Listen to the Story
Kambugriva the tortoise loves to talk, but when a drought forces him to fly to a new lake with his swan friends, his inability to keep his mouth shut leads to a bumpy landing.
A Dry Dilemma
In a beautiful lake lived a tortoise named Kambugriva and two swans who were his best friends. When a severe drought began to dry up their home, the swans decided to fly to a distant, lush lake. Desperate to join them, the tortoise suggested a plan: the swans would hold a stick in their beaks, and he would cling to the middle of it with his mouth.
The Silent Oath
The swans agreed but gave a stern warning: 'You must not open your mouth for any reason, or you will fall.' Kambugriva promised to remain silent. As they soared over a village, the townspeople looked up in amazement, shouting and laughing at the sight of a flying tortoise. Kambugriva felt a surge of indignation and a desperate urge to respond to their taunts.
The Fatal Word
Unable to contain himself any longer, the tortoise opened his mouth to shout, 'What are you all looking at?' The moment he let go of the stick, he plummeted toward the earth. Before he could realize his mistake, he hit the ground hard. His friends could only watch in sorrow as his talkative nature led to his ultimate downfall.
What We Learn
This story teaches us that we should always listen to the advice of wise friends and that speaking without thinking, especially at the wrong time, can lead to disaster.
