Good day Steemians,
It's a pleasure to take part in this contest, my first in this community and it's looking to be fun already. This contest really reminds me of my childhood days and I'm delighted to recall and share one of my childhood stories to you all. Special recognition to @ngoenyi for such a contest too.
My favorite childhood story, will definitely be one of those stories involving the Tortoise who every child must have heard one or two stories about due to his cleverness in those stories. My favorite childhood story is: HOW THE TORTOISE CRACKED HIS SHELL.
Long ago, in the animal kingdom, there was a very terrible famine which was on for over a year. Neither was there rainfall as the clouds too were shut during the famine. Hunger engulfed the entire animal kingdom and there was very little solution to this. It got to a point animals began to eat their young ones just to have something in their belly.
The Tortoise, a very clumsy and clever animal too was not spared from this famine too as his wife and two sons were always complaining about the lack of food and he had little or nothing to do that would help the situation. On this certain day, Tortoise set out to the market, to see if he could get a thing or two foodstuffs irrespective of the inflation of the prices of things due to scarcity. On getting to the market, Mr. Tortoise didn't even the scraps and he went back home without any food.
On his way home, the clever Tortoise saw the Rabbit coming out from the forest, looking all healthy fresh, like one who isn't affected by the famine and the Tortoise hurriedly went after the Rabbit saying, "hey Mr. Rabbit wait there, please".
And the Rabbit recognized the Tortoise voice and decided to stop. The Tortoise approached the Rabbit and greeted him. Subsequently, the Tortoise bent his head and began to sob gently. The Rabbit being concerned, asked the Tortoise why he was sobbing and the Tortoise began to explain saying " my wife is pregnant and is expecting our third child, coupled with this famine, I'm afraid she may not see it through the pregnancy. Also, last night word came to me that my father-in-law who is a palm wine tapper, fell off the tree while attempting to tap palm wine which he would sell to sustain his family during this period. Presently as we are speaking, he is being hospitalized and the weight of it all and that of my family is really heavy upon me".
The Rabbit was double minded whether to believe the Tortoise which is known to be very cunny, but the Tortoise persuaded with expertise and the Rabbit said to him, "come to me at midnight, come alone and I would see what I can do for you" The Tortoise thanked him and went away.
At midnight, Tortoise went to the Rabbit alone just like they discussed earlier in the day, and the Rabbit led Tortoise into the forest with the Tortoise following closely and taking note of the surroundings. At a point, the Rabbit stopped and began to sing a song to the sky which led to a long rope falling and the Rabbit began to climb this rope, telling the Tortoise to follow him. They eventually got to the end of the rope and a door was opened. The Rabbit's mother was the person who fastened the rope and she hugged her son who then introduced Tortoise to his mother saying "Mother this is Tortoise my friend, I have invited him here because the weight and burden of the famine is heavy upon him".
She welcomed the Tortoise, and invited them to eat at her table.
Source
On her table were all sorts of fruits, foodstuffs, soups and drinks. Tortoise saw all these and was amazed. He bagan to eat, he ate all he could lay his hands upon till he was filled up and couldn't even stand.
After they both had rested Rabbit charged the Tortoise not to tell anybody about this and the Tortoise promised not to. So they set off about to leave the sky through the same rope and Rabbit reminded Tortoise about his family saying "won't you take some foodstuff to your family members?" Tortoise replied saying "I'm too tired" and they went down the rope together.
Tortoise went to his house, and slept for 12 hours due to the food he ate and woke up hungry. He said to himself "I am very hungry, what shall I do now?". He then set off to the same location he and Rabbit were the previous night and sang the same song.
Rabbit's mother heard the song, and she noticed the difference in the voice, "that isn't my son's voice, but maybe he has a cold and it must have ruined his voice" she said, letting down the rope. Tortoise seeing this hurriedly began to climb and suddenly the Rabbit appeared seeing what was happening began to panic. "Mother, Mother, that's not me, cut the rope for the greedy Tortoise is coming" he cried. But nothing happened, Tortoise kept on climbing and suddenly, the Rabbit began to sing the song. "Yes, I recognize that voice, that is the voice of my son. But who is this person climbing whom I have let down the rope for?" said the Mother Rabbit. Tortoise was still climbing while the Rabbit began to shout and explain to his mother. "The ungrateful and greedy Tortoise whom we fed yesterday is coming, he has tricked you to bringing down the rope because he was with me when I sang the song yesterday, cut the rope Mother! cut the rope! before he enters your house" shouted the Rabbit. And immediately the Mother Rabbit began to cut the rope with a knife and after a while the rope was cut and Tortoise, halfway there fell from a very high place and cracked his shell. And from that day onward Tortoises shell remained cracked.
THE END.
MORAL LESSONS FROM THE STORY
WE SHOULD NOT BE GREEDY: we shouldn't be greedy as the Tortoise who was greedy with what he had eaten and even forgot to take back to his family. It was greed which led to Tortoise breaking his shell.
THE TRUTH WOULD ALWAYS PREVAIL: Towards the end of the story where Tortoise decided to lie and pretend to be the Rabbit in order to get food but it didn't work as the truth prevailed.
WE SHOULD BE CONTENTED AND SATISFIED WITH WHAT WE HAVE: Tortoise wasn't contented with the food from the previous day and that is why he couldn't recognize that the Rabbit was doing him a favor, which led to him trying to steal from the Rabbit.
WE SHOULDN'T HAVE SO MUCH TRUST ON PEOPLE: The Rabbit trusted Tortoise and didn't set boundaries which made the Tortoise learn the song which calls his mother to let down the rope
WE SHOULD HAVE GOOD REPUTATION: The story above labelled Tortoise as a cunny animal which already tarnished his image and even made the Rabbit have doubts.
I hope you enjoyed this story and gained one or two things from it.
HOW DID YOU LEARN THE STORY OR WHO TOLD YOU THE STORY?
I learnt about the story from my uncle who always gathered my siblings and I during the weekends and tell us a couple of stories at midnight. The story helped me especially when I was younger to be contented with whatever I was given, no matter the quantity
AT WHAT AGE DID YOU LEARN THE STORY ?
I was nine years old when I learnt the story
I wish to invite @tulaii @pascaldaudu @swaylee to this contest contest link
Naughty tortoise he never ever learns his lesson, I am glad he has a cracked 🐚 she'll today.
Thanks for sharing and keep sharing quality content with us
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