Short Story: Why tortoise has broken shells
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Unfortunately, while the birds had demonstrated good neighbourliness towards tortoise and his family anytime they needed help; tortoise on the other hand had been greedy and stingy. He hardly offered anything to his friends each time they asked him for help. He gave excuses as to why he could not give them what they needed from him.
A time came when Tortoise ran into difficulties to the extent that even what he and his family would depend on became a problem. As if that was not enough, the only farm he and his family depended on for food got burnt when a wild fire swept through his farm.
The two birds, generous as they had always been, were of immense assistance to him during that period. One day, they were invited to a big party by one of the animals. Just as they were about to set off to the venue of the party, tortoise came to beg for food. Although the birds were ready to assist, they did not have anything at home to offer during that time.
They, therefore, invited tortoise to join them to the party where they were hopeful he would have enough to eat and even bring some home to the rest of his family. Though tortoise wanted to go with them, he wondered how that would be possible since he could not fly.
The birds consoled him and promised to lend him some of their feathers. On that fateful day, tortoise arrived early at the bird’s house as scheduled and the two birds lent him some feathers as promised and they set of on their journey. While they were airborne, tortoise saw the beautiful scenes below him and he was overjoyed.
When they arrived at the party grounds, tortoise once again demonstrated his greedy nature when he packed almost all the food that was served them into a polythene bag he had brought with him. He did not even leave some for the birds. When they warned him about carrying too much load, he ignored them.
Finally, the time came for them to depart. The two birds started to fly and tortoise also set out to fly with his heavy load. However, because of the load he was carrying, he could not soar.
He went to stand on top of the building with the hope that it would be easier for him to fly from there. Unfortunately, when he spread the false wings in order to take off, his weight brought him crushing to the ground breaking his shell in the process. The two birds heard the commotion and came back to check what had happened. Luckily, tortoise survived the fall but his shell was shattered.
Since the shells served as his protection, they picked the pieces up and patched them together. They carried him home where they nursed him.
Tortoise recovered soon but his shells were never the same. Till this day, the patched shells served as a reminder to him not to be greedy again.
By Issah Hamidu and Obed Boateng,
St Mary’s Int. School,
Ashaiman.