# The Talkative Tortoise explained — Indian Fairy Tales

> Chapter companion for Indian Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs.

## What happens

The future Buddha, born as a minister's adviser to King Brahmadatta of Benares, seeks to cure the king's excessive talkativeness. A tortoise, carried through the air by two wild ducks by biting a stick, cannot resist speaking when villagers comment, falls into the king's palace, and splits in two. The Bodhisatta uses this as a lesson, warning the king that those who talk too much come to grief, and the king reforms.

## Themes in this chapter

### Cunning and Wisdom

The Bodhisatta cleverly uses the tortoise's accident to teach the king a lesson about the dangers of excessive speech.

### Gratitude and Ingratitude

The tortoise's ingratitude toward his friends' help leads to his downfall, as he fails to follow their instructions.

## Character check-ins

### The Talkative Tortoise

The tortoise who, unable to hold his tongue, lets go of the stick and falls to his death.

### Buddha

The future Buddha, born as a minister's son, who uses the tortoise's fate to admonish the king.

### Brahmadatta

The talkative king of Benares who learns to speak less after the Bodhisatta's lesson.

## Key lines

> Verily the tortoise killed himself Whilst uttering his voice; Though he was holding tight the stick, By a word himself he slew.

The tortoise died because he spoke when he should have stayed silent; even though he held the stick firmly, his own words caused his death.

_The Bodhisatta's verse summarizing the moral of the story._

> Behold him then, O excellent by strength! And speak wise words, not out of season. You see how, by his talking overmuch, The tortoise fell into this wretched plight!

Look at this example, O mighty king, and learn to speak wisely and at the right time. See how the tortoise's excessive talking brought him to this miserable end.

_The Bodhisatta directly applies the lesson to the king's own talkativeness._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/indian_fairy_tales_se/chapters/the-talkative-tortoise
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/indian_fairy_tales_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/indian_fairy_tales_se/chapters