Once, in a forest near the Himalayas, there lived a friendly tortoise named Tanu. Tanu loved to talk. He would talk about the weather, his favorite snacks, how he once saw a rainbow—anything at all. And once he got started, it was hard to stop!

One sunny morning, two wild geese named Giri and Lina landed near Tanu’s pond to rest. Tanu waddled over and started chatting right away. He told them all about the fish in the pond, the cool shade under the trees, and the time he almost caught a falling leaf with his mouth.

The geese laughed. “You sure do like to talk, Tanu!”

Tanu smiled proudly. “I have a lot to say!”

After a few days of visiting, Giri said, “We like you, Tanu. Would you like to come with us to see our home near the Golden Hills? It’s beautiful and peaceful.”

“I’d love to!” said Tanu. “But I can’t fly.”

Lina had an idea. “We can carry you! If you bite onto a stick, we’ll each hold one end in our beaks and fly you there.”

“Great idea!” said Tanu. “Let’s go!”

“Wait,” said Giri. “There’s one important rule: You must not talk while we’re flying. If you open your mouth, you’ll fall.”

Tanu nodded. “No talking. Got it.”

Soon, the three friends were in the air—Giri and Lina flying high, with Tanu holding on tight to the stick with his mouth. Below them, the villages and rivers looked like tiny puzzle pieces.

People on the ground began to point and shout.

“Look at that tortoise flying through the sky!”

“That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever seen!”

Tanu wanted to respond. He thought, If only they knew how smart I am! I should say something! But he remembered the rule and stayed quiet.

Then someone laughed and said, “What a silly sight!”

Tanu couldn’t help himself. He opened his mouth to shout, “I’m not silly!” But the moment he did, he let go of the stick and started tumbling through the air.

Luckily, he landed in a soft haystack near a field. Dazed but unharmed, he blinked up at the sky just in time to see Giri and Lina circling back.

“Oh no, Tanu!” Lina cried as they landed nearby. “Are you okay?”

Tanu sat up, hay stuck to his shell. “I’m fine,” he said sheepishly. “I just couldn’t stay quiet.”

Giri helped brush the hay off. “Tanu, we care about you. But sometimes, being quiet is just as important as speaking up.”

Tanu nodded slowly. “I guess being wise means knowing when to talk, not just what to say.”

The geese smiled. “Exactly.”

From that day on, Tanu still loved to talk—but he also became a good listener. And when the time was right, he knew just when to hold his tongue.

_{“The Tortoise Who Talked Too Much” by Nina D. Smith. Published by Bright Bunny Books © 2025. Retelling of “The Talkative Tortoise’” from Indian Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs, originally published in 1892.}

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“The Tortoise Who Talked Too Much”, thanks to its accessible language, clear moral, and relatable humor, making it perfect for early elementary students learning about self-control and friendship.

Discussion Questions
1. Why do you think Tanu had such a hard time staying quiet?

2. What does the story teach us about talking and listening?

3. Have you ever gotten into trouble for talking at the wrong time? What did you learn from it?

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