Little Green Turtle lived in a muddy little pond, far across the seas in a country called India. Little Green Turtle liked to swim about in his muddy pond. He liked, too, to crawl out on a flat rock and sun himself.
But best of all Little Green Turtle liked to talk. He talked to the little brown-skinned children who came from the village near by to play in the pond. He talked to the silvery fishes that darted like streaks of light through the water. He talked to the green frogs who answered only, "Kerchunk, kerchunk."
He talked to the long-legged heron that stood in the pond and won¬dered how Little Green Turtle found so much to say. He talked to Friend Monkey who swung himself about in the treetops. He chat¬tered faster even than Friend Monkey, and that was saying a good deal.
In fact Little Green Turtle talked to everything that walked or swam, or hopped or flew or climbed. He talked, talked, talked, all the time except when he was asleep.
One day two strong young geese flew by and stopped to rest at the pond. As soon as Little Green Turtle saw them, he called out: "Where are you going, friends?"
"We are going to our home in the South," answered the White Goose.
“And what is your home like?" asked Little Green Turtle.
“Our home is near a beautiful pool in the South," answered the Gray Goose. "Our pool is larger than your pond. And it is as blue as the sky and as clear as glass."
"Wouldn't you like to go South and see our beautiful pool?" said the White Goose.
"Yes, indeed," answered Little Green Turtle. "I have always wanted to go South, but how can I go? I have no strong wings like yours. I cannot fly, and so I cannot go South with you."
"Oh, yes you can," said the Gray Goose. "We will get a strong stick. I will take one end in my bill and Brother White Goose will take the other in his bill. Then you will take the middle of the stick in your mouth and hold on tightly."
"That will be great fun," cried Little Green Turtle.
"You are very kind, White Goose and Gray Goose. And I shall be very glad to go."
"But there is one thing you must remember," said the White Goose, "You must not speak a single word while you are in the air."
"Yes," said the Gray Goose, "if you open your mouth, you will let go of the stick and fall to the ground. Not a single word. Can you re¬member that?"
"Oh, yes, indeed," answered Little Green Turtle, "I can remember that easily. I will not speak a single word on the whole journey."
So the two geese flew off and came back with a stick. The White Goose took one end in his bill, and the Gray Goose took the other end in his bill. And Little Green Turtle took the middle of the stick in his mouth.
Off started the Gray Goose and the White Goose with Little Green Turtle holding to the stick between them.
Up, up, up in the sky they flew, far above the plumey tops of the palm trees.
"What fun it is to go sailing through the air like this," thought Lit¬tle Green Turtle.
When they passed over the village where the little brown-skinned children lived the geese flew lower. Little Green Turtle could see his little friends who came to play in his muddy pond. They saw him, too, and they called out to one another:
"There is Little Green Turtle up in the sky. I wonder where he is going with the two geese!"
"I am going on a wonderful journey to the South to see a pool that is as blue as the sky and as clear as glass," he wanted to call down, but he remembered just in time that he must not speak, so he kept his mouth shut tight.
"What a silly way to travel!" the children cried, "holding on to a stick like that." And they laughed and pointed their fingers.
"It is not at all a silly way to travel. It is a very good way," Little Green Turtle wanted to call down, but he remembered in time that he must not speak a word and so he kept his mouth shut tight.
"Little Green Turtle is always talking," cried the children. "He can never keep from talking on a long journey."
That was more than Little Green Turtle could stand.
"I can, too," he cried. "I am not going to speak a word on the whole journey."
But alas, Little Green Turtle had opened his mouth to say this and he lost his hold on the stick. Down, down, he fell at the feet of the little brown-skinned children.
"Poor Little Green Turtle," said one of them picking him up kindly. "He could not stop talking."
