The Talkative Tortoise

A tortoise lived in a lake with two swans as his close friends. When the lake began drying, the swans decided to fly to another lake and take the tortoise with them.

They brought a strong stick and said, "Hold the middle of this stick in your mouth. We will hold both ends and fly. But you must not speak until we land."

The tortoise agreed. The swans lifted him into the sky. People below looked up and shouted, "Look at that foolish tortoise flying between two birds!"

The tortoise became angry. He opened his mouth to reply, "I am not foolish!" The moment he spoke, he lost his grip and fell.

The swans grieved for their friend. His life could have been saved by silence, but his need to answer insult became stronger than wisdom.