The Tortoise and Snail were very good friends and they did things together. The only hurdle in their friendship was that the tortoise used to insist on taking a bigger share especial when they had to share food. The Snail once in a blue moon complained but told the Tortoise that he was greedy.
One day, the two friends decided to try out anew trap they had bought. They knew that there were several animals in the forest close to their farms. They set trap and left for home. On the way, the tortoise said:
Snail, listen to me, we shall take whatever animal killed by our trap in turns’,
‘That is agreeable, who will take first? Asked the snail,
‘You can take the first one if it is a small animal but if it is big I will take it’, replied the tortoise.
I agree with you’, said the snail.
They went early in the following morning to check their trap.
They found that it had caught a rat. Tortoise was not interested. He wanted something big and he already told his friend so.
All right, I will take the rat today. The trap may catch a rodent which is bigger than a rat tomorrow’, said the snail.
Take it. I definitely prefer a rodent to a rat’, said the Tortoise.
The following day, trap caught a rodent. The Tortoise looked at it and said he would prefer something bigger.
The trap may catch a deer tomorrow for him to cooked a good soup. The snail took the rodent and cooked a good soup. The next day the trap caught a deer. The tortoise was happy but he thought the trap may kill a bigger animal like a bear the following day.
He therefore allowed the snail yet again to take the deer.
The following morning, the Tortoise was the first to get to their trap. To his surprise it had caught a very big animal, bigger than all the animals they used to catch. He danced round in joy. Soon the Snail emerged and the tortoise said:
Today is my lucky day, I told you I wanted a very big animal and that is it in the trap’. He danced with joy again. The Snail left him and went away. The tortoise moved close to the trap and released the animal. To his utter amazement, the animal was not dead. He gripped the Tortoise and asked him to carry him home.
The animal threatened to strangle the Tortoise if he refused. Reluctantly, the Tortoise carried him and set off for home.
Listen to me Tortoise, when I ask “what do you carry?”, you should answer “Monster”. If you don’t answer, I will kill you’, the strange animal threatened. Soon the sing-song went thus:
What do you carry?
Monster
What do you carry?
Monster
What do you carry?
Monster
