Animal tale · 7 min · Ages 6+

How Tortoise Got His Cracks

A traditional tale, freshly retold for young readers.

Long ago, when animals could speak, Tortoise had a smooth and shining shell. He was clever, curious—and sometimes far too greedy.

One bright morning, the birds received an invitation to a magnificent feast in the sky. Tortoise wanted to go, but he had no wings. He begged each bird to lend him one feather. Slowly, the feathers became a grand pair of wings.

“We should each choose a special name for the feast,” Tortoise suggested. The birds agreed. Tortoise chose the name All of You.

When they reached the clouds, their hosts welcomed them warmly. “This feast is for all of you!” they announced. Tortoise jumped forward. “That means the feast is for me,” he said, and gobbled the finest dishes before the birds could eat.

The birds were furious. One by one, they took back their feathers and flew home. Tortoise was left alone in the sky.

He sent a message asking his family to cover the ground with soft cushions. But the message became mixed up. When Tortoise jumped down, he landed on hard objects and his shell broke into many pieces.

His family carefully joined the pieces together. The cracks stayed—and, storytellers say, that is why every tortoise carries a beautiful pattern on its shell today.