A village hunter had one day gone farther afield than usual. Coming to a part of the forest with which he was unacquainted, he was astonished to hear a voice singing. He listened.
When the little song was finished, the hunter peeped through the branches to see who the singer could be. Imagine his amazement when he found it was none other than a tortoise, with a tiny harp slung in front of her.
The singing was accompanied by sweet music - which entirely charmed the hunter's "It is man who forces himself on things,Not things which force themselves on him."heart.
Never had he seen such a marvellous thing.
Time after time he returned to the same place in order to listen to this wonderful creature. At last he persuaded her to let him carry her back to his hut, that he might enjoy her singing daily in comfort. This she permitted, only on the understanding that she sang to him alone.
The hunter did not rest long content with this arrangement, however. Soon he began to wish that he could showoff this wonderful tortoise to all the world, and thereby thought he would gain great honour. He told thesecret, first to one, then to another, until finally it reached the ears of the chief himself. The hunter was commanded to come and tell his tale before the Assembly. When, however, he described thetortoise who sang and played on, the harp, the people shouted in scorn. They refused to believe him.
At last he said, "If I do not speak truth, I give you leave to kill me. To-morrow I will bring the tortoise tothis place and you may all hear her. If she cannot do as I say, I am willing to die." "Good," replied thepeople, "and if the tortoise can do as you say, we give you leave to punish us in any way you choose."
The matter being then settled, the hunter returned home, well pleased with the prospect. As soon as the morrowdawned, he carried tortoise and harp down to the Assembly Place where a table had been placed ready forher. Every one gathered round to listen. But no song came. The people were very patient, and quite willing togive both tortoise and hunter a chance. Hours went by, and, to the hunter's dismay and shame, the tortoiseremained mute. He tried every means in his power to coax her to sing, but in vain. The people at firstwhispered, then spoke outright, in scorn of the boaster and his claims.
Night came on and brought with it the hunter's doom. As the last ray of the setting sun faded, he was beheaded. The instant this had happened thetortoise spoke. The people looked at one another in troubled wonder: "Our brother spoke truth, then, and wehave killed him." The tortoise, however, went on to explain. "He brought his punishment on himself. I led ahappy life in the forest, singing my little song. He was not content to come and listen to me, He had to tellmy secret (which did not at all concern him) to all the world. Had he not tried to make a show of me thiswould never have happened."
William H. Barker