The tortoise and the King

Today is literature day, so I decided to give you a scoop into my upcoming folktale series. I hope you enjoy this piece.

A long time ago, the tortoise claimed that he was the wisest being alive. He boasted everywhere he went that there was nothing he couldn't do.

At first, nobody took him seriously until one fateful day when he went to the village square and challenged the villagers. " If anyone can ask me any question that I can't answer, then I'll leave this village. However, if I can answer all your questions, then I will be the new king."

The villagers went to him one after the other with different questions, and the tortoise answered all of them. They were all amazed at his wisdom.

The women began to sing his praise "the tortoise is the wisest."

The news got to the king, and he sent for the tortoise. "I heard you are the wisest." The king remarked.

The tortoise smiled with pride. "Yes, I am" he responded calmly.

The king sent his town crier to inform everyone to assemble at his palace the next morning to witness the tortoise display his wisdom.

The next morning, the entire village gathered outside the Palace waiting for what was about to happen.

The king came out with an empty basin. The tortoise waited to see what the king would ask him.

The king stood up to address the crowd, he pointed at the basin. "This basin contains a piece of an ancient cloth. Only a wise person can see the cloth." He paused a bit to look at the faces of the villagers who were in total shock because they couldn't see anything in the basin.

"Since the tortoise claims he is the wisest being in this village, then he Should be able to see this cloth."

He turned to the tortoise and asked him "can you see the cloth?"

The tortoise did not see anything, but because he had claimed he was the wisest being in the village, he knew he could not go back on his claims as that would make the king punish him.

"My king, I can see the piece of cloth very clearly." The tortoise declared.

The villagers clapped and praised him for seeing the cloth.

When the noise died down, the king ordered his guards to arrest the tortoise.

He told the villagers that the tortoise was a big liar. "There is no piece of cloth in that basin. The basin is clearly empty. If the tortoise was as wise as he claims, then he would know that the highest form of wisdom is honesty."

The villagers opened their mouths in shock when they realized the king's wisdom in exposing the tortoise.

The were angry at the tortoise for deceiving all of them and making them look like fools.

The tortoise was sent out from the village into the forest. That is why till today, the tortoise is always found in the forest.