The Tortoise and the Eagle

Once upon a time, there was a tortoise who lived a simple, peaceful life on the ground. Yet, no matter how content it tried to be, it could not help but envy the birds that soared through the sky.

One day, as it watched an eagle gliding effortlessly above, the tortoise felt its longing swell. “How glorious it must be to fly!” it thought. Unable to resist, the tortoise called out to the eagle.

“Eagle! You are the master of the skies. Will you teach me to fly?”

The eagle, surprised by such a request, flew down to meet the tortoise. “You are a tortoise,” said the eagle. “Your shell is heavy, and you have no wings. Flying is not for you.”

But the tortoise was insistent. “Please! I will give you treasures beyond measure if you teach me. I only wish to experience the skies once.”

The eagle, tempted by the promise of riches, eventually relented. “Very well,” it said. “I will help you fly, but do not blame me for what may happen.”

The tortoise eagerly agreed, its excitement drowning out any caution. The eagle grabbed the tortoise in its powerful talons and began to ascend.

Higher and higher they flew, the ground shrinking below until it was a distant blur.

The tortoise was awestruck. “This is incredible!” it cried, gazing at the rivers, mountains, and forests below.

But as the eagle soared ever higher, it began to tire.

“You are too heavy,” said the eagle, its voice strained. “I cannot carry you much longer.”

“Just a little more!” begged the tortoise, desperate to keep flying.

But the eagle could not hold on. With a sharp cry, it opened its talons and released the tortoise.

The tortoise plummeted through the air, the wind roaring past its shell. In those final moments, it realized its folly.

“I should have been happy with who I was,” it thought, just before it struck the jagged rocks below.