The Talkative Tortoise

In a beautiful and serene forest, there was a large lake. In that lake lived a tortoise named Kambugriva. Kambugriva was very kind, but he had one major flaw—he was extremely talkative. He always felt the need to say something. In the same lake lived two geese named Sankata and Vikata. They were the tortoise's best friends. One year, a severe drought hit the region. It didn't rain, and the water in the lake began to dry up rapidly due to the scorching sun. The geese realized that if they stayed there, they would die of thirst and hunger. They decided to migrate to a distant lake that was full of water. They didn't want to leave their friend, the tortoise, behind. The tortoise suggested a plan: 'My friends, find a strong wooden stick. You two hold the two ends of the stick in your beaks, and I will grip the middle of the stick firmly with my mouth. This way, you can fly me to the new lake.' The geese agreed to the plan but set one critical condition. They said, 'Kambugriva, we will carry you, but you must not open your mouth during the journey. If you speak even by mistake, you will lose your grip on the stick and fall to your death.' The tortoise promised to remain silent. The journey began. The geese flew high into the sky, with the tortoise hanging from the stick. As they flew over a village, the people below saw this amazing sight. They started shouting, 'Look! What a strange sight! The geese are carrying a tortoise!' Hearing the people's comments, the tortoise became very angry. He wanted to tell them that it was his own idea. In a fit of rage, as soon as he opened his mouth to say 'You keep quiet!', he lost his grip on the stick. He fell rapidly to the ground and met his end. Kambugriva lost his life because of his talkative nature.