A tortoise lived in a pond. He was very talkative and kept speaking all the time. Two swans were his good friends.
One year there was no rain and the pond began to dry up. The swans thought of moving elsewhere. The tortoise said, “Take me along too, or I will die here.”
The swans said, “We can carry you, but on one condition. We will hold a wooden stick, and you will hold it in your mouth by the middle. Whatever happens on the way, do not speak at all.” The tortoise promised.
The swans took off. Down below, villagers saw this strange sight and began laughing, saying, “Look, swans are carrying a tortoise!”
The tortoise could not hold back. The moment he opened his mouth to speak, the stick slipped and he fell to the ground. Thus his talkative habit caused his ruin.