Once upon a time, all creatures in the world were one family. They spoke a common language that could be decoded by all. These were the times when all creatures could think according to their own capacities. The creatures had ceremonies and experiences which were shared throughout the generations. During this time, frogs hopped out of water during the day to chat with the other animals in forests and return in the evening to sleep.
During this time, the tortoise had a smooth skin that was admired by many creatures. The birds had announced that there was an important ceremony in heaven where all animals were invited. The birds prepared for the occasion by decorating their feathers with plant dye and grass. The birds were very happy because they could fly.
They did not want to leave the tortoise behind and they proposed a deal to him. “We love you and for this reason, we will donate feathers for you and make wings for you so that you can fly with us to heaven and celebrate.” The tortoise was very happy and thanked the birds for their generosity.
The mission had just begun: All birds gathered in a big meeting and agreed that each bird would donate one feather for the tortoise wing-making. They again agreed to fetch wax from the beehives in turns as others glued the feathers together with the wax. When they were done, they fixed the wings on the tortoise.
He flapped the wings and flew a few meters from the ground and he was ready to go. All this time, the frog quietly watched them. He remembered how he was tricked by the millipede to jump into boiling fat to change his skin to smoother skin like millipedes’ but his skin got permanently disfigured: It became rough and ugly.
The frog was convinced that the tortoise could not fly. He approached the tortoise and asked him politely, “tortoise, I don’t think you will fly to heaven, why not think about it again?” The tortoise got furious and answered, “Scaly frog, you are jealous because you cannot fly and that you will miss out?” The frog coiled himself in shame and sympathy. The other birds laughed at him and chased him away saying that he cannot stand the fact that the tortoise will fly and that he will permanently be below the earth, inside the water.
All that day, the frog stayed inside the water. The ceremony in heaven was scheduled that afternoon. The birds and the tortoise flew and as they went higher into the skies, the sun got hotter, and the wax on tortoise wings started to melt. Fortunately, the way to heaven was successful. They all celebrated, sang and danced. In the midst of the celebration, the tortoise became impatient and wanted to go back alone; an idea that was contested by the birds. He told them that if they did not leave, he could fly and go back to earth.
The birds got furious and each bird plucked its feather from him and the poor tortoise had no wings. The birds flew home and left the tortoise in heaven. The sad tortoise looked down the earth and asked his wife to put all soft materials so that he would fall on them. His wife misunderstood him and put all the sharp and rough objects outside and told him to fall. Tortoise broke his soft skin and that’s how he developed the rough shell.
The moral of this story is that, one does not have to take pride in what belongs to others. It is important to listen to others and depend on what lies within ones reach. In addition and with reference to frog, appreciating ones nature is crucial as we cannot be other people however hard we try. Lastly and not least, we should recognize what friends do to help us and respect them.