Tortoise’s Cunning Adventures: Five Stories of Wit and Trickery

The Tortoise did declare unto the Elephant, “I possess the capacity to extricate thee from yon forest.”

Thereafter, he sought out the Hippo. “I am capable of drawing thee forth from the water.”

The Tortoise then returned, bearing a rope, which he did secure to each beast. “Commence thy pulling upon my signal!”

Thus, the Elephant and Hippo exerted their strength against one another, whilst the Tortoise did indulge in mirth.

When, overcome by exhaustion, the Elephant and Hippo did succumb, they crawled along the rope, seeking to ascertain the source of the Tortoise's prodigious strength.

“'Tis thou!” the Elephant did exclaim.

“'Tis thou!” the Hippo did shout.

Enraged at this deception, they did vow to bring about the demise of the Tortoise.

And so, the Tortoise now doth conceal himself from the Hippo and Elephant, whenever he doth espy them.

'I possess the capacity for swift locomotion!' declared the Antelope to the Tortoise.

'Indeed,' responded the Tortoise, 'my own celerity surpasses even yours. I shall furnish demonstrable proof thereof: let us engage in a contest of speed!'

Subsequently, the Tortoise secreted his confederates amidst the verdure bordering the designated racecourse.

The commencement of the race transpired, and the Antelope expedited his pace with considerable alacrity. 'Tortoise!' he vociferated.

'Pray, where might you be located?'

The Tortoise, stationed proximally in advance, proclaimed, 'I maintain a lead over your position!'

The Antelope found the aural reception of this intelligence to be scarcely credible.

He augmented his velocity yet further. 'Where do you situate yourself?' the Antelope reiterated his query.

The Tortoise protruded his cranial appendage from the herbage, asserting, 'I yet remain in advance of your current station!'

The Antelope discovered this visual confirmation to be of dubious verisimilitude.

'I have both aurally perceived and visually corroborated the fact,' the Antelope conceded. 'Verily, the Tortoise is capable of surpassing my own velocity in matters of locomotion.'

Giraffe, upon taking a constitutional one fine day, chanced to encounter Tortoise.

'Pray, remove thyself from my path!' quoth Giraffe, 'Lest I be compelled to trample thee into oblivion.'

Giraffe emphasised his intent by a vigorous stamping of his hooves.

Tortoise, however, remained mute.

'Indeed,' Giraffe bellowed, 'I might be seized with the impulse to ingest thee whole!'

'Attend well!' retorted Tortoise, 'For others have entertained similar notions concerning my person.'

'Proceed, I implore thee; the consequences shall assuredly enlighten thee.'

Whereupon Giraffe, seized by mirth, bent low and did swallow Tortoise… and was forthwith choked to death upon that very spot.

Tortoise, with a deliberation born of patience, did methodically extricate himself from Giraffe's mortal remains, and thereafter subsisted for the space of an entire year upon the Giraffe's flesh.

'Exceedingly palatable!' he declared.

“Pray, let us partake of apples!” quoth the Tortoise unto the Guinea-Fowl, whereupon they did proceed towards the apple-tree.

“By what means shall we procure these apples?” enquired the Guinea-Fowl.

“In this manner,” responded the Tortoise. He reclined himself and vociferated, “Bestow upon me an apple!”

The tree, in its response, hurled an apple upon the Tortoise’s carapace. The apple did cleave asunder, and the Guinea-Fowl partook of its contents. “Most delectable!” she exclaimed.

“Now it is thy turn!” commanded the Tortoise.

But the Guinea-Fowl was seized with trepidation. “My back lacks the requisite fortitude,” she demurred.

They engaged in disputation, and at length, the Tortoise did exclaim, “Bestow upon the Guinea-Fowl an apple!”

The tree, in compliance, hurled an apple down upon the Guinea-Fowl’s head, causing her demise.

The Tortoise then consumed the apple, and thereafter, he likewise consumed the Guinea-Fowl.

“Delicious!” he proclaimed.

The Tortoise, employing a leg bone procured from a Guinea-Fowl, fashioned a flute. Thereafter, he ensconced himself without his abode and commenced to play, producing the melody: tilo-ntiloo-tiloo! tilo-ntiloo-tiloo!

The Hawk descended in flight and commenced to dance. 'Pray, what a wondrous flute!' quoth he to the Tortoise. 'Permit me to essay it! I shall play whilst thou dost dance.'

'Nay!' retorted the Tortoise. 'Should I surrender the flute unto thee, thou wouldst assuredly take flight and abscond with it.'

'Lay hold of my feathers, shouldst thou desire,' asserted the Hawk. 'I shall not take flight.'

The Tortoise, grasping the Hawk firmly by the feathers, delivered unto him the flute.

'I tender my gratitude!' declared the Hawk, whereafter he swiftly took flight, abandoning the Tortoise with naught but feathers.