Wisdom story: The Tortoise Who Outsmarted the Fox

The sun shone brightly in the forest as a group of animals gathered near a clearing. Among them was the clever fox, who always enjoyed playing tricks on others. One day, the fox and her friends, the falcon, the jackal, the pangolin, and the weasel came across a strange creature they had never seen before, a tortoise. The fox observed the tortoise’s thick, hard shell and couldn’t resist making fun of it. She turned to her friends and remarked how peculiar the creature looked, covered in such heavy armor. “What a slow and ridiculous thing! It can hardly move, yet it carries that enormous shell on its back,” she thought to herself. Curious but also eager to prove their strength, the animals decided to test the tortoise. The falcon, with his sharp eyesight, circled high above, waiting for the right moment. He then swooped down, aiming for the tortoise’s head. At the same time, the fox and the others rushed forward, eager to attack. But before they could do any harm, the tortoise quickly pulled her head, legs, and tail into her shell, making herself completely untouchable. From inside her protective armor, she chuckled, “Who can hurt me when I was blessed with such a strong shield?” The fox, frustrated, called out to her friends, “Patience! If we wait long enough, she will have to come out eventually.” Then, turning to the tortoise, the fox taunted, “If you are so clever, why don’t you run away?” From within her shell, the tortoise replied calmly, “Why should I run? My armor is my protection. No matter how long you wait, I will remain safe.” Growing impatient, the fox called upon the pangolin, “Your sharp claws are perfect for piercing tough surfaces. Try scratching through her armor!” The tortoise, though momentarily worried, quickly thought of a way to protect herself. She laughed from inside her shell and said, “Oh, brave pangolin, do try your best! But be warned my shell is so strong that anything that strikes it will only rebound. Before long, you’ll find yourself flipping over, unable to move!” The pangolin, frightened by the tortoise’s words, hesitated, then quickly scurried away. The other animals jeered at him, but they too began to realize that brute force alone would not defeat the tortoise. Frustrated, the fox exclaimed, “She cannot hide forever! When she peeks out for air, the jackal will bite her head off.” The tortoise, though momentarily frightened, remained calm. “Ah,” she said with confidence, “but I do not need to stick my head out. I can breathe through small holes in my shell. Even if I stay inside for years, I will not perish.” The fox clenched her teeth in anger. “Then we shall crush her shell with a rock!” she declared. The tortoise, knowing that a heavy blow could be dangerous, pretended to be fearless. “Oh, what fools you are! My shell is so strong that any hammer that strikes it will bounce back and hurt the one who wields it!” The jackal, growing impatient, suggested, “Enough of this! Let’s carry her to the top of the mountain and throw her into the abyss!”

Once again, the tortoise remained composed. “Do as you wish,” she said, “but know that I have fallen from the highest peaks of the Himalayas and survived. Do you think your little hill can do me any harm?” The fox, now boiling with rage, decided to change her approach. “Let’s burn her! We shall roast her over a fire until her shell cracks!” The tortoise felt a shiver of fear but quickly masked it with laughter. “Oh, what a splendid idea! You must not know that tortoises love warmth. Fire is no threat to me in fact, I enjoy basking in it!” The fox howled in frustration. “You are not even afraid of fire? What about water?” she exclaimed. Then, turning to the falcon, she commanded, “Grab her and throw her into the river! Let’s see if she can boast then.” The tortoise, overjoyed at the fox’s foolishness, acted as though she were terrified. “Oh, no! Please, not the river! I cannot swim, and with my heavy shell, I will sink to the bottom and drown! Please, have mercy!” The fox convinced she had finally found the tortoise’s weakness, laughed triumphantly. “Then into the river, you go!” she declared.p The falcon grabbed the tortoise, lifted her high into the sky, and carried her over the rushing river. Then, with a swift motion, he dropped her straight into the water. But as soon as the tortoise hit the water, she dove under the surface, swam gracefully, and emerged a moment later, beaming with joy. “Thank you, dear Falcon, for taking me home!” she called out. “Now, dear fox, who is the fool after all?” The fox and her friends stood in stunned silence, realizing that they had been outwitted at every turn. They had underestimated the tortoise failed to recognize her true strength, and never learned about her true weakness.