Tortoise and Rabbits

Written by: Abdullah Fazli

Once upon a time, there was a tortoise living with her hatchling, Soso beside other animals. One day, Soso was astonished to hear the laughter of the animals. she went out and saw that some birds were singing and a few rabbits were jumping and other animals were watching them.

The rabbits said welcome and wanted Soso to jump with them and enjoy it. Soso said that she could not jump. The rabbits told her that if she does not have the stone, she could jump. Soso asked the rabbits that if she removes her stone, would they jump with her or not. The rabbits said yes.

The hatchling went home and asked her mother to remove the stone from her back. The tortoise said that every creature has its own specifications and she could not live well without them. The hatchling decided with herself to remove the stone so that she could be able to jump with the rabbits.

one morning, when the tortoise was asleep, the hatchling went out and she was searching for something to break her stone with it. She saw an elephant in the jungle. The hatchling asked her to break the stone of her back by her foot but the elephant prevented her and said that the stone keeps the hatchling from the sun in the summer and from cold weather in the winter but the hatchling did not accept.

The rabbits heard the voice of the hatchling and arrived to help her. The rabbit asked if the elephant has fought with her. The hatchling said no. meanwhile, a fox was coming toward the rabbits and wanted to hunt them but the rabbits ran away toward their home. The hatchling entered her head inside the rabbits’ house and left her stone outside the door. The fox chased them and reached the rabbits' house but she could not remove the hatchling's stone from the door and she went back.

The rabbits thanked the hatchling that she rescued them from the fox. The hatchling crossed the stream near the rabbits’ house and was hitting her stone with the trunk of it for removing her stone. The rabbits went toward the hatchling and prevented her from breaking her stone but the hatchling said that she wanted to run and jump like the rabbits. Meanwhile, heavy sleets started to fall on the earth. The sleets hurt the rabbit but the hatchling was safe under her stone. The rabbits asked the hatchling to keep them under her stone but the hatchling said that the stone is made only for his protection.

Sometimes later, the sleet falling stopped but there was more water in the stream and the rabbits were not able to cross it. The hatchling helped them in crossing from the stream on her back. The rabbits thanked the hatchling.

The hatchling knew her mistake and she never tried again to remove her stone.