Elephant and Tortoise

Elephant and Rain were two great powers, and one day they fell into an argument.

“You say you feed me,” said Elephant. “Tell me, how do you do that?”

Rain answered, “If you think I don’t feed you, what will happen when I go away? Won’t you die?” And Rain left.

Elephant turned to Vulture. “Vulture, cast lots so that it will rain for me.”

“I will not cast lots,” said Vulture.

So Elephant asked Crow. “Cast lots!”

“Give me the things I need to cast them with,” said Crow. Crow cast the lots, and rain fell. It rained on the lagoons, but in time they dried up, until only one lagoon was left.

Elephant wanted to go hunting. Tortoise was there, so Elephant told him, “Tortoise, stay by the water!” And Tortoise was left behind while Elephant went off to hunt.

Giraffe came and said to Tortoise, “Give me water!”

Tortoise answered, “The water belongs to Elephant.”

Zebra came and asked, “Give me water!”

“The water belongs to Elephant,” said Tortoise.

Then Gemsbok came, then Wildebeest, then Roodebok, then Springbok, and then Jackal. Each one said, “Give me water!” And to each one Tortoise gave the same answer: “The water belongs to Elephant.”

Last of all Lion came and said, “Little Tortoise, give me water!” Little Tortoise was just about to say something when Lion seized him and gave him a beating. Then Lion drank from the lagoon, and since then all the animals drink water.

When Elephant came back from hunting, he asked, “Little Tortoise, is there water?”

“The animals have drunk the water,” said Tortoise.

“Little Tortoise,” said Elephant, “shall I chew you, or swallow you down?”

“Swallow me, if you please,” said Little Tortoise. So Elephant swallowed him whole.

Once Little Tortoise was inside Elephant’s body, he tore at Elephant’s insides.

“Little Tortoise,” said Elephant, “you are killing me.”

And so Elephant died. But Little Tortoise climbed out of the dead body and went wherever he pleased.

Where this tale comes from

Honey prints this fable in South-African Folk-Tales (1910) and follows it with a second version in which Giraffe swallows Tortoise, chokes, and leaves Tortoise and his “mother” Crab a year’s worth of food. The same Elephant-and-Rain fable had appeared as No. 14 in W. H. I. Bleek’s Reynard the Fox in South Africa (1864), where Bleek notes that his original was written in the Herero (Damara) language, in J. Rath’s manuscript in Sir George Grey’s library.

The long chain of thirsty animals—Giraffe, Zebra, Gemsbok, Wildebeest, Roodebok, Springbok and Jackal—is how the source builds its suspense. In the source Tortoise tears out Elephant’s organs; this page says it more gently.

Read the original: Honey’s South-African Folk-Tales, Gutenberg ebook 38339

Suggested for ages 9–12 with an adult: includes Tortoise being beaten and swallowed, then killing Elephant from inside his body.

Who actually controls the water?

Elephant begins by denying his dependence on Rain, then tries to claim the remaining lagoon as his own. Tortoise repeats that claim but cannot enforce it against Lion. Elephant punishes the guard for a failure of power that began with Elephant himself. Swallowing Tortoise repeats the mistake of assuming that being larger means being in control.

Trace the orders

Draw arrows from Rain to Elephant, Elephant to Tortoise and Lion to Tortoise. Label who gives an order and who can resist it. Where does Elephant blame someone with less power for his own problem?

Think about it

• Why did the lagoons dry up after Elephant argued with Rain?
• What did Tortoise say to every animal that wanted water?
• Why do you think Tortoise asked to be swallowed instead of chewed?

More stories like this

• The Clever Tortoise and the Elephant — another small tortoise who outwits an elephant
• How the Tortoise Got Its Shell — a West African tortoise tale