Week 6 Story: Tortoise Bowl-On-The-Back and the Fox

There was a Tortoise who was known as Bowl-on-the-back. He was a farmer and was sowing seeds when the Fox passed him saying, "may God give you strength."

Later in the year when the seeds sprung in the summer, the Fox passed the Tortoise again saying, "may God give you strength" and then went on his way.

Harvest time came again and the Tortoise was busy sowing his corn. The Fox appeared wanting his share of the corn. The Tortoise was in dismay. "Your share of what?"

The Fox said, "God give you strength right?" The Tortoise responded, "because you said 'God give you strength' doesn't mean you have a right to a share of my crops."

The two started fighting over the subject and challenged each other to a race. Whoever wins will get all of the crop. The two set off.

The Tortoise immediately hid in a nearby bush to throw off the Fox. The Fox felt confident that he was running so far ahead. He stopped and took a break to get something to eat. He took so long that the Tortoise eventually passed him. The Fox still thought the Tortoise was so far behind. When the Fox reached the finish line, the Tortoise was there waiting for him. The Tortoise knew that because he was greedy, he was eventually going to lose. The Tortoise kept his entire crop and his dignity too.

Tortoise Bowl-On-The-Back and the Fox by D.L.R. Lorimer and E.O Lorimer

Author's Note: When I read this story, I knew I wanted to write a little spin off from the Tortoise and the Hare: the story we all knew and loved growing up. Merging them together was easier than I thought. The original story ended with the two in a race but it wasn't the same as the Tortoise and the Hare story.

Greedy Fox. Source: Max Pixel

Reading Notes: The Story of the Wolf-Bride

A rich man was able to have a son and went to the akhund to get the boy's horoscope. The akhund told him, "your son is fated to be torn in pieces by a wolf." In order to prevent the horoscope, the father went home and built a chamber underground to put his son. He then brought the akhund in to teach the son.

Over time, the son learned how to read and write as he grew up. It came time for him to get married. The father's brother had a daughter and they were to marry. When they did, the families celebrated for a week. The families brought the girl to the son's underground chamber.

When the two were alone, the son put his arm around the girl's waist and she suddenly turned into a wolf and tore him to pieces. She turned into the same girl after she was done. She had no idea how it happened at sat alone until the next morning.

The akhund came to get her in the morning and ask how it happened? She girl said she didn't know. They buried the body together and said, "whatever is willed by fate, that verily comes to pass."

The Story of the Wolf-Bride by D.L.R. Lorimer and E.O. Lorimer.

Wolf. Source: Max Pixel

Reading Notes: The Sad Tale of the Mouse's Tail

The story starts off with a mouse falling into a trap and losing its tail. She asks a Cobbler to sew her tail back on and the Cobbler say's he will if the mouse finds thread. The mouse finds a Jew and asks for thread and the Jew asks her to find him an egg first. The mouse finds a Hen and asks for an egg and then Hen asks for a grain of corn. The mouse goes to the Corn Heap to ask for a grain of corn and they say they want a sieve. The mouse then goes to the Tinker to ask for a sieve and the Tinker says to bring him goat skin. The mouse then goes to the goat and the goat asks for grass from the farmer in exchange for the skin. The mouse then goes to the farmer and the farmer asks for a spade in return. The mouse asked for all of the things in order to get his tail sew back on by the Cobbler.

The Sad Tale of the Mouse's Tail translated by D.L.R. Lorimer and E.O. Lorimer.

Mouse. Source: Pixnio