Once upon a time, there were two wise old cranes and a small turtle who lived
happily and comfortably near a bountiful lake.
Unfortunately, their peaceful lives were disturbed by a harsh drought that caused
the once-full lake to dry up. With food and water becoming not enough, the
cranes knew they had to find a new home.
One day, they flew away in search of a place with plenty of water. After days of
flying, they found a wonderful area and happily returned to tell their dear turtle
friend.
But when they told the turtle about their exciting new home, the turtle suddenly
burst into tears. “How can I join you at this beautiful lake?” the turtle sobbed. “I
cannot fly. Please, don’t leave me behind.”
The cranes comforted their friend saying that they had a plan. “We have always
lived together and are best friends. Don’t worry, we have a great plan to take you
to our new home.”
The turtle was thrilled. The cranes explained their plan to him.
“First , we would find a strong stick of wood. Then we would each hold the
corners of the stick with our beaks while you held onto the middle with your mouth.
Then we can fly together to the new home.”
Excited by the idea of a new home, the turtle very much liked the plan.
“ But this trip is dangerous. You must promise us that you will never open your
mouth for any reason. You have to stay silent, or you will fall and end up in a
serious accident.” The cranes advised and made the turtle promise to follow
these instructions.
With their belongings packed and their hearts full of hopes, the trio set off on their
journey.
The cranes once again reminded the turtle about the instructions before starting
the journey. The turtle nodded in agreement.
As they flew through the sky, the turtle, caught up in the excitement, forgot all the advices. He opened his mouth to ask a question: ‘How far is it to that beautiful
lake?’ and quickly fell to the ground.
The cranes were devastated by the accident.
With heavy hearts, they flew to their new home and always reminded their new
friends of the lesson learned from their journey.