Once upon a time, in a beautiful lake, lived a tortoise named Kambu. He was good friends with two swans who often visited the lake. They would spend hours talking and sharing stories about the world beyond the lake.
One summer, the lake began to dry up. The swans realized they had to leave in search of a new home, but they were sad to leave their friend behind. Seeing their worry, the tortoise begged, “Please take me with you! I don’t want to be left here alone.”
The swans hesitated. “You cannot fly like us, dear friend,” they said.
But the tortoise pleaded, “There must be a way! Please think of something.”
After some thought, the swans came up with a plan. “We will hold a strong stick between our beaks,” they said. “You must bite the stick tightly, and we will carry you through the sky. But remember—no matter what happens, you must not speak, or you will fall.”
The tortoise agreed, and the swans lifted him into the air, carrying him over villages and forests. As they flew, people below saw the strange sight and began laughing and pointing. “Look at that tortoise flying! How funny!” they shouted.
The tortoise, unable to control his pride, wanted to reply. “I am special! My friends are helping me!” he tried to say. But as soon as he opened his mouth, he let go of the stick.
Down, down, down he fell, crashing onto the ground. The swans, heartbroken, circled above but could do nothing to save their foolish friend.
Moral of the story: Pride and lack of self-control can lead to disaster.
