsty. Observing this, the swans advised the turtle, “The water in this pond is decreasing, and it might dry up soon. You should consider leaving this pond. There may be another pond somewhere nearby.”
The turtle replied, “How can I leave this pond? There is no other pond around here. But the swans, genuinely concerned for their friend, thought of a clever plan to help him.
They said, “We will bring a wooden stick. You catch hold of one end with your mouth, and we will hold the other end with our beaks. We’ll carry you to a big pond far away. There’s plenty of water there, and it never dries up.”
The turtle agreed to their plan, and before taking off, the swans warned him not to say anything while in the air. They instructed him to speak only after reaching the big pond.
With a nod, the turtle agreed to follow their advice. The swans brought a wooden stick, and as they were flying over a village, the villagers were astonished to see such a sight. They applauded the swans for their unique feat.
Unable to contain his excitement, the turtle asked, “What’s happening down there?” The moment he opened his mouth to speak, he lost his grip on the stick and fell to the ground. Unfortunately, due to the fall from a great height, the turtle died, and the swans, regretful, flew away.
From this story, we learn that we should avoid speaking unnecessarily or without reason. Such behavior can lead to our own detriment.
