Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, there was a wise and powerful king who loved his children dearly. One day, the king gathered all his children for a grand meeting to learn their deepest desires.

The king’s daughter, known for her beauty and grace, made a bold request: any man who wished to marry her must present an elephant as the bride price.

She dreamed of riding through the village on the majestic creature, showcasing her royal status.

Many suitors tried to meet the princess’s demand, but none succeeded.

Among the hopefuls was the clever Tortoise, who, despite his small stature and slow pace, had an extraordinary wit.

The Tortoise approached the princess and asked for her hand in marriage but was promptly rejected for failing to meet the elephant requirement.

Determined, the Tortoise devised a cunning plan.

He visited his friend, the mighty Elephant, and told him that the king was organizing an Ofala festival, a grand celebration of the king’s coronation anniversary.

The Tortoise cleverly lied, saying that the king had chosen the Elephant to be the chairman of the occasion. Flattered and excited, the Elephant agreed to attend, and the Tortoise offered to accompany him.

Meanwhile, the Tortoise returned to the king and confidently declared that he would soon bring the elephant required to marry the princess.

On the day of the festival, the Tortoise intentionally delayed their departure until noon, causing the Elephant to grow impatient.

When the Tortoise finally appeared, the Elephant, now angry, demanded to know why he had been kept waiting.

The Tortoise, ever so sly, blamed his short legs for the delay and pleaded with the Elephant to allow him to ride on his back to make the journey faster.

The Elephant agreed, but when the Tortoise struggled to climb up, he asked to use a rope to help him ascend.

The Elephant consented, and soon the Tortoise was perched atop his friend’s back, holding the rope like reins.

As they approached the palace, the Tortoise began to sing triumphantly, proclaiming to the king that he had brought the elephant for the princess.

The Elephant, hearing this, asked what the Tortoise had said. The Tortoise lied again, insisting that the Elephant had misheard and urged him to keep moving.

When they finally reached the palace, the Tortoise handed the rope to the king, declaring that he had fulfilled the princess’s request.

It was then that the Elephant realized he had been deceived by his friend, who had used him to win the princess’s hand in marriage.

The moral of the story is that one should be cautious of friends who ask for favours without revealing their true intentions, as their motives may be deceitful.

Last updated on September 13th, 2024 at 10:09 pm