The Tortoise and the Geese

In a beautiful pond surrounded by lotus flowers and shaded by ancient mango trees, there lived a wise old tortoise named Kambugriva. He had made his home in the clear waters of this pond for many years, enjoying the peaceful life and the company of various birds and animals who came to drink and bathe.

Kambugriva was known throughout the area for his thoughtful nature and his extensive knowledge of the world. Being very old, he had seen many seasons come and go, many droughts and floods, and had accumulated great wisdom about life and its changing circumstances. All the creatures of the pond respected him and often came to seek his advice on important matters.

One spring morning, two beautiful wild geese landed on the pond during their migration. Their names were Sankata and Vikata, and they were traveling from the northern mountains to warmer lands in the south. The pond looked so inviting that they decided to rest there for several days.

“What a lovely place this is,” said Sankata, dipping her beak into the cool water. “The water is so clear and sweet, and the surroundings are so peaceful.”

“Indeed,” agreed Vikata, preening her pristine white feathers. “It’s rare to find such a perfect resting spot during our long journey.”

Kambugriva, curious about these elegant visitors, swam over to greet them. “Welcome to my pond, beautiful travelers,” he said politely. “I am Kambugriva, and I have lived here for more years than I can count. Please, make yourselves comfortable and stay as long as you wish.”

The two geese were charmed by the old tortoise’s friendly manner and courteous speech. As the days passed, they found themselves spending more and more time talking with him, sharing stories of their travels and listening to his tales of the many changes he had witnessed in the area.

“You have such fascinating stories, Kambugriva,” said Sankata one evening as they watched the sunset paint the sky in brilliant colors. “Your wisdom and experience are truly remarkable.”

“And your friendship has made our stay here so much more enjoyable than we expected,” added Vikata. “We have learned so much from you.”

The tortoise was deeply touched by their words. In all his years, he had rarely formed such close friendships. Most of the local animals visited him only when they needed advice, but these geese seemed to genuinely enjoy his company for its own sake.

“My dear friends,” he said warmly, “your presence has brought more joy to my life than you can imagine. This old pond has never seemed more beautiful than it has these past weeks with you here.”

The friendship between the tortoise and the two geese grew stronger each day. They would spend hours discussing philosophy, sharing meals of water plants and small fish, and simply enjoying each other’s company. Kambugriva found himself looking forward to each morning when he would see his friends’ graceful forms gliding across the water.

However, as the weeks passed, the weather began to change. The rains that should have come with the monsoon season failed to arrive. Day by day, the water level in the pond dropped lower and lower. The lotus flowers began to wither, and the mango trees started dropping their leaves earlier than usual.

“This is very concerning,” Vikata said one morning as she noticed how much the shoreline had receded overnight. “The drought is getting worse.”

Sankata nodded gravely. “I’ve seen this happen before in other regions. If the rains don’t come soon, this pond will dry up completely.”

Kambugriva had been thinking the same thing, but hearing it spoken aloud made the reality even more frightening. In all his years, he had weathered many dry seasons, but never one as severe as this appeared to be becoming.

“Perhaps the rains will still come,” he said hopefully, though his voice lacked conviction.

Day after day, they watched the water level continue to drop. The pond that had once been deep enough for the geese to dive and play in was now becoming shallow enough to see the bottom clearly. Small fish were starting to struggle in the increasingly crowded water.

Finally, the two geese made a difficult decision.

“Dear Kambugriva,” Sankata said sadly, “we must continue our migration soon. If we stay much longer, we may not have enough water to support us for the rest of our journey.”

“And the weather patterns suggest that this drought will continue for many more months,” added Vikata. “We’ve seen it happen before – sometimes these dry periods last for years.”

The tortoise’s heart sank. The thought of losing his dear friends was almost unbearable, but he knew they were right. They were migratory birds with responsibilities to their flocks and their natural rhythms. They couldn’t stay in a place that was becoming uninhabitable.

“I understand,” he said quietly. “You must do what is best for your survival. I will miss you both terribly, but I would never ask you to risk your lives by staying here.”

The geese spent the next day discussing their departure, but as they talked, they kept looking at their old friend with growing concern. How could they leave him behind to face the drought alone? The tortoise had become dear to them, and the thought of abandoning him felt wrong.

That evening, Vikata had an inspiration.

“Sankata,” she whispered to her companion, “I have an idea. What if we could take Kambugriva with us?”

“But how?” asked Sankata. “He cannot fly, and the journey is far too long for him to travel on foot, even if there were water along the way.”

“I’ve been thinking about that,” said Vikata excitedly. “Remember the old stories our grandmothers used to tell about geese helping land animals travel long distances? We could carry him!”

Sankata’s eyes lit up with understanding. “Of course! We could find a strong stick, have him bite onto the middle of it, and then we could each hold one end in our beaks. We could fly him to safety!”

The next morning, the two geese approached Kambugriva with their plan.

“Dear friend,” said Sankata, “we cannot bear the thought of leaving you behind to face this drought. We have thought of a way to take you with us to a land where there are many lakes and rivers that never run dry.”

Kambugriva was amazed and deeply moved by their offer. “You would do this for me? But surely it would be dangerous and difficult for all of us.”

“We are strong fliers,” Vikata assured him. “And you are not too heavy for us to carry together. The only requirement is that you must remain absolutely silent during the entire journey.”

“Silent?” asked Kambugriva.

“Yes,” explained Sankata seriously. “You will need to bite down firmly on a stick that we will carry between us. If you open your mouth to speak, even for a moment, you will fall. No matter what you see or hear during our flight, you must not make a sound.”

Kambugriva considered this carefully. It would indeed be difficult for him to remain quiet, as he was naturally a very talkative and curious creature. But the alternative was to remain behind and almost certainly perish in the drought.

“I understand the importance of staying silent,” he said solemnly. “I promise you both that I will not speak a single word until we reach our destination safely.”

The geese spent the next day searching for the perfect stick – one that was strong enough to support the tortoise’s weight but smooth enough for him to grip comfortably. They found an ideal piece of bamboo and tested it thoroughly to make sure it would hold.

On the morning of their departure, Kambugriva said goodbye to his beloved pond, though he hoped to see it again someday when the rains returned. He bit down firmly on the center of the bamboo stick, and Sankata and Vikata each grasped one end securely in their strong beaks.

“Ready?” asked Vikata, her voice slightly muffled by the stick.

Kambugriva nodded, unable to speak.

With powerful wingbeats, the two geese lifted off from the water, carrying their friend between them. At first, Kambugriva was terrified to find himself so high above the ground, but gradually he began to enjoy the sensation of flying and the amazing view of the landscape below.

They flew over forests and fields, rivers and mountains, seeing sights that the earthbound tortoise had never imagined. Despite his natural inclination to comment on everything he saw, Kambugriva remembered his promise and remained perfectly silent.

As they passed over a small village, some children playing in the streets spotted the unusual sight of two geese carrying what appeared to be a large dark object between them.

“Look up there!” shouted one child, pointing excitedly at the sky. “What are those birds carrying?”

“It looks like a big stone!” called another.

“No, I think it’s a pot or a bundle of some kind!” exclaimed a third child.

Soon, a crowd of villagers had gathered to stare up at the strange procession in the sky. More and more people pointed and shouted, trying to guess what the geese were transporting.

“It’s probably some kind of treasure they’ve stolen!”

“Maybe it’s food they’re taking to their nest!”

“How strange that birds would carry such a heavy object!”

The comments grew louder and more numerous as word spread through the village. People came running from their houses to see the spectacle, and the noise of their voices carried clearly up to the flying trio.

Kambugriva listened to all these wild guesses about what he might be, and his pride began to sting. Here were these ignorant villagers speculating foolishly about his identity, not realizing that he was a wise and respected creature being carried to safety by his devoted friends.

“They think I’m a stone!” he thought indignantly. “A pot! Some kind of stolen treasure! If only they knew they were looking at Kambugriva, the wisest tortoise in the land, being honored by these noble geese!”

The urge to correct these mistaken people grew stronger and stronger. Surely it wouldn’t hurt to call down just a few words to set them straight? After all, wouldn’t it be better for them to know the truth than to continue in their ignorance?

“I am not a stone or a pot!” Kambugriva shouted down at the villagers. “I am Kambugriva, the wise tortoise, and these are my dear friends who are—”

But the moment he opened his mouth to speak, he lost his grip on the bamboo stick.

“KAMBUGRIVA!” cried both geese in horror as they watched their friend fall from the sky.

The tortoise plummeted toward the ground, realizing too late what his pride and impatience had cost him. He landed with a tremendous crash in the center of the village square, right in front of all the people who had been speculating about his identity.

Sankata and Vikata circled frantically overhead, crying out their friend’s name, but there was nothing they could do. The wise old tortoise who had survived countless seasons by his patience and careful thinking had been undone in a single moment by his inability to control his impulse to speak.

The villagers gathered around the fallen tortoise, finally seeing clearly what the geese had been carrying. But by then, it was too late for Kambugriva to benefit from their recognition of his wisdom.

The two geese grieved deeply for their lost friend. They had tried to save him out of love and loyalty, but his own impulsiveness had made their sacrifice meaningless.

From that day forward, whenever geese gather to tell stories to their young, they always include the tale of Kambugriva and the bamboo stick. It serves as a reminder that good friends will go to great lengths to help us, but ultimately, we must have the self-control and discipline to help ourselves.

“Patience and silence can be harder to master than flight itself,” the elder geese would say. “But sometimes, the ability to hold your tongue is the difference between life and death.”

And in the village where Kambugriva fell, people still tell the story of the talking tortoise who fell from the sky, reminding their children that pride and the need to have the last word can lead even the wisest among us to make the most foolish mistakes.