In a big pond lived a very sweet turtle named Kachhua. He walked slowly, but his heart was huge. His best friends were two beautiful geese, Pankhi and Pankhu. The three played together all day, chatted, and had fun by the water.
One year, there was a terrible heat. The pond water shrank every day. Fish were worried, frogs were sad, and Kachhua became very upset. He told the geese, “Soon the pond will dry up… where will I go?”
Pankhi and Pankhu knew of a big, cool lake far away near the mountains that never dried. They said, “Don’t worry! We’ll carry you there. We have a strong stick. You hold it tightly in your mouth, we’ll hold the ends in our beaks and fly. Just one rule, no opening your mouth on the way!”
Kachhua was overjoyed and promised, “I won’t say a single word!”
Next morning, the geese took the stick, Kachhua clamped it firmly in his mouth, and off they flew into the sky! All the jungle animals were amazed. Monkeys cheered, rabbits clapped, and colorful parrots waved their wings.
High above a village, children ran out and shouted, “Look, look! A turtle is flying! Hey turtle, where did you get wings?”
Kachhua heard this and burst into a big smile. He wanted to shout, “They’re not my wings, they’re my friends’ wings!” The moment he opened his mouth, the stick slipped, and he fell straight down!
The geese cried, “Kachhuaaaa!” But luckily, he landed on a soft pile of grass, no injuries, just out of breath. The geese swooped down and hugged him tight.
Kachhua felt ashamed and said, “I broke my promise… I couldn’t stay quiet.” Pankhi and Pankhu smiled and said, “It’s okay! We’ll try again. This time, you really stay quiet!”
Kachhua nodded. The next time, he didn’t speak a single word the whole journey. Finally, the three friends safely reached the new lake and lived happily ever after.
Moral Lesson: When you make a promise, especially when friends are helping you, keep it. A little silence can bring big happiness!