The Tortoise And The Geese
Geese help tortoise move to new lake, but he dies after opening his mouth trying to respond to children's insults.
Once upon a time, there was a tortoise and two geese who lived by a lake in a beautiful valley. They had been friends for many years. One day, the lake started to dry up because there was no rain. The animals knew they needed to find a new home.
The geese decided to fly and look for a new lake. After flying a long way, they found a perfect lake to live in. They went back to the old lake and told the tortoise. The tortoise was happy but worried because he couldn’t travel that far.
The geese had a plan to help the tortoise. They told him not to open his mouth during the trip, or he would fall. They brought a stick and asked the tortoise to hold it tightly with his mouth. The geese held the ends of the stick and flew off with the tortoise. They traveled safely for many miles.
During the trip, the tortoise saw some people and children on the ground. The children started to shout at the tortoise. He felt upset and wanted to explain. When he opened his mouth to speak, he let go of the stick and fell to the ground, dying before he could say anything.
The two geese were very sad about their friend’s death but couldn’t do anything. They continued on to their new home.
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Once upon a time, there was a tortoise and two geese who lived by a lake in a beautiful valley. They had been friends for many years. One day, the lake started to dry up because there was no rain. The animals knew they needed to find a new home.
The geese decided to fly and look for a new lake. After flying a long way, they found a perfect lake to live in. They went back to the old lake and told the tortoise. The tortoise was happy but worried because he couldn’t travel that far.
The geese had a plan to help the tortoise. They told him not to open his mouth during the trip, or he would fall. They brought a stick and asked the tortoise to hold it tightly with his mouth. The geese held the ends of the stick and flew off with the tortoise. They traveled safely for many miles.
During the trip, the tortoise saw some people and children on the ground. The children started to shout at the tortoise. He felt upset and wanted to explain. When he opened his mouth to speak, he let go of the stick and fell to the ground, dying before he could say anything.
The two geese were very sad about their friend’s death but couldn’t do anything. They continued on to their new home.
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Word Finder
Tortoise
Slow-moving animal with a hard shell.Geese
Large birds that fly and swim.Valley
Low area between hills or mountains.Dry
No water; not wet or moist.Perfect
Ideal; exactly what is needed.Worried
Anxious; feeling concern about something.Plan
Idea or method for doing something.Safely
Without danger; securely.Upset
Unhappy; feeling bad about something.Explain
Make something clear or easy to understand.
Understanding Questions
- Why did the tortoise and the geese need to find a new home?
- What did the geese do to find a new lake?
- How did the geese plan to help the tortoise travel to the new lake?
- What was the tortoise supposed to do during the trip to stay safe?
- Why did the tortoise fall to the ground and die?
Reflection Questions
- Why do you think the tortoise chose to open his mouth even when he knew it would cause him to fall?
- How do you think the geese felt when their friend, the tortoise, did not heed their advice and fell?
- Can you think of a time when you did not listen to advice, and it led to an unfortunate outcome?
- What does this story teach us about the importance of listening to advice and thinking before reacting?
- How can we apply the lesson from this story in our own lives to better understand the importance of patience, control over our reactions, and trust in our friends' advice?
Fable Quotes
In the face of wisdom's warning, the ignorant stumble into their own downfall.
Endurance paves the path to victory, as patience conquers all obstacles.
Trust in the guidance of those who have your best interests at heart, for they may devise plans to ensure your safety.
Just One More Fable
- Acceptance
- Humility
The Bull and The Calf
A powerful bull rejects a young calf's offer to help, but ends up getting stuck while the calf walks away.
- Friendship
- Kindness
Androcles and the Lion
A slave named Androcles helps a lion in the forest, and later, the lion saves him from execution in the arena.
- Deception
- Wisdom
The Quack Frog
A boastful Frog claiming to be a physician is challenged by a Fox to cure his own appearance, leaving the Frog speechless and embarrassed.
- Responsibility
- Knowledge
The Stupid Monkeys
A gardener asked monkeys to water young trees in the king's garden, but their lack of understanding led to the trees dying.