Many stories have been told in all cultures and in every age about the turtle.  Turtle, in myth and legend, is usually thought of as female and very close to the Earth.  She is wise and fair and seeks goodness.  If you want to read stories about Turtle, click on one of the links below.  Pay attention as Turtle stories can teach you much wisdom. 

Aesop's Fables

"The Hare and the Tortoise"
"The Tortoise and the Eagle"

A  Native American Story 

"The Boy and the Turtles"

From Alice in Wonderland 

by Lewis Carroll

"Turtle Education" 

A Central African Tale

Friendship of the Tortoise and the Eagle 

A  Japanese Tale 

Urashima Taro

Jakata Tales from India 

The Tortoise that Refused to Leave Home

Other Myths, Tales, & Stories
 

Click on the sunbathing turtle 
to go back to the top of the list.

A HARE one day ridiculed the short feet and slow pace of the Tortoise, who replied, laughing: 
"Though you be swift as the wind, I will beat you in a race." 

The Hare, believing her assertion to be simply impossible, assented to the proposal; and they agreed that the Fox should choose the course and fix the goal. 

On the day appointed for the race the two started together. The Tortoise never for a moment stopped, but went on with a slow but steady pace straight to the end of  the course. The Hare, lying down by the wayside, fell fast asleep.  At last waking up, and moving as fast as he could, he saw the Tortoise had reached the goal, and was comfortably dozing after her fatigue. 

Moral of the Fable: Slow but steady wins the race. 
Second Moral: Never doubt a woman's determination! 

A TORTOISE, lazily basking in the sun, complained to the sea-birds of her hard fate, that no one would teach her to fly.  An Eagle, hovering near, heard her lamentation and demanded what reward she would give him if he would take her aloft and float her in the air. 

"I will give you," she said, "all the riches of  the Red Sea." 

"I will teach you to fly then," said the Eagle; and taking her up in his  talons he carried her almost to the clouds.  Suddenly he let her go, and she fell on a lofty mountain, dashing her shell to pieces. The Tortoise exclaimed in the moment of death: 

"I have deserved my present fate; for what had I to do with wings and clouds, who can with difficulty move about on the earth?' 
Moral of the Story: If  men had all they wished, they would be often ruined. 
 

To read more Aesop's Fables, you can visit the Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia Library 
 
 

A boy went on a turtle hunt, and after following the different streams for hours, finally came to the conclusion that the only place he would find any turtles would be at the little lake, where the tribe always hunted them. 

So, leaving the stream he had been following, he cut across country to the lake. On drawing near the lake he crawled on his hands and nees in order not to be seen by the turtles, who were very watchful, as they had been hunted so much.  Peeping over the rock he saw a great many out on the shore sunning themselves, so he very cautiously undressed, so he could leap into the water and catch them before they secreted themselves. But on pulling off his shirt, one of his hands was held up so high that the turtles saw it and jumped into the lake with a great splash. 

The boy ran to the shore, but saw only bubbles coming up from the bottom. Directly the boy saw something coming to the surface, and soon it came up into sight. It was a little man, and soon others, by the  hundreds, came up and swam about, splashing the water up into the air to a great height. So scared was the boy that he never stopped to gather up his clothes but ran home naked and fell into his grandmother's tent door. 

"What is the trouble, grandchild," cried the old woman. But the boy could not answer. 

"Did you see anything unnatural?" 

He shook his head, "no." He made signs to the grandmother that his lungs were pressing so hard against his sides that he could not talk. He kept beating his side with his clenched hands. The grandmother got out her  medicine bag, made a prayer to the Great Spirit to drive out the evil spirit  that had entered her grandson's body, and after she had applied the  medicine, the prayer must have been heard and answered, as the boy  commenced telling her what he had heard and seen. 

The grandmother went to the chief's tent and told what her grandson had seen. The chief sent two brave warriors to the lake to ascertain whether it was true or not. The two warriors crept to the little hill close to the lake, and there, sure enough, the lake was swarming with little men swimming, about, splashing the water high up into the air. The warriors, too, were scared and hurried home, and in the council called on their return told what they had seen. The boy was brought to the council and given the  seat of honor (opposite the door), and was named "Wankan Wanyanka" (sees holy). 

The lake had formerly borne the name of Truth Lake, but from this time on was called "Wicasa-bde" --  Man Lake. 

"When we were little,'  the Mock Turtle went on at last, more calmly, though still sobbing a little now and then, `we went to school in the sea.  The master was an old Turtle-- we used to call him Tortoise-- 

`Why did you call him Tortoise, if he wasn't one?' Alice asked. 

`We called him Tortoise because he taught us."
 
 

It was not often that the tortoise and the eagle met, for the one spent his  days in the clouds and the other in the under a bush.  However, when the eagle heard what a warm-hearted little fellow the tortoise was, he went to pay a call on him. 

The tortoise family showed such pleasure in his company and fed him so lavishly that the eagle returned again and again, while every time as he flew away he laughed, "Ha, ha! I can enjoy the hospitality of the tortoise on the ground but he can never reach my eyrie in the tree-top!" 

The eagle's frequent visits, his selfishness and ingratitude became the talk of the forest animals.  The eagle and the frog were never on speaking terms, for the eagle was accustomed to swooping down to carry a frog home for supper. 

So the frog called from the stream bank, "Friend tortoise, give me beans and I will give you wisdom." 

After enjoying the bowl of beans the frog said, "Friend tortoise, the eagle  is abusing your kindness, for after every visit he flies away laughing, 'Ha  ha! I can enjoy the hospitality of the tortoise on the ground but he can  never enjoy mine, for my eyrie is in the tree-tops.' Next time the eagle  visits you, say, 'Give me a gourd, and I will send food to your wife and children too'." 

The eagle brought a gourd, enjoyed a feast, and as he left he called back, "I will call later for the present for my wife." 

The eagle flew away laughing to himself as usual, "Ha ha! I have enjoyed the tortoise's food, but he can never come to my eyrie to taste of mine." 

The frog arrived and said, "Now, tortoise, get into the gourd.  Your wife will cover you over with fresh food and the eagle will carry you to his home in the treetops." 

Presently the eagle returned. The tortoise's wife told him, "My  husband is away but he left this gourd filled with food for your family." 

The eagle flew away with the gourd, little suspecting that the tortoise was r inside.  The tortoise could hear every word as he laughed, "Ha! ha! I share the tortoise's food but he can never visit my eyrie to share mine." 

As the gourd was emptied out onto the eagle's eyrie, the tortoise crawled from it and said, "Friend eagle, you have so often visited my home that I thought it would be nice to enjoy the hospitality of yours." 

The eagle was furious. "I will peck the flesh from your bones," he said.  But he only hurt his beak against the tortoise's hard back. 

"I see what sort of friendship you offer me," said the tortoise, "when you threaten to tear me limb from limb." He continued, "Under the circumstances, please take me home, for our pact of friendship is at an  end." 

"Take you home, indeed!" shrieked the eagle. "I will fling you to the  ground and you will be smashed to bits in your fall." 

The tortoise bit hold of the eagle's leg. 

"Let me go, let go of my leg, let go of my leg," groaned the great bird. 

"I will gladly do so when you set me down at my own home," said the  tortoise, and he tightened his hold on the eagle's leg. 

The eagle flew high into the clouds and darted down with the speed of  an arrow. He shook his leg.   He turned and twirled, but it was to no  purpose. He could not rid himself of the tortoise until he set him down  safely in his own home. 

As the eagle flew away the tortoise called after him, "Friendship requires the contribution of two parties. I welcome you and you welcome me.   Since, however, you have chosen to make a mockery of it, laughing at me for my hospitality, you need not call again." 

Long ago there lived in a small fishing village by the southern shores of Japan a young fisherman named Urashima Taro. We will call him Taro in our story.

One bright day while he was walking along the seashore with his fishing  pole, Taro saw a group of children jumping and running about. All of the children seemed very excited. They were shouting with glee and seemed to be standing over some object lying on the beach. When Taro came nearer to the children, he saw that they were tormenting a little turtle. They threw stones at it, and then each one took his turn kicking the poor turtle. 

Taro felt great sympathy for the unfortunate turtle. He turned to the children and said, "Please don't be cruel to the little turtle. You should be kind to animals. If you will set the turtle free, I will give each of you some money." 

So Taro bought the turtle's freedom from the thoughtless children. Then he took it to the water's edge and set it free.  Soon the turtle disappeared into the blue waves and in a moment Taro could see it no more. 

After a few days Taro again went fishing by the seashore. He cast his line into the water and, as he did so, he was surprised to see a big turtle appear from out of the waves.  The huge turtle approached Taro and said, "Hello, Taro-san! Don't you remember me?" 

Taro stared at the turtle, and to his great surprise he saw that it was the same turtle whose life he had saved by rescuing it from the naughty children a few days before. But now the turtle was very large and looked very old. 

Smiling at Taro, the turtle continued, "Thank you very much for your kindness to me the other day. You rescued me from those bad children. I  wish to reward you for your kindness.  If you wish to go, I will take you to the Coral Palace. It is a beautiful palace in the middle of a kingdom down under the sea. Please get on my back, Taro. Then we will begin our journey." 

Taro was delighted with the invitation from the turtle. He jumped on the hard-shell back, and they started for the Coral Palace. 

Into the depths of the blue sea they plunged. It was the first time Taro had been so far under the water, and it was probably the first time anyone had lived to see the bottom of the ocean. 

The bottom of the ocean was a beautiful sight to Taro. For a minute he just blinked his eyes, for he could not believe what he saw. Strange and pretty grasses and trees grew on the bottom of the sea. They swirled and waved with the gentle current of the water. Glistening red, blue, and yellow fish of all sizes and shapes swam everywhere. 

Schools of tiny fish played among the pink and blue coral. Funny little sea horses fled from the larger fish. The shining coral reflected glittering shafts of light in every direction. Everything was like a dream.  It was most beautiful and quiet. 

The turtle was a swift swimmer, and soon Taro saw the gates of the Coral Palace in the distance.  At the palace, the queen awaited Taro.  The queen was named Otohime, and she was delicate and sweet-looking. 

Otohime wore a long, white robe, and on her head rested a golden crown sparkling with many diamonds and pearls. As she moved, her skirt, which was covered with hundreds of pink shells, swayed and gleamed in the  water. Each shell was like a twinkling star. 

Behind Otohime stood twenty maids in waiting. Each wore a different-colored dress, and in their hair they had interwoven green seaweed. 

With a smile on her tender face, Otohime spoke in a soft voice to Taro. "Welcome, Taro-san! It was so kind of  you to have rescued my loyal turtle. All the inhabitants of my kingdom wish to reward you by entertaining you in my Coral Palace.  You will see many strange and wonderful things beneath the sea." 

And then she beckoned and said, "Come with me, Taro. We will go into  the palace."   Taro followed Otohime, and the charming queen led him through one splendid room after another. Finally they came to a huge room filled with beautiful furniture and treasures. In the center of the room was a great table and it was laden with golden plates, knives, forks, and spoons, crystal glasses, silver trays, and delicate china.

The food upon the table was the strangest and most inviting food Taro  had ever seen. Taro had never tasted such delicious dishes, and he did not know any of the names of the strange delicacies. 

Otohime was a generous and charming hostess, and she offered Taro one wonderful dish after another.  Then, when Taro could eat no more, he  was delighted to see many beautiful fish dance into the banquet hall. They swam before the table where Taro sat with the queen, and after they bowed and shyly smiled at the guest, the fish began to dance to a lovely tune. 

Tiny fish swayed, and sunfish tossed their tails. Thousands of gleaming bubbles rose above the dancers.  Goldfish danced to a soft waltz, and shafts of light shone on their gleaming gilt scales. 

It almost looked as if many mirrors were dancing. Then gleaming codfish and trout moved in rhythm to the gay tunes of oysters who clacked their shells open and shut. Off to one side, five small fish danced over the keys of the golden piano.  They made a delicate, tinkling tone bubble out.  Beside them a sweet rainbow trout stroked the strings of a silver harp. 

And in the background a group of proud lobsters played their violins while a huge, fat lobster led the musicians.  Taro laughed at the lobster leader, for he had thick glasses resting on the end of his nose, and he looked very funny as he conducted the orchestra. 

Finally the feast and the entertainment were over. Otohime then showed Taro the treasures of the palace. She had so many treasures, too! She had more silver and gold and pearls than anyone on earth or under the sea. 

Taro spent many days at the Coral Palace. Every day was a new experience which ended with a splendid feast and an evening of entertainment. For a while Taro even forgot his friends and parents at home above the sea. 

But one day Taro felt a great longing for his own people. Taro did not wish the queen to think him ungrateful for her kindness, but he felt that he must tell her of his desire to return home. By then Taro was very homesick. 

So the next time he saw the queen, Taro approached her and said, "Thank you very much for your kindness, little Queen Otohime. I have never spent such happy days before. I love your palace and all your little friends. But now I feel a longing to see my home again. I must say good-by." 

Otohime was sorry to hear Taro speak these words. She cried bitterly to think of his leaving her kingdom, and all her little maidservants tried to persuade Taro to remain with them forever. 

Taro did not wish to see the queen cry, but he would not change his mind.  The time came for Taro to leave. The big turtle prepared to carry Taro to the land above the sea, and he awaited him at the gates of the palace. 

Otohime, brushing away tears like pearls from her eyes, said to Taro, "I am sorry you are leaving my palace, Taro. But I do not wish you to be  unhappy. Do not forget me, even though you go back to your own country and people." 

Then Otohime showed Taro a jewel-encrusted chest and said,  "I wish to give you this as a token of farewell. It will bring great luck to you if you keep it. But one thing you must remember. You must never, never open it. Do not forget my words, Taro-san. It will only bring you luck if you keep it unopened." 

Then the queen handed the chest to Taro.  Taro was delighted with his gift and he thanked the queen many times.  Then, holding the precious chest in his hand, Taro got on the turtle's back and amid a swirl of water and bubbles they sped to the surface of the sea.  They reached the beach, and Taro bid good-by to the turtle. Then Taro set out for home. 

When he arrived at the gates of his native village, he was surprised to see hat everything was changed.  Nothing was the same as before he had gone to the Coral Palace. Not one familiar face remained, and Taro felt like a stranger. Taro asked many people about his old friends, but hardly anyone seemed even to have heard of them. Only one or two old men remembered Taro's friends. These old men had  heard their grandfathers speak of them, but that was many, many years ago. 

With disappointment and sorrow heavy in his heart, Taro looked for the home where he had once lived. But even that was no longer there, and strange people now lived on the site in a new house. Taro felt very lonely in this strange town where he was but a puzzling stranger to all the inhabitants.

Taro plodded his weary way to the seashore and sat upon a rock where he could see the waves roll in.  Suddenly he remembered the chest the queen had given him.  Taro was so lonely he forgot the words of the little queen, and he began to open the chest. When the lid was open, a column of  white smoke arose from the chest. The smoke was strange and surrounded Taro. And when the smoke disappeared, Taro had become an old man with hair as white as snow. For Taro had really been under the sea for many years, and now time had caught up with him. 

From Tales of Wonder

Once on a time, when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born in a village as a potter's son. He plied the potter's trade, and had a wife and family to support. 

At that time there lay a great natural lake close by the great river of Benares. When there was much water, river and lake were one; but when the water was low, they were apart. Now fish and tortoises know by instinct when the year will be rainy and when there will be a drought. 

So at the time of our story the fish and tortoises which lived in that lake knew there would be a drought; and when the two were one water, they swam out of the lake into the river. But there was one tortoise that would not go into the river, because, said he, "here I was born, and here I have   grown up, and here is my parents' home. Leave it I cannot!" 

Then in the hot season the water all dried up. He dug a hole and buried himself, just in the place where the Bodhisatta was used to come for clay. There the Bodhisatta came to get some clay. With a big spade he dug down, until he cracked the tortoise's shell, turning him out on the ground as though he were a large piece of clay. In his agony the creature thought, "Here I am, dying, all because I was too fond of my home to leave it!" And in the words of these following verses, he made his moan: 
 

Here was I born, and here I lived;
my refuge was the clay; 
And now the clay has played 
me false in a most grievous way;
Thee, thee I call, oh Bhaggava;
hear what I have to say! 

Go where thou canst find happiness,
where'er the place may be; 
Forest or village, there the wise 
both home and birthplace see; 
Go where there's life; nor stay at home 
for death to master thee. 

So he went on and on, talking to the Bodhisatta, until he died. The Bodhisatta picked him up, and collecting all the villagers addressed them thus: "Look at this tortoise. When the other fish and tortoises went into the great river, he was too fond of  home to go with them, and buried himself in the place where I get my clay.  Then as I was digging for clay, I broke his shell with my big spade, and turned him out on the ground in the belief that he was a large lump of clay. Then he called to mind what he had done, lamented his fate in two verses of  poetry, and expired. 

So you see he came to his end because he was too fond of his home. Take care not to be like this tortoise.  Don't say to yourselves, 'I have sight, I  have hearing, I have smell, I have taste, I have touch, I have a son, I have a daughter, I have numbers of men and maids for my service, I have precious gold.' Do not cleave to these things with craving and desire. Each being passes through three stages of existence." 

Thus did he exhort the crowd with all a Buddha's skill. The discourse was bruited abroad all over India, and for full seven thousand years it was remembered. All the crowd abode by his exhortation, and gave alms, and did good until at last they went to swell the hosts of heaven. 

Source: The Jataka; or, Stories of the Buddha's Former Births, edited by E. B.Cowell (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1895), book 2, no. 178. 

Spirit Guides

The Turtle Tale  A Native American Legend

The Dancing Turtle: A Folktale from Brazil, Retold by Pleasant DeSpain;  Illustrated by David Boston 

Grandpa Turtle's Story

"The Turtle That Learned to Fly"  (An Autobiography) by Bob Zinn 

The Story of Turtles Through the Ages by Noreen Strehlow 

The Talkative Turtle: A Tale from India 

Big Turtle, A Native American - Huron story retold by Oban 

Flying Turtle, Story by Ajay Jaiman 

Carl the Turtle, Stories to Read by Smallboy